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Staller DW, Bennett RG, Mahato RI. Therapeutic perspectives on PDE4B inhibition in adipose tissue dysfunction and chronic liver injury. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2024; 28:545-573. [PMID: 38878273 PMCID: PMC11305103 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2024.2369590] [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: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a complex disease associated with profound dysfunction. Despite an incredible burden, the first and only pharmacotherapy for metabolic-associated steatohepatitis was only approved in March of this year, indicating a gap in the translation of preclinical studies. There is a body of preclinical work on the application of phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors in CLD, none of these molecules have been successfully translated into clinical use. AREAS COVERED To design therapies to combat CLD, it is essential to consider the dysregulation of other tissues that contribute to its development and progression. As such, proper therapies must combat this throughout the body rather than focusing only on the liver. To detail this, literature characterizing the pathogenesis of CLD was pulled from PubMed, with a particular focus placed on the role of PDE4 in inflammation and metabolism. Then, the focus is shifted to detailing the available information on existing PDE4 inhibitors. EXPERT OPINION This review gives a brief overview of some of the pathologies of organ systems that are distinct from the liver but contribute to disease progression. The demonstrated efficacy of PDE4 inhibitors in other human inflammatory diseases should earn them further examination for the treatment of CLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalton W. Staller
- Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Robert G. Bennett
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
- VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Ram I. Mahato
- Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
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Elnagdy M, Wang Y, Rodriguez W, Zhang J, Bauer P, Wilkey DW, Merchant M, Pan J, Farooqui Z, Cannon R, Rai S, Maldonado C, Barve S, McClain CJ, Gobejishvili L. Increased expression of phosphodiesterase 4 in activated hepatic stellate cells promotes cytoskeleton remodeling and cell migration. J Pathol 2023; 261:361-371. [PMID: 37735782 PMCID: PMC10653049 DOI: 10.1002/path.6194] [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: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Activation and transdifferentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) into migratory myofibroblasts is a key process in liver fibrogenesis. Cell migration requires an active remodeling of the cytoskeleton, which is a tightly regulated process coordinated by Rho-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and the Rho family of small GTPases. Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) promotes assembly of focal adhesions and actin stress fibers by regulating cytoskeleton organization. GEF exchange protein directly activated by cAMP 1 (EPAC1) has been implicated in modulating TGFβ1 and Rho signaling; however, its role in HSC migration has never been examined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of cAMP-degrading phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) enzymes in regulating EPAC1 signaling, HSC migration, and fibrogenesis. We show that PDE4 protein expression is increased in activated HSCs expressing alpha smooth muscle actin and active myosin light chain (MLC) in fibrotic tissues of human nonalcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhosis livers and mouse livers exposed to carbon tetrachloride. In human livers, TGFβ1 levels were highly correlated with PDE4 expression. TGFβ1 treatment of LX2 HSCs decreased levels of cAMP and EPAC1 and increased PDE4D expression. PDE4 specific inhibitor, rolipram, and an EPAC-specific agonist decreased TGFβ1-mediated cell migration in vitro. In vivo, targeted delivery of rolipram to the liver prevented fibrogenesis and collagen deposition and decreased the expression of several fibrosis-related genes, and HSC activation. Proteomic analysis of mouse liver tissues identified the regulation of actin cytoskeleton by the kinase effectors of Rho GTPases as a major pathway impacted by rolipram. Western blot analyses confirmed that PDE4 inhibition decreased active MLC and endothelin 1 levels, key proteins involved in cytoskeleton remodeling and contractility. The current study, for the first time, demonstrates that PDE4 enzymes are expressed in hepatic myofibroblasts and promote cytoskeleton remodeling and HSC migration. © 2023 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Elnagdy
- University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Yali Wang
- University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Walter Rodriguez
- University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - JingWen Zhang
- University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Philip Bauer
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- EndoProtech, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Daniel W. Wilkey
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Michael Merchant
- University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Jianmin Pan
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Zainab Farooqui
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Robert Cannon
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Shesh Rai
- University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Claudio Maldonado
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- EndoProtech, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Shirish Barve
- University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Craig J. McClain
- University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Robley Rex VA Medical Center, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Leila Gobejishvili
- University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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Lugnier C. The Complexity and Multiplicity of the Specific cAMP Phosphodiesterase Family: PDE4, Open New Adapted Therapeutic Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810616. [PMID: 36142518 PMCID: PMC9502408 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotides (cAMP, cGMP) play a major role in normal and pathologic signaling. Beyond receptors, cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases; (PDEs) rapidly convert the cyclic nucleotide in its respective 5′-nucleotide to control intracellular cAMP and/or cGMP levels to maintain a normal physiological state. However, in many pathologies, dysregulations of various PDEs (PDE1-PDE11) contribute mainly to organs and tissue failures related to uncontrolled phosphorylation cascade. Among these, PDE4 represents the greatest family, since it is constituted by 4 genes with multiple variants differently distributed at tissue, cellular and subcellular levels, allowing different fine-tuned regulations. Since the 1980s, pharmaceutical companies have developed PDE4 inhibitors (PDE4-I) to overcome cardiovascular diseases. Since, they have encountered many undesired problems, (emesis), they focused their research on other PDEs. Today, increases in the knowledge of complex PDE4 regulations in various tissues and pathologies, and the evolution in drug design, resulted in a renewal of PDE4-I development. The present review describes the recent PDE4-I development targeting cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease, malignancies, fatty liver disease, osteoporosis, depression, as well as COVID-19. Today, the direct therapeutic approach of PDE4 is extended by developing allosteric inhibitors and protein/protein interactions allowing to act on the PDE interactome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Lugnier
- Section de Structures Biologiques, Pharmacologie et Enzymologie, CNRS/Unistra, CRBS, UR 3072, CEDEX, 67084 Strasbourg, France
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Crocetti L, Floresta G, Cilibrizzi A, Giovannoni MP. An Overview of PDE4 Inhibitors in Clinical Trials: 2010 to Early 2022. Molecules 2022; 27:4964. [PMID: 35956914 PMCID: PMC9370432 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27154964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the early 1980s, phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) has been an attractive target for the treatment of inflammation-based diseases. Several scientific advancements, by both academia and pharmaceutical companies, have enabled the identification of many synthetic ligands for this target, along with the acquisition of precise information on biological requirements and linked therapeutic opportunities. The transition from pre-clinical to clinical phase was not easy for the majority of these compounds, mainly due to their significant side effects, and it took almost thirty years for a PDE4 inhibitor to become a drug i.e., Roflumilast, used in the clinics for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Since then, three additional compounds have reached the market a few years later: Crisaborole for atopic dermatitis, Apremilast for psoriatic arthritis and Ibudilast for Krabbe disease. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the compounds that have reached clinical trials in the last ten years, with a focus on those most recently developed for respiratory, skin and neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Crocetti
- NEUROFARBA, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section, University of Florence, Via Ugo Schiff 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Floresta
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Agostino Cilibrizzi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Maria Paola Giovannoni
- NEUROFARBA, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section, University of Florence, Via Ugo Schiff 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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