Structure-Based Design of Potent, Selective, and Orally Bioavailable VPS34 Kinase Inhibitors.

VPS34 is a class III phosphoinositide 3-kinase involved in endosomal trafficking and autophagosome formation. Inhibitors of VPS34 were believed to have value as anticancer agents, but genetic and pharmacological data suggest that sustained inhibition of VPS34 kinase activity may not be well tolerated. Here we disclose the identification of a novel series of dihydropyrazolopyrazinone compounds represented by compound 5 as potent, selective, and orally bioavailable VPS34 inhibitors through a structure-based design strategy. A water-interacting hydrogen bond acceptor within an appropriate distance to a hinge-binding element was found to afford significant VPS34 potency across chemical scaffolds. The selectivity of compound 5 over PIK family kinases arises from interactions between the hinge-binding element and the pseudo-gatekeeper residue Met682. As recent in vivo pharmacology data suggests that sustained inhibition of VPS34 kinase activity may not be tolerated, structure-activity relationships leading to VPS34 inhibition may be helpful for avoiding this target in other ATP-competitive kinase programs.

Activation of Nrf2 in the liver is associated with stress resistance mediated by suppression of the growth hormone-regulated STAT5b transcription factor.

The transcription factor Nrf2 (encoded by Nfe2l2) induces expression of numerous detoxifying and antioxidant genes in response to oxidative stress. The cytoplasmic protein Keap1 interacts with and represses Nrf2 function. Computational approaches were developed to identify factors that modulate Nrf2 in a mouse liver gene expression compendium. Forty-eight Nrf2 biomarker genes were identified using profiles from the livers of mice in which Nrf2 was activated genetically in Keap1-null mice or chemically by a potent activator of Nrf2 signaling. The rank-based Running Fisher statistical test was used to determine the correlation between the Nrf2 biomarker genes and a test set of 81 profiles with known Nrf2 activation status demonstrating a balanced accuracy of 96%. For a large number of factors examined in the compendium, we found consistent relationships between activation of Nrf2 and feminization of the liver transcriptome through suppression of the male-specific growth hormone (GH)-regulated transcription factor STAT5b. The livers of female mice exhibited higher Nrf2 activation than male mice in untreated or chemical-treated conditions. In male mice, Nrf2 was activated by treatment with ethinyl estradiol, whereas in female mice, Nrf2 was suppressed by treatment with testosterone. Nrf2 was activated in 5 models of disrupted GH signaling containing mutations in Pit1, Prop1, Ghrh, Ghrhr, and Ghr. Out of 59 chemical treatments that activated Nrf2, 36 exhibited STAT5b suppression in the male liver. The Nrf2-STAT5b coupling was absent in in vitro comparisons of chemical treatments. Treatment of male and female mice with 11 chemicals that induce oxidative stress led to activation of Nrf2 to greater extents in females than males. The enhanced basal and inducible levels of Nrf2 activation in females relative to males provides a molecular explanation for the greater resistance often seen in females vs. males to age-dependent diseases and chemical-induced toxicity.

Screening of natural compounds as activators of the keap1-nrf2 pathway.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 is a master regulator that promotes transcription of cytoprotective genes in response to oxidative/electrophilic stress. A large number of natural dietary compounds are thought to protect against oxidative stress, and a few have been reported to induce genes involved in antioxidant defense through activating nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2. Therefore, a library of 54 natural compounds were collected to determine whether they are nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 activators and to compare their efficacy and potency to activate nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2. The assay utilized AREc32 cells that contain a luciferase gene under the control of antioxidant response element promoters. Each natural compound was tested at 13 concentrations between 0.02 and 30 µM. Known nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 activators tert-butylhydroquinone and 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9-diene-28-imidazolide were used as positive controls in parallel with the natural compounds. Among the 54 tested natural compounds, andrographolide had the highest efficacy, followed by trans-chalcone, sulforaphane, curcumin, flavone, kahweol, and carnosol, all of which had better efficacy than tert-butylhydroquinone. Among the compounds tested, 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9-diene-28-imidazolide was the most potent, having an EC50 of 0.41 µM. Seven of the natural compounds, namely andrographolide, trans-chalcone, sulforaphane, curcumin, flavone, kahweol, and cafestol had lower EC50 values than tert-butylhydroquinone but higher than 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9-diene-28-imidazolide. The present study provides insights into which natural compounds activate the Keap1-nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 pathway and thus might be useful for detoxifying oxidative/electrophilic stress.

Nrf2 activation prevents cadmium-induced acute liver injury.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in cadmium-induced liver injury. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that up-regulates cytoprotective genes in response to oxidative stress. To investigate the role of Nrf2 in cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity, Nrf2-null mice, wild-type mice, kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1-knockdown (Keap1-KD) mice with enhanced Nrf2, and Keap1-hepatocyte knockout (Keap1-HKO) mice with maximum Nrf2 activation were treated with cadmium chloride (3.5mg Cd/kg, i.p.). Blood and liver samples were collected 8h thereafter. Cadmium increased serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, and caused extensive hepatic hemorrhage and necrosis in the Nrf2-null mice. In contrast, Nrf2-enhanced mice had lower serum ALT and LDH activities and less morphological alternations in the livers than wild-type mice. H(2)DCFDA (2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluoresein diacetate) staining of primary hepatocytes isolated from the four genotypes of mice indicated that oxidative stress was higher in Nrf2-null cells, and lower in Nrf2-enhanced cells than in wild-type cells. To further investigate the mechanism of the protective effect of Nrf2, mRNA of metallothionein (MT) and other cytoprotective genes were determined. Cadmium markedly induced MT-1 and MT-2 in livers of all four genotypes of mice. In contrast, genes involved in glutathione synthesis and reducing reactive oxygen species, including glutamate-cysteine ligase (Gclc), glutathione peroxidase-2 (Gpx2), and sulfiredoxin-1 (Srxn-1) were only induced in Nrf2-enhanced mice, but not in Nrf2-null mice. In conclusion, the present study shows that Nrf2 activation prevents cadmium-induced oxidative stress and liver injury through induction of genes involved in antioxidant defense rather than genes that scavenge Cd.