Adaptation of Opossum Kidney Cells to Luminal Phosphate: Effects of Phosphonoformic Acid and Kinase Inhibitors.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Renal reabsorption of inorganic phosphate (Pi) is mediated by SLC34 and SLC20 Na+/Pi-cotransporters the abundance of which is under hormonal control. Extracellular Pi itself also regulates the expression of cotransporters and the concentration of Pi-regulating hormones, though the signaling pathways are largely unknown. Here, we explored the mechanisms that allow renal proximal cells to adapt to changes in the concentration of Pi. METHODS: opossum kidney (OK) cells, a model of proximal epithelia, were incubated with different concentrations of Pi in the absence/presence of phosphonoformic acid (PFA), a Pi-analogue and SLC34-inhibitor, and of inhibitors of kinases involved in hormonal control of Pi-homeostasis; cells cultured in normal media were treated with uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation. Then, the intracellular concentration of ATP and/or the Pi-transport capacity of the cultures were analyzed. RESULTS: luminal Pi regulates the Pi-transport and the intracellular ATP levels. Changes in ATP seem secondary to alterations in Pi-transport, rather than ATP acting as a signal. Adaptation of Pi-transport to high Pi was not mimicked by PFA. Transport adaptation was blocked by PFA but not by kinase inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: in OK cells, adaptation of Pi-transport to luminal Pi does not depend on the same signaling pathways involved in hormonal regulation.

ß-l-1-[5-(E-2-bromovinyl)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-(dioxolan-4-yl)] uracil (l-BHDU) prevents varicella-zoster virus replication in a SCID-Hu mouse model and does not interfere with 5-fluorouracil catabolism.

The alphaherpesvirus varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox and shingles. Current treatments are acyclovir (ACV) and its derivatives, foscarnet and brivudine (BVdU). Additional antiviral compounds with increased potency and specificity are needed to treat VZV, especially to treat post-herpetic neuralgia. We evaluated ß-l-1-[5-(E-2-bromovinyl)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-(dioxolan-4-yl)] uracil (l-BHDU, 1) and 5'-O-valyl-l-BHDU (2) in three models of VZV replication: primary human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs), skin organ culture (SOC) and in SCID-Hu mice with skin xenografts. The efficacy of l-BHDU in vivo and its drug-drug interactions were previously not known. In HFFs, 200µM l-BHDU was noncytotoxic over 3days, and l-BHDU treatment reduced VZV genome copy number and cell to cell spread. The EC50 in HFFs for l-BHDU and valyl-l-BHDU were 0.22 and 0.03µM, respectively. However, l-BHDU antagonized the activity of ACV, BVdU and foscarnet in cultured cells. Given its similar structure to BVdU, we asked if l-BHDU, like BVdU, inhibits 5-fluorouracil catabolism. BALB/c mice were treated with 5-FU alone or in combination with l-BHDU or BVdU. l-BHDU did not interfere with 5-FU catabolism. In SCID-Hu mice implanted with human skin xenografts, l-BHDU and valyl-l-BHDU were superior to ACV and valacyclovir. The maximum concentration (Cmax) levels of l-BHDU were determined in mouse and human tissues at 2h after dosing, and comparison of concentration ratios of tissue to plasma indicated saturation of uptake at the highest dose. For the first time, an l-nucleoside analog, l-BHDU, was found to be effective and well tolerated in mice.

Efeitos do Foscarnet sobre a infecção pelos herpesvírus bovino tipos 1 e 5 em coelhos / Effects of Foscarnet on the infection by bovine herpesviruses 1 and 5 in rabbits

O efeito antiviral do Foscarnet (PFA) foi demonstrado anteriormente em células de cultivo infectadas com três herpesvírus bovino (BoHV). No presente estudo, investigaram-se os seus efeitos sobre a infecção e doença causadas pelo BoHV-1 e BoHV-5 em coelhos infectados experimentalmente. Coelhos inoculados com o BoHV-5 pela via intraconjuntival (IC) e tratados com o PFA (100mg/kg/dia) a partir do dia 1 pós-inoculação (pi) apresentaram uma redução nos títulos de vírus excretados entre os dias 2 e 6 pi em comparação com o grupo não-tratado; essa diferença foi significativa no dia 3 pi [F(9,108) = 2,23; P<0,03)]. Os coelhos inoculados com o BoHV-5 e tratados com o PFA apresentaram uma redução significativa nos índices de morbidade e mortalidade (95,4 por cento [21/22] nos controles; 50 por cento [11/22] nos tratados; [P<0,0008]). Em coelhos inoculados com o BoHV-1 pela via IC, o tratamento com o PFA resultou em redução nos títulos de vírus excretados, entre os dias 1 e 4, e 6 e 7 pi. Esses animais apresentaram um período de incubação mais curto e um curso clínico mais longo comparando-se com o grupo controle não tratado (P<0,005 e P<0,04, respectivamente). O PFA também reduziu a freqüência e severidade da doença ocular nos coelhos inoculados com o BoHV-1. Esses resultados demonstram que o PFA possui atividade frente ao BoHV-1 e BoHV-5 in vivo e são promissores para o uso desse fármaco em terapias experimentais das infecções herpéticas dos animais domésticos.

The activity of Foscarnet (PFA) against three bovine herpesviruses (BoHVs) was previously demonstrated in cell culture. Herein we evaluated the effects of PFA on the infection and disease by BoHV-1 and BoHV-5 in a rabbit model. Rabbits inoculated with BoHV-5 in the conjunctival sac (IC) and treated with PFA (100 mg/kg/day) from day 1 to 17 post-inoculation (pi) shed less virus between days 2 and 6 pi comparing to untreated controls; this difference was significant at day 3 pi [F(9,108) = 2,23; P<0.03]. The morbidity and mortality rates of rabbits inoculated with BoHV-5 IC or intranasally (IN) were also significantly reduced in PFA-treated rabbits (50 percent; 11/22) comparing to untreated controls (95.4 percent; 21/22) (P<0.0008). In rabbits inoculated IC with BoHV-1, a reduction in virus shedding was observed in PFA-treated animals between days 1 and 4 pi; 6 and 7 pi. In addition, PFA-treated rabbits presented a longer incubation period and a shorter clinical course comparing to untreated controls (P<0.005 and P<0.04, respectively). The frequency and severity of ocular signs were also reduced in the PFA-treated group. These results demonstrate that PFA is effective against BoHV-1 and BoHV-5 in vivo and open the way towards its use in experimental therapy of herpetic infections in domestic animals.

Hybrids of [TSAO-T]-[foscarnet]: The first conjugate of foscarnet with a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor through a labile covalent ester bond.

This paper describes the first example of combination of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors such as TSAO derivatives and foscarnet (PFA) in a single molecule through a labile covalent ester bond. The essential criteria in the design of these hybrids [TSAO-T]-[PFA] was to explore if the conjugation of foscarnet with the highly lipophilic TSAO derivative may facilitate the penetration of the conjugates through the cell membrane and if the hybrids escape extracellular hydrolysis and regenerate the parent inhibitors intracellulary. Several [TSAO-T]-[PFA] conjugates proved markedly inhibitory to HIV-1. Some of them also showed potent activity against PFA-resistant HIV-1 strains but fewer had detectable inhibitory activity against TSAO-resistant HIV-1 strains. These results indicated a pivotal role of the TSAO component of the hybrid but not the PFA component in the activity of the conjugates. Moreover, stability studies of the [TSAO-T]-[PFA] conjugates demonstrated that the compounds were stable in PBS whereas some of the conjugates regenerated the parent inhibitors in extracts from CEM cells.