The experimental osteoporosis in sheep--clinical approach.

The implementation of new methods of oseoporotic therapy requires tests on an animal model. One of the best is the sheep, whose numerous advantages over other models are described in the literature. The aim of this study was induction of osteoporosis using steroids and ovariorectomy methods in sheep and description of the change in parameters with regard to healthy sheep. The study was performed on female "merino" breed sheep divided into three groups: Negative control (NC) healthy animals, positive control (PC) ovariorectomised animals and steroid group (SC) where methylprednisolone was implemented. Blood tests, diagnostic arthroscopy, quantitative computed tomography and X-Ray micro-tomography of bone were carried out. Blood tests revealed a decreased level of estrogens, progesterone and increased parathormone and cortisol levels in the SC group. A decrease in bone turnover markers and an increase in bone resorption markers in all groups were also noted. Diagnostic arthroscopy revealed osteoarthrosis in PC and SC groups. Radiological density tests showed a slight decrease in PC and NC groups whereas there was more than a triple decrease in SC. Results obtained from microCT showed quickly developing osteoporosis in the SC group, which is reflected in numerous parameters analysed in this study. The best effects for osteoporosis induction were obtained using ovariorectomised sheep with methylprednisolone injections.

Amino polyphosphonates - chemical features and practical uses, environmental durability and biodegradation.

Growing concerns about the quality of the environment led to the introduction of complex system of safety assessment of synthetically manufactured and commonly applied chemicals. Sometimes, however, our knowledge of consequences that result from the usage of these substances, appears far later, than at the beginning of their application. Such situation is observed in the case of aminopolyphosphonates being an important subgroup of organophosphorus compounds. The increasing industrial and household applications, led to introduce thousand tons of polyphosphonates every year into the environment. These substances are difficult to determine in environmental samples because of lack of appropriate analytical procedures. On the other hand they are suspected to influence the ecological equilibrium in aquatic ecosystems. Thus, studies on their fate in the environment, especially on the routes of their degradation seem to be of interest to both industrial and environmental chemistry. Wherefore this review contains recent available data on the impact of aminophosphonates on environment, microbial degradation methods and evaluation of the possibility for using microorganisms to remove aminophosphonates from wastewater.

Mannitol in Amanita muscaria--an osmotic blood-brain barrier disruptor enhancing its hallucinogenic action?

Hypothesis have been made that relatively high level of mannitol present in the tissues of fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) enables more efficient transportation of these active substances into the brain and thus enhance their total activity. It may have been supported by the fact that hallucinogenic effect after A. muscaria consumption is greater than after ingestion of an active substance quantity which the eaten fungi dose contain.

Proteases as anti-cancer targets--molecular and biological basis for development of inhibitor-like drugs against cancer.

The systematic improvement of methods used for unraveling physiological and pathological role of proteases, as well as for elucidation of relevant hydrolase structures contributes to the progress in the area of new inhibitor-like drugs development. Many of protease inhibitors have entered clinics and are now successfully applied for the treatment of various systemic disorders caused by deregulation of physiological processes governed by proteolytic enzymes, including cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases. A clinical approach based on targeting of proteases involved in pathomechanism of given diseases also stimulates the interest as anti-cancer strategy alternative, or supplementary, to surgical intervention and radiotherapy. In this survey we present some current achievements on the field of development of protease inhibitors designed as potential anti-cancer drugs and/or tools for studying molecular basis of processes associated with the cancer development and spread. Our intention is to show the results of this research in context of the structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies, which explain inhibitor requirements of the target proteases. We also provide the examples of attempts being made to eliminate drawbacks of the earlier-developed inhibitors (e.g. such as low selectivity or poor pharmacological profile arising from their peptide-like character). Moreover, modern approach to protease targets recognition by means of so-called activity-based protein profiling as well as new 'fail-off' methodology of in vivo inhibitor screening, which provide structures potent both in vitro and under physiological conditions are also described. At last, an example proving usefulness of high throughput screening as method for selection of the non-peptidic leads for protease inhibitors can be found in this article.

Pentapeptides containing two dehydrophenylalanine residues--synthesis, structural studies and evaluation of their activity towards cathepsin C.

Synthesis, structural and biological studies of pentapeptides containing two DeltaPhe residues (Z and E isomers) in position 2 and 4 in peptide chain were performed. All the investigated peptides adopted bent conformation and majority of them could exist as two different conformers in solution. Only pentapeptides, containing free N-termini appeared to act as weak inhibitors of cathepsin C with the slow-binding, competitive mechanism of inhibition, free acids being bound slightly better than their methyl esters. Results of molecular modeling suggested significant difference between peptides, depending of the type of amino acid residue in position 5 in peptide chain. Dehydropeptides containing Gly residue in this position may act as competitive slow-reacting substrates and therefore exhibit inhibitory-like properties.

Combined effect of the DeltaPhe or DeltaAla residue and the p-nitroanilide group on a didehydropeptides conformation.

Two series of dehydropeptides of the general formulae Boc-Gly-X-Phe-p-NA, Boc-Gly-Gly-X-Phe-p-NA, Gly-X-Gly-Phe-p-NA.TFA, and Boc-Gly-X-Gly-Phe-p-NA, with X = Delta(Z)Phe and DeltaAla, were studied with NMR in DMSO and CDCl(3)-DMSO, and with CD in MeOH, MeCN, and TFE. The NMR spectra measured in DMSO suggest that peptides with the DeltaPhe residue next to Phe are folded whereas peptides with Gly between DeltaPhe and Phe are less ordered. NMR spectra of DeltaAla-containing peptides indicate that these peptides are flexible and their conformational equilibria are populated by many different conformations. The CD spectra show that conformational properties of the peptides studied are distinctly influenced by a mutual position of the dehydroamino acid residue and the p-NA group. They indicate that all dehydropeptides with the DeltaPhe residue, Boc-Gly-DeltaAla-Phe-p-NA, and Boc-Gly-Gly-DeltaAla-Phe-p-NA adopt ordered conformations in all solvents studied, presumably of the beta-turn type. The last two peptides exhibit surprising chiroptical properties. Their spectra show exciton coupling-like couplets in the region of the p-NA group absorption. This shape of CD spectra suggests a rigid, chiral conformation with a fixed disposition of the p-NA group. The CD spectra indicate that Boc-Gly-DeltaAla-Gly-Phe-p-NA and Gly-DeltaAla-Gly-Phe-p-NA.TFA are unordered, independently of the solvent.

A phosphonamidate containing aromatic N-terminal amino group as inhibitor of leucine aminopeptidase-design, synthesis and stability.

Fully deprotected phosphonamidate dipeptides, predicted as effective inhibitors of cytosolic leucine aminopeptidase, showed unexpected instability in water solution at pH below 12. Their hydrolysis rate was strictly correlated with basicity of the N-terminal amino group. To improve this feature a phosphonamidate analogue containing less basic, aromatic 2-aminophenylphosphonate residue in P1 position of the inhibitor was designed. The target compound was synthesised starting from diethyl 2-nitrophosphonate in several step procedure. The decrease in basicity of the terminal amino moiety of the modified analogue in fact resulted in satisfactory improvement of hydrolytic stability of the P-N bond. The developed phosphonamidate was proved to be fully resistant to hydrolysis above pH 7. Surprisingly, tested in enzymatic assays towards leucine aminopeptidase (optimum pH 8.5), it did not exhibit inhibition activity up to milimolar concentration. The explanation could be that diminishing the basic character of the terminal amino group may result in a change of its affinity towards the zinc ions.

Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of protected N-phosphonomethylglycine dipeptides.

A series of terminally blocked dipeptides containing C-terminal N-phosphonomethylglycine (glyphosate, an extremely effective non-selective post-emergence herbicide) have been synthesized by a solution method. The presence of their two conformers, cis (syn) and trans (anti), was shown in solutions by NMR spectroscopy. Molecular structures of the peptides were also determined in the solid state by X-ray diffraction. The attempts for the selective and total removal of the groups protecting amino, carboxylic and phosphonate functions were in many cases unsuccessful due to the formation of cyclic structures and breakage of the phosphorus-to-carbon bond.

Metabolism of the phosphonate herbicide glyphosate by a non-nitrate-utilizing strain of Penicillium chrysogenum.

A Penicillium chrysogenum strain was isolated for its ability to grow in minimal medium containing the herbicide glyphosate as the only nitrogen source. The presence of concentrations up to 25 mM progressively stimulated the fungal growth rate, which was negligible in media lacking reduced nitrogen. However, glyphosate utilization never exceeded 1 mmol g-1 mycelial dry mass, and below a threshold concentration both herbicide uptake and fungal growth were subject to a lag phase, suggesting that the herbicide may enter the cell by either simple passive diffusion or inducible carriers. Amino acids, possible products of glyphosate breakdown, as well as ammonia, were found to replace the herbicide in restoring mycelial growth. Cells were devoid of detectable nitrate reductase activity, thus the isolate seems to be impaired in its ability to convert nitrate to ammonium. In vitro activity of 5-enol-pyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthase, the target site of glyphosate action, was highly sensitive to the herbicide. Fungal growth rate was considerably lower when the herbicide was also the only phosphorus source, whereas glyphosate utilization was substantially unaffected, suggesting an unusual route for its degradation. Herbicide metabolism was strongly reduced when other sources of organic nitrogen were made available.

Synthesis of tetrapeptide p-nitrophenylanilides containing dehydroalanine and dehydrophenylalanine and their influence on cathepsin C activity.

Three dehydrotetrapeptides of rationally varying structure were prepared and tested as affectors of cathepsin C. These compounds appeared to be substrates of the enzyme, being equipotent with their classical counterparts. Thus, replacement of amino acid in a short peptide by corresponding dehydroamino acid does not prevent cathepsin C in recognizing dehydropeptide as its substrate.

Leucine aminopeptidase as a target for inhibitor design.

In this review we focus on the most effective and the most promising inhibitors of leucine aminopeptidase. Their binding modes to the enzyme, the attempt to explain the origin of the inhibitory activity, as well as the structure-activity relationship for some of these compounds are discussed. Besides, the structural and electronic requirements of the enzyme active site and the binding pockets, together with the specificity towards the ligands, based on the structural and kinetic data, are presented.

Aminophosphonic acids of potential medical importance.

Aminophosphonic acids were almost unknown in 1959 but today they are the subject of more than 6000 papers. Their negligible mammalian toxicity, and the fact that they very efficiently mimic aminocarboxylic acids makes them extremely important antimetabolites, which compete with their carboxylic counterparts for the active sites of enzymes and other cell receptors. Although biological importance of these compounds was recognized over 50 years ago they still represent promising and somewhat undiscovered class of potential drugs.

Determination of optical purity of phosphonic acid analogues of aromatic amino acids by capillary electrophoresis with alpha-cyclodextrin.

A simple and efficient method for the determination of enantiomeric purity of structurally diverse phosphonic and phosphinic acid analogues of phenylalanine and phenylglycine using capillary electrophoresis is presented. These preliminary studies indicated that the enantiomer separation is strongly dependent on the structure of the aminophosphonic acid.

Computer-aided design and activity prediction of leucine aminopeptidase inhibitors.

The Ligand Design (LUDI) approach has been used in order to design leucine aminopeptidase inhibitors, predict their activity and analyze their interactions with the enzyme. The investigation was based on the crystal structure of bovine lens leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) complexed with its inhibitor--the phosphonic acid analogue of leucine (LeuP). More than 50 potential leucine aminopeptidase inhibitors have been obtained, including the most potent aminophosphonic LAP inhibitors with experimentally known activity, which have been the subject of more detailed studies. A reasonable agreement between theoretical and experimental activities has been obtained for most of the studied inhibitors. Our results confirm that LUDI is a powerful tool for the design of enzyme inhibitors as well as in the prediction of their activity. In addition, for inhibitor-active site interactions dominated by the electrostatic effects it is possible to improve binding energy estimates by using a more accurate description of inhibitor charge distribution.

Reductive biotransformation of diethyl beta-, gamma- and delta-oxoalkylphosphonates by cells of baker's yeast.

Enantiomerically pure hydroxyalkylphosphonates (over 95% of enantiomeric excess) were obtained by asymmetric reductive biotransformation of a variety of oxoalkylphosphonates catalyzed by baker's yeast. In the most cases the biotransformations were carried out in water under aerobic conditions using whole cell system. In the case of compounds unreactive under these conditions the anaerobic reduction was applied.

The Herbicidally Active Compound N-2-(6-Methyl-Pyridyl)-Aminomethylene Bisphosphonic Acid Inhibits In Vivo Aromatic Biosynthesis.

The effect of N-2-(6-methyl-pyridyl)-aminomethylene bisphosphonic acid (M-pyr-AMBPA), a compound previously shown to exhibit herbicidal properties on whole plants and to inhibit in vitro activity of the first enzyme in the shikimate pathway, 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase, was investigated on Nicotiana plumbaginifolia suspension cultured cells and compared to that of the herbicide glyphosate. The addition of M-pyr-AMBPA from 10(-4) to 10(-3) M was found to cause a severe cell growth reduction. Kinetic analysis of partially purified DAHP synthase accounted for non-competitive inhibition type with respect to both phospho-enol-pyruvate and erythrose-4-phosphate, with K(I) values of 0.43 and 0.62 mM, respectively. Amino acid pool measurements of cells grown in the presence of sublethal doses of M-pyr-AMBPA pointed to an actual reduction of free aromatic amino acids, showing that DAHP synthase inhibition takes place in vivo, and suggesting that the interference of this aminophosphonate with plant aromatic biosynthesis may account for a large part of its phytotoxicity. However, exogenous supply of a mixture of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan failed to achieve full reversal of cell growth inhibition, yet the occurrence of other target(s) cannot be ruled out.

Herbicidal Derivatives of Aminomethylenebisphosphonic Acid. Part IV. Hydroxyalkylidenebisphosphonates, Iminomethylenebisphosphonates and Ureidomethylenebisphosphonates.

Derivatives of aminomethylenebisphosphonic acids constitute a class of promising herbicides. Replacement of the amino group by hydroxyl, ureido, thioureido, or imino moieties leads to compounds of significant herbicidal properties. This indicates that protonated amino function is not a requirement for phytotoxic action of bisphosphonates.

The ability of soil-borne fungi to degrade organophosphonate carbon-to-phosphorus bonds.

The ability of a wide variety of soil-borne fungal strains to degrade four structurally different compounds containing P-C bonds, namely the naturally occurring amino acid ciliatine, the popular herbicide glyphosate, phosphonoacetic acid and 2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid, was studied in order to show that soil fungi may play an important role in the biodegradation of organophosphonates. Most of the strains appeared to utilize ciliatine as the sole source of phosphorus for growth. Only a limited number of strains were able to grow on the other phosphonates used in this work. The strains of Trichoderma harzianum, Scopulariopsis sp. and Aspergillus niger chosen for more detailed study show the ability to degrade ciliatine, glyphosate and also amino(3-methoxyphenyl)methylphosphonic acid effectively.

Chelating tendencies of bioactive aminophosphonates.

The metal-binding abilities of a wide variety of bioactive aminophosphonates, from the simple aminoethanephosphonic acids to the rather large macrocyclic polyaza derivatives, are discussed with special emphasis on a comparison of the analogous carboxylic acid and phosphonic acid systems. Examples are given of the biological importance of metal ion - aminophosphonate interactions in living systems, and also of their actual and potential applicability in medicine.