Discovery and preliminary pharmacology of Sch 37370, a dual antagonist of PAF and histamine

Platelet-Activating Factor (PAF) in Allergic Rhinitis: Clinical and Therapeutic Implications

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a lipid mediator involved in several allergic reactions. It is released from multiple cells of the immune system, such as eosinophils, neutrophils, and mast cells, and also exerts its effect on most of them upon specific binding to its receptor, becoming a pleiotropic mediator. PAF is considered a potential relevant mediator in allergic rhinitis, with a key role in nasal congestion and rhinorrhoea due to its effect on vascular permeability. Interestingly, despite its potential relevance as a therapeutic target, no specific PAF inhibitors have been studied in humans. However, rupatadine, a second-generation antihistamine with dual antihistamine and anti-PAF effects has shown promising results by both blocking nasal symptoms and inhibiting mast cell activation induced by PAF, in comparison to antihistamine receptor drugs. In conclusion, the inhibition of PAF may be an interesting approach in the treatment of allergic rhinitis as part of a global strategy directed at blocking as many relevant inflammatory mediators as possible.

Platelet activating factor as a mediator and therapeutic approach in bronchial asthma

Platelet activating factor (PAF) is a potent phospholipid mediator involved in anaphylaxis and chronic inflammatory disorders, including bronchial asthma. PAF is able to act both, directly as a chemotactic factor and indirectly through the release of other inflammatory agents. Apart from its known potent ability to activate platelets, PAF influences other immune and inflammatory cells function involved in asthma, which may be of importance in the pathogenesis of the disease. In addition, PAF administration can mimic some of abnormalities observed in asthma, including bronchoconstriction, bronchial hyper responsiveness, and gas exchange impairment, which may be mediated by leukotrienes acting as secondary mediators of some PAF effects. Therefore, there has been an extensive interest in the role of PAF in human asthma and major efforts have been continued to discover drugs acting thorough inhibition of PAF effects in the disease. Surprisingly, PAF receptor antagonists have not clearly proven their clinical benefits. It may appear that the combined blockage of PAF effects and other mediators involved in asthma is a way to improve clinical efficacy and also an interesting approach to control inflammation in the disease. This review will focus on two main issues: the role of PAF and PAF antagonists in asthma.

Platelet-activating factor receptor

Platelet-activating factor (PAF, 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) is a biologically active phospholipid mediator. Although PAF was named for its potential to induce platelet aggregation, intense investigations have elucidated potent biological actions of PAF in a broad range of cell types and tissues. PAF acts by binding to a unique G-protein-coupled seven transmembrane receptor, and activates multiple intracellular signaling pathways. In the last decade, we have identified the PAF receptor structures, intracellular signaling mechanisms, and genomic organizations. Recently, we found a single nucleotide polymorphism of the human PAF receptor (A224D) with an allele frequency of 7.8% in Japanese. Cells expressing this receptor exhibited the reduced cellular signaling, although the binding parameters remain unchanged. We have established two different types of genetically altered mice, i.e. PAF receptor-overexpressing mouse and PAF receptor-deficient mouse. These mutant mice provide a novel and specific approach for identifying the pathophysiological and physiological functions of PAF in vivo. This review focuses on phenotypes of these mutant mice and summarizes the previous reports regarding PAF and PAF receptor.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor and genetically engineered PAF receptor mutant mice

Platelet-activating factor (PAF, 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) is a biologically active phospholipid mediator. Although PAF was initially recognized for its potential to induce platelet aggregation and secretion, intense investigations have elucidated potent biological actions of PAF in a broad range of cell types and tissues, many of which also produce the molecule. PAF acts by binding to a unique G-protein-coupled seven transmembrane receptor. PAF receptor is linked to intracellular signal transduction pathways, including turnover of phosphatidylinositol, elevation in intracellular calcium concentration, and activation of kinases, resulting in versatile bioactions. On the basis of numerous pharmacological reports, PAF is thought to have many pathophysiological and physiological functions. Recently advanced molecular technics enable us not only to clone PAF receptor cDNAs and genes, but also generate PAF receptor mutant animals, i.e., PAF receptor-overexpressing mouse and PAF receptor-deficient mouse. These mutant mice gave us a novel and specific approach for identifying the pathophysiological and physiological functions of PAF. This review also describes the phenotypes of these mutant mice and discusses them by referring to previously reported pharmacological and genetical data.

Conformational considerations in the design of dual antagonists of platelet-activating factor (PAF) and histamine

Following the discovery of the first dual antagonist of platelet-activating factor (PAF) and histamine, 1-acetyl-4-(8-chloro-5,6-dihydro-11H-benzo[5,6]cyclohepta[1,2-b]pyridin- 11-ylidene)piperidine, Sch 37370, 1, a related series of structures, exemplified by (+/-)-1-acetyl-4-(8-chloro-5,6-dihydro-11H-benzo[5,6]-cyclohepta[1,2-b] pyridin-11-yl)piperazine, Sch 40338, 2, were prepared. Interestingly, the compounds exhibited a parallel structure antiallergy activity relationship, suggesting that the two series may adopt a common conformation at the PAF receptor. Conformational analysis led to a proposal for this bioactive conformation accessible to both series. The synthesis of novel conformationally constrained analogues that might mimic the proposed bioactive conformation of these compounds, and the evaluation of their in vitro antiallergy activity form the subject matter of this report.

Dual antagonists of platelet activating factor and histamine. 3. Synthesis, biological activity and conformational implications of substituted N-acyl-bis-arylcycloheptapiperazines

A series of N-acyl-4-(5,6-dihydro-11H-benzo[5,6]cyclohepta[1,2-b]pyridin- 11-ylidene)piperazines is described that are dual antagonists of PAF and histamine. The structural requirements for activity in this series parallel those of their previously reported piperidinylidene counterparts. Whereas their global minimum energy conformations are different for both series of compounds, computer assisted molecular modeling suggests that a common bioactive conformation is possible.

Highly Regioselective Nitration Reactions Provide a Versatile Method of Functionalizing Benzocycloheptapyridine Tricyclic Ring Systems: Application toward Preparation of Nanomolar Inhibitors of Farnesyl Protein Transferase

A comprehensive study of nitration reaction of azatricyclic systems has been carried out. Whereas classical nitrations using KNO(3)-H(2)SO(4) at low temperatures gave nitrated products mainly at the 9-position, use of tetrabutylammonium nitrate-trifluoroacetic anhydride (TBAN-TFAA) resulted in exclusive nitration of the 3-position in the case carbamates 1, and 4-6 and the tricyclic ketone 7. These 3-nitro tricyclic derivatives have been valuable intermediates for the preparation of the very potent farnesyl protein transferase inhibitors such as the tricyclic pyridyl acetamide 32 and other new analogues.

Inhibition of PAF-induced human platelet aggregation by antithrombotic nipecotomides

Nipecotamides (piperidine-3-carboxamides) are potent inhibitors of platelet aggregation induced by a variety of agonists in vitro and in vivo. The inhibitory effects of six structural types of nipecotamides on human platelet aggregation induced by platelet-activating factor (PAF) in vitro, are studied. Evaluation of 15 racemates and stereoisomers of two nipecotamides showed that bis-nipecotoyl alkanes were more active than their mono congeners. Mono- and bis-nipecotoyl decanes were more potent than the corresponding hexanes. Lipophilicity was found to play a significant role in the antiplatelet activity of these compounds. The stereoselectivity in the PAF-antagonist potential of nipecotamides was less pronounced than that resulting from their action on ADP- or collagen-induced aggregation. Oxidation of the two benzylic carbon atoms of alpha, alpha'-bis[3-(N,N-diethylcarbamoyl)piperidino]-p-xylene.2HBr (A-1) to form 1,4-bis[3-N,N-diethylcarbamoyl) piperidino]benzenedicarboxamide (A-40K), which has a second set of carbonyl oxygens but lacks basic N atoms, resulted in a remarkable loss of ADP-antagonist potency while retaining PAF-antagonist activity. It is suggested that in addition to their membrane effects, nipecotamides act at other sites, including the PAF receptor. Double reciprocal plots of PAF binding to gel-filtered platelets (GFP) in the presence and absence of a typical nipecotamide (A-1C) were indicative of competitive inhibition (Ki = 19.28 microM). Scatchard analysis of 3H-PAF binding to GFP suggested the presence of high, intermediate (I) and low affinity binding sites, of which the I site gave a KD/app of 0.332 nM with an estimated 564 sites/platelet. Key interactions of nipecotamides with the PAF receptor appear to be the following (i) electrostatic interactions of the two amide oxygens with a primary set of electropositive areas spaced at 5-7 A, (ii) in the case of appropriate compounds, electrostatic interactions of the two amide oxygens spaced at 10-12 A with corresponding secondary receptor sites carrying positive electrostatic potential, (iii) a hydrophobic moiety fitting into a hydrophobic pocket in the receptor, and (iv) the cationic piperidine N+ (at pH 7.4) interacting with a counterion, probably aspartic acid.