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Devasia AG, Shanmugham M, Ramasamy A, Bellanger S, Parry LJ, Leo CH. Therapeutic potential of relaxin or relaxin mimetics in managing cardiovascular complications of diabetes. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 229:116507. [PMID: 39182735 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease with an escalating global prevalence. Despite the abundance and relative efficacies of current therapeutic approaches, they primarily focus on attaining the intended glycaemic targets, but patients ultimately still suffer from various diabetes-associated complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy, cardiomyopathy, and atherosclerosis. There is a need to explore innovative and effective diabetic treatment strategies that not only address the condition itself but also combat its complications. One promising option is the reproductive hormone relaxin, an endogenous ligand of the RXFP1 receptor. Relaxin is known to exert beneficial actions on the cardiovascular system through its vasoprotective, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. Nevertheless, the native relaxin peptide exhibits a short biological half-life, limiting its therapeutic potential. Recently, several relaxin mimetics and innovative delivery technologies have been developed to extend its biological half-life and efficacy. The current review provides a comprehensive landscape of the cardiovascular effects of relaxin, focusing on its potential therapeutic applications in managing complications associated with diabetes. The latest advancements in the development of relaxin mimetics and delivery methods for the treatment of cardiometabolic disorders are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun George Devasia
- Science, Math & Technology, Singapore University of Technology & Design, Singapore 487372, Singapore; Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, Genome, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Meyammai Shanmugham
- Science, Math & Technology, Singapore University of Technology & Design, Singapore 487372, Singapore; A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-06 Immunos, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Adaikalavan Ramasamy
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, Genome, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Sophie Bellanger
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-06 Immunos, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Laura J Parry
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Chen Huei Leo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design & Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore.
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Alam F, Gaspari TA, Kemp-Harper BK, Low E, Aw A, Ferens D, Spizzo I, Jefferis AM, Praveen P, Widdop RE, Bathgate RAD, Hossain MA, Samuel CS. The single-chain relaxin mimetic, B7-33, maintains the cardioprotective effects of relaxin and more rapidly reduces left ventricular fibrosis compared to perindopril in an experimental model of cardiomyopathy. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 160:114370. [PMID: 36753958 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The hormone, relaxin (RLX), exerts various organ-protective effects independently of etiology. However, its complex two-chain and three disulphide bonded structure is a limitation to its preparation and affordability. Hence, a single chain-derivative of RLX, B7-33, was developed and shown to retain the anti-fibrotic effects of RLX in vitro and in vivo. Here, we determined whether B7-33 could retain the other cardioprotective effects of RLX, and also compared its therapeutic efficacy to the ACE inhibitor, perindopril. Adult male 129sv mice were subjected to isoprenaline (ISO; 25 mg/kg/day, s.c)-induced cardiomyopathy, then s.c-treated with either RLX (0.5 mg/kg/day), B7-33 (0.25 mg/kg/day; equivalent dose corrected for MW) or perindopril (1 mg/kg/day) from days 7-14 post-injury. Control mice received saline instead of ISO. Changes in animal body weight (BW) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were measured weekly, whilst cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and measures of vascular dysfunction and rarefaction, left ventricular (LV) inflammation and fibrosis were assessed at day 14 post-injury. ISO-injured mice had significantly increased LV inflammation, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, vascular rarefaction and aortic contractility in the absence of any changes in BW or SBP at day 14 post-injury. Both B7-33 and RLX equivalently reduced LV fibrosis and normalised the ISO-induced LV inflammation and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, whilst restoring blood vessel density and aortic contractility. Comparatively, perindopril lowered SBP and the ISO-induced LV inflammation and vascular rarefaction, but not fibrosis or hypertrophy. As B7-33 retained the cardioprotective effects of RLX and provided rapid-occurring anti-fibrotic effects compared to perindopril, it could be considered as a cost-effective cardioprotective therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fariha Alam
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tracey A Gaspari
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Barbara K Kemp-Harper
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Edward Low
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Aaron Aw
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dorota Ferens
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Iresha Spizzo
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ann-Maree Jefferis
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Praveen Praveen
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Robert E Widdop
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ross A D Bathgate
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mohammed Akhter Hossain
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Chrishan S Samuel
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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D'Ercole A, Nistri S, Pacini L, Carotenuto A, Santoro F, Papini AM, Bathgate RAD, Bani D, Rovero P. Synthetic short-chain peptide analogues of H1 relaxin lack affinity for the RXFP1 receptor and relaxin-like bioactivity. Clues to a better understanding of relaxin agonist design. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:942178. [PMID: 36034864 PMCID: PMC9402926 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.942178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The peptide hormone relaxin (RLX), also available as clinical-grade recombinant protein (serelaxin), holds great promise as a cardiovascular and anti-fibrotic agent but is limited by the pharmacokinetic issues common to all peptide drugs. In this study, by a computational modelling chemistry approach, we have synthesized and tested a set of low molecular weight peptides based on the putative receptor-binding domain of the B chain of human H1 RLX isoform, with the objective to obtain RLX analogues with improved pharmacokinetic features. Some of them were stabilized to induce the appropriate 3-D conformation by intra-chain tri-azolic staples, which should theoretically enhance their resistance to digestive enzymes making them suited for oral administration. Despite these favourable premises, none of these H1 peptides, either linear or stapled, revealed a sufficient affinity to the specific RLX receptor RXFP1. Moreover, none of them was endowed with any RLX-like biological effects in RXFP1-expressing THP-1 human monocytic cells and mouse NIH-3T3-derived myofibroblasts in in vitro culture, in terms of significantly relevant cAMP elevation and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, which represent two major signal transduction events downstream RXFP1 activation. This was at variance with authentic serelaxin, which induced a clear-cut, significant activation of both these classical RLX signaling pathways. Albeit negative, the results of this study offer additional information about the structural requirements that new peptide therapeutics shall possess to effectively behave as RXFP1 agonists and RLX analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annunziata D'Ercole
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Nistri
- Research Unit of Histology & Embryology, Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Pacini
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Federica Santoro
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Papini
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Ross A. D. Bathgate
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Unviversity of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Daniele Bani
- Research Unit of Histology & Embryology, Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- *Correspondence: Daniele Bani, ; Paolo Rovero,
| | - Paolo Rovero
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Department of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- *Correspondence: Daniele Bani, ; Paolo Rovero,
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Gay EA, Guan D, Van Voorhies K, Vasukuttan V, Mathews KM, Besheer J, Jin C. Discovery and Characterization of the First Nonpeptide Antagonists for the Relaxin-3/RXFP3 System. J Med Chem 2022; 65:7959-7974. [PMID: 35594150 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide relaxin-3/RXFP3 system is involved in many important physiological processes such as stress responses, appetite control, and motivation for reward. To date, pharmacological studies of RXFP3 have been limited to peptide ligands. In this study, we report the discovery of the first small-molecule antagonists of RXFP3 through a high-throughput screening campaign. Focused structure-activity relationship studies of the hit compound resulted in RLX-33 (33) that was able to inhibit relaxin-3 activity in a battery of functional assays. RLX-33 is selective for RXFP3 over RXFP1 and RXFP4, two related members in the relaxin/insulin superfamily, and has favorable pharmacokinetic properties for behavioral assessment. When administered to rats intraperitoneally, RLX-33 blocked food intake induced by the RXFP3-selective agonist R3/I5. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that RLX-33 represents a promising antagonist scaffold for the development of drugs targeting the relaxin-3/RXFP3 system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine A Gay
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Dongliang Guan
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Kalynn Van Voorhies
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Vineetha Vasukuttan
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Kelly M Mathews
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Joyce Besheer
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Chunyang Jin
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
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Analgesic effect of central relaxin receptor activation on persistent inflammatory pain in mice: behavioral and neurochemical data. Pain Rep 2021; 6:e937. [PMID: 34159282 PMCID: PMC8213244 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000000937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Relaxin peptide analogues produce strong but transient analgesia in inflammatory pain in mouse. Relaxin and its RXFP1 receptor represent a new peptidergic system that modulates pain processing in the forebrain areas. Introduction: The relaxin peptide signaling system is involved in diverse physiological processes, but its possible roles in the brain, including nociception, are largely unexplored. Objective: In light of abundant expression of relaxin receptor (RXFP1) mRNA/protein in brain regions involved in pain processing, we investigated the effects of central RXFP1 activation on nociceptive behavior in a mouse model of inflammatory pain and examined the neurochemical phenotype and connectivity of relaxin and RXFP1 mRNA-positive neurons. Methods: Mice were injected with Complete Freund Adjuvant (CFA) into a hind paw. After 4 days, the RXFP1 agonist peptides, H2-relaxin or B7-33, ± the RXFP1 antagonist, B-R13/17K-H2, were injected into the lateral cerebral ventricle, and mechanical and thermal sensitivity were assessed at 30 to 120 minutes. Relaxin and RXFP1 mRNA in excitatory and inhibitory neurons were examined using multiplex, fluorescent in situ hybridization. Relaxin-containing neurons were detected using immunohistochemistry and their projections assessed using fluorogold retrograde tract-tracing. Results: Both H2-relaxin and B7-33 produced a strong, but transient, reduction in mechanical and thermal sensitivity of the CFA-injected hind paw alone, at 30 minutes postinjection. Notably, coinjection of B-R13/17K-H2 blocked mechanical, but not thermal, analgesia. In the claustrum, cingulate cortex, and subiculum, RXFP1 mRNA was expressed in excitatory neurons. Relaxin immunoreactivity was detected in neurons in forebrain and midbrain areas involved in pain processing and sending projections to the RXFP1-rich, claustrum and cingulate cortex. No changes were detected in CFA mice. Conclusion: Our study identified a previously unexplored peptidergic system that can control pain processing in the brain and produce analgesia.
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Ezhilarasan D. Relaxin in hepatic fibrosis: What is known and where to head? Biochimie 2021; 187:144-151. [PMID: 34102254 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Relaxin (RLX) is a heterodimeric, polypeptide hormone that has natural anti-fibrotic activity in many organs. During the chronic liver injury, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are phenotypically transformed into myofibroblasts. This process is known as activation of HSCs. Activated HSCs play a central role in hepatic fibrosis. Quiescent HSCs were shown to express low levels of RLX receptors such as RXFP1 and RXFP2. Upon chronic liver injury, HSCs are activated and express high levels of the RLX receptors. ML290, an agonist of RXFP1 has been reported to have antifibrotic effect in vitro as well as in vivo. Serelaxin, a recombinant human RLX-2 treatment has reduced hepatic fibrosis and portal hypertension in experimental models due to its vasodilation properties by inducing intrahepatic nitric oxide level. Serelaxin has also produced a neutral effect when studied against human cirrhosis-related portal hypertension in clinical trials. RLX is a potent collagen synthesis inhibitor and it has extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling properties by promoting matrix metalloproteinases and downregulating expression of metalloproteinases inhibitors. Available reports suggest that RLX could induce ECM remodeling and suppress the profibrogenic transforming growth factor-β signaling and thereby regress hepatic fibrosis. Though RLX has natural antifibrotic activity, its antifibrotic molecular mechanisms especially in hepatic fibrosis condition are not reported. This review exclusively focuses antifibrotic effect of RLX on hepatic fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devaraj Ezhilarasan
- Department of Pharmacology, The Blue Lab, Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology Division, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600 077, India.
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Abstract
The pancreatic peptide hormone insulin, first discovered exactly 100 years ago, is essential for glycemic control and is used as a therapeutic for the treatment of type 1 and, increasingly, type 2 diabetes. With a worsening global diabetes epidemic and its significant health budget imposition, there is a great demand for new analogues possessing improved physical and functional properties. However, the chemical synthesis of insulin's intricate 51-amino acid, two-chain, three-disulfide bond structure, together with the poor physicochemical properties of both the individual chains and the hormone itself, has long represented a major challenge to organic chemists. This review provides a timely overview of the past efforts to chemically assemble this fascinating hormone using an array of strategies to enable both correct folding of the two chains and selective formation of disulfide bonds. These methods not only have contributed to general peptide synthesis chemistry and enabled access to the greatly growing numbers of insulin-like and cystine-rich peptides but also, today, enable the production of insulin at the synthetic efficiency levels of recombinant DNA expression methods. They have led to the production of a myriad of novel analogues with optimized structural and functional features and of the feasibility for their industrial manufacture.
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Sassoli C, Nistri S, Chellini F, Bani D. Human Recombinant Relaxin (Serelaxin) as Anti-fibrotic Agent: Pharmacology, Limitations and Actual Perspectives. Curr Mol Med 2021; 22:196-208. [PMID: 33687895 DOI: 10.2174/1566524021666210309113650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Relaxin (recombinant human relaxin-2 hormone; RLX-2; serelaxin) had raised expectations as a new medication for fibrotic diseases. A plethora of in vitro and in vivo studies have offered convincing demonstrations that relaxin promotes remodelling of connective tissue extracellular matrix mediated by inhibition of multiple fibrogenic pathways, especially the downstream signalling of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, a major pro-fibrotic cytokine, and the recruitment and activation of myofibroblast, the main fibrosis-generating cells. However, all clinical trials with relaxin in patients with fibrotic diseases gave inconclusive results. In this review, we have summarized the molecular mechanisms of fibrosis, highlighting those which can be effectively targeted by relaxin. Then, we have performed a critical reappraisal of the clinical trials performed to-date with relaxin as anti-fibrotic drug, in order to highlight their key points of strength and weakness and to identify some future opportunities for the therapeutic use of relaxin, or its analogues, in fibrotic diseases and pathologic scarring which, in our opinion, deserve to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Sassoli
- Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine, Section of Anatomy & Histology, Research Unit of Human Anatomy. Italy
| | - Silvia Nistri
- Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine, Section of Anatomy & Histology, Research Unit of Histology & Embryology, University of Florence, Florence. Italy
| | - Flaminia Chellini
- Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine, Section of Anatomy & Histology, Research Unit of Human Anatomy. Italy
| | - Daniele Bani
- Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine, Section of Anatomy & Histology, Research Unit of Histology & Embryology, University of Florence, Florence. Italy
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DeAdder NP, Gillam HJ, Wilson BC. Relaxin peptides reduce cellular damage in cultured brain slices exposed to transient oxygen–glucose deprivation: an effect mediated by nitric oxide. Facets (Ott) 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2020-0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect of treatment with human relaxins on cell death was studied in oxygen- and glucose-deprived brain slices. In addition, involvement of nitric oxide and the relaxin receptor, RXFP3, was studied. Brain slices ( n = 12–18/group) were cultured under standard conditions for two weeks and then exposed to: ( i) an oxygenated balanced salt solution, ( ii) a deoxygenated, glucose-free balanced salt solution (OGD media), or ( iii) OGD media containing 10−7 mol/L H2 relaxin, 10−7 mol/L H2 relaxin with 50 μmol/L L-NIL, 10−7 mol/L H3 relaxin, or 10−7 mol/L H3 relaxin with 50 μmol/L L-NIL. Cell death was assessed using propidium iodide fluorescence. In a separate experiment, 10−5 mol/L R3 B1-22R (an antagonist of RXFP3) was added to both H2 and H3 relaxin treatments. H2 and H3 relaxin treatment reduced cell damage or death in OGD slices and L-NIL partially attenuated the effect of H3 relaxin. Antagonism of RXFP3 blocked the effect of H3 but not H2 relaxin. These data increase our understanding of the role of relaxin ligands and their receptors in protecting tissues throughout the body from ischemia and reperfusion injury.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah J. Gillam
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Brian C. Wilson
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
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Praveen P, Tailhades J, Rosengren KJ, Liu M, Wade JD, Bathgate RAD, Hossain MA. Effects of C-Terminal B-Chain Modifications in a Relaxin 3 Agonist Analogue. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:2336-2340. [PMID: 33214850 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The receptor for the neuropeptide relaxin 3, relaxin family peptide 3 (RXFP3) receptor, is an attractive pharmacological target for the control of eating, addictive, and psychiatric behaviors. Several structure-activity relationship studies on both human relaxin 3 (containing 3 disulfide bonds) and its analogue A2 (two disulfide bonds) suggest that the C-terminal carboxylic acid of the tryptophan residue in the B-chain is important for RXFP3 activity. In this study, we have added amide, alcohol, carbamate, and ester functionalities to the C-terminus of A2 and compared their structures and functions. As expected, the C-terminal amide form of A2 showed lower binding affinity for RXFP3 while ester and alcohol substitutions also demonstrated lower affinity. However, while these analogues showed slightly lower binding affinity, there was no significant difference in activation of RXFP3 compared to A2 bearing a C-terminal carboxylic acid, suggesting the binding pocket is able to accommodate additional atoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Praveen Praveen
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Julien Tailhades
- The Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- EMBL Australia, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - K. Johan Rosengren
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Mengjie Liu
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - John D. Wade
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ross A. D. Bathgate
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Mohammed Akhter Hossain
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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Eiden LE, Gundlach AL, Grinevich V, Lee MR, Mecawi AS, Chen D, Buijs RM, Hernandez VS, Fajardo-Dolci G, Zhang L. Regulatory peptides and systems biology: A new era of translational and reverse-translational neuroendocrinology. J Neuroendocrinol 2020; 32:e12844. [PMID: 32307768 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Recently, there has been a resurgence in regulatory peptide science as a result of three converging trends. The first is the increasing population of the drug pipeline with peptide-based therapeutics, mainly in, but not restricted to, incretin-like molecules for treatment of metabolic disorders such as diabetes. The second is the development of genetic and optogenetic tools enabling new insights into how peptides actually function within brain and peripheral circuits to accomplish homeostatic and allostatic regulation. The third is the explosion in defined structures of the G-protein coupled receptors to which most regulatory peptides bind and exert their actions. These trends have closely wedded basic systems biology to drug discovery and development, creating a "two-way street" on which translational advances travel from basic research to the clinic, and, equally importantly, "reverse-translational" information is gathered, about the molecular, cellular and circuit-level mechanisms of action of regulatory peptides, comprising information required for the fine-tuning of drug development through testing in animal models. This review focuses on a small group of 'influential' peptides, including oxytocin, vasopressin, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide, ghrelin, relaxin-3 and glucagon-like peptide-1, and how basic discoveries and their application to therapeutics have intertwined over the past decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee E Eiden
- Section on Molecular Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Heath-Intramural Research Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Andrew L Gundlach
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Mary R Lee
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, NIAAA and NIDA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - André S Mecawi
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Duan Chen
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ruud M Buijs
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Institute for Biomedical Research, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Vito S Hernandez
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Germán Fajardo-Dolci
- School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Limei Zhang
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
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Cazzola M, Rogliani P, Matera MG. The future of bronchodilation: looking for new classes of bronchodilators. Eur Respir Rev 2019; 28:28/154/190095. [PMID: 31871127 DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0095-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Available bronchodilators can satisfy many of the needs of patients suffering from airway disorders, but they often do not relieve symptoms and their long-term use raises safety concerns. Therefore, there is interest in developing new classes that could help to overcome the limits that characterise the existing classes.At least nine potential new classes of bronchodilators have been identified: 1) selective phosphodiesterase inhibitors; 2) bitter-taste receptor agonists; 3) E-prostanoid receptor 4 agonists; 4) Rho kinase inhibitors; 5) calcilytics; 6) agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ; 7) agonists of relaxin receptor 1; 8) soluble guanylyl cyclase activators; and 9) pepducins. They are under consideration, but they are mostly in a preclinical phase and, consequently, we still do not know which classes will actually be developed for clinical use and whether it will be proven that a possible clinical benefit outweighs the impact of any adverse effect.It is likely that if developed, these new classes may be a useful addition to, rather than a substitution of, the bronchodilator therapy currently used, in order to achieve further optimisation of bronchodilation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Cazzola
- Dept of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Rogliani
- Dept of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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