Role of the low-affinity leukotriene B4 receptor BLT2 in VEGF-induced angiogenesis

Leukotriene B4 inhibitors: US2009054466; US2009227603 and US2009253684

Three US applications describing a narrow, closely related series of antagonists of the action of leukotriene B(4) on the BLT1 and BLT2 receptors are described. The generic structure claimed is a lipophilic linked diphenyl core containing two acid groups appended to the central phenyl ring. The terminal phenyl moiety contains disubstitution at the 3'- and 5'-positions. These three applications differ in the nature of the substituent on the terminal phenyl group as well as the linking moiety between the two phenyl rings. These compounds are claimed to have utility in inflammatory diseases such as severe asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Blockade of LTB4-induced chemotaxis by bioactive molecules interfering with the BLT2-Galphai interaction

BLT2, a low-affinity leukotriene B4 (LTB4) receptor, is a member of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) family and is involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases such as asthma. Despite its clinical implications, however, no pharmacological inhibitors are available. In the present study, we screened for small molecules that interfere with the interaction between the third intracellular loop region of BLT2 (BLT2iL3) and the Galphai3 protein subunit (Galphai3), using a high-throughput screening (HTS) assay with a library of 1040 FDA-approved drugs and bioactive compounds. We identified two small molecules-purpurin [1,2,4-trihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone; IC50 = 1.6 microM for BLT2] and chloranil [tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone; IC50 = 0.42 microM for BLT2]-as specific BLT2-blocking agents. We found that blockade of the BLT2iL3-Galphai3 interaction by these small molecules inhibited the BLT2-downstream signaling cascade. For example, BLT2-signaling to phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt phosphorylation was completely abolished by these molecules. Furthermore, we observed that these small molecules blocked LTB4-induced chemotaxis by inhibiting the BLT2-PI3K/Akt-downstream, Rac1-reactive oxygen species-dependent pathway. Taken together, our results show that purpurin and chloranil interfere with the interaction between BLT2iL3 and Galphai3 and thus block the biological functions of BLT2 (e.g., chemotaxis). The present findings suggest a potential application of purpurin and chloranil as pharmacological therapeutic agents against BLT2-associated inflammatory human diseases.

Proinflammatory cytokine IL-1beta stimulates IL-8 synthesis in mast cells via a leukotriene B4 receptor 2-linked pathway, contributing to angiogenesis

Recent studies have suggested that mast cells have critical roles in angiogenesis. However, the detailed mechanism by which mast cells contribute to angiogenesis is not yet clearly understood, especially in response to proinflammatory cytokines. In this study, we showed that the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1beta induces the synthesis of IL-8, a potent angiogenic factor, in human mast cells via the leukotriene B(4) receptor (BLT)2. We also characterized the BLT2 downstream signaling pathway and determined that BLT2-mediated IL-8 synthesis involves the upregulation of Nox1, a member of the NADPH oxidase family, Nox1-dependent reactive oxygen species generation and the subsequent activation of the redox-sensitive transcription factor NF-kappaB. For instance, knockdown of BLT2 and Nox1 with specific small interfering RNA, treatment with a specific BLT2 antagonist, LY255283, or treatment with a potential Nox inhibitor, diphenylene iodonium, suppressed IL-1beta-induced IL-8 synthesis. We found that the conditioned media collected from IL-1beta-treated human mast cell line HMC-1 had significantly enhanced angiogenic activity that could be dramatically attenuated by either small interfering RNA knockdown of BLT2 or treatment with neutralizing Ab to IL-8. Finally, the experiments were repeated using human primary cord blood-derived mast cells, and the results were clearly reproduced. Taken together, our results suggest that BLT2-Nox1-reactive oxygen species-dependent pathway plays a role in promoting the secretion of IL-8 from human mast cells in response to the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1beta, thus contributing to angiogenesis.

Eicosanoids and cancer

Eicosanoids, including prostaglandins and leukotrienes, are biologically active lipids that have been implicated in various pathological processes, such as inflammation and cancer. This Review highlights our understanding of the intricate roles of eicosanoids in epithelial-derived tumours and their microenvironment. The knowledge of how these lipids orchestrate the complex interactions between transformed epithelial cells and the surrounding stromal cells is crucial for understanding tumour evolution, progression and metastasis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of prostaglandins and other eicosanoids in cancer progression will help to develop more effective cancer chemopreventive and/or therapeutic agents.