Antidiabetic effects of the Cimicifuga racemosa extract Ze 450 in vitro and in vivo in ob/ob mice.

INTRODUCTION: It was the aim of the present experiments to examine potential antidiabetic effects of the Cimicifuga racemosa extract Ze 450. METHODS: Ze 450 and some of its components (23-epi-26-deoxyactein, protopine and cimiracemoside C) were investigated in vitro for their effects on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) compared to metformin in HepaRG cells. Ze 450 (given orally (PO) and intraperitonally (IP)), metformin (PO) and controls were given over 7 days to 68 male ob/ob mice. Glucose and insulin concentrations were measured at baseline and during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). RESULTS: Ze 450 and its components activated AMPK to the same extent as metformin. In mice, Ze 450 (PO/IP) decreased significantly average daily and cumulative weight gain, average daily food and water intake, while metformin had no effect. In contrast to metformin, PO Ze 450 virtually did not change maximum glucose levels during OGTT, however, prolonged elimination. Ze 450 administered PO and IP decreased significantly post-stimulated insulin, whereas metformin did not. HOMA-IR index of insulin resistance improved significantly after IP and PO Ze 450 and slightly after metformin. In summary, the results demonstrate that Ze 450 reduced significantly body weight, plasma glucose, improved glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity in diabetic ob/ob mice. In vitro experiments suggest that part of the effects may be related to AMPK activation. CONCLUSIONS: Ze 450 may have utility in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, longer term studies in additional animal models or patients with disturbed glucose tolerance or diabetes may be of use to investigate this further.

Effects of saxagliptin and sitagliptin on glycaemic control and pancreatic ß-cell mass in a streptozotocin-induced mouse model of type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: We examined the effects of the oral dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor saxagliptin on glycaemic control and pancreatic ß-cell mass and morphology in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Male C57BL/6 mice (n = 12/group) aged 4 to 6 weeks and weighing >15 g received a high-fat diet throughout this 45-day study. After a 7-day handling period, baseline levels of plasma glucose, plasma insulin and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) were assessed. Animals were allocated to one of six groups: compound vehicle control, intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg)-treated control and saxagliptin (10 mg/kg) or sitagliptin (10 mg/kg, positive control) initiated 7 days before or 1 day after STZ administration. Endpoints included changes in body weight, food and water consumption, glucose tolerance (approximately 3 weeks post-STZ), fasting glucose and HbA1c and immunohistochemical analyses of the pancreas. RESULTS: Body weight, weight gain and food intake were reduced in STZ versus control mice. DPP-4 inhibitor treatment did not affect these changes, but the increase in water intake observed post-STZ administration was significantly attenuated with DPP-4 inhibitors whether initiated before or after STZ injury. Small but significant improvements in glycaemic control were observed with DPP-4 inhibitors versus the STZ control. Improved ß-cell mass and morphology were observed with saxagliptin given pre- or post-STZ and sitagliptin given post-STZ. CONCLUSIONS: Saxagliptin mitigated damage to ß-cells and improved glycaemic control in this mouse model of T2DM.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel hexahydro-pyrido[3',2':4,5]pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazines as potent and selective 5-HT(2C) receptor agonists.

Further lead optimization efforts on previously described 1,2,3,4,10,10a-hexahydro-1H-pyrazino[1,2-a]indoles led to the new class of 5,5a,6,7,8,9-hexahydro-pyrido[3',2':4,5]pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazines culminating in the discovery of (5aR,9R)-2-[(cyclopropylmethoxy)methyl]-5,5a,6,7,8,9-hexahydro-9-methyl-pyrido[3', 2':4,5]pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine 18 as a potent, full 5-HT(2C) receptor agonist with an outstanding selectivity profile and excellent hERG and phospholipidosis properties.

Identification of 4-methyl-1,2,3,4,10,10a-hexahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indoles as 5-HT2C receptor agonists.

Synthesis and evaluation of the activity of new 4-methyl-1,2,3,4,10,10a-hexahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indoles as 5-HT(2C) receptor agonists are described. Appropriately substituted, several analogs displayed selectivity against the other 5-HT(2) receptor subtypes of 1 order of magnitude or more. Selectivity was improved for several compounds versus the lead 1, increasing the therapeutic interest in this series of 5-HT(2C) receptor agonists.

Cannabinoids and the regulation of ingestive behaviour.

Over past centuries, Cannabis sativa (Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol being the principal active ingredient) has been used extensively for both medicinal and recreational uses, and one widely reported effect is the onset of a ravenous appetite and eating behaviour. The pharmacological properties of such exogenous cannabinoids are mediated through the activation of two receptor subtypes, the CB(1) and CB(2) receptors. A number of endogenous ligands for these receptors, the endocannabinoids, have now also been identified allowing their effects on ingestive behaviour to be determined. In a number of species, including man, the administration of exogenous and endogenous cannabinoids leads to robust increases in food intake and can promote body weight gain. These effects are believed to be mediated through activation of the CB(1) receptor. Conversely, experiments with selective CB(1) receptor antagonists have demonstrated reductions in food intake and body weight with repeated compound administration. These reductions in body weight appear to be greater in obese animals and may be the result of a dual effect on both food intake and metabolic processes. Such findings have led to a number of pharmaceutical companies developing selective CB(1) receptor antagonists for the treatment of obesity. The most advanced compound is Sanofi-Synthelabo's inverse agonist, rimonabant (Acomplia; SR-141716), and early Phase III results have recently demonstrated significant reductions in body weight, waist circumference and improvement of lipid and glucose metabolism in overweight and obese humans. Accordingly, the cannabinoid system appears to have an important role in the regulation of ingestive behaviour in man and animals.

Indoline derivatives as 5-HT(2C) receptor agonists.

A series of 1-(1-indolinyl)-2-propylamines was synthesised and evaluated as 5-HT(2C) receptor agonists for the treatment of obesity. The general methods of synthesis of the precursor indoles are described. The functional efficacy and radioligand binding data for all of the compounds at 5-HT(2) receptor subtypes are reported. A number of compounds were found to reduce food intake in rats after oral administration.

Oral administration of the 5-HT2Creceptor agonist, mCPP, reduces body weight gain in rats over 28 days as a result of maintained hypophagia.

RATIONALE: The 5-HT(2C) receptor subtype has been implicated extensively in the regulation of ingestive behaviour. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether chronic administration of the preferential 5-HT(2C) receptor agonist, mCPP, reduces rat body weight gain and to determine if this effect is wholly or partially attributable to the effect of the drug on daily food intake. METHODS: Animals were orally dosed with mCPP (10 mg/kg P.O., b.i.d.) or d-fenfluramine (2.5 mg/kg P.O., b.i.d.) for 28 days. Further groups of animals received drug treatments for the first 14 days and then received vehicle for the remainder of the experiment. Locomotor activity was assessed on days 2, 14, and 28. In a second study, animals received mCPP or d-fenfluramine for a 14-day period (dose and route were identical to the previous study). A group of pair-fed controls were included to determine whether the effects on body weight gain were attributable entirely to drug-induced hypophagia. RESULTS: Both mCPP and d-fenfluramine reduced body weight relative to vehicle-treated controls over the 28-day period. Withdrawal of the drugs on day 14 resulted in a significant rebound weight gain. Neither mCPP nor d-fenfluramine induced significant changes in locomotor activity compared to controls on any of the days tested (2, 14 or 28). In the second, 14-day study, changes in the body weights of pair-fed controls closely paralleled those of their drug-treated counterparts. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that chronic oral treatment with mCPP and d-fenfluramine significantly reduces rat body weight gain, an effect that is reversible upon withdrawal and wholly attributable to maintained hypophagia.

Preferential effects of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist, SR 141716, on food intake and body weight gain of obese (fa/fa) compared to lean Zucker rats.

RATIONALE: The selective CB(1) receptor antagonist, SR 141716, has been demonstrated to reduce food consumption in a range of animal species. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of chronic administration of SR 141716 on body weight and ingestive behaviour of lean and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats. METHODS: Lean and obese Zucker rats were orally dosed with SR 141716 (3, 10, 30 mg/kg PO), sibutramine (5 mg/kg PO) or vehicle for one week. Pair-fed controls provided insight as to whether the effect of SR 141716 on body weight was attributable to drug-induced hypophagia. Subsequently, the effect of chronic oral administration of SR 141716 (1, 3, 10 mg/kg) was assessed for 28 days. At the end of this period, all animals were given vehicle for 14 days. The incidence of wet-dog shakes, yawning, scratching, and grooming behaviours, was assessed after acute administration and at weekly intervals thereafter for 4 weeks. RESULTS: SR 141716 dose-dependently decreased food intake and body weight gain in both lean and obese animals. The inhibition of food intake and body weight gain was greater in obese Zuckers than in lean Zucker controls. Changes in the body weights of pair-fed controls closely paralleled those of their drug-treated counterparts. Chronic 28-day treatment led to a maintained reduction of body weight gain. Withdrawal of SR 141716 on day 28 resulted in rebound hyperphagia and a significant weight gain. On acute administration, SR 141716 dose-dependently induced motor behaviours that showed tolerance upon repeated administration. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that chronic oral treatment with SR 141716 significantly reduces the food intake and body weight gain of obese and lean Zucker rats, an effect that is greater in obese animals and reversible upon drug withdrawal.

Evidence that hypophagia induced by d-fenfluramine and d-norfenfluramine in the rat is mediated by 5-HT2C receptors.

The present series of studies is the first to investigate the pharmacological mechanisms underlying d-fenfluramine- and d-norfenfluramine-induced hypophagia in the rat using highly selective serotonin 5-HT2 receptor antagonists. Administration of d-fenfluramine, and its major metabolite d-norfenfluramine, suppresses food intake in animals. Both compounds stimulate the release of serotonin and are potent inhibitors of the re-uptake of 5-HT into nerve terminals. In addition, d-norfenfluramine also acts as a direct 5-HT(2B/2C) receptor agonist. Pre-treatment with the selective 5-HT2C receptor antagonist, SB-242084 (0.3-3 mg/kg), dose-dependently inhibited both d-fenfluramine- (3 mg/kg) and d-norfenfluramine-induced (2 mg/kg) hypophagia. In contrast, the hypophagic effect of d-fenfluramine and d-norfenfluramine was unaffected by prior treatment with the highly selective 5-HT2B receptor antagonists, SB-215505 (0.3-3 mg/kg) and RS-127445 (1-3 mg/kg) or the 5-HT2A receptor antagonists MDL 100,907 (0.003-0.03 mg/kg) and ketanserin (0.2, 0.5 mg/kg). In addition, the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635 (0.3, 1 mg/kg) and the 5-HT1B receptor antagonists GR-127935 (1, 2 mg/kg) and SB-224289 (2-10 mg/kg) did not affect d-fenfluramine-induced hypophagia. These data provide unequivocal evidence for an important role of the 5-HT2C receptor in the mediation of d-fenfluramine and d-norfenfluramine-induced hypophagia in the rat and do not support the involvement of 5-HT1A/1B/2A/2B receptors.

Modulation of 5-HT(2A) receptor-mediated head-twitch behaviour in the rat by 5-HT(2C) receptor agonists.

The pharmacology of several commonly described 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)(2C) receptor agonists was investigated in vivo and in vitro at rat 5-HT(2A), 5-HT(2B), and 5-HT(2C) receptors. The 5-HT(2C) receptor agonist, (S)-2-(6-chloro-5-fluoroindol-1-yl)-1-methylethylamine fumarate (Ro 60-0175), did not induce a significant head-twitch response when given alone, yet when administered to rats subsequent to an acute challenge with the selective 5-HT(2C) receptor antagonist, 6-chloro-5-methyl-1-[6-(2-methylpyridin-3-yloxy) pyridin-3-yl carbomyl] indoline (SB-242084), a robust head-twitch response was observed which was blocked by the selective 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonists R(+)-alpha-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-[2-(4-fluorophenyl-ethyl)]-4-piperidine-methanol (MDL 100907) or ketanserin. The preferential 5-HT(2C) receptor agonists Ro 60-0175, 6-chloro-2-[1-piperazinyl]-pyrazine HCl (MK-212), 1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine hydrochloride (mCPP), 1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine hydrochloride (TFMPP), and (S)-3-[(2,3-dihydro-5-methoxy-1H-inden-4-yl)oxy]-pyrollidine HCl (ORG-37684), the 5-HT(2A/2C) receptor agonist 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI), the 5-HT(2B) receptor agonist 1-[5-thienylmethoxy-1-1H-3-indoyl] propan-2-amine hydrochloride (BW-723C86), and nor-D-fenfluramine were administered to rats subsequent to an acute challenge of SB-242084. Under such conditions, each agonist, with the exception of BW-723C86, induced a dose-dependent increase in the incidence of head twitches. The pharmacology of the same agonists was determined at cloned rat 5-HT(2) receptors using a fluorometric imaging plate reader (FLIPR). Both the in vivo and in vitro data suggest that for some ligands, previous reports have overestimated their in vivo selectivity for the 5-HT(2C) receptor.

Comparative effects of continuous infusion of mCPP, Ro 60-0175 and d-fenfluramine on food intake, water intake, body weight and locomotor activity in rats.

1. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of 14 day subcutaneous infusion of the 5-HT(2C) receptor agonists, m-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP, 12 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) and Ro 60-0175 (36 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) and the 5-HT releasing agent and re-uptake inhibitor, d-fenfluramine (6 mg kg(-1) day(-1)), on food and water intake, body weight gain and locomotion in lean male Lister hooded rats. 2. Chronic infusion of all three drugs significantly reduced food intake and attenuated body weight gain. In contrast, drug infusion did not lead to significant reductions in locomotor activity in animals assessed 2 and 13 days after pump implantation. 3. In a subsequent 14 day study that was designed to identify possible tolerance during days 7 - 14, animals were given a subcutaneous infusion of mCPP (12 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) or d-fenfluramine (6 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) for either 7 or 14 days. During the first 7 days both drugs significantly reduced body weight gain compared to saline-infused controls; however, from day 7 onwards animals withdrawn from drug treatment exhibited an increase in body weight such that by day 14 they were significantly heavier than their 14-day drug-treated counterparts. 4. Both mCPP and d-fenfluramine reduced daily food intake throughout the infusion periods. For 14-day treated animals this hypophagia was marked during the initial week of the study but only minor during the second week. In light of the sustained drug effect on body weight, the data suggest that weight loss by 5-HT(2C) receptor stimulation may be only partly dependent on changes in food consumption and that 5-HT(2C) receptor agonists may have effects on thermogenesis. 5. These data suggest tolerance does not develop to the effects of d-fenfluramine, mCPP and Ro 60-0175 on rat body weight gain.

Reduced satiating effect of d-fenfluramine in serotonin 5-HT(2C) receptor mutant mice.

RATIONALE: d-Fenfluramine stimulates the release of serotonin (5-HT) and is a potent inhibitor of the re-uptake of 5-HT into nerve terminals. Administration of d-fenfluramine suppresses food intake in both animals and humans. OBJECTIVE: We have investigated the role of the 5-HT2C receptor in mediating the effect of d-fenfluramine on mouse food intake and the behavioural satiety sequence. METHODS: Mutant mice lacking serotonin 5-HT2C receptors and wild-type animals were habituated to a daily presentation of wet mash. Animals were non-deprived and received d-fenfluramine (3-30 mg/kg) 30 min prior to being assessed for the presence of stereotypy and presented with wet mash. The behaviour of animals was observed for the subsequent 40 min and food intake was recorded. RESULTS: d-Fenfluramine dose-dependently inhibited the consumption of a palatable wet mash by the mice. d-Fenfluramine (3 mg/kg) significantly reduced the amount of wet mash consumed by wild-type mice and induced a temporal advance in the behavioural satiety sequence consistent with an enhancement of satiety. Mutant mice were less sensitive to the satiating effects of 3 mg/kg d-fenfluramine. Hence, this dose of d-fenfluramine had a reduced effect on both food consumption and the behavioural satiety sequence in the 5-HT2C mutant mice. In contrast, mutant mice showed an increased sensitivity to the stereotypy induced by high doses of d-fenfluramine (10, 30 mg/kg) compared to that of wild-type littermates. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate a role for the 5-HT2C receptor in mediating d-fenfluramine-induced satiety.

Little and often: ingestive behavior patterns following hippocampal lesions in rats.

Lesions of both dorsal and ventral hippocampus were produced by multiple infusions of the excitotoxin AMPA. Meal patterns recorded before and after lesioning showed no change in total food intake, but a striking behavioral syndrome in which the lesioned rats took smaller meals 2-3 times as frequently and showed a similar change in drinking. In addition, lesioned rats alternated more frequently between feeding and drinking during a single bout of ingestive behavior. There were no group differences in the satiety sequence that followed a meal. In an open field test, lesioned rats showed enhanced locomotion in the periphery and reduced rearing. An olfactory habituation-dishabituation task showed that the lesioned rats investigated olfactory stimuli less but dishabituation to a changed stimulus was normal. The data are discussed in terms of changes in behavioral switching or a possible interoceptive agnosia following hippocampal damage.

Behavioural evidence that d-fenfluramine-induced anorexia in the rat is not mediated by the 5-HT1A receptor subtype.

These studies investigated the involvement of the 5-HT1A receptor in mediating d-fenfluramine-induced anorexia in the rat. Non-deprived, d-fenfluramine-treated (3.0 mg/kg) rats consumed a reduced amount of a palatable wet mash and showed a temporal advance in the behavioural sequence consistent with satiety. Thus, rats treated with d-fenfluramine ceased feeding and began resting before corresponding controls. Pretreatment with the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100,635 (1.0 mg/kg) had no effect on either the reduced mash consumption or behavioural satiety sequence of d-fenfluramine-treated animals at a dose which was found to attenuate the anorexia induced by the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT (0.5 mg/kg). Pretreatment with the non-selective 5-HT antagonist metergoline (1.0 mg/kg) attenuated the d-fenfluramine-induced reduction of mash consumption and the advanced offset of feeding. Metergoline pretreatment had no effect on the advanced onset of resting observed in d-fenfluramine-treated animals. These data suggest that d-fenfluramine reduces food intake, perhaps by enhancing satiety, via a mechanism which does not involve the 5-HT1A receptor subtype. The implications of these results to the utility of the behavioural satiety sequence as a measure of postprandial satiety are discussed.