Discovery of quinazolin-4-amines bearing benzimidazole fragments as dual inhibitors of c-Met and VEGFR-2

Both c-Met and VEGFR-2 are important targets for the treatment of cancers. In this study, a series of N-(2-phenyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-5-yl)quinazolin-4-amine derivatives were designed and identified as dual c-Met and VEGFR-2 inhibitors. Among these compounds bearing quinazoline and benzimidazole fragments, compound 7j exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity against c-Met and VEGFR-2 with IC₅₀ of 0.05 μM and 0.02 μM, respectively. It also showed the highest anticancer activity against the tested cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ of 1.5 μM against MCF-7 and 8.7 μM against Hep-G2. Docking simulation supported the initial pharmacophoric hypothesis and suggested a common mode of interaction at the ATP-binding site of c-Met and VEGFR-2, which demonstrates that compound 7j is a potential agent for cancer therapy deserving further researching.     

以重组TACE胞外功能域从噬菌体随机肽库中筛选TACE的抑制肽

肿瘤坏死因子转换酶 (TACE)是加工裂解TNF-α前体的关键酶 ,参与了许多炎症的发生发展过程。为通过肽库筛选得到TACE的抑制肽 ,首先制备筛选靶分子 ,用RT PCR从人外周血单核细胞中分别扩增出TACE的催化区 (T800 )和整个胞外区 (T1300 ) ,然后分别克隆至pET-28a和pET-28c中 ,转化大肠杆菌BL2-1(DE3) ,经IPTG诱导表达出带有His-tag的目的蛋白 ,两者均为包涵体 ,变性复性后过Ni²⁺-NTA亲和层析柱得到纯度达90%的重组蛋白。以纯化的重组T800和T1300分别筛选噬菌体展示随机 15肽库 ,对筛选克隆进行ELISA检测、竞争抑制实验和序列分析。从两个独立的筛选过程中得到一个相同的阳性克隆序列“TRWLVYFSRPYLVAT” ,固相Fmoc法合成该短肽 ,观察其在LPS诱导人单核细胞产生sTNF-α中的作用。结果表明 ,筛选到的短肽可显著抑制TACE的活性 ,减少TNF-α的分泌 ,抑制率可达 60.3% ,为抗炎小分子药物的设计和改造提供线索和依据。     

从米糠中提取降血管紧张素转换酶抑制剂

采用盐析法提取米糠蛋白,分别选用胃蛋白酶、胰蛋白酶、木瓜蛋白酶等单独或联合水解米糠蛋白,以从酶解米糠蛋白中分离获得具有血管紧张素转换酶（ACE）抑制活性的短肽组分。经Sephadex G-15凝胶层析和SP—Sephadex C-25离子交换层析分离各酶解组分,并检测各组分的ACE抑制活性。结果表明,米糠蛋白的酶解分离产物中含有较强ACE抑制活性的组分,其中经胃蛋白酶和胰蛋白酶共同水解时得到的小分子量寡肽组分的抑制活性最强,为后续对其进行结构分析奠定了基础。     

Effects of bicyclol on dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver fibrosis in mice and its mechanism of action

The aim was to investigate the suppressive effect of bicyclol on hepatic fibrosis induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) in mice and the mechanism of its action. Hepatic fibrosis was established by intraperitoneal injection of 8 mg kg(-1) day(-1) on three consecutive days of each week for 4 or 5 weeks. In the prophylactic experiment, bicyclol (100 and 200mg.kg(-1)) was administered by gavage in association with DMN injection. For the therapeutic experiment, mice were firstly injected with DMN for 5 weeks as in the prophylactic experiment, and then the mice in drug groups were orally administered bicyclol (100 and 200mg.kg(-1)) once daily for 5 weeks. As a result, the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin, hydroxyproline (Hyp), prolidase, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFbeta(1)), type I collagen in serum and the score of liver fibrosis all significantly increased in the hepatic fibrosis model group in comparison with those in control group. The treatment with bicyclol markedly reduced all the above criteria. Bicyclol also attenuated the decrease of body weight of mice, serum total protein and albumin. In addition, bicyclol treatment inhibited liver TGFbeta(1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) mRNA expression in the prophylactic experiment. Similarly, bicyclol reduced TIMP-1 levels in liver and serum and increased collagenase activity in the liver in the therapeutic experiment. The result suggest that bicyclol attenuates DMN-induced hepatic fibrosis in mice. Its mechanisms of action may be related to the hepatoprotective and anti-inflammation properties, the down-regulation of liver TGFbeta(1) and TIMP-1 expression and the increase of net collagenase activity in liver.     

Purification and characterization of aprotinin from porcine lungs

Aprotinin, the most studied serine proteinase inhibitor, was isolated from porcine lung for the first time. The purified porcine aprotinin had an Mr value of ∼7 kDa. It cross-reacted with polyclonal serum anti-commercial aprotinin. About 1 μg porcine aprotinin inhibited 6 μg trypsin whereas 1 μg commercial soybean inhibitor inhibited only 1 μg trypsin. The aprotinin gene was also isolated from porcine lung: the deduced amino acid sequence showed 74% identity to bovine aprotinin.     

New insights into the mechanism of imposex induction in the dogwhelk Nucella lapillus

In an attempt to clarify the mechanism(s) of tributyltin-mediated imposex induction in females of the neogastropod Nucella lapillus, dogwhelks collected in an almost imposex free population were exposed to several treatments for a 3 month-period, and the effects on imposex induction and testosterone/estradiol levels were evaluated. As a positive control, tributyltin (50 ng TBT Sn/L) clearly induced imposex and led to a significant increase in the severity of the phenomenon. In contrast, although a selective P450 aromatase inhibitor (formestane at 0.3 mg/L) was capable of imposex induction, it failed to increase its severity. A vertebrate androgen receptor (AR) antagonist (cyproterone acetate at 1.25 mg/L) in combination with TBT completely blocked the imposex induction capacity of TBT. On the other hand, an estrogen receptor antagonist (tamoxifen at 0.3 mg/L) rendered no effect. The determination of steroid levels in female specimens revealed that TBT induces an elevation of free testosterone (but not the total amount, free+esterified), while the co-administration of the anti-androgen and TBT was able to rescue the increase of free testosterone levels. Despite a minor decrease in the amount of testosterone-fatty acid esters in the TBT group, significant differences in esterified testosterone were not found among treatments. On the contrary, free estradiol levels were elevated in the TBT, anti-androgens and TBT plus anti-androgens groups. These results indicate that free estradiol biosynthesis in TBT-exposed females does not seem to be affected. Overall, our results demonstrate that a selective aromatase inhibitor can induce imposex in N. lapillus but not to a similar extent of TBT, which may suggest the involvement of other mechanism in imposex induction, besides aromatase inhibition. Additionally, the study points to the involvement of AR receptors in imposex induction.     

Inhibition of fungal ABC transporters by unnarmicin A and unnarmicin C, novel cyclic peptides from marine bacterium

Novel inhibitors of fungal ATP-binding cassette transporters were obtained by screening compounds and crude extracts from marine-derived fungi and bacteria using disk diffusion assays of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains overexpressing a variety of fungal multi-drug efflux pumps. The cyclodepsipeptides unnarmicin A and unnarmicin C were able to sensitize cells overexpressing azole drug pumps ScPdr5p, CaCdr1p, CgCdr1p, and CgPdh1p to sub-MIC concentrations of fluconazole without affecting the growth of CaCdr2p and CaMdr1p overexpressing cells. Unnarmicin A and unnarmicin C were potent inhibitors of rhodamine 6G efflux of CaCdr1p expressing cells with IC₅₀ values of 3.61 and 5.65 μM, respectively. They inhibited the in vitro CaCdr1p ATPase activity at IC₅₀ values of 0.495 and 0.688 μM, respectively. And most importantly, they were able to sensitize azole-resistant Candida albicans clinical isolates to fluconazole. Unnarmicin A and unnarmicin C are candidate efflux pump inhibitors with the potential to be used as adjuvants for antifungal chemotherapy.     

Carbamoyl-PROXYL-enhanced MRI detects very small disruptions in brain vascular permeability induced by dietary cholesterol

Background

Gd-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a conventional method for non-invasive investigation of blood-brain-barrier (BBB) permeability in animal models. It allows the visualization of serious injury to the BBB. We developed a novel approach for detecting very small disruptions in BBB permeability induced by dietary cholesterol by using carbamoyl-PROXYL (CMP) as an MRI contrast probe.

Methods

Mice were separated into two groups: normal diet (ND-mice) and high cholesterol diet (CD-mice). MRI-signal dynamics, plasma cholesterol, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-9, MMP-2), and the white blood cell profile were analyzed. For the MRI analysis, two regions-of-interest (ROI) were selected: brain (ROI-1) and surrounding area (ROI-2).

Results

In the ROI-2 of ND-mice, CMP- or Gd-enhanced MRI-signal followed typical kinetics with a half-life of signal decay (τ_1/2) ~ 8 or ~ 15 min, respectively. In CD-mice, the MRI-signal increased continuously without decay.In the ROI-1 of ND- and CD-mice, MRI-signal enhancement was not detected by Gd-DTPA. In the ROI-1 of ND-mice, CMP-induced MRI-signal enhancement was negligible, while in CD-mice, it was significant (τ_1/2 > 15 min).Hypercholesterolemia increased the plasma levels of MMP-9 and neutrophils.

Conclusions

Hypercholesterolemia increases vascular permeability, which is mediated by MMP-9 and neutrophils.

General significance

Even very small disruptions in brain vascular permeability could be detected by CMP-enhanced MRI but not by Gd-DTPA-enhanced MRI.     

Interaction of the non-phosphorylated peptide G7-18NATE with Grb7-SH2 domain requires phosphate for enhanced affinity and specificity

Src‐homology (SH2) domains are an attractive target for the inhibition of specific signalling pathways but pose the challenge of developing a truly specific inhibitor. The G7‐18NATE cyclic peptide is reported to specifically inhibit the growth factor receptor bound protein 7 (Grb7) adapter protein, implicated in the progression of several cancer types, via interactions with its SH2 domain. G7‐18NATE effectively inhibits the interaction of Grb7 with ErbB3 and focal adhesion kinase in cell lysates and, with the addition of a cell permeability sequence, inhibits the growth and migration of a number of breast cancer cell lines. It is thus a promising lead in the development of therapeutics targeted to Grb7. Here we investigate the degree to which G7‐18NATE is specific for the Grb7‐SH2 domain compared with closely related SH2 domains including those of Grb10, Grb14, and Grb2 using surface plasmon resonance. We demonstrate that G7‐18NATE binds with micromolar binding affinity to Grb7‐SH2 domain (K_D = 4–6 μm ) compared with 50–200 times lower affinity for Grb10, Grb14, and Grb2 but that this specificity depends critically on the presence of phosphate in millimolar concentrations. Other differences in buffer composition, including use of Tris or 2‐(N‐Morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid or varying the pH, do not impact on the interaction. This suggests that under cellular conditions, G7‐18NATE binds with highest affinity to Grb7. In addition, our findings demonstrate that the basis of specificity of G7‐18NATE binding to the Grb7‐SH2 domain is via other than intrinsic structural features of the protein, representing an unexpected mode of molecular recognition. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.