Dissecting the cofactor-dependent and independent bindings of PDE4 inhibitors.

Type 4 phosphodiesterases (PDE4s) are metallohydrolases that catalyze the hydrolysis of cAMP to AMP. At the bottom of its active site lie two divalent metal ions in a binuclear motif which are involved in both cAMP binding and catalysis [(2000) Science 288, 1822-1825; (2000) Biochemistry 39, 6449-6458]. Using a SPA-based equilibrium [(3)H]rolipram binding assay, we have determined that Mg(2+), Mn(2+), and Co(2+) all mediated a high-affinity (K(d) between 3 and 8 nM) and near stoichiometric (R)-rolipram binding to PDE4. In their absence, (R)-rolipram binds stoichiometrically to the metal ion-free apoenzyme with a K(d) of approximately 150 nM. The divalent cation dose responses in mediating the high-affinity rolipram/PDE4 interaction mirror their efficacy in catalysis, suggesting that both metal ions of the holoenzyme are involved in mediating the high-affinity (R)-rolipram/PDE4 interaction. The specific rolipram binding to the apo- and holoenzyme is differentially displaced by cAMP, AMP, and other inhibitors, providing a robust tool to dissect the components of metal ion-dependent and independent PDE4/ligand interactions. cAMP binds to the holoenzyme with a K(s) of 1.9 microM and nonproductively to the apoenzyme with a K(d) of 179 microM. In comparison, AMP binds to the holo- and apoenzyme with K(d) values of 7 and 11 mM, respectively. The diminished Mg(2+)-dependent component of AMP binding to PDE4 suggests that most of the Mg(2+)/phosphate interaction in the cAMP/PDE4 complex is disrupted upon the hydrolysis of the cyclic phosphoester bond, leading to the rapid release of AMP.

Etoricoxib (MK-0663): preclinical profile and comparison with other agents that selectively inhibit cyclooxygenase-2.

We report here the preclinical profile of etoricoxib (MK-0663) [5-chloro-2-(6-methylpyridin-3-yl)-3-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl) pyridine], a novel orally active agent that selectively inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), that has been developed for high selectivity in vitro using whole blood assays and sensitive COX-1 enzyme assays at low substrate concentration. Etoricoxib selectively inhibited COX-2 in human whole blood assays in vitro, with an IC(50) value of 1.1 +/- 0.1 microM for COX-2 (LPS-induced prostaglandin E2 synthesis), compared with an IC(50) value of 116 +/- 8 microM for COX-1 (serum thromboxane B2 generation after clotting of the blood). Using the ratio of IC(50) values (COX-1/COX-2), the selectivity ratio for the inhibition of COX-2 by etoricoxib in the human whole blood assay was 106, compared with values of 35, 30, 7.6, 7.3, 2.4, and 2.0 for rofecoxib, valdecoxib, celecoxib, nimesulide, etodolac, and meloxicam, respectively. Etoricoxib did not inhibit platelet or human recombinant COX-1 under most assay conditions (IC(50) > 100 microM). In a highly sensitive assay for COX-1 with U937 microsomes where the arachidonic acid concentration was lowered to 0.1 microM, IC(50) values of 12, 2, 0.25, and 0.05 microM were obtained for etoricoxib, rofecoxib, valdecoxib, and celecoxib, respectively. These differences in potency were in agreement with the dissociation constants (K(i)) for binding to COX-1 as estimated from an assay based on the ability of the compounds to delay the time-dependent inhibition by indomethacin. Etoricoxib was a potent inhibitor in models of carrageenan-induced paw edema (ID(50) = 0.64 mg/kg), carrageenan-induced paw hyperalgesia (ID(50) = 0.34 mg/kg), LPS-induced pyresis (ID(50) = 0.88 mg/kg), and adjuvant-induced arthritis (ID(50) = 0.6 mg/kg/day) in rats, without effects on gastrointestinal permeability up to a dose of 200 mg/kg/day for 10 days. In squirrel monkeys, etoricoxib reversed LPS-induced pyresis by 81% within 2 h of administration at a dose of 3 mg/kg and showed no effect in a fecal 51Cr excretion model of gastropathy at 100 mg/kg/day for 5 days, in contrast to lower doses of diclofenac or naproxen. In summary, etoricoxib represents a novel agent that selectively inhibits COX-2 with 106-fold selectivity in human whole blood assays in vitro and with the lowest potency of inhibition of COX-1 compared with other reported selective agents.

A general method for the rapid characterization of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins by mini two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

Our preliminary results are reported in the investigation of the tyrosine phosphorylation cascade triggered by the stimulation of the insulin receptor in the adipocyte cell line 3T3-L1 using a mini two-dimensional gel electrophoresis approach. The minigel format, 8 x 10 cm, was found sufficiently resolving and reproducible to study complex biological samples while considerably increasing throughput and lowering costs compared to larger gel formats. Consequently, we used the minigel format to rapidly screen a large number of samples, of which only the most relevant were then analyzed by optimized, preparative two-dimensional gels. The accurate localization and relative quantification of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins was performed using a nonradioactive triple labeling method. After transfer onto polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes, proteins were stained with Sypro Ruby to verify the separation quality and to localize the general region of interest for immunostaining. The membranes were subsequently blocked with polyvinylpyrrolidone-40 and probed with the relevant antibodies for visualization of the phosphorylated proteins by chemiluminescence. Finally, membranes were stained with colloidal gold to obtain a pattern reminiscent of the silver staining of a polyacrylamide gel. We believe that the presented strategy can be generalized for any gel application in which a protein has to be detected and identified based on its immunoreactivity.

Conformational difference between PDE4 apoenzyme and holoenzyme.

The type 4 cAMP-specific phosphodiesterases (PDE4s) are Mg(2+)-dependent hydrolases that catalyze the hydrolysis of 3', 5'-cAMP to AMP. Previous studies indicate that PDE4 exists in two conformations that bind the inhibitor rolipram with affinities differing by more than 100-fold. Here we report that these two conformations are the consequence of PDE4 binding to its metal cofactor such as Mg(2+). Using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based equilibrium binding assay, we identified that L-791,760, a fluorescent inhibitor, binds to the apoenzyme (free enzyme) and the holoenzyme (enzyme bound to Mg(2+)) with comparable affinities (K(d) approximately 30 nM). By measuring the displacement of the bound L-791,760, we have also identified that other inhibitors bind differentially with the apoenzyme and the holoenzyme depending upon their structure. CDP-840, SB-207499, and RP-73401 bind preferentially to the holoenzyme. The conformational-sensitive inhibitor (R)-rolipram binds to the holoenzyme and apoenzyme with affinities (K(d)) of 5 and 300 nM, respectively. In contrast to its high affinity (K(d) approximately 2 microM) and active holoenzyme complex, cAMP binds to the apoenzyme nonproductively with a reduced affinity (K(d) approximately 170 microM). These results demonstrate that cofactor binding to PDE4 is responsible for eliciting its high-affinity interaction with cAMP and the activation of catalysis.

Bis(N,N-dimethylhydroxamido)hydroxooxovanadate inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase activity in intact cells: comparison with vanadate.

We have shown previously that bis(N,N-dimethylhydroxamido)hydroxooxovanadate (DMHV) is an excellent reversible inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) in vitro. DMHV does not carry a charge under physiological pH conditions and is anticipated to permeate cell membranes more easily than vanadate. In the present study, the efficacy of DMHV as a PTP inhibitor in intact cells was compared with that of vanadate by measuring phosphotyrosine levels in various cells treated with these compounds. DMHV was more effective in increasing both the phosphotyrosine levels of various proteins in 3T3L1 fibroblasts and the level of insulin-receptor phosphorylation in CHO cells overexpressing the human insulin receptor. DMHV was about 10- to 20-fold more effective than vanadate in increasing glucose transport and glycogen synthesis in 3T3L1 adipocytes. DMHV, unlike vanadate, also inhibited PTP in Jurkat cells. The implications of these observations are discussed.

Vanadate inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases in Jurkat cells: modulation by redox state.

Vanadate is a potent reversible inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTP) in vitro. Vanadate has been shown to increase the phosphotyrosine levels in some cell types whereas in others, like the Jurkat T-lymphoma, vanadate has no effect. The reason for the apparent lack of effect of vanadate in Jurkat cells was investigated in this study. Alteration of the redox state of these cells by reducing the glutathione level with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DnpCl) had no effect on phosphotyrosine levels. However, the cells became sensitive to vanadate, as measured by an increase in phosphotyrosine levels on a wide range of proteins including the MAP kinases. The increase in phosphotyrosine levels most likely results from inhibition of cellular PTP and suggests that protein tyrosine kinases are constitutively active in cells, resulting in a dynamic phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycle. The mode of inhibition of PTP by vanadate was investigated by measuring the PTP activity of Jurkat membranes isolated after treatment of cells with vanadate and DnpCl. In contrast to the reversible inhibition of PTP in vitro, the effect of vanadate in the presence of DnpCl was irreversible, raising the possibility that it is peroxovanadate formed in situ that is responsible for the inhibition of PTP in intact cells.

Rofecoxib [Vioxx, MK-0966; 4-(4'-methylsulfonylphenyl)-3-phenyl-2-(5H)-furanone]: a potent and orally active cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor. Pharmacological and biochemical profiles.

The discoveries that cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is an inducible form of COX involved in inflammation and that COX-1 is the major isoform responsible for the production of prostaglandins (PGs) in the gastrointestinal tract have provided a rationale for the development of specific COX-2 inhibitors as a new class of anti-inflammatory agents with improved gastrointestinal tolerability. In the present study, the preclinical pharmacological and biochemical profiles of rofecoxib [Vioxx, also known as MK-0966, 4-(4'-methylsulfonylphenyl)-3-phenyl-2-(5H)-furanone], an orally active COX-2 inhibitor, are described. Rofecoxib is a potent inhibitor of the COX-2-dependent production of PGE(2) in human osteosarcoma cells (IC(50) = 26 +/- 10 nM) and Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing human COX-2 (IC(50) = 18 +/- 7 nM) with a 1000-fold selectivity for the inhibition of COX-2 compared with the inhibition of COX-1 activity (IC(50) > 50 microM in U937 cells and IC(50) > 15 microM in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing human COX-1). Rofecoxib is a time-dependent inhibitor of purified human recombinant COX-2 (IC(50) = 0.34 microM) but caused inhibition of purified human COX-1 in a non-time-dependent manner that could only be observed at a very low substrate concentration (IC(50) = 26 microM at 0.1 microM arachidonic acid concentration). In an in vitro human whole blood assay, rofecoxib selectively inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced, COX-2-derived PGE(2) synthesis with an IC(50) value of 0.53 +/- 0.02 microM compared with an IC(50) value of 18.8 +/- 0.9 microM for the inhibition of COX-1-derived thromboxane B(2) synthesis after blood coagulation. Using the ratio of the COX-1 IC(50) values over the COX-2 IC(50) values in the human whole blood assay, selectivity ratios for the inhibition of COX-2 of 36, 6.6, 2, 3, and 0.4 were obtained for rofecoxib, celecoxib, meloxicam, diclofenac, and indomethacin, respectively. In several in vivo rodent models, rofecoxib is a potent inhibitor of carrageenan-induced paw edema (ID(50) = 1.5 mg/kg), carrageenan-induced paw hyperalgesia (ID(50) = 1.0 mg/kg), lipopolysaccharide-induced pyresis (ID(50) = 0.24 mg/kg), and adjuvant-induced arthritis (ID(50) = 0.74 mg/kg/day). Rofecoxib also has a protective effect on adjuvant-induced destruction of cartilage and bone structures in rats. In a (51)Cr excretion assay for detection of gastrointestinal integrity in either rats or squirrel monkeys, rofecoxib has no effect at doses up to 200 mg/kg/day for 5 days. Rofecoxib is a novel COX-2 inhibitor with a biochemical and pharmacological profile clearly distinct from that of current nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and represents a new therapeutic class of anti-inflammatory agents for the treatment of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis with improved gastrointestinal tolerability.

The discovery of rofecoxib, [MK 966, Vioxx, 4-(4'-methylsulfonylphenyl)-3-phenyl-2(5H)-furanone], an orally active cyclooxygenase-2-inhibitor.

The development of a COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib (MK 966, Vioxx) is described. It is essentially equipotent to indomethacin both in vitro and in vivo but without the ulcerogenic side effect due to COX-1 inhibition.

Increased insulin sensitivity and obesity resistance in mice lacking the protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B gene.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP-1B) has been implicated in the negative regulation of insulin signaling. Disruption of the mouse homolog of the gene encoding PTP-1B yielded healthy mice that, in the fed state, had blood glucose concentrations that were slightly lower and concentrations of circulating insulin that were one-half those of their PTP-1B+/+ littermates. The enhanced insulin sensitivity of the PTP-1B-/- mice was also evident in glucose and insulin tolerance tests. The PTP-1B-/- mice showed increased phosphorylation of the insulin receptor in liver and muscle tissue after insulin injection in comparison to PTP-1B+/+ mice. On a high-fat diet, the PTP-1B-/- and PTP-1B+/- mice were resistant to weight gain and remained insulin sensitive, whereas the PTP-1B+/+ mice rapidly gained weight and became insulin resistant. These results demonstrate that PTP-1B has a major role in modulating both insulin sensitivity and fuel metabolism, thereby establishing it as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

A two-component affinity chromatography purification of Helix pomatia arylsulfatase by tyrosine vanadate.

The inhibition of Helix pomatia arylsulfatase by the synergistic combination of N-acetyl-l-tyrosine ethyl ester and vanadate has been extended to affinity chromatography for purification. In the presence of vanadate, l-tyrosine ethyl ester (TEE), immobilized on CH-Sepharose 4B retained arylsulfatase from the digestive juice or lyophilized powder of H. pomatia. No enzyme was retained without vanadate or with arsenate or phosphate. Arylsulfatase was eluted from the column matrix by removing the vanadate to less than 50 microM with buffer containing EDTA to chelate the vanadate. Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase and potato acid phosphatase, two enzymes which are inhibited by vanadate but not by the vanadate-TEE complex, were not retained by the immobilized TEE under any conditions used. The sulfatase activity was completely separated from contaminating glucuronidase activity present in the crude enzyme extracts. The Ki for the immobilized vanadate-TEE system was found to be 5.0 x 10(-7) M with a capacity of 25 mg/ml swollen gel. A purification of greater than 40-fold from the lyophilized powder of H. pomatia (Sigma Type H-5) was achieved using this technique. The Ki/Keq of other phenols with vanadate were determined in a 96-well plate format as an example of a rapid screening technique that could be extended to other phosphoryl and sulfuryl-transfer enzyme classes.

Calcium is not required for 5-lipoxygenase activity at high phosphatidyl choline vesicle concentrations.

5-Lipoxygenase (5-LO) catalyzes the formation of 5-hydroperoxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (5-HPETE) and leukotriene A4 (LTA4) from arachidonic acid. Following a rise in intracellular calcium, 5-LO translocates to a membrane where it reacts with arachidonic acid via an 18 kD protein (FLAP). In vitro studies using a vesicle system of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and purified 5-LO were conducted under varying concentrations of PC and calcium. At high PC concentrations, 5-LO partitioned onto the vesicle containing arachidonic acid, resulting in product formation in the absence of calcium. Addition of calcium increased the initial rate of the reaction with a small increase in product accumulation. Dilution experiments in the absence of calcium at high PC concentrations indicated that binding of 5-LO to the vesicles is rapidly reversible. In the presence of calcium, this binding is much more favorable than without calcium. Stimulation of 5-LO activity by dithiothreitol (DTT) was more pronounced at high PC concentrations than at low PC concentrations. The requirement for ATP for maximal activity was independent of vesicle concentration. Inhibitors that functioned in the conditions of low PC with calcium present also inhibited under high PC without calcium. In the presence of PC and calcium and without substrate, the enzyme was unstable and was rapidly and irreversibly inactivated. In high PC without calcium, the enzyme was much more stable but it was still subject to turnover-dependent inactivation. Fluorescence energy-transfer experiments confirmed the kinetic findings that 5-LO could bind to the vesicle in the absence of calcium. These results show that in the absence of calcium, 5-LO can reversibly bind to the vesicle containing arachidonic acid and produce the same amount of product by a similar mechanism as observed with low PC and calcium. Calcium likely causes a conformational change that increases the affinity of the enzyme for the vesicle, but it is not strictly required for enzymatic activity and has no effect on the function of the catalytic site.

Kinetic mechanism of glutathione conjugation to leukotriene A4 by leukotriene C4 synthase.

The kinetic mechanism for human leukotriene (LT) C4 synthase, a membrane-bound glutathione S-transferase, which catalyzes the conjugation of glutathione (GSH) to 5,6-oxido-7,9,11, 14-eicosatetraenoic acid (LTA4), to form 5(S)-hydroxy-6(R)-S-glutathionyl-7,9,trans-11, 14-cis-eicosatetraenoic acid (LTC4) was investigated by initial rate kinetic studies in which concentrations of both substrates and the reversible dead-end inhibitor, 2-[2-[1-(4-chlorobenzyl)-4-methyl-6-[(5-phenylpyridin-2-yl)- methoxy]- 4,5-dihydro-1H-thiopyrano[2,3,4-c,d]indol-2-yl]ethoxy]butanoic acid (L-699,333) were varied. Analysis of the initial velocities of LTC4 formation in the absence of the inhibitor using non-linear regression fits of various models to the data favoured a random, rapid equilibrium mechanism, with strong substrate inhibition by LTA4, over both a compulsory ordered mechanism and a ping-pong mechanism. The estimated parameters were calculated to be Vmax = 14 +/- 4 microM/min, KLTA4 = 40 +/- 18 microM, KGSH = 0.4 +/- 0.2 mM, and a KiLTA4 = 2.3 +/- 1.7 microM for the rapid equilibrium random model. Inhibition of enzymatic activity by L-699,333 was found to be reversible as assessed by the ability of the enzyme to restore its activity by 95% upon dilution. L-699,333 was found to be a competitive inhibitor against GSH and non-competitive against LTA4. Non-linear least squares regression analysis yielded estimated parameters of Km = 0.7 +/- 0.1 mM, Vmax = 2.5 +/- 0.1 microM/min, and Ki = 0.7 +/- 0.1 microM for GSH at a fixed LTA4 concentration of 20 microM, and Km = 45 +/- 3 microM, Vmax = 4.9 +/- 0.2 microM/min, and a Ki = 5.8+/-0.4 microM for LTA4 at a fixed GSH concentration of 2 mM. The rate equation for the random equilibrium mechanism accommodates the inhibition patterns observed for L-699,333 against both substrates as revealed by kinetic fits of the inhibition data to the overall rate equation.

Affinity selection from peptide libraries to determine substrate specificity of protein tyrosine phosphatases.

Affinity selection from peptide libraries is a powerful tool that has been used for determining the sequence specificities of a number of enzymes and protein binding domains, including protein kinases, src homology 2 domains, and PDZ domains. We have extended this approach to protein tyrosine phosphatases using peptide libraries containing a nonhydrolyzable phosphotyrosine analog, difluorophosphonomethylphenylalanine. A size-exclusion method is used to separate enzyme-peptide complexes from free peptide, providing several advantages over the traditional immobilized protein affinity column approach. In addition, the feasibility of using mass spectrometric detection to quantitate peptides rapidly and reproducibly is demonstrated as an alternative to quantitation by peptide sequencing. The validity of this analysis is demonstrated by synthesizing individual peptides and comparing their affinity for enzyme with the predictions from the affinity selection process. As a model for these studies the protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B is used, providing additional insights into the sequence specificity of this enzyme. In particular, a selection for aromatic amino acids at the pY - 1 position (immediately N-terminal to the phosphotyrosine), as well as a broad pY + 1 selectivity, is observed in addition to the general preference for acidic residues N-terminal to the phosphotyrosine. The approach described here should prove applicable to protein tyrosine phosphatases in general as well as for the study of nonpeptidyl combinatorial libraries.

How does alendronate inhibit protein-tyrosine phosphatases?

Alendronate (4-amino-1-hydroxybutylidene 1,1-bisphosphonate) is a drug used in the treatment of osteoporosis and other bone diseases. The inhibition of protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) by alendronate suggests that PTPs may be molecular targets. As a clear understanding of the inhibition mechanism is lacking, our aim was to analyze the mechanism to provide further insight into its therapeutic effect. We show here that the inhibition of PTPs by alendronate in the presence of calcium followed first-order kinetic behavior, and kinetic parameters for the process were determined. Evidence is presented that the inhibition by alendronate/calcium is active site-directed. However, this process was very sensitive to assay constituents such as EDTA and dithiothreitol. Furthermore, the inhibition of PTPs by alendronate/calcium was eliminated by the addition of catalase. These observations suggest that a combination of alendronate, metal ions, and hydrogen peroxide is responsible for the inhibition of PTPs. The individual effects of alendronate, calcium, or hydrogen peroxide on the inactivation of CD45 were determined. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry demonstrated that the mass of PTP1B increased by 34 +/- 2 units after the enzyme was inactivated with alendronate/calcium, due to the oxidization of the catalytic cysteine to sulfinic acid (Cys-SO2H). The inhibited PTP1B could be partially reactivated by treatment with reducing agents such as hydroxylamine (NH2OH) and N,N'-dimethyl-N, N'-bis(mercaptoacetyl)hydrazine, indicating the presence of other oxidized forms such as sulfenic acid (Cys-SOH). This further confirms that the inhibition is the result of oxidation of the catalytic cysteine. The relevance of this oxidative inhibition mechanism in a biological system is discussed.

Biochemical and pharmacological profile of a tetrasubstituted furanone as a highly selective COX-2 inhibitor.

1. DFU (5,5-dimethyl-3-(3-fluorophenyl)-4-(4-methylsulphonyl)phenyl-2(5H)-furan one) was identified as a novel orally active and highly selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor. 2. In CHO cells stably transfected with human COX isozymes, DFU inhibited the arachidonic acid-dependent production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) with at least a 1,000 fold selectivity for COX-2 (IC50 = 41 +/- 14 nM) over COX-1 (IC50 > 50 microM). Indomethacin was a potent inhibitor of both COX-1 (IC50 = 18 +/- 3 nM) and COX-2 (IC50 = 26 +/- 6 nM) under the same assay conditions. The large increase in selectivity of DFU over indomethacin was also observed in COX-1 mediated production of thromboxane B2 (TXB2) by Ca2+ ionophore-challenged human platelets (IC50 > 50 microM and 4.1 +/- 1.7 nM, respectively). 3. DFU caused a time-dependent inhibition of purified recombinant human COX-2 with a Ki, value of 140 +/- 68 microM for the initial reversible binding to enzyme and a kappa 2 value of 0.11 +/- 0.06 s-1 for the first order rate constant for formation of a tightly bound enzyme-inhibitor complex. Comparable values of 62 +/- 26 microM and 0.06 +/- 0.01 s-1, respectively, were obtained for indomethacin. The enzyme-inhibitor complex was found to have a 1:1 stoichiometry and to dissociate only very slowly (t1/2 = 1-3 h) with recovery of intact inhibitor and active enzyme. The time-dependent inhibition by DFU was decreased by co-incubation with arachidonic acid under non-turnover conditions, consistent with reversible competitive inhibition at the COX active site. 4. Inhibition of purified recombinant human COX-1 by DFU was very weak and observed only at low concentrations of substrate (IC50 = 63 +/- 5 microM at 0.1 microM arachidonic acid). In contrast to COX-2, inhibition was time-independent and rapidly reversible. These data are consistent with a reversible competitive inhibition of COX-1. 5. DFU inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced PGE2 production (COX-2) in a human whole blood assay with a potency (IC50 = 0.28 +/- 0.04 microM) similar to indomethacin (IC50 = 0.68 +/- 0.17 microM). In contrast, DFU was at least 500 times less potent (IC50 > 97 microM) than indomethacin at inhibiting coagulation-induced TXB2 production (COX-1) (IC50 = 0.19 +/- 0.02 microM). 6. In a sensitive assay with U937 cell microsomes at a low arachidonic acid concentration (0.1 microM), DFU inhibited COX-1 with an IC50 value of 13 +/- 2 microM as compared to 20 +/- 1 nM for indomethacin. CGP 28238, etodolac and SC-58125 were about 10 times more potent inhibitors of COX-1 than DFU. The order of potency of various inhibitors was diclofenac > indomethacin approximately naproxen > nimesulide approximately meloxicam approximately piroxicam > NS-398 approximately SC-57666 > SC-58125 > CGP 28238 approximately etodolac > L-745,337 > DFU. 7. DFU inhibited dose-dependently both the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema (ED50 of 1.1 mg kg-1 vs 2.0 mg kg-1 for indomethacin) and hyperalgesia (ED50 of 0.95 mg kg-1 vs 1.5 mg kg-1 for indomethacin). The compound was also effective at reversing LPS-induced pyrexia in rats (ED50 = 0.76 mg kg-1 vs 1.1 mg kg-1 for indomethacin). 8. In a sensitive model in which 51Cr faecal excretion was used to assess the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract in rats, no significant effect was detected after oral administration of DFU (100 mg kg-1, b.i.d.) for 5 days, whereas chromium leakage was observed with lower doses of diclofenac (3 mg kg-1), meloxicam (3 mg kg-1) or etodolac (10-30 mg kg-1). A 5 day administration of DFU in squirrel monkeys (100 mg kg-1) did not affect chromium leakage in contrast to diclofenac (1 mg kg-1) or naproxen (5 mg kg-1). 9. The results indicate that COX-1 inhibitory effects can be detected for all selective COX-2 inhibitors tested by use of a sensitive assay at low substrate concentration. The novel inhibitor DFU shows the lowest inhibitory potency against COX-1, a consistent high selectivity of inhibition of COX-2 over COX-1 (>300 fold) with enzyme, whole cell and whole blood assays, with no detectable loss of integrity of the gastrointestinal tract at doses >200 fold higher than efficacious doses in models of inflammation, pyresis and hyperalgesia. These results provide further evidence that prostanoids derived from COX-1 activity are not important in acute inflammatory responses and that a high therapeutic index of anti-inflammatory effect to gastropathy can be achieved with a selective COX-2 inhibitor.

Mechanism of inhibition of protein-tyrosine phosphatases by vanadate and pervanadate.

Vanadate and pervanadate (the complexes of vanadate with hydrogen peroxide) are two commonly used general protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitors. These compounds also have insulin-mimetic properties, an observation that has generated a great deal of interest and study. Since a careful kinetic study of the two inhibitors has been lacking, we sought to analyze their mechanisms of inhibition. Our results show that vanadate is a competitive inhibitor for the protein-tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B, with a Ki of 0.38+/-0.02 microM. EDTA, which is known to chelate vanadate, causes an immediate and complete reversal of the inhibition due to vanadate when added to an enzyme assay. Pervanadate, by contrast, inhibits by irreversibly oxidizing the catalytic cysteine of PTP1B, as determined by mass spectrometry. Reducing agents such as dithiothreitol that are used in PTP assays to keep the catalytic cysteine reduced and active were found to convert pervanadate rapidly to vanadate. Under certain conditions, slow time-dependent inactivation by vanadate was observed; since catalase blocked this inactivation, it was ascribed to in situ generation of hydrogen peroxide and subsequent formation of pervanadate. Implications for the use of these compounds as inhibitors and rationalization for some of their in vivo effects are considered.

Purification of baculovirus-overexpressed cytosolic phospholipase A2 using a single-step affinity column chromatography.

Cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) plays a key role in the production of proinflammatory lipid mediators such as prostaglandins, thromboxane, and leukotrienes. cPLA2, an arachidonic acid-selective, 85-kDa protein has been purified, cloned, and partially characterized from a number of tissues. However, the purification schemes previously published by several groups are lengthy, involving several chromatographic steps and resulting in low yields of enzyme. Here we report the preparation of a novel affinity column (Affi-656) by immobilizing a competitive inhibitor of cPLA2, and a single-step purification of this enzyme. This column selectively retains cPLA2 activity from the cytosolic fractions of Sf9 cells infected with recombinant baculovirus which is eluted by a gradient of CHAPS in the elution buffer. Purification of cPLA2 to homogeneity can thus be accomplished in a single step. Moreover, mutant cPLA2 (Ser505/Ala505) which is no longer phosphorylated at Ser505 is also retained on Affi-656; mutation at this residue does not disrupt its binding to the affinity column. To our knowledge, this is the first report of cPLA2 affinity purification. Affi-656 is a convenient, reproducible, and high-capacity affinity column, and is a valuable tool for rapid purification of cPLA2 in large quantities.

Inhibition of soybean lipoxygenase-1 by a diaryl-N-hydroxyurea by reduction of the ferric enzyme.

It has been proposed that catechols and other antioxidants inhibit lipoxygenase activity by reducing the active Fe3+ form of the enzyme [Kemal et al. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 7064-7072]. In this model, reductively inactivated lipoxygenase can be reactivated by reaction with the hydroperoxide product in a pseudoperoxidase reaction. The contribution of enzyme reduction in the inhibition of the activity of soybean lipoxygenase-1 by the reducing inhibitor N-(4-chlorophenyl)-N-hydroxy-N'-(3-chlorophenyl)-urea (CPHU) has been evaluated quantitatively. The inhibition by CPHU of the oxygenation of linoleic acid to 13-hydroperoxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid (13-HpODE) was accompanied by an initial lag phase which could be eliminated by the presence of exogenous 13-HpODE at the initiation of the reaction. In addition, both 13-HpODE and CPHU were found to be consumed during the lipoxygenase reaction, indicating occurrence of both oxygenase and pseudoperoxidase reactions. When analyzed individually, both the oxygenase reaction at different linoleic acid and O2 concentrations and the pseudoperoxidase reaction at different 13-HpODE and CPHU concentrations were found to follow ping-pong kinetics. A rate equation for the lipoxygenase-catalyzed reaction in the presence of reducing agent was derived considering that the inhibition of the oxygenase reaction is the combined result of 13-HpODE consumption and formation of inactive Fe2+ enzyme due to occurrence of the pseudoperoxidase reaction. By comparing the experimental data with those predicted by the rate equation, it is concluded that the inactivation of the enzyme by reduction can quantitatively account for the inhibition caused by CPHU.