The contribution of classical (beta1/2-) and atypical beta-adrenoceptors to the stimulation of human white adipocyte lipolysis and right atrial appendage contraction by novel beta3-adrenoceptor agonists of differing selectivities.

The role of beta3- and other putative atypical beta-adrenoceptors in human white adipocytes and right atrial appendage has been investigated using CGP 12177 and novel phenylethanolamine and aryloxypropanolamine beta3-adrenoceptor (beta3AR) agonists with varying intrinsic activities and selectivities for human cloned betaAR subtypes. The ability to demonstrate beta1/2AR antagonist-insensitive (beta3 or other atypical betaAR-mediated) responses to CGP 12177 was critically dependent on the albumin batch used to prepare and incubate the adipocytes. Four aryloxypropanolamine selective beta3AR agonists (SB-226552, SB-229432, SB-236923, SB-246982) consistently elicited beta1/2AR antagonist-insensitive lipolysis. However, a phenylethanolamine (SB-220646) that was a selective full beta3AR agonist elicited full lipolytic and inotropic responses that were sensitive to beta1/2AR antagonism, despite it having very low efficacies at cloned beta1- and beta2ARs. A component of the response to another phenylethanolamine selective beta3AR agonist (SB-215691) was insensitive to beta1/2AR antagonism in some experiments. Because no [corrected] novel aryloxypropanolamine had a beta1/2AR antagonist-insensitive inotropic effect, these results establish more firmly that beta3ARs mediate lipolysis in human white adipocytes, and suggest that putative 'beta4ARs' mediate inotropic responses to CGP 12177. The results also illustrate the difficulty of predicting from studies on cloned betaARs which betaARs will mediate responses to agonists in tissues that have a high number of beta1- and beta2ARs or a low number of beta3ARs.

Synthesis of [1-14C]1,2-cyclohexanedione bis(4-diethylenoxythiosemicarbazone) and preliminary biodistribution studies of this potential antitumor agent.

A new compound, [1-14C]1,2-cyclohexanedione-bis(4-diethylenoxythiosemicarbazone) was found to have significant antitumor activity (% T/C = 245) when tested against sarcoma-180 ascites tumor in mice and thus may be a potentially useful drug. The compound can be easily labeled with 14C by employing the straightforward synthetic procedures detailed in this article. Results of the synthesis and purification are presented. Preliminary biodistribution studies of the labeled compound in both normal and tumor bearing mice were performed. The compound, when administered i.p., is rapidly absorbed and localized into most tissues. Urinary and biliary excretion are its major routes of elimination. Based on these studies, continued evaluation is recommended.

Variability among commercially available digoxin radioimmunoassay kits in cross reactivity to dihydrodigoxin.

We evaluated four commercially available 125I-digoxin radioimmunoassay kits with regard to their ability to cross react with the digoxin metabolite dehydrodigoxin. We prepared dihydrodigoxin serum samples in digoxin-free serum over the concentration range 0.4 to 5.0 microgram/liter and assayed them with each kit according to the manufacturer's instructions. The metabolite was able to displace the 125I-labeled digoxin derivative from the antibody supplied with all four kits. However, the extent of the cross reactivity depended on the kit, ranging from essentially zero to a high degree of interference. Dihydrodigoxin is the only metabolite of digoxin to have been quantitiated in human serum, and may comprise up to 30% of total glycosides. Over the clinical and therapeutic range of serum digoxin concentrations, enough dihydrodigoxin can be produced to interfere in the determination of serum digoxin concentrations by this method. We suggest that laboratories evaluate their specific kit with regard to cross reactivity to this metabolite.