Inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor signalling reduces hypercalcaemia induced by human lung squamous-cell carcinoma in athymic mice.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) expression and humoral hypercalcaemia of malignancy (HHM), using two different human squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) xenograft models. A randomised controlled study in which nude mice with RWGT2 and HARA xenografts received either placebo or gefitinib 200 mg kg(-1) for 3 days after developing HHM. Effectiveness of therapy was evaluated by measuring plasma calcium and PTHrP, urine cyclic AMP/creatinine ratios, and tumour volumes. The study end point was at 78 h. The lung SCC lines, RWGT2 and HARA, expressed high levels of PTHrP mRNA as well as abundant EGFR protein, but very little erbB2 or erbB3. Both lines expressed high transcript levels for the EGFR ligand, amphiregulin (AREG), as well as, substantially lower levels of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), and heparin binding-epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) mRNA. Parathyroid hormone-related protein gene expression in both lines was reduced 40-80% after treatment with 1 muM of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor PD153035 and precipitating antibodies to AREG. Gefitinib treatment of hypercalcaemic mice with RWGT2 and HARA xenografts resulted in a significant reduction of plasma total calcium concentrations by 78 h. Autocrine AREG stimulated the EGFR and increased PTHrP gene expression in the RWGT2 and HARA lung SCC lines. Inhibition of the EGFR pathway in two human SCC models of HHM by an anilinoquinazoline demonstrated that the EGFR tyrosine kinase is a potential target for antihypercalcaemic therapy.

Benzenesulfonamide derivatives of 2-substituted 4H-3,1-benzoxazin-4-ones and benzthiazin-4-ones as inhibitors of complement C1r protease.

A series of 2-sulfonyl-4H-3,1-benzoxazinones was prepared that inhibit C1r protease in vitro. Several compounds were found to be selective for C1r verses the related serine protease trypsin. Selected compounds demonstrated functional activity in a hemolysis assay.

2-amino-4H-3,1-benzoxazin-4-ones as inhibitors of C1r serine protease.

A series of 2-amino-4H-3,1-benzoxazin-4-ones have been synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of the complement enzyme C1r. C1r is a serine protease at the beginning of the complement cascade, and complement activation by beta-amyloid may represent a major contributing pathway to the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease. Compounds such as 7-chloro-2-[(2-iodophenyl)-amino]benz[d][1,3]oxazin-4-one (32) and 7-methyl-2-[(2-iodophenyl)amino]benz[d][1,3]oxazin-4-one (37) show improved potency compared to the reference compound FUT-175. Many of these active compounds also possess increased selectivity for C1r compared to trypsin and enhanced hydrolytic stability relative to 2-(2-iodophenyl)-4H-3,1-benzoxazin-4-one (1).

Preparation of an autolysis-resistant interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme mutant.

We describe the expression, purification, and characterization of human interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE) containing an affinity tag and modified to resist autoproteolysis. The point mutation Asp381 to Glu was added to eliminate the major site of autolytic degradation while maintaining catalytic activity, and an N-terminal polyhistidine tag was added in place of the ICE pro-region to facilitate purification. N-His (D381E) ICE was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by nickel-chelating Sepharose and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). The enzyme was stabilized greater than 80-fold against autolytic degradation relative to wild-type N-His ICE. SDS-PAGE analysis with silver-staining revealed no impurities, and 85% of the protein was catalytically active as determined by titration with a novel titrant, PD 163594 (3-[2-(2-benzyloxycarbonylamino-3-methylbutyrylamino)prop ionylamino]-4- oxo-5-(2-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yloxypentanoic acid). An oxidized adduct of ICE with glutathione, formed by disulfide rearrangement with oxidized glutathione to inhibit and stabilize the enzyme during purification, was rapidly reduced upon exposure to 5 mM DTT. One mole of glutathione was released per mole of active enzyme. Of the nine cysteines in ICE, eight were present in their reduced form in the glutathione adduct. N-His (D381E) ICE cleaved Ac-YVAD-Amc with the Michaelis-Menten parameters K(M) = 14 microM and Kcat = 0.7 s-1, values essentially identical to those reported for enzyme from natural sources.

Alexia without agraphia.

Two new cases of alexia without agraphia are presented. Pertinent clinical findings, anatomy, pathophysiology and differential diagnoses are reviewed. The importance of carefully examining the inferior portion of the left side of the splenium of the corpus callosum on CT and/or MR scans in patients who present with this clinical syndrome is stressed.