Dual inhibition of cathepsin G and chymase is effective in animal models of pulmonary inflammation.

RATIONALE: Mast cells and neutrophils are key contributors to the pathophysiological inflammatory processes that underpin asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, partly through the release of noxious serine proteases, including cathepsin G (Cat G) and chymase. From this standpoint, a dual inhibitor of neutrophil Cat G and mast cell chymase could protect against these disease-related inflammatory responses. OBJECTIVES: We examined the antiinflammatory pharmacology of RWJ-355871, a dual inhibitor of Cat G and chymase, in animal models of inflammation that evince pathophysiological pathways relevant to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to determine the therapeutic potential of this compound. METHODS: In an ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized rat model, RWJ-355871 was administered to block the mast-cell-mediated increase in paw volume caused by OVA injection. In a sheep asthma model, antigen-induced airway responses were assessed with and without aerosol treatment with RWJ-355871. In a murine tobacco-smoke model of airway inflammation, the effect of RWJ-355871 on smoke-induced neutrophilia was determined. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Intravenous treatment of OVA-sensitized rats with RWJ-355871 provided dose-dependent reduction in the increase in rat paw volume. In allergic sheep, aerosol pretreatment with RWJ-355871 showed dose-dependent inhibition of the antigen-induced early response, late response, and post-antigen-induced airway hyperreponsiveness. In tobacco-smoke-exposed mice, nebulized RWJ-355871 significantly reduced the smoke-induced neutrophilia from the levels observed in untreated mice. CONCLUSIONS: The preclinical antiinflammatory effects of RWJ-355871 in these animal models of inflammation indicate that this dual inhibitor may have therapeutic utility for treating airway inflammatory diseases involving mechanisms that depend on Cat G and/or chymase.

Cooperative antithrombotic effect from the simultaneous inhibition of thrombin and factor Xa.

Whereas heparin functions as an antithrombotic agent by promoting antithrombin III-based inhibition of thrombin and factor Xa, there is less appreciation for the combination behavior with small-molecule, direct inhibitors of these proteases. We conducted a study in a high-shear arterial environment to explore the potential for a cooperative antithrombotic effect with a thrombin inhibitor (argatroban), a factor Xa inhibitor (YM-60828), and a dual thrombin/factor Xa inhibitor (RWJ-445167). We employed a platelet-dependent vascular injury model in which rats were subjected to an acute electrical injury to the carotid artery. Antithrombotic efficacy was measured for thrombin inhibitor argatroban and factor Xa inhibitor YM-60828 administered alone or in combination. The results indicate that there is a cooperative antithrombotic effect in vivo when both thrombin and factor Xa are inhibited simultaneously. The dual thrombin/factor Xa inhibitor RWJ-445167 was found to have potent antithrombotic activity in this high-shear environment. A comparison of results for RWJ-445167 and argatroban showed additional efficacy with RWJ-445167, suggestive of drug synergy.

Nonpeptide urotensin-II receptor antagonists: a new ligand class based on piperazino-phthalimide and piperazino-isoindolinone subunits.

We have discovered two related chemical series of nonpeptide urotensin-II (U-II) receptor antagonists based on piperazino-phthalimide (5 and 6) and piperazino-isoindolinone (7) scaffolds. These structure types are distinctive from those of U-II receptor antagonist series reported in the literature. Antagonist 7a exhibited single-digit nanomolar potency in rat and human cell-based functional assays, as well as strong binding to the human U-II receptor. In advanced pharmacological testing, 7a blocked the effects of U-II in vitro in a rat aortic ring assay and in vivo in a rat ear-flush model. A discussion of U-II receptor antagonist pharmacophores is presented, and a specifically defined model is suggested from tricycle 13, which has a high degree of conformational constraint.

Orally efficacious thrombin inhibitors with cyanofluorophenylacetamide as the P2 motif.

2-Cyano-6-fluorophenylacetamide was explored as a novel P2 scaffold in the design of thrombin inhibitors. Optimization around this structural motif culminated in 14, which is a potent thrombin inhibitor (K(i)=1.2nM) that exhibits robust efficacy in canine anticoagulation and thrombosis models upon oral administration.

A novel, potent dual inhibitor of the leukocyte proteases cathepsin G and chymase: molecular mechanisms and anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.

Certain leukocytes release serine proteases that sustain inflammatory processes and cause disease conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We identified beta-ketophosphonate 1 (JNJ-10311795; RWJ-355871) as a novel, potent dual inhibitor of neutrophil cathepsin G (K(i) = 38 nm) and mast cell chymase (K(i) = 2.3 nm). The x-ray crystal structures of 1 complexed with human cathepsin G (1.85 A) and human chymase (1.90 A) reveal the molecular basis of the dual inhibition. Ligand 1 occupies the S(1) and S(2) subsites of cathepsin G and chymase similarly, with the 2-naphthyl in S(1), the 1-naphthyl in S(2), and the phosphonate group in a complex network of hydrogen bonds. Surprisingly, however, the carboxamido-N-(naphthalene-2-carboxyl)piperidine group is found to bind in two distinct conformations. In cathepsin G, this group occupies the hydrophobic S(3)/S(4) subsites, whereas in chymase, it does not; rather, it folds onto the 1-naphthyl group of the inhibitor itself. Compound 1 exhibited noteworthy anti-inflammatory activity in rats for glycogen-induced peritonitis and lipopolysaccharide-induced airway inflammation. In addition to a marked reduction in neutrophil influx, 1 reversed increases in inflammatory mediators interleukin-1alpha, interleukin-1beta, tissue necrosis factor-alpha, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 in the glycogen model and reversed increases in airway nitric oxide levels in the lipopolysaccharide model. These findings demonstrate that it is possible to inhibit both cathepsin G and chymase with a single molecule and suggest an exciting opportunity in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In-depth study of tripeptide-based alpha-ketoheterocycles as inhibitors of thrombin. Effective utilization of the S1' subsite and its implications to structure-based drug design.

Thrombin inhibitors are potentially useful in medicine for their anticoagulant and antithrombotic effects. We synthesized and evaluated diverse heterocycle-activated ketones based on the d-Phe-Pro-Arg, and related thrombin active-site recognition motifs, as candidate inhibitors. The peptide-based alpha-ketoheterocycles were typically prepared by either an imidate or a Weinreb amide route (Schemes 1 and 2), the latter of which proved to be more general. Test compounds were generally assayed for inhibition of human alpha-thrombin and bovine trypsin. From a structure-based design standpoint, the heterocycle allows one to explore and adjust interactions within the S1' subsite of thrombin. The preferred alpha-ketoheterocycle is a pi-rich 2-substituted azole with at least two heteroatoms proximal to the carbon bearing the keto group, and a preferred thrombin inhibitor is 2-ketobenzothiazole 3, with a potent K(i) value of 0.2 nM and ca. 15-fold selectivity over trypsin. 2-Ketobenzothiazole 13 exhibited exceedingly potent thrombin inhibition (K(i) = 0.000 65 nM; slow tight binding). Several alpha-ketoheterocycles had thrombin K(i) values in the range 0.1-400 nM. The "Arg" unit in the alpha-ketoheterocycles can be sensitive to stereomutation under mildy basic conditions. For example, 2-ketothiazoles 4 and 59 readily epimerize at pH 7.4, although they are fairly stable stereochemically at pH 3-4; thus, suitable conditions had to be selected for the enzymatic assays. Lead d-Phe-Pro-Arg 2-benzothiazoles 3, 4, and 68 displayed good selectivity for thrombin over other key coagulation enzymes (e.g., factor Xa, plasmin, protein Ca, uPA, tPA, and streptokinase); however, their selectivity for thrombin over trypsin was modest (<25-fold). Compounds 3, 4, and 68 exhibited potent in vitro antithrombotic activity as measured by inhibition of gel-filtered platelet aggregation induced by alpha-thrombin (IC(50) = 30-40 nM). They also proved to be potent anticoagulant/antithrombotic agents in vivo on intravenous administration, as determined in the canine arteriovenous shunt (ED(50) = 0.45-0.65 mg/kg) and the rabbit deep vein thrombosis (ED(50) = 0.1-0.4 mg/kg) models. Intravenous administration of 3, and several analogues, to guinea pigs caused hypotension and electrocardiogram abnormalities. Such cardiovascular side effects were also observed with some nonguanidine inhibitors and inhibitors having recognition motifs other than d-Phe-Pro-Arg. 2-Benzothiazolecarboxylates 4 and 68 exhibited significantly diminished cardiovascular side effects, and benzothiazolecarboxylic acid 4 had the best profile with respect to therapeutic index. The X-ray crystal structures of the ternary complexes 3-thrombin-hirugen and 4-thrombin-hirugen depict novel interactions in the S(1)' region, with the benzothiazole ring forming a hydrogen bond with His-57 and an aromatic stacking interaction with Trp-60D of thrombin's insertion loop. The benzothiazole ring of 3 displaces the Lys-60F side chain into a U-shaped gauche conformation, whereas the benzothiazole carboxylate of 4 forms a salt bridge with the side chain of Lys-60F such that it adopts an extended anti conformation. Since 3 has a 10-fold greater affinity for thrombin than does 4, any increase in binding energy resulting from this salt bridge is apparently offset by perturbations across the enzyme (viz. Figure 4). The increased affinity and selectivity of 2-ketobenzothiazole inhibitors, such as 3, may be primarily due to the aromatic stacking interaction with Trp-60D. However, energy contour calculations with the computer program GRID also indicate a favorable interaction between the benzothiazole sulfur atom and a hydrophobic patch on the surface of thrombin.