Temperature dependence and GABA modulation of beta-carboline binding to rat cerebellum benzodiazepine receptors

Pharmacological characterization of P2X1 and P2X3 purinergic receptors in bovine chondrocytes

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study is that of characterizing, for the first time in a quantitative way, from a biochemical, physico chemical and functional point of view P2X(1) and P2X(3) purinergic receptors in bovine chondrocytes. The affinity and the potency of typical purinergic ligands were studied through competition binding experiments and their role in modulating chondrocyte actvities was investigated by analyzing nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE(2)) release.

METHODS

Saturation, competition binding experiments, western blotting and immunohistochemistry assays on the P2X(1) and P2X(3) purinergic receptors in bovine chondrocytes were performed. Thermodynamic analysis of the P2X(1) and P2X(3) purinergic binding was studied to investigate the forces driving drug-receptor coupling. In the functional assays (NO and PGE(2) release) the potency of purinergic agonists and antagonists was evaluated.

RESULTS

Bovine chondrocytes expressed P2X(1) and P2X(3) purinergic receptors and thermodynamic parameters indicated that purinergic binding is enthalpy- and entropy-driven for agonists and totally entropy-driven for antagonists. Typical purinergic agonists such as adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and alpha,beta-methyleneATP were able to increase NO and PGE(2) release. A purinergic antagonist, A317491, was able to block the stimulatory effect on functional experiments mediated by the agonists.

CONCLUSIONS

These data demonstrate for the first time the presence of functional P2X(1) and P2X(3) purinergic receptors in bovine chondrocytes. Agonists and antagonists are thermodynamically discriminated and are able to modulate functional responses such as NO and PGE(2) release. These results suggest the potential role of novel purinergic antagonists in the treatment of pathophysiological diseases linked to the inflammation and involved in articular cartilage resorption.

Can thermodynamic measurements of receptor binding yield information on drug affinity and efficacy?

The present commentary surveys the methods for obtaining the thermodynamic parameters of the drug-receptor binding equilibrium, DeltaG degrees, DeltaH degrees, DeltaS degrees, and DeltaC degrees (p) (standard free energy, enthalpy, entropy, and heat capacity, respectively). Moreover, it reviews the available thermodynamic data for the binding of agonists and antagonists to several G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ligand-gated ion channel receptors (LGICRs). In particular, thermodynamic data for five GPCRs (beta-adrenergic, adenosine A(1), adenosine A(2A), dopamine D(2), and 5-HT(1A)) and four LGICRs (glycine, GABA(A), 5-HT(3), and nicotinic) have been collected and analyzed. Among these receptor systems, seven (three GPCRs and all LGICRs) show "thermodynamic agonist-antagonist discrimination": when the agonist binding to a given receptor is entropy-driven, the binding of its antagonist is enthalpy-driven, or vice versa. A scatter plot of all entropy versus enthalpy values of the database gives a regression line with the equation TDeltaS degrees (kJ mol(-1); T = 298.15 K) = 40.3 (+/- 0.7) + 1.00 (+/-0.01) DeltaH degrees (kJ mol(-1)); N = 184; r = 0.981; P < 0.0001 - which is of the form DeltaH degrees = beta. DeltaS degrees, revealing the presence of the "enthalpy-entropy compensation" phenomenon. This means that any decrease of binding enthalpy is compensated for by a parallel decrease of binding entropy, and vice versa, in such a manner that affinity constant values (K(A)) of drug-receptor equilibrium (DeltaG degrees = -RT ln K(A) = DeltaH degrees - TDeltaS degrees ) cannot be greater than 10(11) M(-1). According to the most recent hypotheses concerning drug-receptor interaction mechanisms, these thermodynamic phenomena appear to be a consequence of the rearrangement of solvent molecules that occurs during the binding.