Spectrophotometric monitoring of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase pathway activity using ionophore stimulated whole blood

Synthesis and evaluation of a novel series of pyrrolizine derivatives as dual cyclooxygenase-1 and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors

The aim of our study was to investigate structure activity relationship following the replacement of the 6-phenyl substituent at the 6,7-diaryl-2,3-dihydropyrrolizine template by various heteroaromatic residues. In this context we developed a new, efficient, and highly sensitive test method for the screening of dual cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) inhibitors. We used human platelets as a source of COX-1 and human PMNLs as a source of 5-LOX. Both cell types were isolated from the same volume of blood. PGE2 and LTB4 respectively were determined by highly selective and sensitive ELISA kits, using monoclonal antibodies. For a single determination at most 0.5 mL whole blood is needed.

Collagen-induced arthritis is reduced in 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein-deficient mice

Collagen-induced arthritis in the DBA/1 mouse is an experimental model of human rheumatoid arthritis. To examine the role of leukotrienes in the pathogenesis of this disease, we have developed embryonic stem (ES) cells from this mouse strain. Here, we report that DBA/1 mice made deficient in 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP) by gene targeting in ES cells develop and grow normally. Zymosan-stimulated leukotriene production in the peritoneal cavity of these mice is undetectable, whereas they produce substantial amounts of prostaglandins. The inflammatory response to zymosan is reduced in FLAP-deficient mice. The severity of collagen-induced arthritis in the FLAP-deficient mice was substantially reduced when compared with wild-type or heterozygous animals. This was not due to an immunosuppressive effect, because anti-collagen antibody levels were similar in wild-type and FLAP-deficient mice. These data demonstrate that leukotrienes play an essential role in both the acute and chronic inflammatory response in mice.

Human whole blood assays for inhibition of prostaglandin G/H synthases-1 and -2 using A23187 and lipopolysaccharide stimulation of thromboxane B2 production

When freshly drawn, heparinized human whole blood is incubated with 50 microM calcium ionophore A23187, platelets are stimulated to produce thromboxane B2 (TxB2) by activation of prostaglandin G/H synthase-l (PGHS-1). TxB2 concentration, as measured by immunoassay, is maximal at 20-30 min and declines thereafter. Addition of acetylsalicylic acid (IC50 = 2.8 microM) or other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 15 min or 4.5h prior to 30 min stimulation with ionophore results in concentration dependent inhibition of TxB2 production. When blood is incubated with 0.01-10 micrograms/ml E. colilipopolysaccharide (LPS), PGHS-2 is induced and TxB2 levels become detectable at 3h and continue to increase through 24h. Using a 5h incubation with 10 micrograms/ml LPS, aspirin (10 microM added at 0 h), which is rapidly metabolized to salicylic acid, had no effect on 10 micrograms/ml LPS-induced TxB2, but inhibited TxB2 production by ionophore A23187 added at 4.5h through acetylation of pre-existing PGHS-1. In a 5h assay, NSAIDs added at 0 h were compared for inhibition of TxB2 production stimulated by addition of ionophore A23187 at 4.5h (PGHS-1), or by addition of LPS at 0 h (PGHS-2). Most NSAIDs were more potent against PGHS-1 than PGHS-2. Diclofenac, naproxen and flufenamic acid were equipotent or slightly selective for PGHS-2. Diflunisal and nimesulide were > 4-fold selective for PGHS-2, and NS-398 was > 30-fold selective for PGHS-2.

Ampiroxicam, an anti-inflammatory agent which is a prodrug of piroxicam

Ampiroxicam is a nonacidic ether carbonate prodrug of piroxicam. Our results demonstrate that, in contrast to piroxicam, ampiroxicam does not possess detectable prostaglandin synthesis inhibitory activity in vitro. Ampiroxicam, however, has similar in vivo potency to piroxicam in suppressing paw swelling in rat adjuvant arthritis. In an acute model of paw inflammation in rats, ampiroxicam is less potent than piroxicam itself: the ED50's of ampiroxicam are 9- and 3.5-fold higher than those of piroxicam following a single or multiple (5) daily oral doses, respectively. Using the phenylbenzoquinone stretching test as a method of evaluating acute analgetic activity, the ED50 for ampiroxicam is about 3-fold higher than that of piroxicam. These tests of activity share the property of being partially prostaglandin-dependent. Ampiroxicam itself is not observed in plasma after oral dosing to man, nor in the rat, dog, and monkey as reported here. Bioavailability studies show that conversion to piroxicam is about 100%, 90%, 70%, and 50% in these four species, respectively. These results indicate that ampiroxicam's anti-inflammatory activity is produced in vivo by conversion to piroxicam and support its credentials as an efficacious prodrug of piroxicam.

5-lipoxygenase inhibitors and their anti-inflammatory activities

A wide variety of agents have been reported as 5-LO inhibitors. The majority of the series appear to be lipophilic reducing agents, including phenols, partially saturated aromatics, and compounds containing heteroatom-heteroatom bonds. Many of these are not selective 5-LO inhibitors, but often affect CO and other LOs as well. In vivo systemic activity for many of these has been, in general, disappointing, probably because of poor bioavailability caused by lipophilicity and metabolic instability (oxidation, and conjugation of phenolic compounds). However, topically a number of agents have shown promise for skin inflammation, with Syntex's lonapalene the most advanced of these. Most results published to date appear more disappointing in the allergy/asthma field. More excitingly, a few structural types are selective 5-LO inhibitors which have shown systemic activity in vivo and in the clinic. Abbott's zileuton (136) appears to be one of the leading compounds in this category, along with other hydroxamates such as BW-A4C (129) from Burroughs-Wellcome. Recent selective non-reducing agents such as Wyeth-Ayerst's Wy-50,295 (143) and the similar ICI compounds such as ICI 216800 (145) also hold promise. The enantiospecific effects of (106) and (145) are especially interesting for the design of new inhibitors. If compounds like these validate the hypothesis that inhibition of 5-LO will have a significant anti-inflammatory effect, a redoubling of effort throughout the industry to find second- and third-generation selective agents may be expected. Part of the difficulty in interpreting and comparing the 5-LO literature is the plethora of test methods and activity criteria. As pointed out in the introduction, inhibition of product release from cells, often stimulated with A23187, has commonly been used to demonstrate 5-LO inhibition. However, this type of assay cannot be assumed to be diagnostic for 5-LO inhibition. Only if specificity for 5-LO product generation and (ideally) activity in cell-free enzymes is also shown should mechanistic interpretations be made. Recently, a new class of compounds was found at Merck which inhibited LT biosynthesis without inhibiting 5-LO, but apparently by a novel, specific mechanism. L-655,240 (169) and L-663,536 (MK-886) (170) were both active in human ISN, with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. Both also orally inhibited GPB (< 1 mg/kg). MK-886 was effective in Ascaris-induced asthma in squirrel monkeys, in rat carrageenan pleurisy, in rat Arthus pleurisy, and (topically) in guinea-pig ear oedema induced by A23187.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Characterization of lipoxins by combined gas chromatography and electron-capture negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry: formation of lipoxin A4 by stimulated human whole blood

The lipoxins are a recent addition to the family of bioactive products derived from arachidonic acid. Here, we have prepared pentafluorobenzyl ester, trimethylsilyl ether derivatives of lipoxin A4, lipoxin B4 and pentadeuterolipoxin A4 and have characterized these products by electron-capture negative ion chemical ionization gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (NICI GC/MS). Lipoxin A4 (5S,6R,15S-trihydroxy-7,9,13-trans-11-cis-eicosa-tetraenoic acid; LXA4) was quantified following extraction from whole blood by stable isotopic dilution utilizing deuterium-labeled LXA4 as internal standard and selected ion monitoring of the [M--pentafluorobenzyl] anions. Studies with a second tritiated internal standard (e.g. [11,12-3H]LXA4) also showed that the recovery of LXA4 was greater than 80% following solid-phase extraction from whole blood, and greater than 90% from isolated cells. In addition, neither isolated neutrophils nor platelets oxidatively metabolized [11,12-3H]LXA4 when incubated in the presence or absence of stimuli. Whole blood incubated with either the ionophore of divalent cations (A23187), thrombin, or thrombin plus the chemotactic peptide formylmethionyl-leucine-phenylalanine generated both LXA4 and thromboxane, which were quantified by stable isotope dilution. The ratio of thromboxane to LXA4 formed by stimulated whole blood ranged from approximately 2:1 to 20:1. These results indicate that the lipoxins display suitable characteristics as their respective pentafluorobenzyl ester, trimethylsilyl ether derivatives for quantification by electron-capture NICI GC/MS. Moreover, they provide evidence that LXA4 can be generated from endogenous sources in whole blood following exposure to physiologically relevant stimuli.

Evaluation of Tenidap (CP-66,248) on human neutrophil arachidonic acid metabolism, chemotactic potential and clinical efficacy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Ten patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were evaluated in a placebo-controlled, double-blind study examining the clinical efficacy of a novel nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent: Tenidap (CP-66,248). RA patients receiving active drug therapy (n = 6) demonstrated clinically significant improvements in observer assessment of pain (p less than 0.025), painful joint count (p less than 0.010), and overall clinical assessment as based on a modified rheumatoid activity index, MRAI (p less than 0.025). In parallel laboratory assays, Tenidap was found to exhibit a significant in vitro dose-dependent inhibition of ionophore-stimulated neutrophil production of the 5-lipoxygenase product: [3H]leukotriene B4 (LTB4). Although more importantly, Tenidap was also found to exhibit an in vitro dose-dependent inhibition (IC50 20 microM) of the ionophore-stimulated release (deacylation) of the precursor [3H]arachidonic acid (AA) from membrane phospholipids. In further studies, Tenidap did not have any effect on fMLP-induced neutrophil chemotactic response. These results suggest that one of the possible mechanisms for the clinical effectiveness of this agent, may be through its effect at inhibiting the release of free AA from membrane phospholipids and therefore limiting its further metabolism into certain biologically-active inflammatory lipids.

Determination of leukotriene B4 in human plasma by gas chromatography using a mass selective detector and a stable isotope labelled internal standard. Effect of NE-11740 on arachidonic acid metabolism

A highly selective gas chromatographic method, coupled with selected ion monitoring using a mass selective detector and positive electron ionization, was developed for the determination of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in human plasma. Plasma was separated from whole human blood via centrifugation, proteins precipitated with acetonitrile and LTB4 recovered (approximately 82.0%) by ethyl acetate extraction. The methyl ester, bis-t-butyldimethylsilyl ether derivative of LTB4 was formed prior to analysis and determined quantitatively using [18O]2-LTB4 as an internal standard. The limit of detection (S/N = 2) was 425 pg on column (m/z 335/339) using a 1-microliter injection. Standard curves were linear over two orders of magnitude with an RSD of less than 5.0% (n = 10). NE-11740, a new anti-inflammatory drug, was shown to inhibit, in a dose-dependent manner (ED50 = 22 microM) ionophore-stimulated LTB4 biosynthesis by human whole blood in vitro.