Molecular modeling of flavonoids that inhibits xanthine oxidase

The inhibition of xanthine oxidase activity by various flavonoids was assessed. All of the tested flavonoids were competitive inhibitors, and from the kinetic analysis suggested that flavonoids bind to the reactive site. To further understand the stereochemistry between these flavonoids and xanthine oxidase, structure-based molecular modeling was performed. Apigenin was the most potent inhibitor which showed the most favorable interaction in the reactive site. The bicyclic benzopyranone ring of apigenin stacked with phenyl of Phe 914, and the phenolic group stretched to the space surrounding with several hydrophobic residues. Quercetin and myricetin composed a 3-hydroxyl group on benzopyranone which resulting in reduction of binding affinity. The phenolic group of genistein positioned in opposite orientation comparison with apigenin, and resulted in a weaker interaction with xanthine oxidase. Isovitexin showed the weakest inhibitory effect among the compounds tested. The bulky group of sugar in isovitexin may hamper its interaction with xanthine oxidase.     

Discovery of novel xanthone derivatives as xanthine oxidase inhibitors

Xanthine oxidase is the key enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of hypoxanthine to xanthine and then to uric acid. In this study, a series of xanthone derivatives were synthesized as effective and a new class of xanthine oxidase inhibitor. Compounds 8a, 8c, 8i, 8g and 8r showed good inhibition against xanthine oxidase. The presence of a cyano group at the para position of benzyl moiety turned out to be the preferred substitution pattern. Molecular modeling studies were performed to gain an insight into its binding mode with xanthine oxidase, and to provide the basis for further structure-guided design of new non-purine xanthine oxidase inhibitors associated with the xanthone framework.     

Determination of human plasma xanthine oxidase activity by high-performance liquid chromatography

An assay for human plasma xanthine oxidase activity was developed with pterin as the substrate and the separation of product (isoxanthopterin) by high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. The reaction mixture consists of 60 μl of plasma and 240 μl of 0.2 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 9.0) containing 113 μM pterin. With this assay, the activity of plasma xanthine oxidase could be easily determined despite its low activity. As a result, it could be demonstrated that the intravenous administration of heparin or the oral administration of ethanol did not increase plasma xanthine oxidase activity in normal subjects, and also that plasma xanthine oxidase activity was higher in patients with hepatitis C virus infection than in healthy subjects or patients with gout. In addition, a single patient with von Gierke's disease showed a marked increase in the plasma activity of this enzyme, relative to that apparent in normal subjects.     

Antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities of total polyphenols from onion

Onions (Allium cepa L.) comprise a valuable vegetable crop in many countries. Modern scientific research has shown that onions possess many biological activities, including antibacterial, anticancer, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antiplatelet aggregation, and antioxidant activities. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of total onion polyphenols on antioxidant and xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activities. Total onion polyphenols showed significant antioxidant activity in DPPH, FRAP, and OH-assays (IC₅₀ [µg/mL]), 43.24, 560.61, and 12.97, respectively). In a X/XO system, antioxidant properties of these polyphenols significantly inhibited XO activity (IC₅₀ [µg/mL], 17.36). These results indicated that total onion polyphenols showed promising antioxidant and anti-gout properties and might be used as potential, natural drugs against oxidative diseases after successful studies in vivo as well as clinical trials.     

Ferroxidases and xanthine oxidase in plasma of healthy newborn infants

In the neonatal period, there is a high iron load, while both the level and molar oxidase activity of ceruloplasmin are low. On the other hand, the neonatal xanthine oxidase (XO) activity is higher than later in life and XO has a significant iron-oxidizing capacity. We therefore studied the physiological contribution of XO to the ferroxidase activity of the plasma in 20 full-term newborn infants. Ferroxidase activity was measured spectrophotometrically, with Fe⁺⁺ as substrate. The uric acid formed by XO was assayed by means of HPLC, with electrochemical detection.

The total ferroxidase activity in the plasma was about one-fourth of the adult level and rapidly increased doubling within 3 days after birth. About 90% of the plasma ferroxidase activity was due to ceruloplasmin, the remainder being accounted for by ferroxidase II. The XO activity underwent a 30% (statistically non-significant) elevation at 24 h, though ferroxidase activity attributable to XO was not detected at any time.

Accordingly, XO does not seem to add substantially to the total iron-oxidizing capacity of the plasma in the neonatal period. The high molar ferroxidase activity is probably of importance at the endothelial cell surface.     

Discovery of novel curcumin derivatives targeting xanthine oxidase and urate transporter 1 as anti-hyperuricemic agents

A series of curcumin derivatives as potent dual inhibitors of xanthine oxidase (XOD) and urate transporter 1 (URAT1) was discovered as anti-hyperuricemic agents. These compounds proved efficient effects on anti-hyperuricemic activity and uricosuric activity in vivo. More importantly, some of them exhibited proved efficient effects on inhibiting XOD activity and suppressing uptake of uric acid via URAT1 in vitro. Especially, the treatment of 4d was demonstrated to improve uric acid over-production and under-excretion in oxonate-induced hyperuricemic mice through regulating XOD activity and URAT1 expression. Docking study was performed to elucidate the potent XOD inhibition of 4d. Compound 4d may serve as a tool compound for further design of anti-hyperuricemic drugs targeting both XOD and URAT1.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of the polyphenol oxidase gene from sweetpotato

Polyphenol oxidase is the enzyme responsible for enzymatic browning in sweetpotato that decreases the commercial value of sweetpotato products. Here we reported the cloning and characterization of a new cDNA encoding PPO from sweetpotato, designated as IbPPO (GeneBank accession number: AY822711). The full-length cDNA of IbPPO is 1984 bp with a 1767 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 588 amino acid polypeptide with a calculated molecular weight of 65.7 kDa and theoretical pI of 6.28. The coding sequence of IbPPO was also directly amplified from the genomic DNA of sweetpotato that demonstrated that IbPPO was an intron-free gene. The computational comparative analysis revealed that IbPPO showed homology to other PPOs of plant origin and contained a 50 amino acid plastidial transit peptide at its N-terminal and the two conserved CuA and CuB copper-binding motifs in the catalytic region of IbPPO. A highly conserved serine-rich motif was firstly found in the transit peptides of plant PPO enzymes. Then the homology based structural modeling of IbPPO showed that IbPPO had the typical structure of PPO: the catalytic copper center was accommodated in a central four-helix bundle located in a hydrophobic pocket close to the surface. Finally, the results of the semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis of IbPPO in different tissues demonstrated that IbPPO could express in all the organs of sweetpotato including mature leaves, young leaves, the stems of mature leaves (petioles), the storage roots, and the veins but at different levels. The highest-level expression of IbPPO was found in the veins, followed by storage roots, young leaves and mature leaves; and the lowest-level expression of IbPPO was found in petioles. The present researches will facilitate the development of antibrown sweetpotato by genetic engineering. Published in Russian in Molekulyarnaya Biologiya, 2006, Vol. 40, No. 6, pp. 1006–1012. The article was submitted by the authors in English.     

Identification of a potent xanthine oxidase inhibitor from oxidation of caffeic acid

Inhibitory activity of Fe-ion-catalyzed radical oxidation products from 22 types of phenolic compounds toward xanthine oxidase (XO) was investigated. Phenols are readily oxidizable compounds in nature and, thus, showed potent antioxidant activities. Among the phenols screened in this study, noticeable activity was observed in the oxidation product of caffeic acid, whereas almost no XO-inhibitory activity of caffeic acid was observed. Assay-guided purification of the oxidation product of caffeic acid afforded a highly potent XO inhibitor, with an IC₅₀ value that was calculated to be 60 nmol L⁻¹, which indicated XO-inhibitory activity much stronger than that of allopurinol (IC₅₀ = 1 μmol L⁻¹), a potent XO inhibitor and excellent medicine for the treatment of gout. The chemical structure of this new XO inhibitor was investigated by one- and two-dimensional NMR and HR–ESI–MS analyses, and the unique tetracyclic structure was confirmed by synthesis starting from commercially available 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene and 3,4-dimethoxylbenzoyl chloride.     

Inhibition of xanthine oxidase by phytic acid and its antioxidative action

We examined if phytic acid inhibits the enzymatic superoxide source xanthine oxidase (XO). Half inhibition of XO by phytic acid (IC50) was about 30 mM in the formation of uric acid from xanthine, but generation of the superoxide was greatly affected by phytic acid; the IC50 was about 6 mM, indicating that the superoxide generating domain of XO is more sensitive to phytic acid. The XO activity in intestinal homogenate was also inhibited by phytic acid. However, it was not observed with intestinal homogenate that superoxide generation was more sensitive to phytic acid compared with the formation of uric acid as observed with XO from butter milk. XO-induced superoxide-dependent lipid peroxidation was inhibited by phytic acid, but not by myo-inositol. Reduction of ADP-Fe3+ caused by XO was inhibited by superoxide dismutase, but not phytic acid. The results suggest that phytic acid interferes with the formation of ADP-iron-oxygen complexes that initiate lipid peroxidation. Both phytic acid and myo-inositol inhibited XO-induced superoxide-dependent DNA damage. Mannitol inhibited the DNA strand break. Myo-inositol may act as a hydroxyl radical scavenger. The antioxidative action of phytic acid may be due to not only inhibiting XO, but also preventing formation of ADP-iron-oxygen complexes.     

Posttranslational ruling of xanthine oxidase activity in bovine milk by its substrates

The aims of this study were to test the hypothesis that the substrates of xanthine oxidase (XO), xanthine and hypoxanthine, are consumed while the milk is stored in the gland between milkings, and to explore how XO activity responds to bacteria commonly associated with subclinical infections in the mammary gland. Freshly secreted milk was obtained following complete evacuation of the gland and induction of milk ejection with oxytocin. In bacteria-free fresh milk xanthine and hypoxanthine were converted to uric acid within 30 min (T1/2 approximately 10 min), which in turn provides electrons for formation of hydrogen peroxide and endows the alveolar lumen with passive protection against invading bacteria. On the other hand, the longer residence time of milk in the cistern compartment was not associated with oxidative stress as a result of XO idleness caused by exhaustion of its physiological fuels. The specific response of XO to bacteria species and the resulting bacteria-dependent nitrosative stress further demonstrates that it is part of the gland immune system.     

NADH oxidase activity of rat and human liver xanthine oxidoreductase: potential role in superoxide production

To characterise the NADH oxidase activity of both xanthine dehydrogenase (XD) and xanthine oxidase (XO) forms of rat liver xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) and to evaluate the potential role of this mammalian enzyme as an O₂ ^•− source, kinetics and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic studies were performed. A steady-state kinetics study of XD showed that it catalyses NADH oxidation, leading to the formation of one O₂ ^•− molecule and half a H₂O₂ molecule per NADH molecule, at rates 3 times those observed for XO (29.2 ± 1.6 and 9.38 ± 0.31 min⁻¹, respectively). EPR spectra of NADH-reduced XD and XO were qualitatively similar, but they were quantitatively quite different. While NADH efficiently reduced XD, only a great excess of NADH reduced XO. In agreement with reductive titration data, the XD specificity constant for NADH (8.73 ± 1.36 μM⁻¹ min⁻¹) was found to be higher than that of the XO specificity constant (1.07 ± 0.09 μM⁻¹ min⁻¹). It was confirmed that, for the reducing substrate xanthine, rat liver XD is also a better O₂ ^•− source than XO. These data show that the dehydrogenase form of liver XOR is, thus, intrinsically more efficient at generating O₂ ^•− than the oxidase form, independently of the reducing substrate. Most importantly, for comparative purposes, human liver XO activity towards NADH oxidation was also studied, and the kinetics parameters obtained were found to be very similar to those of the XO form of rat liver XOR, foreseeing potential applications of rat liver XOR as a model of the human liver enzyme.     

Synthesis and evaluation of naphthoflavones as a new class of non purine xanthine oxidase inhibitors

In view of reported xanthine oxidase inhibitory potential of naphthopyrans and flavones, naphthoflavones as hybrids of the two were designed, synthesized and evaluated for in vitro xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity in the present study. The results of the assay revealed that the naphthoflavones possess promising inhibitory potential against the enzyme with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.62 to 41.2 μM. Structure activity relationship indicated that the nature and placement of substituents on the phenyl ring at 2nd position remarkably influences the inhibitory activity. Substitution of halo and nitro groups at ortho and para position of the phenyl ring (2nd position) remarkably favored the activity. NF-4 with p-fluoro phenyl ring was the most potent inhibitor with IC₅₀ value of 0.62 μM. Enzyme kinetics study was also performed to investigate the inhibition mechanism and it was found that the naphthoflavones displayed mixed type inhibition. The basis of significant inhibition of xanthine oxidase by NF-4 was rationalized by molecular modeling studies.     

Synthesis,structure-activity relationships,and mechanistic studies of 5-arylazo-tropolone derivatives as novel xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitors

Xanthine oxidase (XO) is an enzyme that contains molybdenum at the active site and catalyzes the oxidation of purine bases to uric acid. Even though XO inhibitors are widely used for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout, only very few such compounds are clinically used as drugs for the treatment of these diseases. Given the unique physicochemical properties of tropolone, i.e., its chelating effect and the pKa value that is similar to that of carboxylic acid, we have synthesized 22 5-arylazotropolone derivatives as potential XO inhibitors. In vitro enzyme-inhibitory assays for XO revealed that 3-nitro derivative 1j showed the most potent XO inhibitory activity, which is by one order of magnitude more potent than allopurinol. An enzyme-kinetic study revealed that 1j inhibited the production of uric acid by XO both competitively and non-competitively. A docking-simulation study of 1j with XO suggested that the carbonyl and hydroxyl groups of the tropolone ring interact with the hydroxy group that acts as a ligand for molybdenum and the amino acid residues around the active site of XO.     

Synthesis and evaluation of 1-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxylic acid derivatives as xanthine oxidase inhibitors

This study mainly focused on the modification of the X² position in febuxostat analogs. A series of 1-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxylic acid derivatives (1a-s) with an N atom occupying the X² position was designed and synthesized. Evaluation of their inhibitory potency in vitro on xanthine oxidase indicated that these compounds exhibited micromolar level potencies, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.21 µM to 26.13 μM. Among them, compound 1s (IC₅₀ = 0.21 μM) showed the most promising inhibitory effects and was 36-fold more potent than allopurinol, but was still 13-fold less potent than the lead compound Y-700, which meant that a polar atom fused at the X² position could be unfavorable for potency. The Lineweaver-Burk plot revealed that compound 1s acted as a mixed-type xanthine oxidase inhibitor. Analysis of the structure-activity relationships demonstrated that a more lipophilic ether tail (e.g., meta-methoxybenzoxy) at the 4′-position could benefit the inhibitory potency. Molecular modeling provided a reasonable explanation for the structure–activity relationships observed in this study.     

Endophytic naphthopyrone metabolites are co-inhibitors of xanthine oxidase, SW1116 cell and some microbial growths

Fractionation of the extract of Aspergillus niger. IFB-E003, an endophyte in Cyndon dactylon, gave four known compounds naphtho-gamma-pyrones rubrofusarin B, fonsecinone A, asperpyrone B and aurasperone A, which were further investigated biologically. Rubrofusarin B was shown to be cytotoxic to the colon cancer cell line SW1116 (IC50: 4.5 microgml-1), and aurasperone A inhibitory on XO (xanthine oxidase) (IC50: 10.9 micromoll-1). Moreover, the four naphtho-gamma-pyrones exhibited growth inhibitions against the five test microbes with MICs ranging in between 1.9 and 31.2 microgml(-1). The present recognition of rubrofusarin B and aurasperone A as strong co-inhibitors on XO, colon cancer cell and some microbial pathogens is of significance for the imperative discovery of new relevant therapeutic agents.     

Synthesis of resveratrol analogues, and evaluation of their cytotoxic and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities

Thirteen resveratrol (=5-[(E)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethenyl]benzene-1,3-diol) analogues with a CHO group have been prepared by partial synthesis from resveratrol. The synthesized compounds have been evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against a human nasopharyngeal epidermoid tumor cell line KB, as well as for their xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity. Compounds 2, 3, and 6a showed the most significant cytotoxic activities against the cell line KB, and compound 2 also exhibited strong xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity.