Therapeutic potential of LINS01 histamine H3 receptor antagonists as antineoplastic agents for triple negative breast cancer.

The aims of this work were to evaluate the expression of histamine H3 receptor (H3R) in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) samples and to investigate the antitumoral efficacy and safety of the LINS01 series of H3R antagonists, through in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approaches. Antitumor activity of LINS01009, LINS01010, LINS01022, LINS01023 was assayed in vitro in 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells (0.01-100 µM), and in vivo in 4T1 tumors orthotopically established in BALB/c mice (1 or 20 mg/kg). Additionally, H3R expression was assessed in 50 human TNBC samples. We have described a higher H3R mRNA expression in basal-like/TNBC tumors vs. matched normal tissue using TCGA Pan-Cancer Atlas data, and a higher H3R expression in human tumor samples vs. peritumoral tissue evidenced by immunohistochemistry associated with poorer survival. Furthermore, while all the essayed compounds showed antitumoral properties, LINS01022 and LINS01023 exhibited the most potent antiproliferative effects by: i) inducing cell apoptosis and suppressing cell migration in 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells, and ii) inhibiting cell growth in paclitaxel-resistant 4T1 cells (potentiating the paclitaxel antiproliferative effect). Moreover, 20 mg/kg LINS01022 reduced tumor size in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, exhibiting a safe toxicological profile and potential for druggability estimated by ADME calculations. We conclude that the H3R is involved in the regulation of TNBC progression, offering promising therapeutic potential for the novel LINS01 series of H3R antagonists.

Molecular Determinant Underlying Selective Coupling of Primary G-Protein by Class A GPCRs.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) transmit downstream signals predominantly via G-protein pathways. However, the conformational basis of selective coupling of primary G-protein remains elusive. Histamine receptors H2R and H3R couple with Gs- or Gi-proteins respectively. Here, three cryo-EM structures of H2R-Gs and H3R-Gi complexes are presented at a global resolution of 2.6-2.7 Å. These structures reveal the unique binding pose for endogenous histamine in H3R, wherein the amino group interacts with E2065.46 of H3R instead of the conserved D1143.32 of other aminergic receptors. Furthermore, comparative analysis of the H2R-Gs and H3R-Gi complexes reveals that the structural geometry of TM5/TM6 determines the primary G-protein selectivity in histamine receptors. Machine learning (ML)-based structuromic profiling and functional analysis of class A GPCR-G-protein complexes illustrate that TM5 length, TM5 tilt, and TM6 outward movement are key determinants of the Gs and Gi/o selectivity among the whole Class A family. Collectively, the findings uncover the common structural geometry within class A GPCRs that determines the primary Gs- and Gi/o-coupling selectivity.

Recovery of the histamine H3 receptor activity lost in yeast cells through error-prone PCR and in vivo selection.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest protein family in humans and are important drug targets. Yeast, especially Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a useful host for modifying the function and stability of GPCRs through protein engineering, which is advantageous for mammalian cells. When GPCRs are expressed in yeast, their function is often impaired. In this study, we performed random mutagenesis using error-prone PCR and then an in vivo screening to obtain mutants that recovered the activity of the human histamine H3 receptor (H3R), which loses its signaling function when expressed in yeast. Four mutations with recovered activity were identified after screening. Three of the mutations were identified near the DRY and NPxxY motifs of H3R, which are important for activation and are commonly found in class A GPCRs. The mutants responded exclusively to the yeast YB1 strain harboring Gi-chimera proteins, showing retention of G protein specificity. Analysis of one of the mutants with recovered activity, C415R, revealed that it maintained its ligand-binding characteristics. The strategy used in this study may enable the recovery of the activity of other GPCRs that do not function in S. cerevisiae and may be useful in creating GPCRs mutants stabilized in their active conformations.

The histamine H3 receptor modulates dopamine D2 receptor-dependent signaling pathways and mouse behaviors.

The histamine H3 receptor (H3R) is highly enriched in the spiny projection neurons (SPNs) of the striatum, in both the D1 receptor (D1R)-expressing and D2 receptor (D2R)-expressing populations. A crossantagonistic interaction between H3R and D1R has been demonstrated in mice, both at the behavioral level and at the biochemical level. Although interactive behavioral effects have been described upon coactivation of H3R and D2R, the molecular mechanisms underlying this interaction are poorly understood. Here, we show that activation of H3R with the selective agonist R-(-)-α-methylhistamine dihydrobromide mitigates D2R agonist-induced locomotor activity and stereotypic behavior. Using biochemical approaches and the proximity ligation assay, we demonstrated the existence of an H3R-D2R complex in the mouse striatum. In addition, we examined consequences of simultaneous H3R-D2R agonism on the phosphorylation levels of several signaling molecules using immunohistochemistry. H3R agonist treatment modulated Akt (serine/threonine PKB)-glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta signaling in response to D2R activation via a ß-arrestin 2-dependent mechanism in D2R-SPNs but not in D1R-SPNs. Phosphorylation of mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 1 and rpS6 (ribosomal protein S6) was largely unchanged under these conditions. As Akt-glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta signaling has been implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders, this work may help clarify the role of H3R in modulating D2R function, leading to a better understanding of pathophysiology involving the interaction between histamine and dopamine systems.

Structural and Molecular Determinants for Isoform Bias at Human Histamine H3 Receptor Isoforms.

The human histamine H3 receptor (hH3R) is predominantly expressed in the CNS, where it regulates the synthesis and release of histamine and other neurotransmitters. Due to its neuromodulatory role, the hH3R has been associated with various CNS disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Markedly, the hH3R gene undergoes extensive splicing, resulting in 20 isoforms, of which 7TM isoforms exhibit variations in the intracellular loop 3 (IL3) and/or C-terminal tail. Particularly, hH3R isoforms that display variations in IL3 (e.g., hH3R-365) are shown to differentially signal via Gαi-dependent pathways upon binding of biased agonists (e.g., immepip, proxifan, imetit). Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying biased agonism at hH3R isoforms remain unknown. Using a structure-function relationship study with a broad range of H3R agonists, we thereby explored determinants underlying isoform bias at hH3R isoforms that exhibit variations in IL3 (i.e., hH3R-445, -415, -365, and -329) in a Gαi-dependent pathway (cAMP inhibition). Hence, we systematically characterized hH3R isoforms on isoform bias by comparing various ligand properties (i.e., structural and molecular) to the degree of isoform bias. Importantly, our study provides novel insights into the structural and molecular basis of receptor isoform bias, highlighting the importance to study GPCRs with multiple isoforms to better tailor drugs.

BRET Analysis of GPCR Dimers in Neurons and Non-Neuronal Cells: Evidence for Inactive, Agonist, and Constitutive Conformations.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are dimeric proteins, but the functional consequences of the process are still debated. Active GPCR conformations are promoted either by agonists or constitutive activity. Inverse agonists decrease constitutive activity by promoting inactive conformations. The histamine H3 receptor (H3R) is the target of choice for the study of GPCRs because it displays high constitutive activity. Here, we study the dimerization of recombinant and brain H3R and explore the effects of H3R ligands of different intrinsic efficacy on dimerization. Co-immunoprecipitations and Western blots showed that H3R dimers co-exist with monomers in transfected HEK 293 cells and in rodent brains. Bioluminescence energy transfer (BRET) analysis confirmed the existence of spontaneous H3R dimers, not only in living HEK 293 cells but also in transfected cortical neurons. In both cells, agonists and constitutive activity of the H3R decreased BRET signals, whereas inverse agonists and GTPγS, which promote inactive conformations, increased BRET signals. These findings show the existence of spontaneous H3R dimers not only in heterologous systems but also in native tissues, which are able to adopt a number of allosteric conformations, from more inactive to more active states.

Evolutionary history of histamine receptors: Early vertebrate origin and expansion of the H3-H4 subtypes.

Histamine receptors belonging to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate the diverse biological effects of biogenic histamine. They are classified into four phylogenetically distinct subtypes H1-H4, each with a different binding affinity for histamine and divergent downstream signaling pathways. Here we present the evolutionary history of the histamine receptors using a phylogenetic approach complemented with comparative genomics analyses of the sequences, gene structures, and synteny of gene neighborhoods. The data indicate the earliest emergence of histamine-mediated GPCR signaling by a H2 in a prebilaterian ancestor. The analyses support a revised classification of the vertebrate H3-H4 receptor subtypes. We demonstrate the presence of the H4 across vertebrates, contradicting the currently held notion that H4 is restricted to mammals. These non-mammalian vertebrate H4 orthologs have been mistaken for H3. We also identify the presence of a new H3 subtype (H3B), distinct from the canonical H3 (H3A), and propose that the H3A, H3B, and H4 likely emerged from a H3 progenitor through the 1R/2R whole genome duplications in an ancestor of the vertebrates. It is apparent that the ability of the H1, H2, and H3-4 to bind histamine was acquired convergently. We identified genomic signatures suggesting that the H1 and H3-H4 shared a last common ancestor with the muscarinic receptor in a bilaterian predecessor whereas, the H2 and the α-adrenoreceptor shared a progenitor in a prebilaterian ancestor. Furthermore, site-specific analysis of the vertebrate subtypes revealed potential residues that may account for the functional divergence between them.

Histamine H3 receptor gene variants associated with drug abuse in patients with cocaine use disorder.

BACKGROUND: Preclinical work revealed significant interactions between ligands of the histamine H3 receptor and different drugs of abuse. In the case of psychostimulants, the results reported are somewhat controversial and human data are still scarce, despite the fact that an inverse agonist of the H3 receptor (pitolisant) has reached the market after approval for the treatment of narcolepsy. AIMS: We have studied associations between histamine H3 receptor gene variants and cocaine use disorder to increase the knowledge of the possible involvement of histamine H3 receptor in drug abuse. METHODS: Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms of the histamine H3 receptor gene were genotyped by using a multiplexing assay in 248 samples of subjects with cocaine use disorder and 500 randomized samples of subjects representative of the Spanish population. RESULTS: The study of the epidemiological information associated to the samples revealed that subjects with cocaine use disorder broadly abused alcohol, tobacco and cannabinoids. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs3787430 and rs74627870) were found significantly associated with the occurrence of addiction and one more (rs13042865) was specifically related to the severity of cocaine dependence within drug abusers. CONCLUSIONS: The associations found in this study further extend the hypothesis that histamine H3 receptor function could be relevant in drug abuse in general and cocaine addiction in particular.

Modulation of dopamine D1 receptors via histamine H3 receptors is a novel therapeutic target for Huntington's disease.

Early Huntington's disease (HD) include over-activation of dopamine D1 receptors (D1R), producing an imbalance in dopaminergic neurotransmission and cell death. To reduce D1R over-activation, we present a strategy based on targeting complexes of D1R and histamine H3 receptors (H3R). Using an HD mouse striatal cell model and HD mouse organotypic brain slices we found that D1R-induced cell death signaling and neuronal degeneration, are mitigated by an H3R antagonist. We demonstrate that the D1R-H3R heteromer is expressed in HD mice at early but not late stages of HD, correlating with HD progression. In accordance, we found this target expressed in human control subjects and low-grade HD patients. Finally, treatment of HD mice with an H3R antagonist prevented cognitive and motor learning deficits and the loss of heteromer expression. Taken together, our results indicate that D1R - H3R heteromers play a pivotal role in dopamine signaling and represent novel targets for treating HD.

Upregulated histamine receptor H3 promotes tumor growth and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Histamine receptor H3 (HRH3) is mainly expressed in the central nervous system, where it is involved in the regulation of the release of various neurotransmitters in the brain. Recent studies have demonstrated that the expression of HRH3 is upregulated in several types of cancer. However, the functional effect of HRH3 on tumor progression remains largely unknown, particularly in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, the expression of HRH3 in 96 HCC patients was first evaluated, and its clinical significance was analyzed. Subsequently, the functional roles of HRH3 in HCC growth and metastasis were systematically explored in vitro and in vivo using its agonist (imetit) or antagonist (clobenpropit). It was observed that HRH3 was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues, while its expression was significantly associated with recurrence­free survival and overall survival in HCC patients. Functional experiments also demonstrated that HRH3 upregulation facilitated the growth and metastasis of HCC cells by inducing the formation of lamellipodia. These findings revealed that HRH3 serves an important role in the growth and metastasis of HCC cells, which provides experimental evidence supporting the application of HRH3 as a potential therapeutic target in HCC treatment.

Role of Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonists on Intraocular Pressure Reduction in Rabbit Models of Transient Ocular Hypertension and Glaucoma.

Intraocular pressure (IOP) has a tendency to fluctuate throughout the day, reaching its peak in the early morning in healthy subjects or glaucoma patients. Likewise, histamine tone also fluctuates over time, being lower at nighttime. Numerous studies have demonstrated a correlation between short-term IOP fluctuation and glaucoma progression; however, it has not yet been determined whether histamine plays a role in IOP fluctuations. The aim of this research was to establish the distribution of the histamine receptor proteins and respective mRNAs in the eye by western blot, immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR in New Zealand rabbits. Furthermore, we used a transient ocular hypertension (OHT) model induced by injection of 50 µL of 5% hypertonic saline into the vitreous and a stable OHT model (100 µL 0.1% carbomer in the anterior chamber) to address the potential IOP-lowering ability of H3 receptor (H3R) antagonists (ciproxifan, DL76 and GSK189254). IOPs were performed with a Tono-Pen at baseline and 60, 120 and 240 min post treatment after transient OHT induction and, every day for 12 days in the stable OHT model. All histamine receptor subtypes were localized in the rabbit retina and ciliary body/trabecular meshwork. All the treatments lowered IOP in a dose-dependent fashion between 0.3% and 1%. More specifically, the effects were maximal with ciproxifan at 60 min post-dose (IOP60 change = -18.84 ± 4.85 mmHg, at 1%), remained stable until 120 min (IOP120 change = -16.38 ± 3.8 mmHg, at 1%) and decayed thereafter to reach baseline values at 240 min. These effects were highly specific and dependent on histamine release as pre-treatment with imetit (H3R agonist, 1%) or pyrilamine (H1R antagonist, 1%) largely blocked ciproxifan-mediated effects. Color Doppler ultrasound examination was performed to evaluate changes in ophtalmic artery resistivity index (RI) before and after repeated dosing with DL 76, GSK189254, ciproxifan and timolol. Chronic treatments with H3R antagonists and timolol improved the vascular performance of ophthalmic arteries and reduced retinal ganglion cell death. Oxidative stress was also reduced and measured 8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) expression, and by dihidroethydium (DHE) staining. These results demonstrated that the histamine system participates in IOP regulation and that H3R antagonists could represent a future promising therapy for glaucoma. Further studies should be focused on the long-term IOP circadian fluctuations.

Drug-receptor kinetics and sigma-1 receptor affinity differentiate clinically evaluated histamine H3 receptor antagonists.

The histamine H3 receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) drug target that is highly expressed in the CNS, where it acts as both an auto- and hetero-receptor to regulate neurotransmission. As such, it has been considered as a relevant target in disorders as varied as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, neuropathic pain and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A range of competitive antagonists/inverse agonists have progressed into clinical development, with pitolisant approved for the treatment of narcolepsy. Given the breadth of compounds developed and potential therapeutic indications, we assessed the comparative pharmacology of six investigational histamine H3 agents, including pitolisant, using native tissue and recombinant cells. Whilst all of the compounds tested displayed robust histamine H3 receptor inverse agonism and did not differentiate between the main H3 receptor splice variants, they displayed a wide range of affinities and kinetic properties, and included rapidly dissociating (pitolisant, S 38093-2, ABT-239) and slowly dissociating (GSK189254, JNJ-5207852, PF-3654746) agents. S 38093-2 had the lowest histamine H3 receptor affinity (pKB values 5.7-6.2), seemingly at odds with previously reported, potent in vivo activity in models of cognition. We show here that at pro-cognitive and anti-hyperalgesic/anti-allodynic doses, S 38093-2 preferentially occupies the mouse sigma-1 receptor in vivo, only engaging the histamine H3 receptor at doses associated with wakefulness promotion and neurotransmitter (histamine, ACh) release. Furthermore, pitolisant, ABT-239 and PF-3654746 also displayed appreciable sigma-1 receptor affinity, suggesting that this property differentiates clinically evaluated histamine H3 receptor antagonists and may play a role in their efficacy.

Visualization of the activation of the histamine H3 receptor (H3R) using novel fluorescence resonance energy transfer biosensors and their potential application to the study of H3R pharmacology.

Activation of the histamine-3 receptor (H3R) is involved in memory processes and cognitive action, while blocking H3R activation can slow the progression of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and narcolepsy. To date, however, no direct way to examine the activation of H3R has been utilized. Here, we describe a novel biosensor that can visualize the activation of H3R through an intramolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) signal. To achieve this, we constructed an intramolecular H3R FRET sensor with cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) attached at the C terminus and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) inserted into the third intracellular loop. The sensor was found to internalize normally on agonist treatment. We measured FRET signals between the donor CFP and the acceptor YFP in living cells in real time, the results of which indicated that H3R agonist treatment (imetit or histamine) increases the FRET signal in a time- and concentration-dependent manner with Kon and Koff values consistent with published data and which maybe correlated with decreasing cAMP levels and the promotion of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. The FRET signal was inhibited by H3R antagonists, and the introduction of mutations at F419A, F423A, L426A and L427A, once again, the promotion of ERK1/2 phosphorylation, was diminished. Thus, we have built a H3R biosensor which can visualize the activation of receptor through real-time structure changes and which can obtain pharmacological kinetic data at the same time. The FRET signals may allow the sensor to become a useful tool for screening compounds and optimizing useful ligands.

Impact of histamine receptors H1 and H3 polymorphisms on antipsychotic-induced weight gain.

OBJECTIVES: A positive correlation between antipsychotic-induced weight gain (AIWG) and the antagonist effect of antipsychotic drugs at the histamine H1 receptor (HRH1) as well as the agonist effect at the histamine H3 receptor (HRH3) in the brain has been consistently demonstrated. We investigated the potential impact of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in HRH1 and HRH3 genes on AIWG. METHODS: We analysed 40 tagSNPs in HRH1 (n = 34) and HRH3 (n = 6) in schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder patients (n = 193) primarily treated with clozapine or olanzapine for up to 14 weeks. Linear regression was used to evaluate the association between SNPs and AIWG, with baseline weight and treatment duration as covariates. RESULTS: In HRH1, a nominal association of rs7639145 with AIWG was observed in patients of European ancestry treated with either clozapine or olanzapine (P = 0.043; ß = 1.658; n = 77). We observed nominal association for two HRH1 SNPs rs346074 (P = 0.002; ß = -5.024) and rs13064530 (P = 0.004; ß = -5.158) in patients of African ancestry treated with either clozapine or olanzapine (n = 37). However, the above associations are not significant after correcting for multiple testing. In HRH3, we did not observe association in either ancestry. CONCLUSIONS: The current study suggests that SNPs in HRH1 and HRH3 may not have a major role in AIWG.

Differential homologous desensitization of the human histamine H3 receptors of 445 and 365 amino acids expressed in CHO-K1 cells.

Histamine H3 receptors (H3Rs) signal through Gαi/o proteins and are found in neuronal cells as auto- and hetero-receptors. Alternative splicing of the human H3R (hH3R) originates 20 isoforms, and the mRNAs of two receptors of 445 and 365 amino acids (hH3R445 and hH3R365) are widely expressed in the human brain. We previously showed that the hH3R445 stably expressed in CHO-K1 cells experiences homologous desensitization. The hH3R365 lacks 80 residues in the third intracellular loop, and in this work we therefore studied whether this isoform also experiences homologous desensitization and the possible differences with the hH3R445. In clones of CHO-K1 cells stably expressing similar receptor levels (211 ± 12 and 199 ± 16 fmol/mg protein for hH3R445 and hH3R365, respectively), there were no differences in receptor affinity for selective H3R ligands or for agonist-induced [35S]-GTPγS binding to membranes and inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation in intact cells. For both cell clones, pre-incubation with the H3R agonist RAMH (1 µM) resulted in functional receptor desensitization, as indicated by cAMP accumulation assays, and loss of receptors from the cell surface and reduced affinity for the agonist immepip in cell membranes, evaluated by radioligand binding. However, functional desensitization differed in the maximal extent (96 ± 15% and 58 ± 8% for hH3R445 and hH3R365, respectively) and the length of pre-exposure required to reach the maximum desensitization (60 and 30 min, respectively). Furthermore, the isoforms differed in their recovery from desensitization. These results indicate that the hH3R365 experiences homologous desensitization, but that the process differs between the isoforms in time-course, magnitude and re-sensitization.

Histamine Receptor 3 negatively regulates oligodendrocyte differentiation and remyelination.

BACKGROUND: Agents promoting oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation have the potential to restore halted and/or delayed remyelination in patients with multiple sclerosis. However, few therapeutic targets have been identified. The objective of this study was to identify novel targets for promotion of remyelination and characterize their activity in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: A high-content screening assay with differentiation of primary rat oligodendrocyte precursor cells was used to screen GSK-proprietary annotated libraries for remyelination-promoting compounds. Compounds were further validated in vitro and in vivo models; clinical relevance of target was confirmed in human post-mortem brain sections from patients with MS. RESULTS: Of ~1000 compounds screened, 36 promoted oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation in a concentration-dependent manner; seven were histamine receptor-3 (H3R) antagonists. Inverse agonists of H3R but not neutral antagonists promoted oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) differentiation. H3R was expressed throughout OPC differentiation; H3R expression was transiently upregulated on Days 3-5 and subsequently downregulated. H3R gene knockdown in OPCs increased the expression of differentiation markers and the number of mature oligodendrocytes. Overexpression of full-length H3R reduced differentiation marker expression and the number of mature cells. H3R inverse agonist GSK247246 reduced intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) and downstream cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner. Histone deacetylase (HDAC-1) and Hes-5 were identified as key downstream targets of H3R during OPC differentiation. In the mouse cuprizone/rapamycin model of demyelination, systemic administration of brain-penetrable GSK247246 enhanced remyelination and subsequently protected axons. Finally, we detected high H3R expression in oligodendroglial cells from demyelination lesions in human samples of patients with MS, and validated a genetic association between an exonic single nucleotide polymorphism in HRH3 and susceptibility to multiple sclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: From phenotypic screening to human genetics, we provide evidence for H3R as a novel therapeutic target to promote remyelination in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Identification of Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands Using a New Crystal Structure Fragment-based Method.

Virtual screening offers an efficient alternative to high-throughput screening in the identification of pharmacological tools and lead compounds. Virtual screening is typically based on the matching of target structures or ligand pharmacophores to commercial or in-house compound catalogues. This study provides the first proof-of-concept for our recently reported method where pharmacophores are instead constructed based on the inference of residue-ligand fragments from crystal structures. We demonstrate its unique utility for G protein-coupled receptors, which represent the largest families of human membrane proteins and drug targets. We identified five neutral antagonists and one inverse agonist for the histamine H3 receptor with potencies of 0.7-8.5 µM in a recombinant receptor cell-based inositol phosphate accumulation assay and validated their activity using a radioligand competition binding assay. H3 receptor antagonism is of large therapeutic value and our ligands could serve as starting points for further lead optimisation. The six ligands exhibit four chemical scaffolds, whereof three have high novelty in comparison to the known H3 receptor ligands in the ChEMBL database. The complete pharmacophore fragment library is freely available through the GPCR database, GPCRdb, allowing the successful application herein to be repeated for most of the 285 class A GPCR targets. The method could also easily be adapted to other protein families.

Activation of the ileal neuroendocrine tumor cell line P-STS by acetylcholine is amplified by histamine: role of H3R and H4R.

Neuroendocrine tumors may present with pseudoallergic reactions like diarrhea and idiopathic anaphylaxis. Here we present the P-STS human ileal neuroendocrine cell line as a model cell line for these tumors. Neuroendocrine markers and changes in cytoplasmic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in response to several possible activators of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) release were analyzed. P-STS cells still expressed chromogranin A and synaptophysin after 2 years of culture. Tryptophan hydroxylase 1 mRNA and a low amount of 5-HT were also detected. Acetylcholine (ACh) caused a rise in [Ca2+]i. Somatostatin inhibited, whereas histamine (HA) but not the HA receptor ligand betahistine enhanced activation by ACh. The [Ca2+]i response to ACh/HA was inhibited by the HA receptor H3 (H3R) agonist methimepip and by the antidepressant imipramine. Further [Ca2+]i response studies indicated the presence of H4Rs and of a functional calcium sensing receptor. High or low affinity IgE receptor protein or mRNA were not detected. Taken together, neuroendocrine markers and response to intestinal neurotransmitters approve the P-STS cell line as a valuable model for enterochromaffin cells. Enhancement of their ACh-induced pro-secretory response by HA, with a role for H3R and H4R, suggests an amplifying role of neuroendocrine cells in allergen-induced diarrhea or anaphylaxis.

The naturally occurring mutation Y197C does not affect the expression or signaling of the human histamine H3 receptor.

There is evidence for genetic polymorphism within the human histamine H3 receptor (hH3R), and a Tyr to Cys exchange at position 197 (Y197C), located in the amino terminus of the fifth transmembrane domain, has been reported. In this work we compared the expression and the pharmacological and signaling properties of wild-type (hH3RWT) and mutant (hH3RY197C) receptors transiently expressed in CHO-K1 cells. The hH3RY197C cDNA was created by overlap extension PCR amplification. Receptor expression and affinity were assessed by N-α-[methyl-3H]-histamine binding to cell membranes and intact cells. Receptor function was evaluated by stimulation of [35S]-GTPγS binding to cell membranes and by inhibition of forskolin-induced cAMP accumulation in intact cells. The hH3RWT and hH3RY197C were expressed at similar levels (761±68 and 663±66fmol/mg protein for membranes, and 13,434±1533 and 15,894±1884 receptors per cell, respectively). There were no significant differences in the affinities for H3R agonists or antagonists/inverse agonists between the hH3RWT and hH3RY197C, and the H3R agonist RAMH was similarly efficacious and potent to stimulate [35S]-GTPγS binding and to inhibit forskolin-induced cAMP accumulation. These results indicate that the Y197C mutation does not affect the expression, ligand affinity or signaling of the human H3 receptor.

Efficient Approaches to S-alkyl-N-alkylisothioureas and Application to Novel Histamine H3R Antagonists.

S-Alkyl-N-alkylisothiourea compounds, which contain various cyclic amines, were synthesized using 3-phenylpropionyl isothiocyanate (PPI) to discover novel non-imidazole histamine H3 receptor (H3R) antagonists. The synthetic route was improved remarkably by using 2-nitrophenylacetyl isothiocyanate (NPAI). Among the synthesized compounds, N-[4-(4-chlorophenyl)butyl]-S-[3-piperidin-1-yl)propyl]isothiourea (1k, OUP-186) exhibited potent and selective antagonism against human H3R but not human H4R, in vitro. Of particular interest, they did not show antagonism for the histamine release in rat brain microdialysis in vivo, suggesting species-selective differences in antagonist affinities. Furthermore, in silico docking studies of OUP-186 and its C2-homolog (OUP-181) in human/rat H3Rs suggested that the structural difference of antagonist-docking sites between human and rat H3Rs was attributable to the Ala122/Val122 mutation.