Ticlopidine selectively inhibits human platelet responses to adenosine diphosphate.

Platelet aggregation and fibrinogen binding were studied in 15 individuals before and 7 days after the oral administration of ticlopidine (250 mg b.i.d.). Ticlopidine significantly inhibited platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP), the endoperoxide analogue U46619, collagen or low concentrations of thrombin, but did not inhibit platelet aggregation induced by epinephrine or high concentrations of thrombin. Ticlopidine inhibited 125I-fibrinogen binding induced by ADP, U46619 or thrombin (1 U/ml). The ADP scavengers apyrase or CP/CPK, added in vitro to platelet suspensions obtained before ticlopidine, caused the same pattern of aggregation and 125I-fibrinogen binding inhibition as did ticlopidine. Ticlopidine did not inhibit further platelet aggregation and 125I-fibrinogen binding induced in the presence of ADP scavengers. After ticlopidine administration, thrombin or U46619, but not ADP, increased the binding rate of the anti-GPII b/III a monoclonal antibody 7E3 to platelets. Ticlopidine inhibited clot retraction induced by reptilase plus ADP, but not that induced by thrombin or by reptilase plus epinephrine, and prevented the inhibitory effect of ADP, but not that of epinephrine, on the PGE1-induced increase in platelet cyclic AMP. The number of high- and low-affinity binding sites for 3H-ADP on formalin-fixed platelets and their Kd were not modified by ticlopidine. These findings indicate that ticlopidine selectively inhibits platelet responses to ADP.

Inhibition of batroxobin, a serine proteinase from Bothrops snake venom, by derivatives of benzamidine.

Benzamidine derivatives which are competitive inhibitors of trypsin-like serine proteinases also inhibited the enzymatic activity of batroxobin, a thrombin-like snake venom proteinase. Structure-activity relationships showed that primary amides of 4-amidinophenyl-alpha-aminobutyric acid have pronounced, relatively selective antibatroxobin activity. Identical effects were found on batroxobin isolated from the venoms of Bothrops atrox or Bothrops moojeni. Esters containing a benzamidine moiety acylated the active centre serine hydroxyl of either batroxobin, however, the inhibition was temporary. Such compounds, especially 4-amidinophenyl esters of substituted benzoic acids, are a particularly useful tool for designing acyl-batroxobin intermediates with different deacylation rates. With 4-nitrophenyl 4'-guanidinobenzoate, the acyl enzyme was formed so rapidly that titration of the active site of batroxobin was possible. Irreversible inhibition of batroxobin was caused only by the selective thrombin inhibitor D-Phe-Pro-ArgCH2Cl.

Allosteric interaction of components of the replitase complex is responsible for enzyme cross-inhibition.

The enzymes of DNA polymerization and DNA precursor synthesis are assembled in the replitase complex during the S phase of the cell cycle. Cross-inhibition is a phenomenon shown by enzymes of the replitase complex, in which inhibition of one enzyme of the complex leads to inhibition of a second, unrelated enzyme. This inhibition occurs only in vivo and only during S phase. The second enzyme shows no inhibition in vitro. In this study, using Chinese hamster embryo fibroblast cells, we have shown that direct allosteric interactions, i.e., structural interaction from a remote site within the replitase complex, is the cause of cross-inhibition of thymidylate synthase activity by the inhibitors of ribonucleotide reductase and DNA polymerase, because disruptions of the deoxynucleotide pools, which would be predicted for alternative explantations, do not occur. Cross-inhibition of DNA polymerase by hydroxyurea is demonstrated by the cessation of DNA synthesis when ribonucleotide reductase block is circumvented by the provision of all four deoxynucleosides. In addition to the cross-inhibition for thymidylate synthase and DNA polymerase, we have also presented evidence, on the basis of alterations of the in vivo conversion of deoxyuridine to dUMP, that cross-inhibition also occurs for the enzyme thymidine kinase. This conclusion is further supported by the lack of inhibition of the similar process in RNA synthesis, because enzymes of RNA synthesis are not included in the replitase complex. To facilitate the measurements, we have introduced a novel method of distinguishing between thymidine and deoxyuridine derivatives, making use of the fact that a tritium label placed in the 5'-position of deoxyuridine is removed on conversion to thymidine by methylation, whereas a tritium placed in the 6'-position is not.