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Vozella V, Ahmed F, Choobchian P, Merrill CB, Zibardi C, Tarzia G, Mor M, Duranti A, Tontini A, Rivara S, Piomelli D. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety studies on URB937, a peripherally restricted fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor, in rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 71:1762-1773. [PMID: 31579946 DOI: 10.1111/jphp.13166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES URB937, a peripheral fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor, exerts profound analgesic effects in animal models. We examined, in rats, (1) the pharmacokinetic profile of oral URB937; (2) the compound's ability to elevate levels of the representative FAAH substrate, oleoylethanolamide (OEA); and (3) the compound's tolerability after oral administration. METHODS We developed a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) method to measure URB937 and used a pre-existing LC/MS-MS assay to quantify OEA. FAAH activity was measured using a radioactive substrate. The tolerability of single or repeated (once daily for 2 weeks) oral administration of supramaximal doses of URB937 (100, 300, 1000 mg/kg) was assessed by monitoring food intake, water intake and body weight, followed by post-mortem evaluation of organ structure. KEY FINDINGS URB937 was orally available in male rats (F = 36%), but remained undetectable in brain when administered at doses that maximally inhibit FAAH activity and elevate OEA in plasma and liver. Acute and subchronic treatment with high doses of URB937 was well-tolerated and resulted in FAAH inhibition in brain. CONCLUSIONS Pain remains a major unmet medical need. The favourable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of URB937, along with its tolerability, encourage further development studies on this compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Vozella
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Faizy Ahmed
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Paoula Choobchian
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Collin B Merrill
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Cristina Zibardi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Giorgio Tarzia
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| | - Marco Mor
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Andrea Duranti
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| | - Andrea Tontini
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| | - Silvia Rivara
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Daniele Piomelli
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Center for the Study of Cannabis, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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Rossi R, Lessi M, Manzini C, Marianetti G, Bellina F. Achievement of regioselectivity in transition metal-catalyzed direct C–H (hetero)arylation reactions of heteroarenes with one heteroatom through the use of removable protecting/blocking substituents or traceless directing groups. Tetrahedron 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2016.02.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Carnevali L, Vacondio F, Rossi S, Macchi E, Spadoni G, Bedini A, Neumann ID, Rivara S, Mor M, Sgoifo A. Cardioprotective effects of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor URB694, in a rodent model of trait anxiety. Sci Rep 2015; 5:18218. [PMID: 26656183 PMCID: PMC4677398 DOI: 10.1038/srep18218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, chronic anxiety represents an independent risk factor for cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. Here we evaluate in male Wistar rats bred for high (HAB) and low (LAB) anxiety-related behavior, as well as non-selected (NAB) animals, the relationship between trait anxiety and cardiac electrical instability and investigate whether pharmacological augmentation of endocannabinoid anandamide-mediated signaling exerts anxiolytic-like and cardioprotective effects. HAB rats displayed (i) a higher incidence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias induced by isoproterenol, and (ii) a larger spatial dispersion of ventricular refractoriness assessed by means of an epicardial mapping protocol. In HAB rats, acute pharmacological inhibition of the anandamide-degrading enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), with URB694 (0.3 mg/kg), (i) decreased anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze, (ii) increased anandamide levels in the heart, (iii) reduced isoproterenol-induced occurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias, and (iv) corrected alterations of ventricular refractoriness. The anti-arrhythmic effect of URB694 was prevented by pharmacological blockade of the cannabinoid type 1 (CB1), but not of the CB2, receptor. These findings suggest that URB694 exerts anxiolytic-like and cardioprotective effects in HAB rats, the latter via anandamide-mediated activation of CB1 receptors. Thus, pharmacological inhibition of FAAH might be a viable pharmacological strategy for the treatment of anxiety-related cardiac dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stefano Rossi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Emilio Macchi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Gilberto Spadoni
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Italy
| | - Annalida Bedini
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Italy
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Marco Mor
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Andrea Sgoifo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Italy
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Carnevali L, Vacondio F, Rossi S, Callegari S, Macchi E, Spadoni G, Bedini A, Rivara S, Mor M, Sgoifo A. Antidepressant-like activity and cardioprotective effects of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor URB694 in socially stressed Wistar Kyoto rats. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 25:2157-69. [PMID: 26391492 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Revised: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In humans, depression is often triggered by prolonged exposure to psychosocial stressors and is often associated with cardiovascular comorbidity. Mounting evidence suggests a role for endocannabinoid signaling in the regulation of both emotional behavior and cardiovascular function. Here, we examined cardiac activity in a rodent model of social stress-induced depression and investigated whether pharmacological inhibition of the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which terminates signaling of the endocannabinoid anandamide, exerts antidepressant-like and cardioprotective effects. Male Wistar Kyoto rats were exposed to five weeks of repeated social stress or control procedure. Starting from the third week, they received daily administration of the selective FAAH inhibitor URB694 (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle. Cardiac electrical activity was recorded by radiotelemetry. Repeated social stress triggered biological and behavioral changes that mirror symptoms of human depression, such as (i) reductions in body weight gain and sucrose solution preference, (ii) hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, and (iii) increased immobility in the forced swim test. Moreover, stressed rats showed (i) alterations in heart rate daily rhythm and cardiac autonomic neural regulation, (ii) a larger incidence of spontaneous arrhythmias, and (iii) signs of cardiac hypertrophy. Daily treatment with URB694 (i) increased central and peripheral anandamide levels, (ii) corrected stress-induced alterations of biological and behavioral parameters, and (iii) protected the heart against the adverse effects of social stress. Repeated social stress in Wistar Kyoto rats reproduces aspects of human depression/cardiovascular comorbidity. Pharmacological enhancement of anandamide signaling might be a promising strategy for the treatment of these comorbid conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stefano Rossi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Italy
| | | | - Emilio Macchi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Gilberto Spadoni
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Italy
| | - Annalida Bedini
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Italy
| | | | - Marco Mor
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Andrea Sgoifo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Italy.
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Le-Masurier SP, Gody G, Perrier S, Granville AM. One-pot polymer brush synthesis via simultaneous isocyanate coupling chemistry and “grafting from” RAFT polymerization. Polym Chem 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/c4py00025k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
One-pot ‘grafting from’ of polystyrene on polydopamine particles was investigated using a newly developed carbonyl-azide reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. P. Le-Masurier
- Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design
- School of Chemical Engineering
- The University of New South Wales
- Sydney
- Australia
| | - G. Gody
- Key Centre for Polymers & Colloids
- School of Chemistry
- The University of Sydney
- Sydney
- Australia
| | - S. Perrier
- Key Centre for Polymers & Colloids
- School of Chemistry
- The University of Sydney
- Sydney
- Australia
| | - A. M. Granville
- Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design
- School of Chemical Engineering
- The University of New South Wales
- Sydney
- Australia
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Moreno-Sanz G, Duranti A, Melzig L, Fiorelli C, Ruda GF, Colombano G, Mestichelli P, Sanchini S, Tontini A, Mor M, Bandiera T, Scarpelli R, Tarzia G, Piomelli D. Synthesis and structure-activity relationship studies of O-biphenyl-3-yl carbamates as peripherally restricted fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitors. J Med Chem 2013; 56:5917-30. [PMID: 23822179 DOI: 10.1021/jm4007017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The peripherally restricted fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor URB937 (3, cyclohexylcarbamic acid 3'-carbamoyl-6-hydroxybiphenyl-3-yl ester) is extruded from the brain and spinal cord by the Abcg2 efflux transporter. Despite its inability to enter the central nervous system (CNS), 3 exerts profound antinociceptive effects in mice and rats, which result from the inhibition of FAAH in peripheral tissues and the consequent enhancement of anandamide signaling at CB1 cannabinoid receptors localized on sensory nerve endings. In the present study, we examined the structure-activity relationships (SAR) for the biphenyl region of compound 3, focusing on the carbamoyl and hydroxyl groups in the distal and proximal phenyl rings. Our SAR studies generated a new series of peripherally restricted FAAH inhibitors and identified compound 35 (cyclohexylcarbamic acid 3'-carbamoyl-5-hydroxybiphenyl-3-yl ester) as the most potent brain-impermeant FAAH inhibitor disclosed to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Moreno-Sanz
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
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