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Wiseman RL, Bigos KL, Dastgheyb RM, Barker PB, Rubin LH, Slusher BS. Brain N -acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate is associated with cognitive function in older virally suppressed people with HIV. AIDS 2024; 38:1003-1011. [PMID: 38411600 PMCID: PMC11062820 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000003871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cognitive impairment persists in virally suppressed people with HIV (VS-PWH) especially in higher order domains. One cortical circuit, linked to these domains, is regulated by N -acetyl-aspartyl glutamate (NAAG), the endogenous agonist of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 3. The enzyme glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) catabolizes NAAG and is upregulated in aging and disease. Inhibition of GCPII increases brain NAAG and improves learning and memory in rodent and primate models. DESIGN As higher order cognitive impairment is present in VS-PWH, and NAAG has not been investigated in earlier magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies (MRS), we investigated if brain NAAG levels measured by MRS were associated with cognitive function. METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of 7-Tesla MRS data from a previously published study on cognition in older VS-PWH. The original study did not separately quantify NAAG, therefore, work for this report focused on relationships between regional NAAG levels in frontal white matter (FWM), left hippocampus, left basal ganglia and domain-specific cognitive performance in 40 VS-PWH after adjusting for confounds. Participants were older than 50 years, negative for affective and neurologic disorders, and had no prior 3-month psychoactive-substance use. RESULTS Higher NAAG levels in FWM were associated with better attention/working memory. Higher left basal ganglia NAAG related to better verbal fluency. There was a positive relationship between hippocampal NAAG and executive function which lost significance after correction for confounds. CONCLUSION These data suggest brain NAAG serves as a biomarker of cognition in VS-PWH. Pharmacological modulation of brain NAAG warrants investigation as a therapeutic approach for cognitive deficits in VS-PWH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn L. Wiseman
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery
- Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology
| | - Kristin L. Bigos
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
- Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | | | - Peter B. Barker
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
| | - Leah H. Rubin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
- Department of Neurology
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Barbara S. Slusher
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery
- Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
- Department of Neurology
- Department of Oncology
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Fultz EK, Nei AYT, Chi JC, Lichter JN, Szumlinski KK. Effects of systemic pretreatment with the NAALADase inhibitor 2-PMPA on oral methamphetamine reinforcement in C57BL/6J mice. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1297275. [PMID: 38638417 PMCID: PMC11024460 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1297275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Repeated exposure to methamphetamine (MA) in laboratory rodents induces a sensitization of glutamate release within the corticoaccumbens pathway that drives both the rewarding and reinforcing properties of this highly addictive drug. Such findings argue the potential for pharmaceutical agents inhibiting glutamate release or its postsynaptic actions at glutamate receptors as treatment strategies for MA use disorder. One compound that may accomplish both of these pharmacological actions is the N-acetylated-alpha-linked-acidic dipeptidase (NAALADase) inhibitor 2-(phosphonomethyl)pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA). 2-PMPA elevates brain levels of the endogenous agonist of glutamate mGluR3 autoreceptors, N-acetyl-aspartatylglutamate (NAAG), while potentially acting as an NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist. Of relevance to treating psychomotor stimulant use disorders, 2-PMPA is reported to reduce indices of both cocaine and synthetic cathinone reward, as well as cocaine reinforcement in preclinical rodent studies. Method Herein, we conducted three experiments to pilot the effects of systemic pretreatment with 2-PMPA (0-100 mg/kg, IP) on oral MA self-administration in C57BL/6J mice. The first experiment employed female mice with a prolonged history of MA exposure, while the mice in the second (females) and third (males and females) experiment were MA-naïve prior to study. In all experiments, mice were trained daily to nose-poke for delivery of unadulterated MA solutions until responding stabilized. Then, mice were pretreated with 2-PMPA prior to operant-conditioning sessions in which nose-poking behavior was reinforced by delivery of 120 mg/L or 200 mg/L MA (respectively, in Experiments 1 and 2/3). Results Contrary to our expectations, 30 mg/kg 2-PMPA pretreatment altered neither appetitive nor consummatory measures related to MA self-administration. In Experiment 3, 100 mg/kg 2-PMPA reduced responding in the MA-reinforced hole, as well as the number of reinforcers earned, but did not significantly lower drug intake. Discussion These results provide mixed evidenced related to the efficacy of this NAALADase inhibitor for reducing oral MA reinforcement in female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa K. Fultz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Andrea Y. T. Nei
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Joyce C. Chi
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Jacqueline N. Lichter
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
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3
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Pal PP, Lakshmi Soukya PS, Gupta S, Araya H, Fujimoto Y, Begum AS. Computational analysis followed by in vitro studies to explore cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) inhibition potential of the new natural molecule polonilignan. Chem Biol Drug Des 2024; 103:e14486. [PMID: 38448286 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Targeting pro-inflammatory cytokines and their production is found to be of therapeutic benefit for the regulation of inflammation in various chronic autoimmune diseases. Our continued efforts to discover small molecular-weight pro-inflammatory cytokine inhibitors resulted in identifying a novel natural lignan molecule named polonilignan, isolated from the culture broth extract of an endophytic fungus Penicillium polonicum. An in silico study (molecular docking, ADME predictions, binding free energy calculation and molecular dynamics simulation) of the polonilignan over the pro-inflammatory cytokines proteins TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β was performed using Schrodinger LLC software to understand the binding interactions, drug-like properties, and stability of the ligand-protein complex. Further, in-vitro testing of inhibition of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β by polonilignan was carried out using ELISA and RT-PCR on LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cell lines along with the testing of nitrite production effect (Griess assay) and cytotoxicity (MTT) analysis. Under the computational study, polonilignan revealed good docking scores, binding interactions, and stability under MDS and desirable in silico ADME results over the proteins TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. Poloniligan showed significant inhibition of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α with IC50 values of 2.01 μM, 6.59 μM and 42.10 μM, respectively. Also, it reduced the translocation of the NF-κB subunit p65 to the nucleus (confocal microscopy). The mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory markers IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 levels were lowered significantly (p < .001) by the compound, and the diminution was higher with IL-1β. Further, the lignan was non-cytotoxic and effective in attenuating nitrite release (IC50 48.56 μM). Thus, polonilignan has been identified as a new pan-cytokine and NO inhibitor, it is recommended to optimise a method for the synthesis of this small molecular weight lignan and explore its pharmacokinetic characteristics, toxicity and therapeutic effect under various chronic inflammatory disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Paramita Pal
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science - Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - P S Lakshmi Soukya
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science - Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Suraj Gupta
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science - Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Hiroshi Araya
- School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Japan
| | | | - Ahil Sajeli Begum
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science - Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
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Becker I, Wang-Eckhardt L, Eckhardt M. NAAG synthetase deficiency has only low influence on pathogenesis in a Canavan disease mouse model. J Inherit Metab Dis 2024; 47:230-243. [PMID: 38011891 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Canavan disease (CD) is a leukodystrophy caused by mutations in the N-acetylaspartate (NAA) hydrolase aspartoacylase (ASPA). Inability to degrade NAA and its accumulation in the brain results in spongiform myelin degeneration. NAA is mainly synthesized by neurons, where it is also a precursor of the neuropeptide N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG). Hydrolysis of this peptide by glutamate carboxypeptidases is an additional source of extracellular NAA besides the instant neuronal release of NAA. This study examines to what extent NAA released from NAAG contributes to NAA accumulation and pathogenesis in the brain of Aspanur7/nur7 mutant mice, an established model of CD. Towards this aim, Aspanur7/nur7 mice with additional deficiencies in NAAG synthetase genes Rimklb and/or Rimkla were generated. Loss of myelin in Aspanur7/nur7 mice was not significantly affected by Rimkla and Rimklb deficiency and there was also no obvious change in the extent of brain vacuolation. Astrogliosis was slightly reduced in the forebrain of Rimkla and Rimklb double deficient Aspanur7/nur7 mice. However, only minor improvements at the behavioral level were found. The brain NAA accumulation in CD mice was, however, not significantly reduced in the absence of NAAG synthesis. In summary, there was only a weak tendency towards reduced pathogenic symptoms in Aspanur7/nur7 mice deficient in NAAG synthesis. Therefore, we conclude that NAAG metabolism has little influence on NAA accumulation in Aspanur7/nur7 mice and development of pathological symptoms in CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivonne Becker
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lihua Wang-Eckhardt
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Matthias Eckhardt
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Arnsten AFT, Wang M, D’Esposito M. Dynamic Network Connectivity: from monkeys to humans. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1353043. [PMID: 38384333 PMCID: PMC10879414 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1353043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Human brain imaging research using functional MRI (fMRI) has uncovered flexible variations in the functional connectivity between brain regions. While some of this variability likely arises from the pattern of information flow through circuits, it may also be influenced by rapid changes in effective synaptic strength at the molecular level, a phenomenon called Dynamic Network Connectivity (DNC) discovered in non-human primate circuits. These neuromodulatory molecular mechanisms are found in layer III of the macaque dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), the site of the microcircuits shown by Goldman-Rakic to be critical for working memory. This research has shown that the neuromodulators acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and dopamine can rapidly change the strength of synaptic connections in layer III dlPFC by (1) modifying the depolarization state of the post-synaptic density needed for NMDA receptor neurotransmission and (2) altering the open state of nearby potassium channels to rapidly weaken or strengthen synaptic efficacy and the strength of persistent neuronal firing. Many of these actions involve increased cAMP-calcium signaling in dendritic spines, where varying levels can coordinate the arousal state with the cognitive state. The current review examines the hypothesis that some of the dynamic changes in correlative strength between cortical regions observed in human fMRI studies may arise from these molecular underpinnings, as has been seen when pharmacological agents or genetic alterations alter the functional connectivity of the dlPFC consistent with the macaque physiology. These DNC mechanisms provide essential flexibility but may also confer vulnerability to malfunction when dysregulated in cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy F. T. Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Mark D’Esposito
- Department of Psychology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
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6
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Ismail MS, Peters DE, Rowe SP, Salavati A, Sharma S, Anders RA, Pomper M, Slusher BS, Selaru FM. PSMA-Targeted PET Radiotracer [ 18F]DCFPyL as an Imaging Biomarker in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Clin Exp Gastroenterol 2023; 16:237-247. [PMID: 38090679 PMCID: PMC10714977 DOI: 10.2147/ceg.s404009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is highly and specifically upregulated in active-inflamed mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We hypothesized that this upregulation would be detectable using a PSMA-targeted positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging agent, [18F]DCFPyL, enabling non-invasive visualization of inflammation. A noninvasive means of detecting active inflammation would have high clinical value in localization and management of IBD. Study We performed [18F]DCFPyL imaging in three IBD patients with active disease. Abnormally increased gastrointestinal [18F]DCFPyL uptake was observed in areas with endoscopic, histologic, and immunohistochemical inflammation, demonstrating partial overlap of segments of bowel with abnormal [18F]DCFPyL uptake and active inflammation. Conclusion This study demonstrates that PSMA-targeted [18F]DCFPyL PET can effectively detect regions of inflamed mucosa in patients with IBD, suggesting its utility as a non-invasive imaging agent to assess location, extent, and disease activity in IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Saleh Ismail
- Division of Gastroenterology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Diane E Peters
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Steven P Rowe
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ali Salavati
- Ahmanson Translational Theranostics Division, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sowmya Sharma
- Division of Gastroenterology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert A Anders
- The Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Martin Pomper
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Florin M Selaru
- Division of Gastroenterology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
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7
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Arnsten AFT, Ishizawa Y, Xie Z. Scientific rationale for the use of α2A-adrenoceptor agonists in treating neuroinflammatory cognitive disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4540-4552. [PMID: 37029295 PMCID: PMC10080530 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02057-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Neuroinflammatory disorders preferentially impair the higher cognitive and executive functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). This includes such challenging disorders as delirium, perioperative neurocognitive disorder, and the sustained cognitive deficits from "long-COVID" or traumatic brain injury. There are no FDA-approved treatments for these symptoms; thus, understanding their etiology is important for generating therapeutic strategies. The current review describes the molecular rationale for why PFC circuits are especially vulnerable to inflammation, and how α2A-adrenoceptor (α2A-AR) actions throughout the nervous and immune systems can benefit the circuits in PFC needed for higher cognition. The layer III circuits in the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) that generate and sustain the mental representations needed for higher cognition have unusual neurotransmission and neuromodulation. They are wholly dependent on NMDAR neurotransmission, with little AMPAR contribution, and thus are especially vulnerable to kynurenic acid inflammatory signaling which blocks NMDAR. Layer III dlPFC spines also have unusual neuromodulation, with cAMP magnification of calcium signaling in spines, which opens nearby potassium channels to rapidly weaken connectivity and reduce neuronal firing. This process must be tightly regulated, e.g. by mGluR3 or α2A-AR on spines, to prevent loss of firing. However, the production of GCPII inflammatory signaling reduces mGluR3 actions and markedly diminishes dlPFC network firing. Both basic and clinical studies show that α2A-AR agonists such as guanfacine can restore dlPFC network firing and cognitive function, through direct actions in the dlPFC, but also by reducing the activity of stress-related circuits, e.g. in the locus coeruleus and amygdala, and by having anti-inflammatory actions in the immune system. This information is particularly timely, as guanfacine is currently the focus of large clinical trials for the treatment of delirium, and in open label studies for the treatment of cognitive deficits from long-COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy F T Arnsten
- Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 056510, USA.
| | - Yumiko Ishizawa
- Department Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Zhongcong Xie
- Department Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
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Peters DE, Norris LD, Tenora L, Šnajdr I, Ponti AK, Zhu X, Sakamoto S, Veeravalli V, Pradhan M, Alt J, Thomas AG, Majer P, Rais R, McDonald C, Slusher BS. A gut-restricted glutamate carboxypeptidase II inhibitor reduces monocytic inflammation and improves preclinical colitis. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eabn7491. [PMID: 37556558 PMCID: PMC10661206 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abn7491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
There is an urgent need to develop therapeutics for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) because up to 40% of patients with moderate-to-severe IBD are not adequately controlled with existing drugs. Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target. This enzyme is minimally expressed in normal ileum and colon, but it is markedly up-regulated in biopsies from patients with IBD and preclinical colitis models. Here, we generated a class of GCPII inhibitors designed to be gut-restricted for oral administration, and we interrogated efficacy and mechanism using in vitro and in vivo models. The lead inhibitor, (S)-IBD3540, was potent (half maximal inhibitory concentration = 4 nanomolar), selective, gut-restricted (AUCcolon/plasma > 50 in mice with colitis), and efficacious in acute and chronic rodent colitis models. In dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis, oral (S)-IBD3540 inhibited >75% of colon GCPII activity, dose-dependently improved gross and histologic disease, and markedly attenuated monocytic inflammation. In spontaneous colitis in interleukin-10 (IL-10) knockout mice, once-daily oral (S)-IBD3540 initiated after disease onset improved disease, normalized colon histology, and attenuated inflammation as evidenced by reduced fecal lipocalin 2 and colon pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-17. Using primary human colon epithelial air-liquid interface monolayers to interrogate the mechanism, we further found that (S)-IBD3540 protected against submersion-induced oxidative stress injury by decreasing barrier permeability, normalizing tight junction protein expression, and reducing procaspase-3 activation. Together, this work demonstrated that local inhibition of dysregulated gastrointestinal GCPII using the gut-restricted, orally active, small-molecule (S)-IBD3540 is a promising approach for IBD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane E. Peters
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lauren D. Norris
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lukáš Tenora
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 160 00 Prague, Czechia
| | - Ivan Šnajdr
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 160 00 Prague, Czechia
| | - András K. Ponti
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Xiaolei Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Shinji Sakamoto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Vijayabhaskar Veeravalli
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Manisha Pradhan
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jesse Alt
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ajit G. Thomas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Pavel Majer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 160 00 Prague, Czechia
| | - Rana Rais
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Christine McDonald
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Barbara S. Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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9
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Zhang F, Zhang Z, Alt J, Kambhampati SP, Sharma A, Singh S, Nance E, Thomas AG, Rojas C, Rais R, Slusher BS, Kannan RM, Kannan S. Dendrimer-enabled targeted delivery attenuates glutamate excitotoxicity and improves motor function in a rabbit model of cerebral palsy. J Control Release 2023; 358:27-42. [PMID: 37054778 PMCID: PMC10330216 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII), localized on the surface of astrocytes and activated microglia, regulates extracellular glutamate concentration in the central nervous system (CNS). We have previously shown that GCPII is upregulated in activated microglia in the presence of inflammation. Inhibition of GCPII activity could reduce glutamate excitotoxicity, which may decrease inflammation and promote a 'normal' microglial phenotype. 2-(3-Mercaptopropyl) pentanedioic acid (2-MPPA) is the first GCPII inhibitor that underwent clinical trials. Unfortunately, immunological toxicities have hindered 2-MPPA clinical translation. Targeted delivery of 2-MPPA specifically to activated microglia and astrocytes that over-express GCPII has the potential to mitigate glutamate excitotoxicity and attenuate neuroinflammation. In this study, we demonstrate that 2-MPPA when conjugated to generation-4, hydroxyl-terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers (D-2MPPA) localize specifically in activated microglia and astrocytes only in newborn rabbits with cerebral palsy (CP), not in controls. D-2MPPA treatment led to higher 2-MPPA levels in the injured brain regions compared to 2-MPPA treatment, and the extent of D-2MPPA uptake correlated with the injury severity. D-2MPPA was more efficacious than 2-MPPA in decreasing extracellular glutamate level in ex vivo brain slices of CP kits, and in increasing transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) level in primary mixed glial cell cultures. A single systemic intravenous dose of D-2MPPA on postnatal day 1 (PND1) decreased microglial activation and resulted in a change in microglial morphology to a more ramified form along with amelioration of motor deficits by PND5. These results indicate that targeted dendrimer-based delivery specifically to activated microglia and astrocytes can improve the efficacy of 2-MPPA by attenuating glutamate excitotoxicity and microglial activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Jesse Alt
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Siva P Kambhampati
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Anjali Sharma
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Sarabdeep Singh
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Elizabeth Nance
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Ajit G Thomas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Camilo Rojas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Rana Rais
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Rangaramanujam M Kannan
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
| | - Sujatha Kannan
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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10
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Fesharaki Zadeh A, Arnsten AFT, Wang M. Scientific Rationale for the Treatment of Cognitive Deficits from Long COVID. Neurol Int 2023; 15:725-742. [PMID: 37368329 PMCID: PMC10303664 DOI: 10.3390/neurolint15020045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Sustained cognitive deficits are a common and debilitating feature of "long COVID", but currently there are no FDA-approved treatments. The cognitive functions of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) are the most consistently afflicted by long COVID, including deficits in working memory, motivation, and executive functioning. COVID-19 infection greatly increases kynurenic acid (KYNA) and glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) in brain, both of which can be particularly deleterious to PFC function. KYNA blocks both NMDA and nicotinic-alpha-7 receptors, the two receptors required for dlPFC neurotransmission, and GCPII reduces mGluR3 regulation of cAMP-calcium-potassium channel signaling, which weakens dlPFC network connectivity and reduces dlPFC neuronal firing. Two agents approved for other indications may be helpful in restoring dlPFC physiology: the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine inhibits the production of KYNA, and the α2A-adrenoceptor agonist guanfacine regulates cAMP-calcium-potassium channel signaling in dlPFC and is also anti-inflammatory. Thus, these agents may be helpful in treating the cognitive symptoms of long COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arman Fesharaki Zadeh
- Departments of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Amy F. T. Arnsten
- Departments of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
| | - Min Wang
- Departments of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
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11
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Sah N, Zhang Z, Chime A, Fowler A, Mendez-Trendler A, Sharma A, Kannan RM, Slusher B, Kannan S. Dendrimer-Conjugated Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II Inhibitor Restores Microglial Changes in a Rabbit Model of Cerebral Palsy. Dev Neurosci 2023; 45:268-275. [PMID: 36990069 PMCID: PMC10614263 DOI: 10.1159/000530389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
We have previously shown that maternal endotoxin exposure leads to a phenotype of cerebral palsy and pro-inflammatory microglia in the brain in neonatal rabbits. "Activated" microglia overexpress the enzyme glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) that hydrolyzes N-acetylaspartylglutamate to N-acetylaspartate and glutamate, and we have shown previously that inhibiting microglial GCPII is neuroprotective. Glutamate-induced injury and associated immune signaling can alter microglial responses including microglial process movements for surveillance and phagocytosis. We hypothesize that inhibition of GCPII activity could alter microglial phenotype and normalize microglial process movement/dynamics. Newborn rabbit kits exposed to endotoxin in utero, when treated with dendrimer-conjugated 2-(phosphonomethyl)-pentanedioic acid (D-2PMPA), a potent and selective inhibitor of microglial GCPII, showed profound changes in microglial phenotype within 48 h of treatment. Live imaging of hippocampal microglia in ex vivo brain slice preparations revealed larger cell body and phagocytic cup sizes with less stable microglia processes in CP kits compared to healthy controls. D-2PMPA treatment led to significant reversal of microglial process stability to healthy control levels. Our results emphasize the importance of microglial process dynamics in determining the state of microglial function in the developing brain and demonstrate how GCPII inhibition specifically in microglia can effectively change the microglial process motility to healthy control levels, potentially impacting migration, phagocytosis, and inflammatory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirnath Sah
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI, USA
| | - Alicia Chime
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amanda Fowler
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Antonio Mendez-Trendler
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anjali Sharma
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Rangaramanujam M. Kannan
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Barbara Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sujatha Kannan
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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12
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Temml V, Kollár J, Schönleitner T, Höll A, Schuster D, Kutil Z. Combination of In Silico and In Vitro Screening to Identify Novel Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II Inhibitors. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:1249-1259. [PMID: 36799916 PMCID: PMC9976286 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) is a metalloprotease implicated in neurological diseases and prostate oncology. While several classes of potent GCPII-specific inhibitors exist, the development of novel active scaffolds with different pharmacological profiles remains a challenge. Virtual screening followed by in vitro testing is an effective means for the discovery of novel active compounds. Structure- and ligand-based pharmacophore models were created based on a dataset of known GCPII-selective ligands. These models were used in a virtual screening of the SPECS compound library (∼209.000 compounds). Fifty top-scoring virtual hits were further experimentally tested for their ability to inhibit GCPII enzymatic activity in vitro. Six hits were found to have moderate to high inhibitory potency with the best virtual hit, a modified xanthene, inhibiting GCPII with an IC50 value of 353 ± 24 nM. The identification of this novel inhibitory scaffold illustrates the applicability of pharmacophore-based modeling for the discovery of GCPII-specific inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Temml
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Jakub Kollár
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Theresa Schönleitner
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Anna Höll
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Daniela Schuster
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Zsófia Kutil
- Laboratory
of Structural Biology, Institute of Biotechnology
of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Prumyslova 595, 252
50 Vestec, Czech
Republic
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13
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Pei Y, Liu C, Feng M, Li L, Zhou C, Chen L, Hu X, Song S, Cao Y, Gao Y. The clinical application of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT and regulating mechanism of PSMA expression in patients with brain metastases of lung cancer. Transl Oncol 2023; 28:101616. [PMID: 36621073 PMCID: PMC9850174 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases (BMs) of lung cancer are common malignant intracranial tumours associated with severe neurological symptoms and an abysmal prognosis. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has been reported to express significantly in a variety of solid tumours. However, the clinical applications of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT and the mechanism of PSMA expression in patients with BMs of lung cancer have rarely been reported. Experiments with 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT and immunohistochemical staining were conducted to evaluate the expression of PSMA from seven patients with BMs of lung cancer who accepted surgical treatment in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between October 2020 and October 2021. The mechanism of PSMA expression in BMs of lung cancer was explored by using single-cell RNA sequencing. The median maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in BMs was higher than that in primary lung cancer (8.6 ± 2.8 vs. 3.6 ± 1.3, P < 0.01). The mean SUVmax in BMs was 1.76-fold higher than that in the liver, which indicated the potential of PSMA radioligand therapy (PSMA-RLT) for BMs. BMs showed intense PSMA staining, while normal lung tissue had no PSMA staining and there was only faint primary lung cancer staining by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis found that PSMA was mainly expressed in oligodendrocytes of BMs, whereas it was expressed at lower levels in solid cells of lung cancer. PSMA expression in oligodendrocytes might be regulated by the factors ATF3 and NR4A1, which were associated with ER stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Pei
- Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingtao Feng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Liangdong Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Changshuai Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Hu
- Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaoli Song
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiqun Cao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China,Corresponding author.
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14
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Gori SS, Thomas AG, Pal A, Wiseman R, Ferraris DV, Gao RD, Wu Y, Alt J, Tsukamoto T, Slusher BS, Rais R. D-DOPA Is a Potent, Orally Bioavailable, Allosteric Inhibitor of Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14102018. [PMID: 36297453 PMCID: PMC9608075 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14102018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate carboxypeptidase-II (GCPII) is a zinc-dependent metalloenzyme implicated in numerous neurological disorders. The pharmacophoric requirements of active-site GCPII inhibitors makes them highly charged, manifesting poor pharmacokinetic (PK) properties. Herein, we describe the discovery and characterization of catechol-based inhibitors including L-DOPA, D-DOPA, and caffeic acid, with sub-micromolar potencies. Of these, D-DOPA emerged as the most promising compound, with good metabolic stability, and excellent PK properties. Orally administered D-DOPA yielded high plasma exposures (AUCplasma = 72.7 nmol·h/mL) and an absolute oral bioavailability of 47.7%. Unfortunately, D-DOPA brain exposures were low with AUCbrain = 2.42 nmol/g and AUCbrain/plasma ratio of 0.03. Given reports of isomeric inversion of D-DOPA to L-DOPA via D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO), we evaluated D-DOPA PK in combination with the DAAO inhibitor sodium benzoate and observed a >200% enhancement in both plasma and brain exposures (AUCplasma = 185 nmol·h/mL; AUCbrain = 5.48 nmol·h/g). Further, we demonstrated GCPII target engagement; orally administered D-DOPA with or without sodium benzoate caused significant inhibition of GCPII activity. Lastly, mode of inhibition studies revealed D-DOPA to be a noncompetitive, allosteric inhibitor of GCPII. To our knowledge, this is the first report of D-DOPA as a distinct scaffold for GCPII inhibition, laying the groundwork for future optimization to obtain clinically viable candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadakatali S. Gori
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ajit G. Thomas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Arindom Pal
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Robyn Wiseman
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Dana V. Ferraris
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Run-duo Gao
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ying Wu
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jesse Alt
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Takashi Tsukamoto
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Barbara S. Slusher
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Correspondence: (B.S.S.); (R.R.)
| | - Rana Rais
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Correspondence: (B.S.S.); (R.R.)
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15
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Arnsten AFT, Woo E, Yang S, Wang M, Datta D. Unusual Molecular Regulation of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Layer III Synapses Increases Vulnerability to Genetic and Environmental Insults in Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:480-490. [PMID: 35305820 PMCID: PMC9372235 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with reduced numbers of spines and dendrites from layer III of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), the layer that houses the recurrent excitatory microcircuits that subserve working memory and abstract thought. Why are these synapses so vulnerable, while synapses in deeper or more superficial layers are little affected? This review describes the special molecular properties that govern layer III neurotransmission and neuromodulation in the primate dlPFC and how they may render these circuits particularly vulnerable to genetic and environmental insults. These properties include a reliance on NMDA receptor rather than AMPA receptor neurotransmission; cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) magnification of calcium signaling near the glutamatergic synapse of dendritic spines; and potassium channels opened by cAMP/PKA (protein kinase A) signaling that dynamically alter network strength, with built-in mechanisms to take dlPFC "offline" during stress. A variety of genetic and/or environmental insults can lead to the same phenotype of weakened layer III connectivity, in which mechanisms that normally strengthen connectivity are impaired and those that normally weaken connectivity are intensified. Inflammatory mechanisms, such as increased kynurenic acid and glutamate carboxypeptidase II expression, are especially detrimental to layer III dlPFC neurotransmission and modulation, mimicking genetic insults. The combination of genetic and inflammatory insults may cross the threshold into pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut.
| | - Elizabeth Woo
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Shengtao Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut
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16
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Li K, Schön M, Naviaux JC, Monk JM, Alchus-Laiferová N, Wang L, Straka I, Matejička P, Valkovič P, Ukropec J, Tarnopolsky MA, Naviaux RK, Ukropcová B. Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma metabolomics of acute endurance exercise. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22408. [PMID: 35713567 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202200509r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Metabolomics has emerged as a powerful new tool in precision medicine. No studies have yet been published on the metabolomic changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) produced by acute endurance exercise. CSF and plasma were collected from 19 young active adults (13 males and 6 females) before and 60 min after a 90-min monitored outdoor run. The median age, BMI, and VO2 max of subjects was 25 years (IQR 22-31), 23.2 kg/m2 (IQR 21.7-24.5), and 47 ml/kg/min (IQR 38-51), respectively. Targeted, broad-spectrum metabolomics was performed by liquid chromatography, tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In the CSF, purines and pyrimidines accounted for 32% of the metabolic impact after acute endurance exercise. Branch chain amino acids, amino acid neurotransmitters, fatty acid oxidation, phospholipids, and Krebs cycle metabolites traceable to mitochondrial function accounted for another 52% of the changes. A narrow but important channel of metabolic communication was identified between the brain and body by correlation network analysis. By comparing these results to previous work in experimental animal models, we found that over 80% of the changes in the CSF correlated with a cascade of mitochondrial and metabolic changes produced by ATP signaling. ATP is released as a co-neurotransmitter and neuromodulator at every synapse studied to date. By regulating brain mitochondrial function, ATP release was identified as an early step in the kinetic cascade of layered benefits produced by endurance exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kefeng Li
- The Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Martin Schön
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jane C Naviaux
- The Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jonathan M Monk
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Nikoleta Alchus-Laiferová
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lin Wang
- The Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Igor Straka
- 2nd Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and University Hospital Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Matejička
- 2nd Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and University Hospital Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Valkovič
- 2nd Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and University Hospital Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Centre of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jozef Ukropec
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Mark A Tarnopolsky
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert K Naviaux
- The Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Barbara Ukropcová
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
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17
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Jeitner TM, Babich JW, Kelly JM. Advances in PSMA theranostics. Transl Oncol 2022; 22:101450. [PMID: 35597190 PMCID: PMC9123266 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2022.101450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
PSMA is an appealing target for theranostic because it is a transmembrane protein with a known substrate that is overexpessed on prostate cancer cells and internalizes upon ligand binding. There are a number of PSMA theranostic ligands in clinical evaluation, clinical trial, or clinically approved. PSMA theranostic ligands increase progression-free survival, overall survival, and pain in patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer. A major obstacle to PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy is off-target toxicity in salivary glands.
The validation of prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) as a molecular target in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer has stimulated the development of multiple classes of theranostic ligands that specifically target PSMA. Theranostic ligands are used to image disease or selectively deliver cytotoxic radioactivity to cells expressing PSMA according to the radioisotope conjugated to the ligand. PSMA theranostics is a rapidly advancing field that is now integrating into clinical management of prostate cancer patients. In this review we summarize published research describing the biological role(s) and activity of PSMA, highlight the most clinically advanced PSMA targeting molecules and biomacromolecules, and identify next generation PSMA ligands that aim to further improve treatment efficacy. The goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current state-of-play and a roadmap to achieving further advances in PSMA theranostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Jeitner
- Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Belfer Research Building, 413 East 69th Street, Room BB-1604, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - John W Babich
- Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Belfer Research Building, 413 East 69th Street, Room BB-1604, New York, NY 10021, USA; Weill Cornell Medicine, Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA; Weill Cornell Medicine, Citigroup Biomedical Imaging Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - James M Kelly
- Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Belfer Research Building, 413 East 69th Street, Room BB-1604, New York, NY 10021, USA; Weill Cornell Medicine, Citigroup Biomedical Imaging Center, New York, NY 10021, USA.
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18
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Woo E, Datta D, Arnsten AFT. Glutamate Metabotropic Receptor Type 3 (mGlu3) Localization in the Rat Prelimbic Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:849937. [PMID: 35444520 PMCID: PMC9013768 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.849937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabotropic glutamate receptors type 3 (mGlu3, encoded by GRM3) are increasingly related to cognitive functioning, including the working memory operations of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In rhesus monkeys, mGlu3 are most commonly expressed on glia (36%), but are also very prominent on layer III dendritic spines (23%) in the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) where they enhance working memory-related neuronal firing. In contrast, mGlu2 are predominately presynaptic in layer III of macaque dlPFC, indicating a pre- vs. post-synaptic dissociation by receptor subtype. The current study examined the cellular and subcellular localizations of mGlu3 in the rat prelimbic medial PFC (PL mPFC), a region needed for spatial working memory performance in rodents. Multiple label immunofluorescence demonstrated mGlu3 expression in neurons and astrocytes, with rare labeling in microglia. Immunoelectron microscopy of layers III and V found that the predominant location for mGlu3 was on axons (layer III: 35.9%; layer V: 44.1%), with labeling especially prominent within the intervaricose segments distant from axon terminals. mGlu3 were also found on glia (likely astrocytes), throughout the glial membrane (layer III: 28.2%; layer V: 29.5%). Importantly, mGlu3 could be seen on dendritic spines, especially in layer III (layer III: 15.6%; layer V: 8.2%), with minor labeling on dendrites. These data show that there are some similarities between mGlu3 expression in rat PL mPFC and macaque dlPFC, but the spine expression enriches and differentiates in the more recently evolved primate dlPFC.
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19
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Hollinger KR, Sharma A, Tallon C, Lovell L, Thomas AG, Zhu X, Wiseman R, Wu Y, Kambhampati SP, Liaw K, Sharma R, Rojas C, Rais R, Kannan S, Kannan RM, Slusher BS. Dendrimer-2PMPA selectively blocks upregulated microglial GCPII activity and improves cognition in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. Nanotheranostics 2022; 6:126-142. [PMID: 34976589 PMCID: PMC8671953 DOI: 10.7150/ntno.63158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is a common aspect of multiple sclerosis (MS) for which there are no treatments. Reduced brain N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) levels are linked to impaired cognition in various neurological diseases, including MS. NAAG levels are regulated by glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII), which hydrolyzes the neuropeptide to N-acetyl-aspartate and glutamate. GCPII activity is upregulated multifold in microglia following neuroinflammation. Although several GCPII inhibitors, such as 2-PMPA, elevate brain NAAG levels and restore cognitive function in preclinical studies when given at high systemic doses or via direct brain injection, none are clinically available due to poor bioavailability and limited brain penetration. Hydroxyl-dendrimers have been successfully used to selectively deliver drugs to activated glia. Methods: We attached 2-PMPA to hydroxyl polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers (D-2PMPA) using a click chemistry approach. Cy5-labelled-D-2PMPA was used to visualize selective glial uptake in vitro and in vivo. D-2PMPA was evaluated for anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-treated glial cultures. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)-immunized mice, D-2PMPA was dosed biweekly starting at disease onset and cognition was assessed using the Barnes maze, and GCPII activity was measured in CD11b+ hippocampal cells. Results: D-2PMPA showed preferential uptake into microglia and robust anti-inflammatory activity, including elevations in NAAG, TGFβ, and mGluR3 in glial cultures. D-2PMPA significantly improved cognition in EAE mice, even though physical severity was unaffected. GCPII activity increased >20-fold in CD11b+ cells from EAE mice, which was significantly mitigated by D-2PMPA treatment. Conclusions: Hydroxyl dendrimers facilitate targeted drug delivery to activated microglia. These data support further development of D-2PMPA to attenuate elevated microglial GCPII activity and treat cognitive impairment in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anjali Sharma
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carolyn Tallon
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lyndah Lovell
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ajit G Thomas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xiaolei Zhu
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robyn Wiseman
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ying Wu
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Siva P Kambhampati
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kevin Liaw
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rishi Sharma
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Camilo Rojas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rana Rais
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sujatha Kannan
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rangaramanujam M Kannan
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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20
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Tallon C, Sharma A, Zhang Z, Thomas AG, Ng J, Zhu X, Donoghue A, Schulte M, Joe TR, Kambhampati SP, Sharma R, Liaw K, Kannan S, Kannan RM, Slusher BS. Dendrimer-2PMPA Delays Muscle Function Loss and Denervation in a Murine Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neurotherapeutics 2022; 19:274-288. [PMID: 34984651 PMCID: PMC9130402 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01159-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease where muscle weakness and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) denervation precede motor neuron cell death. Although acetylcholine is the canonical neurotransmitter at the mammalian NMJ synapse, glutamate has recently been identified as a critical neurotransmitter for NMJ development and maintenance. One source of glutamate is through the catabolism of N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (NAAG), which is found in mM concentrations in mammalian motoneurons, where it is released upon stimulation and hydrolyzed to glutamate by the glial enzyme glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII). Using the SOD1G93A model of ALS, we found an almost fourfold elevation of GCPII enzymatic activity in SOD1G93A versus WT muscle and a robust increase in GCPII expression which was specifically associated with activated macrophages infiltrating the muscle. 2-(Phosphonomethyl)pentanedioic acid (2PMPA) is a potent GCPII inhibitor which robustly blocks glutamate release from NAAG but is highly polar with limited tissue penetration. To improve this, we covalently attached 2PMPA to a hydroxyl polyamidoamine (PAMAM-G4-OH) dendrimer delivery system (D-2PMPA) which is known to target activated macrophages in affected tissues. Systemic D-2PMPA therapy (20 mg/kg 2PMPA equivalent; IP 2 × /week) was found to localize in muscle macrophages in SOD1G93A mice and completely normalize the enhanced GCPII activity. Although no changes in body weight or survival were observed, D-2PMPA significantly improved grip strength and inhibited the loss of NMJ innervation in the gastrocnemius muscles. Our finding that inhibiting elevated GCPII activity in SOD1G93A muscle can prolong muscle function and delay NMJ denervation may have early therapeutic implications for ALS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Tallon
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Anjali Sharma
- Center for Nanomedicine-Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Center for Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI, 48128, USA
| | - Ajit G Thomas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Justin Ng
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Xiaolei Zhu
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Amanda Donoghue
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Michael Schulte
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Tawnjerae R Joe
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Siva P Kambhampati
- Center for Nanomedicine-Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Rishi Sharma
- Center for Nanomedicine-Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Kevin Liaw
- Center for Nanomedicine-Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Sujatha Kannan
- Center for Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy-Krieger, Inc, Baltimore, USA
| | - Rangaramanujam M Kannan
- Center for Nanomedicine-Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy-Krieger, Inc, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Rangos 278, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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21
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Yang S, Datta D, Elizabeth Woo, Duque A, Morozov YM, Arellano J, Slusher BS, Wang M, Arnsten AFT. Inhibition of glutamate-carboxypeptidase-II in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: potential therapeutic target for neuroinflammatory cognitive disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4252-4263. [PMID: 35732693 PMCID: PMC9718677 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01656-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate carboxypeptidase-II (GCPII) expression in brain is increased by inflammation, e.g. by COVID19 infection, where it reduces NAAG stimulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor type 3 (mGluR3). GCPII-mGluR3 signaling is increasingly linked to higher cognition, as genetic alterations that weaken mGluR3 or increase GCPII signaling are associated with impaired cognition in humans. Recent evidence from macaque dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) shows that mGluR3 are expressed on dendritic spines, where they regulate cAMP-PKA opening of potassium (K+) channels to enhance neuronal firing during working memory. However, little is known about GCPII expression and function in the primate dlPFC, despite its relevance to inflammatory disorders. The present study used multiple label immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy to localize GCPII in aging macaque dlPFC, and examined the effects of GCPII inhibition on dlPFC neuronal physiology and working memory function. GCPII was observed in astrocytes as expected, but also on neurons, including extensive expression in dendritic spines. Recordings in dlPFC from aged monkeys performing a working memory task found that iontophoresis of the GCPII inhibitors 2-MPPA or 2-PMPA markedly increased working memory-related neuronal firing and spatial tuning, enhancing neural representations. These beneficial effects were reversed by an mGluR2/3 antagonist, or by a cAMP-PKA activator, consistent with mGluR3 inhibition of cAMP-PKA-K+ channel signaling. Systemic administration of the brain penetrant inhibitor, 2-MPPA, significantly improved working memory performance without apparent side effects, with largest effects in the oldest monkeys. Taken together, these data endorse GCPII inhibition as a potential strategy for treating cognitive disorders associated with aging and/or neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengtao Yang
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA ,grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Elizabeth Woo
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Alvaro Duque
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Yury M. Morozov
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Jon Arellano
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Barbara S. Slusher
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department Neurology and Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Min Wang
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Amy F. T. Arnsten
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
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22
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Krečmerová M, Majer P, Rais R, Slusher BS. Phosphonates and Phosphonate Prodrugs in Medicinal Chemistry: Past Successes and Future Prospects. Front Chem 2022; 10:889737. [PMID: 35668826 PMCID: PMC9163707 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.889737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Compounds with a phosphonate group, i.e., -P(O)(OH)2 group attached directly to the molecule via a P-C bond serve as suitable non-hydrolyzable phosphate mimics in various biomedical applications. In principle, they often inhibit enzymes utilizing various phosphates as substrates. In this review we focus mainly on biologically active phosphonates that originated from our institute (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in Prague); i.e., acyclic nucleoside phosphonates (ANPs, e.g., adefovir, tenofovir, and cidofovir) and derivatives of non-nucleoside phosphonates such as 2-(phosphonomethyl) pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA). Principal strategies of their syntheses and modifications to prodrugs is reported. Besides clinically used ANP antivirals, a special attention is paid to new biologically active molecules with respect to emerging infections and arising resistance of many pathogens against standard treatments. These new structures include 2,4-diamino-6-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethoxy]pyrimidines or so-called "open-ring" derivatives, acyclic nucleoside phosphonates with 5-azacytosine as a base moiety, side-chain fluorinated ANPs, aza/deazapurine ANPs. When transformed into an appropriate prodrug by derivatizing their charged functionalities, all these compounds show promising potential to become drug candidates for the treatment of viral infections. ANP prodrugs with suitable pharmacokinetics include amino acid phosphoramidates, pivaloyloxymethyl (POM) and isopropoxycarbonyloxymethyl (POC) esters, alkyl and alkoxyalkyl esters, salicylic esters, (methyl-2-oxo-1,3-dioxol-4-yl) methyl (ODOL) esters and peptidomimetic prodrugs. We also focus on the story of cytostatics related to 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]guanine and its prodrugs which eventually led to development of the veterinary drug rabacfosadine. Various new ANP structures are also currently investigated as antiparasitics, especially antimalarial agents e.g., guanine and hypoxanthine derivatives with 2-(phosphonoethoxy)ethyl moiety, their thia-analogues and N-branched derivatives. In addition to ANPs and their analogs, we also describe prodrugs of 2-(phosphonomethyl)pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA), a potent inhibitor of the enzyme glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII), also known as prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Glutamate carboxypeptidase II inhibitors, including 2-PMPA have been found efficacious in various preclinical models of neurological disorders which are caused by glutamatergic excitotoxicity. Unfortunately its highly polar character and hence low bioavailability severely limits its potential for clinical use. To overcome this problem, various prodrug strategies have been used to mask carboxylates and/or phosphonate functionalities with pivaloyloxymethyl, POC, ODOL and alkyl esters. Chemistry and biological characterization led to identification of prodrugs with 44-80 fold greater oral bioavailability (tetra-ODOL-2-PMPA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Krečmerová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR), Prague, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Marcela Krečmerová,
| | - Pavel Majer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR), Prague, Czechia
| | - Rana Rais
- Departments of Neurology, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Barbara S. Slusher
- Departments of Neurology, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neuroscience, Medicine, Oncology, Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Baltimore, MD, United States
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23
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Datta D, Leslie SN, Woo E, Amancharla N, Elmansy A, Lepe M, Mecca AP, Slusher BS, Nairn AC, Arnsten AFT. Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II in Aging Rat Prefrontal Cortex Impairs Working Memory Performance. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:760270. [PMID: 34867287 PMCID: PMC8634091 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.760270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) expression in brain is increased by inflammation, and reduces NAAG (N-acetyl aspartyl glutamate) stimulation of mGluR3 signaling. Genetic insults in this signaling cascade are increasingly linked to cognitive disorders in humans, where increased GCPII and or decreased NAAG-mGluR3 are associated with impaired prefrontal cortical (PFC) activation and cognitive impairment. As aging is associated with increased inflammation and PFC cognitive deficits, the current study examined GCPII and mGluR3 expression in the aging rat medial PFC, and tested whether GCPII inhibition with 2-(3-mercaptopropyl) pentanedioic acid (2-MPPA) would improve working memory performance. We found that GCPII protein was expressed on astrocytes and some microglia as expected from previous studies, but was also prominently expressed on neurons, and showed increased levels with advancing age. Systemic administration of the GCPII inhibitor, 2-MPPA, improved working memory performance in young and aged rats, and also improved performance after local infusion into the medial PFC. As GCPII inhibitors are well-tolerated, they may provide an important new direction for treatment of cognitive disorders associated with aging and/or inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Shannon N Leslie
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Elizabeth Woo
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Nishita Amancharla
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Ayah Elmansy
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Miguel Lepe
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Adam P Mecca
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Department of Neurology and Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Angus C Nairn
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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24
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Woo E, Sansing LH, Arnsten AFT, Datta D. Chronic Stress Weakens Connectivity in the Prefrontal Cortex: Architectural and Molecular Changes. CHRONIC STRESS 2021; 5:24705470211029254. [PMID: 34485797 PMCID: PMC8408896 DOI: 10.1177/24705470211029254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to uncontrollable stress causes loss of spines and dendrites in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a recently evolved brain region that provides top-down regulation of thought, action, and emotion. PFC neurons generate top-down goals through recurrent excitatory connections on spines. This persistent firing is the foundation for higher cognition, including working memory, and abstract thought. However, exposure to acute uncontrollable stress drives high levels of catecholamine release in the PFC, which activates feedforward calcium-cAMP signaling pathways to open nearby potassium channels, rapidly weakening synaptic connectivity to reduce persistent firing. Chronic stress exposures can further exacerbate these signaling events leading to loss of spines and resulting in marked cognitive impairment. In this review, we discuss how stress signaling mechanisms can lead to spine loss, including changes to BDNF-mTORC1 signaling, calcium homeostasis, actin dynamics, and mitochondrial actions that engage glial removal of spines through inflammatory signaling. Stress signaling events may be amplified in PFC spines due to cAMP magnification of internal calcium release. As PFC dendritic spine loss is a feature of many cognitive disorders, understanding how stress affects the structure and function of the PFC will help to inform strategies for treatment and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Woo
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Neurology, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lauren H Sansing
- Department of Neurology, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
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25
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Arnsten AFT, Datta D, Wang M. The genie in the bottle-magnified calcium signaling in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:3684-3700. [PMID: 33319854 PMCID: PMC8203737 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00973-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neurons in the association cortices are particularly vulnerable in cognitive disorders such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, while those in primary visual cortex remain relatively resilient. This review proposes that the special molecular mechanisms needed for higher cognitive operations confer vulnerability to dysfunction, atrophy, and neurodegeneration when regulation is lost due to genetic and/or environmental insults. Accumulating data suggest that higher cortical circuits rely on magnified levels of calcium (from NMDAR, calcium channels, and/or internal release from the smooth endoplasmic reticulum) near the postsynaptic density to promote the persistent firing needed to maintain, manipulate, and store information without "bottom-up" sensory stimulation. For example, dendritic spines in the primate dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) express the molecular machinery for feedforward, cAMP-PKA-calcium signaling. PKA can drive internal calcium release and promote calcium flow through NMDAR and calcium channels, while in turn, calcium activates adenylyl cyclases to produce more cAMP-PKA signaling. Excessive levels of cAMP-calcium signaling can have a number of detrimental effects: for example, opening nearby K+ channels to weaken synaptic efficacy and reduce neuronal firing, and over a longer timeframe, driving calcium overload of mitochondria to induce inflammation and dendritic atrophy. Thus, calcium-cAMP signaling must be tightly regulated, e.g., by agents that catabolize cAMP or inhibit its production (PDE4, mGluR3), and by proteins that bind calcium in the cytosol (calbindin). Many genetic or inflammatory insults early in life weaken the regulation of calcium-cAMP signaling and are associated with increased risk of schizophrenia (e.g., GRM3). Age-related loss of regulatory proteins which result in elevated calcium-cAMP signaling over a long lifespan can additionally drive tau phosphorylation, amyloid pathology, and neurodegeneration, especially when protective calcium binding proteins are lost from the cytosol. Thus, the "genie" we need for our remarkable cognitive abilities may make us vulnerable to cognitive disorders when we lose essential regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
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26
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Becker I, Wang-Eckhardt L, Lodder-Gadaczek J, Wang Y, Grünewald A, Eckhardt M. Mice deficient in the NAAG synthetase II gene Rimkla are impaired in a novel object recognition task. J Neurochem 2021; 157:2008-2023. [PMID: 33638175 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) is an abundant neuropeptide in the mammalian nervous system, synthesized by two related NAAG synthetases I and II (NAAGS-I and -II) encoded by the genes Rimklb and Rimkla, respectively. NAAG plays a role in cognition and memory, according to studies using inhibitors of the NAAG hydrolase glutamate carboxypeptidase II that increase NAAG concentration. To examine consequences of reduced NAAG concentration, Rimkla-deficient (Rimkla-/- ) mice were generated. These mice exhibit normal NAAG level at birth, likely because of the intact Rimklb gene, but have significantly reduced NAAG levels in all brain regions in adulthood. In wild type mice NAAGS-II was most abundant in brainstem and spinal cord, as demonstrated using a new NAAGS-II antiserum. In the hippocampus, NAAGS-II was only detectable in neurons expressing parvalbumin, a marker of GABAergic interneurons. Apart from reduced open field activity, general behavior of adult (6 months old) Rimkla-/- mice examined in different tests (dark-light transition, optokinetic behavior, rotarod, and alternating T-maze) was not significantly altered. However, Rimkla-/- mice were impaired in a short-term novel object recognition test. This was also the case for mice lacking NAA synthase Nat8l, which are devoid of NAAG. Together with results from previous studies showing that inhibition of the NAAG degrading enzyme glutamate carboxypeptidase II is associated with a significant improvement in object recognition, these results suggest a direct involvement of NAAG synthesized by NAAGS-II in the memory consolidation underlying the novel object recognition task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivonne Becker
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lihua Wang-Eckhardt
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Julia Lodder-Gadaczek
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Yong Wang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Agathe Grünewald
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Matthias Eckhardt
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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27
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Bratek - Gerej E, Bronisz A, Ziembowicz A, Salinska E. Pretreatment with mGluR2 or mGluR3 Agonists Reduces Apoptosis Induced by Hypoxia-Ischemia in Neonatal Rat Brains. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2021; 2021:8848015. [PMID: 33763176 PMCID: PMC7963909 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8848015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Hypoxia-ischemia (HI) in an immature brain results in energy depletion and excessive glutamate release resulting in excitotoxicity and oxidative stress. An increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production induces apoptotic processes resulting in neuronal death. Activation of group II mGluR was shown to prevent neuronal damage after HI. The application of agonists of mGluR3 (N-acetylaspartylglutamate; NAAG) or mGluR2 (LY379268) inhibits the release of glutamate and reduces neurodegeneration in a neonatal rat model of HI, although the exact mechanism is not fully recognized. In the present study, the effects of NAAG (5 mg/kg) and LY379268 (5 mg/kg) application (24 h or 1 h before experimental birth asphyxia) on apoptotic processes as the potential mechanism of neuroprotection in 7-day-old rats were investigated. Intraperitoneal application of NAAG or LY379268 at either time point before HI significantly reduced the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the CA1 region of the ischemic brain hemisphere. Both agonists reduced expression of the proapoptotic Bax protein and increased expression of Bcl-2. Decreases in HI-induced caspase-9 and caspase-3 activity were also observed. Application of NAAG or LY379268 24 h or 1 h before HI reduced HIF-1α formation likely by reducing ROS levels. It was shown that LY379268 concentration remains at a level that is required for activation of mGluR2 for up to 24 h; however, NAAG is quickly metabolized by glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) into glutamate and N-acetyl-aspartate. The observed effect of LY379268 application 24 h or 1 h before HI is connected with direct activation of mGluR2 and inhibition of glutamate release. Based on the data presented in this study and on our previous findings, we conclude that the neuroprotective effect of NAAG applied 1 h before HI is most likely the result of a combination of mGluR3 and NMDA receptor activation, whereas the beneficial effects of NAAG pretreatment 24 h before HI can be explained by the activation of NMDA receptors and induction of the antioxidative/antiapoptotic defense system triggered by mild excitotoxicity in neurons. This response to NAAG pretreatment is consistent with the commonly accepted mechanism of preconditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Bratek - Gerej
- Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Bronisz
- Tumor Microenvironment Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Apolonia Ziembowicz
- Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Elzbieta Salinska
- Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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Arnsten AFT, Wang M. The Evolutionary Expansion of mGluR3-NAAG-GCPII Signaling: Relevance to Human Intelligence and Cognitive Disorders. Am J Psychiatry 2020; 177:1103-1106. [PMID: 33256450 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20101458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven Conn. (Arnsten, Wang)
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven Conn. (Arnsten, Wang)
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Bratek E, Ziembowicz A, Salinska E. N-Acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) Pretreatment Reduces Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Damage and Oxidative Stress in Neonatal Rats. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:antiox9090877. [PMID: 32957477 PMCID: PMC7555246 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9090877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG), the most abundant peptide transmitter in the mammalian nervous system, activates mGluR3 at presynaptic sites, inhibiting the release of glutamate, and acts on mGluR3 on astrocytes, stimulating the release of neuroprotective growth factors (TGF-β). NAAG can also affect N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in both synaptic and extrasynaptic regions. NAAG reduces neurodegeneration in a neonatal rat model of hypoxia-ischemia (HI), although the exact mechanism is not fully recognized. In the present study, the effect of NAAG application 24 or 1 h before experimental birth asphyxia on oxidative stress markers and the potential mechanisms of neuroprotection on 7-day old rats was investigated. The intraperitoneal application of NAAG at either time point before HI significantly reduced the weight deficit of the ischemic brain hemisphere, radical oxygen species (ROS) content and activity of antioxidant enzymes, and increased the concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH). No additional increase in the TGF-β concentration was observed after NAAG application. The fast metabolism of NAAG and the decrease in TGF-β concentration that resulted from NAAG pretreatment, performed up to 24 h before HI, excluded the involvement mGluR3 in neuroprotection. The observed effect may be explained by the activation of NMDA receptors induced by NAAG pretreatment 24 h before HI. Inhibition of the NAAG effect by memantine supports this conclusion. NAAG preconditioning 1 h before HI results in a mixture of mGluR3 and NMDA receptor activation. Preconditioning with NAAG induces the antioxidative defense system triggered by mild excitotoxicity in neurons. Moreover, this response to NAAG pretreatment is consistent with the commonly accepted mechanism of preconditioning. However, this theory requires further investigation.
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Böhmer VI, Szymanski W, van den Berg K, Mulder C, Kobauri P, Helbert H, van der Born D, Reeβing F, Huizing A, Klopstra M, Samplonius DF, Antunes IF, Sijbesma JWA, Luurtsema G, Helfrich W, Visser TJ, Feringa BL, Elsinga PH. Modular Medical Imaging Agents Based on Azide-Alkyne Huisgen Cycloadditions: Synthesis and Pre-Clinical Evaluation of 18 F-Labeled PSMA-Tracers for Prostate Cancer Imaging. Chemistry 2020; 26:10871-10881. [PMID: 32315486 PMCID: PMC7496508 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202001795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Since the seminal contribution of Rolf Huisgen to develop the [3+2] cycloaddition of 1,3-dipolar compounds, its azide-alkyne variant has established itself as the key step in numerous organic syntheses and bioorthogonal processes in materials science and chemical biology. In the present study, the copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition was applied for the development of a modular molecular platform for medical imaging of the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), using positron emission tomography. This process is shown from molecular design, through synthesis automation and in vitro studies, all the way to pre-clinical in vivo evaluation of fluorine-18- labeled PSMA-targeting 'F-PSMA-MIC' radiotracers (t1/2 =109.7 min). Pre-clinical data indicate that the modular PSMA-scaffold has similar binding affinity and imaging properties to the clinically used [68 Ga]PSMA-11. Furthermore, we demonstrated that targeting the arene-binding in PSMA, facilitated through the [3+2]cycloaddition, can improve binding affinity, which was rationalized by molecular modeling. The here presented PSMA-binding scaffold potentially facilitates easy coupling to other medical imaging moieties, enabling future developments of new modular imaging agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena I. Böhmer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
- Stratingh Institute for ChemistryUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AFGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Wiktor Szymanski
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
- Stratingh Institute for ChemistryUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AFGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Keimpe‐Oeds van den Berg
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Chantal Mulder
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Piermichele Kobauri
- Stratingh Institute for ChemistryUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AFGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Hugo Helbert
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
- Stratingh Institute for ChemistryUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AFGroningenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Friederike Reeβing
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
- Stratingh Institute for ChemistryUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AFGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Anja Huizing
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
- Stratingh Institute for ChemistryUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AFGroningenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Douwe F. Samplonius
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Ines F. Antunes
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jürgen W. A. Sijbesma
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Gert Luurtsema
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Wijnand Helfrich
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Ben L. Feringa
- Stratingh Institute for ChemistryUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AFGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Philip H. Elsinga
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingDepartment of RadiologyDepartment of Surgical OncologyUniversity of GroningenUniversity Medical Center GroningenHanzeplein 19713 GZGroningenThe Netherlands
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Vornov JJ, Peters D, Nedelcovych M, Hollinger K, Rais R, Slusher BS. Looking for Drugs in All the Wrong Places: Use of GCPII Inhibitors Outside the Brain. Neurochem Res 2019; 45:1256-1267. [PMID: 31749072 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-019-02909-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In tribute to our friend and colleague Michael Robinson, we review his involvement in the identification, characterization and localization of the metallopeptidase glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII), originally called NAALADase. While Mike was characterizing NAALADase in the brain, the protein was independently identified by other laboratories in human prostate where it was termed prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and in the intestines where it was named Folate Hydrolase 1 (FOLH1). It was almost a decade to establish that NAALADase, PSMA, and FOLH1 are encoded by the same gene. The enzyme has emerged as a therapeutic target outside of the brain, with the most notable progress made in the treatment of prostate cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). PSMA-PET imaging with high affinity ligands is proving useful for the clinical diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer. A molecular radiotherapy based on similar ligands is in trials for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. New PSMA inhibitor prodrugs that preferentially block kidney and salivary gland versus prostate tumor enzyme may improve the clinical safety of this radiotherapy. The wide clinical use of PSMA-PET imaging in prostate cancer has coincidentally led to clinical documentation of GCPII upregulation in a wide variety of tumors and inflammatory diseases, likely associated with angiogenesis. In IBD, expression of the FOLH1 gene that codes for GCPII is strongly upregulated, as is the enzymatic activity in diseased patient biopsies. In animal models of IBD, GCPII inhibitors show substantial efficacy, suggesting potential theranostic use of GCPII ligands for IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Vornov
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Medpace, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Diane Peters
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Mike Nedelcovych
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Kristen Hollinger
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Rana Rais
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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Dash RP, Tichý T, Veeravalli V, Lam J, Alt J, Wu Y, Tenora L, Majer P, Slusher BS, Rais R. Enhanced Oral Bioavailability of 2-(Phosphonomethyl)-pentanedioic Acid (2-PMPA) from its (5-Methyl-2-oxo-1,3-dioxol-4-yl)methyl (ODOL)-Based Prodrugs. Mol Pharm 2019; 16:4292-4301. [PMID: 31503493 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b00637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
2-(Phosphonomethyl)-pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA) is a potent (IC50 = 300 pM) and selective inhibitor of glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) with efficacy in multiple neurological and psychiatric disease preclinical models and more recently in models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and cancer. 2-PMPA (1), however, has not been clinically developed due to its poor oral bioavailability (<1%) imparted by its four acidic functionalities (c Log P = -1.14). In an attempt to improve the oral bioavailability of 2-PMPA, we explored a prodrug approach using (5-methyl-2-oxo-1,3-dioxol-4-yl)methyl (ODOL), an FDA-approved promoiety, and systematically masked two (2), three (3), or all four (4) of its acidic groups. The prodrugs were evaluated for in vitro stability and in vivo pharmacokinetics in mice and dog. Prodrugs 2, 3, and 4 were found to be moderately stable at pH 7.4 in phosphate-buffered saline (57, 63, and 54% remaining at 1 h, respectively), but rapidly hydrolyzed in plasma and liver microsomes, across species. In vivo, in a single time-point screening study in mice, 10 mg/kg 2-PMPA equivalent doses of 2, 3, and 4 delivered significantly higher 2-PMPA plasma concentrations (3.65 ± 0.37, 3.56 ± 0.46, and 17.3 ± 5.03 nmol/mL, respectively) versus 2-PMPA (0.25 ± 0.02 nmol/mL). Given that prodrug 4 delivered the highest 2-PMPA levels, we next evaluated it in an extended time-course pharmacokinetic study in mice. 4 demonstrated an 80-fold enhancement in exposure versus oral 2-PMPA (AUC0-t: 52.1 ± 5.9 versus 0.65 ± 0.13 h*nmol/mL) with a calculated absolute oral bioavailability of 50%. In mouse brain, 4 showed similar exposures to that achieved with the IV route (1.2 ± 0.2 versus 1.6 ± 0.2 h*nmol/g). Further, in dogs, relative to orally administered 2-PMPA, 4 delivered a 44-fold enhanced 2-PMPA plasma exposure (AUC0-t for 4: 62.6 h*nmol/mL versus AUC0-t for 2-PMPA: 1.44 h*nmol/mL). These results suggest that ODOL promoieties can serve as a promising strategy for enhancing the oral bioavailability of multiply charged compounds, such as 2-PMPA, and enable its clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tomáš Tichý
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry , Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i. , Prague 166 10 , Czech Republic
| | | | | | | | | | - Lukáš Tenora
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry , Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i. , Prague 166 10 , Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Majer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry , Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i. , Prague 166 10 , Czech Republic
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Hollinger KR, Alt J, Rais R, Kaplin AI, Slusher BS. The NAAG’ing Concerns of Modeling Human Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 68:939-945. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-181251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristen R. Hollinger
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jesse Alt
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rana Rais
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adam I. Kaplin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Barbara S. Slusher
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Barinka C, Novakova Z, Hin N, Bím D, Ferraris DV, Duvall B, Kabarriti G, Tsukamoto R, Budesinsky M, Motlova L, Rojas C, Slusher BS, Rokob TA, Rulíšek L, Tsukamoto T. Structural and computational basis for potent inhibition of glutamate carboxypeptidase II by carbamate-based inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem 2018; 27:255-264. [PMID: 30552009 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2018.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
A series of carbamate-based inhibitors of glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) were designed and synthesized using ZJ-43, N-[[[(1S)-1-carboxy-3-methylbutyl]amino]carbonyl]-l-glutamic acid, as a molecular template in order to better understand the impact of replacing one of the two nitrogen atoms in the urea-based GCPII inhibitor with an oxygen atom. Compound 7 containing a C-terminal 2-oxypentanedioic acid was more potent than compound 5 containing a C-terminal glutamic acid (2-aminopentanedioic acid) despite GCPII's preference for peptides containing an N-terminal glutamate as substrates. Subsequent crystallographic analysis revealed that ZJ-43 and its two carbamate analogs 5 and 7 with the same (S,S)-stereochemical configuration adopt a nearly identical binding mode while (R,S)-carbamate analog 8 containing a d-leucine forms a less extensive hydrogen bonding network. QM and QM/MM calculations have identified no specific interactions in the GCPII active site that would distinguish ZJ-43 from compounds 5 and 7 and attributed the higher potency of ZJ-43 and compound 7 to the free energy changes associated with the transfer of the ligand from bulk solvent to the protein active site as a result of the lower ligand strain energy and solvation/desolvation energy. Our findings underscore a broader range of factors that need to be taken into account in predicting ligand-protein binding affinity. These insights should be of particular importance in future efforts to design and develop GCPII inhibitors for optimal inhibitory potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Barinka
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Prumyslova 595, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic.
| | - Zora Novakova
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Prumyslova 595, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Niyada Hin
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Daniel Bím
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nám. 2, Prague 6 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Dana V Ferraris
- McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster MD 21157, United States
| | - Bridget Duvall
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Gabriel Kabarriti
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Reiji Tsukamoto
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Milos Budesinsky
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nám. 2, Prague 6 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Lucia Motlova
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Prumyslova 595, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Camilo Rojas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States; Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Tibor András Rokob
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Magyar Tudósok körútja 2, Hungary
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nám. 2, Prague 6 166 10, Czech Republic.
| | - Takashi Tsukamoto
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.
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O'Keefe DS, Bacich DJ, Huang SS, Heston WDW. A Perspective on the Evolving Story of PSMA Biology, PSMA-Based Imaging, and Endoradiotherapeutic Strategies. J Nucl Med 2018; 59:1007-1013. [PMID: 29674422 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.117.203877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we cover the evolution of knowledge on the biology of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and its translation to therapy. The usual key to discovery is a realistic model for experimentation and for testing a hypothesis. A realistic model is especially needed in the case of the human prostate, which differs significantly from the prostate of species often used as research models. We will emphasize the genetic characterization of PSMA, the nature of the PSMA protein, and its role as a carboxypeptidase, with differing important substrates and products in different tissues. We give special prominence to the importance of PSMA as a target for imaging and therapy in prostate cancer and its underdeveloped role for imaging and targeting the neovasculature of tumors other than prostate cancer. Lastly, we bring attention to its importance in other nonprostatic tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise S O'Keefe
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Dean J Bacich
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Steve S Huang
- Imaging Institute and Cancer Biology Department, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Warren D W Heston
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute and Glickman Urologic Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
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36
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Baslow MH. Chasing N-acetyl-L-aspartate, a shiny NMR object in the brain. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2018; 31:e3895. [PMID: 29369428 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Morris H Baslow
- Center for Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
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37
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Rais R, Vávra J, Tichý T, Dash RP, Gadiano AJ, Tenora L, Monincová L, Bařinka C, Alt J, Zimmermann SC, Slusher CE, Wu Y, Wozniak K, Majer P, Tsukamoto T, Slusher BS. Discovery of a para-Acetoxy-benzyl Ester Prodrug of a Hydroxamate-Based Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II Inhibitor as Oral Therapy for Neuropathic Pain. J Med Chem 2017; 60:7799-7809. [PMID: 28759215 PMCID: PMC5795597 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
4-Carboxy-α-[3-(hydroxyamino)-3-oxopropyl]-benzenepropanoic acid 1 is a potent hydroxamate-based inhibitor of glutamate carboxypeptidase II. In an attempt to improve its poor oral pharmacokinetics, we synthesized a series of prodrugs by masking its hydrophilic hydroxamate group. Prodrugs were evaluated for oral availability in mice and showed varying degree of plasma exposure to 1. Of these, para-acetoxybenzyl-based, 4-(5-(((4-acetoxybenzyl)oxy)amino)-2-carboxy-5-oxopentyl)benzoic acid, 12, provided 5-fold higher plasma levels of 1 compared to oral administration of 1 itself. Subsequently, para-acetoxybenzyl-based prodrugs with additional ester promoiety(ies) on carboxylate(s) were examined for their ability to deliver 1 to plasma. Isopropyloxycarbonyloxymethyl (POC) ester 30 was the only prodrug that achieved substantial plasma levels of 1. In vitro metabolite identification studies confirmed stability of the ethyl ester of benzoate while the POC group was rapidly hydrolyzed. At oral daily dose-equivalent of 3 mg/kg, 12 exhibited analgesic efficacy comparable to dose of 10 mg/kg of 1 in the rat chronic constrictive injury model of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Rais
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Departments of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Jan Vávra
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, vvi, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Tichý
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, vvi, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ranjeet P. Dash
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Departments of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Alexandra J. Gadiano
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Lukáš Tenora
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, vvi, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Monincová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, vvi, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Cyril Bařinka
- Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, vvi, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jesse Alt
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Sarah C. Zimmermann
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Departments of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - C. Ethan Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Ying Wu
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Krystyna Wozniak
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Pavel Majer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, vvi, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Takashi Tsukamoto
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Departments of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Barbara S. Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Departments of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
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Drugs to Alter Extracellular Concentration of Glutamate: Modulators of Glutamate Uptake Systems. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7228-9_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Nedelcovych M, Dash RP, Tenora L, Zimmermann SC, Gadiano AJ, Garrett C, Alt J, Hollinger KR, Pommier E, Jančařík A, Rojas C, Thomas AG, Wu Y, Wozniak K, Majer P, Slusher BS, Rais R. Enhanced Brain Delivery of 2-(Phosphonomethyl)pentanedioic Acid Following Intranasal Administration of Its γ-Substituted Ester Prodrugs. Mol Pharm 2017; 14:3248-3257. [PMID: 28763226 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.7b00231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
2-(Phosphonomethyl)pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA) is a potent and selective inhibitor of glutamate carboxypeptidase-II (GCPII) with efficacy in multiple neurological and psychiatric disease models, but its clinical utility is hampered by low brain penetration due to the inclusion of multiple acidic functionalities. We recently reported an improvement in the brain-to-plasma ratio of 2-PMPA after intranasal (IN) dosing in both rodents and primates. Herein, we describe the synthesis of several 2-PMPA prodrugs with further improved brain delivery of 2-PMPA after IN administration by masking of the γ-carboxylate. When compared to IN 2-PMPA in rats at 1 h post dose, γ-(4-acetoxybenzyl)-2-PMPA (compound 1) resulted in significantly higher 2-PMPA delivery to both plasma (4.1-fold) and brain (11-fold). Subsequent time-dependent evaluation of 1 also showed high brain as well as plasma 2-PMPA exposures with brain-to-plasma ratios of 2.2, 0.48, and 0.26 for olfactory bulb, cortex, and cerebellum, respectively, as well as an improved sciatic nerve to plasma ratio of 0.84. In contrast, IV administration of compound 1 resulted in similar plasma exposure of 2-PMPA versus the IN route (AUCIV: 76 ± 9 h·nmol/mL versus AUCIN: 99 ± 24 h·nmol/mL); but significantly lower nerve and brain tissue exposures with tissue-to-plasma ratios of 0.21, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.04 in nerve, olfactory bulb, cortex, and cerebellum, respectively. In primates, IN administration of 1 more than doubled 2-PMPA concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid relative to previously reported levels following IN 2-PMPA. The results of these experiments provide a promising strategy for testing GCPII inhibition in neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lukáš Tenora
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i. , Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Andrej Jančařík
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i. , Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | | | | | | | - Pavel Majer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i. , Prague, Czech Republic
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Rais R, Jiang W, Zhai H, Wozniak KM, Stathis M, Hollinger KR, Thomas AG, Rojas C, Vornov JJ, Marohn M, Li X, Slusher BS. FOLH1/GCPII is elevated in IBD patients, and its inhibition ameliorates murine IBD abnormalities. JCI Insight 2016; 1. [PMID: 27536732 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.88634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent gene-profiling analyses showed significant upregulation of the folate hydrolase (FOLH1) gene in the affected intestinal mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The FOLH1 gene encodes a type II transmembrane glycoprotein termed glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII). To establish that the previously reported increased gene expression was functional, we quantified the glutamate carboxypeptidase enzymatic activity in 31 surgical specimens and report a robust 2.8- to 41-fold increase in enzymatic activity in the affected intestinal mucosa of IBD patients compared with an uninvolved area in the same patients or intestinal mucosa from healthy controls. Using a human-to-mouse approach, we next showed a similar enzymatic increase in two well-validated IBD murine models and evaluated the therapeutic effect of the potent FOLH1/ GCPII inhibitor 2-phosphonomethyl pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA) (IC50 = 300 pM). In the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) colitis model, 2-PMPA inhibited the GCPII activity in the colonic mucosa by over 90% and substantially reduced the disease activity. The significance of the target was confirmed in FOLH1-/- mice who exhibited resistance to DSS treatment. In the murine IL-10-/- model of spontaneous colitis, daily 2-PMPA treatment also significantly reduced both macroscopic and microscopic disease severity. These results provide the first evidence of FOLH1/GCPII enzymatic inhibition as a therapeutic option for IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Rais
- Department of Neurology, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Weiwei Jiang
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Division of Gastroenterology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huihong Zhai
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Kristen R Hollinger
- Department of Neurology, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ajit G Thomas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Camilo Rojas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Michael Marohn
- Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Xuhang Li
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Department of Neurology, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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