Activation of protein kinase C by 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine conjugates of phospholipid.

1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) conjugates of phospholipid were shown to be highly antineoplastic against various tumor cells. In this study, we report that these conjugates are potent activators of protein kinase C (PKC, EC) in vitro. Although required Ca2+, PKC activation by the conjugates occurred even in the absence of phospholipid and diacylglycerol. Among the conjugates, 1-beta-D-arabino-furanosylcytosine 5'-diphosphate-rac-1-O-octadecyl-2-O-palmitoylglycerol [(ara-CDP-DL-PBA); ara-C conjugate of ether phospholipid], was employed to investigate its mode of activation, since ether phospholipid has been reported to be a regulator of the PKC. When PKC was activated by ara-CDP-DL-PBA, diacylglycerol enhanced its activity with 3-fold reduction of an apparent Ka value for ara-CDP-DL-PBA and no change in the Vmax. During the PKC activation by phosphatidylserine, ara-CDP-DL-PBA exhibited a synergistic effect on the activation. Studies on the relationship between the structures of ara-CDP-DL-PBA and their effects on PKC activity showed that phosphate group of ether lipid was important for its activation of PKC, and that conjugation of ara-C and ether lipid further enhanced the enzyme activity. These results suggest that the ara-C conjugate of phospholipid activates PKC in a co-operative manner with diacylglycerol and/or phosphatidylserine, however, the exact mechanism of the antineoplastic effect of ara-CDP-DL-PBA through PKC activation still remains speculative.

Synthesis and biological activity of novel substituted pyridines and purines containing 2,4-thiazolidinedione.

A series of substituted pyridines and purines containing 2,4-thiazolidinedione were designed and synthesized from their corresponding pyridines and purines. These synthesized compounds (entry no. 6a-d, 12a-e, 18a-d, 23a-c) were evaluated for their effect on triglyceride accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells in vitro and their hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activity in the genetically diabetic KKA(y) mice in vivo. On the basis of their biological activities, 5-(4-[2-[N-methyl-(5-phenyl-pyridin-2-yl)amino]ethoxy]benzyl)thiazolidine-2,4-dione (6d) was selected as a candidate for further pharmacological studies.

Preformulation studies of a novel camptothecin anticancer agent, CKD-602: physicochemical characterization and hydrolytic equilibrium kinetics.

(20S)-7-(2-isopropylamino)ethylcamptothecin.HCl (CKD-602), a new camptothecin (CPT) anticancer agent, is a pale yellowish crystalline compound. DSC thermogram exhibited a melt endotherm near 270 degrees C, and CKD-602 was found to be slightly hygroscopic. The solubility of CKD-602 in deionized water was 8.22 mg/ml, and two pK(a) values were measured to be 2.32 and 9.15, respectively. A pH-dependent partition coefficient behavior in octanol-buffer was observed. CKD-602 in solid state was stable over the range of temperature and humidity, but decomposed slightly by light. The hydrolysis of CKD-602 occurred reversibly and rapidly in aqueous buffer solutions. The conversion rate constants (k(f): from the lactone to the carboxylate and k(r): from the carboxylate to the lactone) and the final equilibrium ratio (K(eq)) between two species were dependent on the pH of aqueous solutions.

Development of parenteral formulation for a novel angiogenesis inhibitor, CKD-732 through complexation with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin.

The effect of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CyD) on the aqueous solubility and chemical stability of O-(4-Dimethylaminoethoxycinnamoyl)fumagillol (CKD-732), a new angiogenesis inhibitor, was investigated with an aim of preparing a stable and effective parenteral formulation. The CKD-732/HP-beta-CyD inclusion complex was obtained in solid state by freeze-drying and characterized in solution by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). Then, the pharmacokinetic profile in rats and the in vivo tumor growth inhibitory activity in mice following the parenteral administration of aqueous CKD-732/HP-beta-CyD complex were compared to those of CKD-732.hemioxalate solution having an equivalent concentration. The aqueous solubility of CKD-732 was markedly increased by the combination of pH adjustment and HP-beta-CyD complexation through a soluble 1:1 inclusion complex formation, which was supported by NMR spectroscopy. The hydrolysis of CKD-732 following pseudo first-order kinetics was decelerated moderately but significantly in acidic and basic solutions in the presence of HP-beta-CyD. The stability of lyophilized CKD-732/HP-beta-CyD complex was also drastically improved after storage in various conditions. The intravenous pharmacokinetic profile and the subcutaneous in vivo tumor growth inhibitory activity of aqueous CKD-732/HP-beta-CyD complex were not significantly different from those of CKD-732.hemioxalate solution with the favorable reduction of irritation. These results demonstrate that the CKD-732/HP-beta-CyD complex is an attractive formulation for use in the parenteral delivery of CKD-732.

Novel alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, CKD-711 and CKD-711a produced by Streptomyces sp. CK-4416. I. Taxonomy, fermentation and isolation.

New alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, CKD-711 and CKD-711a were produced from the fermentation broth of Streptomyces sp. CK-4416 which was isolated from a forest soil of Jeju Island, South Korea. CKD-711 and CKD-711a were purified by Dowex 50W-2X and Sephadex G-10 column chromatography. In in vitro studies, CKD-711 showed a potent inhibitory activity against a-glucosidase from mammalian, but less inhibition against a-amylase from microorganism and mammalian. CKD-711a showed a lower inhibitory activity than CKD-711.

Novel alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, CKD-711 and CKD-711a produced by Streptomyces sp. CK-4416. II. Biological properties.

CKD-711 and CKD-711a are aminooligosaccharide alpha-glucosidase inhibitors discovered during the bioactive material screening for antibacterial agent. Their inhibitory activities were studied and compared with those of acarbose in vitro and in vivo with animals. In in vitro study, CKD-711 showed similar effects to acarbose on porcine intestinal maltase and sucrase, IC50s of 2.5 and 0.5 microg/ml, respectively, whereas it had about 2 fold lower alpha-amylase inhibitory activity (IC50, 78.0 microg/ml) than acarbose (IC50, 36 microg/ml). CKD-711a showed less inhibitory activity than CKD-711 against all the enzymes tested. In rat fed on starch and sucrose meals, the dose of CKD-711 which reduced the postprandial blood glucose increment by 50 percent in comparison to control rats (ED50) were 3.07 and 1.15 mg/kg, respectively, and acarbose had ED50s of 1.94 and 1.15 mg/kg, respectively. CKD-711 and CKD-711a also showed antibacterial activity against Comamonas terrigena.

Novel alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, CKD-711 and CKD-711a produced by Streptomyces sp. CK-4416. III. Physico-chemical properties and structure elucidation.

We have isolated two novel a-glucosidase inhibitors, O-[4-deoxy-4-(2,3-epoxy-3-hydroxymethyl-4,5,6-trihydroxycyclohexane-1-yl-amino)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl]-(1-->4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-D-glucopyranose (named CKD-711) and its hexameric analog CKD-711a, from the fermentation broth of Streptomyces sp. CK-4416. HRFAB-MS and NMR analyses reveal that molecular formulae of CKD-711 and CKD-711a are C25H43NO20 and C37H63NO30, respectively with the latter containing two more glucose moieties than the former. Detailed chemical structures of both compounds have been characterized by high-resolution two-dimensional NMR methods.

Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of CKD-732, a novel antiangiogenic fumagillin derivative, in rats, mice, and dogs.

The pharmacokinetics of CKD-732 (6-O-4-[dimethyl-aminoethoxy)cinnamoyl]-fumagillol x hemioxalate) was investigated in male SD rats and beagle dogs after bolus intravenous administration. The parent compound and metabolites obtained from in vitro and in vivo samples were determined by LC/MS. The main metabolite was isolated and identified as an N-oxide form of CKD-732 by NMR and LC/MS/MS. CKD-732 was metabolized into either M11 or others by rapid hydroxylation, demethylation, and hydrolysis. The blood level following the intravenous route declined in first-order kinetics with T(1/2)beta values of 0.72 to approximately 0.78 h for CKD-732 and 0.92 to approximately 1.09 h for M11 in rats at a dose of 7.5 to approximately 30 mg/kg. In dogs, T(1/2)beta values of CKD-732 and M11 were 1.54 and 1.79 h, respectively. Moreover, AUC values increased dose dependently for CKD-732 and M11 in rats and dogs. The CLtot and Vdss did not change significantly with increasing dose, indicating linear pharmacokinetic patterns. The excretion patterns through the urine, bile, and feces were also examined in the animals. The total amount excreted in urine, bile, and feces was 2.13% for CKD-732 and 1.29% for M11 in rats, and 1.58% for CKD-732 and 2.28% for M11 in dogs.

Synthesis and antihyperglycemic activity of erythrose, ribose and substituted pyrrolidine containing thiazolidinedione derivatives.

A series of erythrose, ribose, and substituted pyrrolidine containing 2,4-thiazolidinediones were synthesized. Among them, thirteen unsaturated thiazolidinediones, six saturated thiazolidinediones and two unsaturated malonates were evaluated for their ability to enhance glucose utilization in cultured L6 myocytes. On the basis of the in vitro activity, 5-[4-[2-(1-benzyl-3,4-bis-benzyloxypyrrolidin-2-yl)ethoxy]benzylidene]thiazolidine-2,4-dione 24b was selected as the candidate for further pharmacological studies.

Synthesis of 6-formyl-pyridine-2-carboxylate derivatives and their telomerase inhibitory activities.

Twenty-one pyridine-2-carboxylate derivatives were prepared by the coupling of 6-formyl-2-carboxylic acid with the corresponding phenol, thiophenol, and aniline, substituted with various functional groups. Among them, the 3,4-dichlorothiophenol ester (9p) showed the highest in vitro telomerase inhibitory activity and quite significant in vivo tumor suppression activity.