Bhumasamudram Jagadish

Substrate-Dependent Ligand Inhibition of the Human Organic Cation Transporter OCT2

Organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2) mediates the initial step in renal secretion of organic cations: uptake from the blood, across the basolateral membrane, and into the renal proximal tubule cells. Because of its potential as a target for unwanted drug-drug interactions (DDIs), considerable attention has been directed toward understanding the basis of OCT2 selectivity. These studies typically assess selectivity based on ligand inhibition profiles for OCT2-mediated transport of a probe substrate. However, little attention has been given to the potential influence of the substrate on the profile of ligand inhibition. Here we compared the IC50 values obtained for a set of structurally distinct inhibitors against OCT2-mediated transport of three structurally distinct substrates: 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP); metformin; and a novel fluorescent substrate, N,N,N-trimethyl-2-[methyl(7-nitrobenzo[c][l,2,5]oxadiazol-4-yl)amino]ethanaminium iodide (NBD-MTMA). The median IC50 value for inhibition of MPP transport was 9-fold higher than that for inhibition of metformin transport. Similarly, the median IC50 value for inhibition of MPP transport was 5-fold higher than that for NBD-MTMA transport. However, this was not a systematic difference in inhibitory efficacy; the ratio of IC50 values, MPP versus NBD-MTMA, ranged from 88-fold (ipratropium) to 0.3-fold (metformin). These data show that 1) the choice of OCT2 substrate significantly influences both quantitative and qualitative inhibitory interactions with cationic drugs; and 2) ligand interactions with OCT2 are not restricted to competition for a common ligand binding site, consistent with a binding surface characterized by multiple, possibly overlapping interaction sites. Development of predictive models of DDIs with OCT2 must take into account the substrate dependence of ligand interaction with this protein.

Redox-Sensitive Contrast Agents for MRI Based on Reversible Binding of Thiols to Serum Albumin

DOTA‐based complexes of gadolinium (Gd) bearing a thiol moiety on a propyl or hexyl arm were synthesized. It was hypothesized that these complexes would form reversible covalent linkages with human serum albumin (HSA), which contains a reactive thiol at cysteine‐34. The binding constant of the hexyl complex to HSA was measured to be 64 mM−1 and decreased to 17, 6.1, and 3.6 mM−1 in the presence of 0.5, 1, and 2 mM homocysteine, respectively. The binding constant of the propyl complex to HSA was significantly lower (5.0 mM−1) and decreased to 2.0, 1.5, and 0.87 mM−1 in the presence of 0.5, 1, and 2 mM homocysteine, respectively. The longitudinal water‐proton relaxivities of the hexyl and propyl complexes at 37°C and 4.7 T were 2.3 and 2.9 mM−1 s−1, respectively, in saline. The relaxivities of the HSA‐bound forms of the hexyl and propyl complexes were calculated to be 5.3 and 4.5 mM−1 s−1, respectively. The in vivo pharmacokinetics of both thiol complexes were altered by a chase of homocysteine but not saline, while the washout of GdDTPA was unaffected by either chase. Such redox‐sensitive reversible binding of Gd complexes to plasma albumin can be exploited for imaging tissue redox and the blood‐pool by MRI. Magn Reson Med, 2006.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic Acid Derived, Redox-Sensitive Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The design and synthesis of three 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (DO3A) derivatives bearing linkers with terminal thiol groups and a preliminary evaluation of their potential for use in assembling redox-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents are reported. The linkers were selected on the basis of computational docking with a crystal structure of human serum albumin (HSA). Gd(III)-DO3A and Eu(III)-DO3A complexes were synthesized, and the structure of one complex was established by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The binding to HSA of a Gd(III)-DO3A complex bearing a thiol-terminated 3,6-dioxanonyl chain was competitively inhibited by homocysteine and by the corresponding Eu chelate. Binding to HSA was abolished when the terminal thiol group of this complex was absent. The longitudinal water-proton relaxivities (r(1)) of the three Gd(III)-DO3A complexes and of two Gd(III)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) complexes were measured in saline at 7 T. The DO3A complexes exhibited smaller r(1) values, in both bound and free states, than the DOTA complexes.

pTyr421 cortactin is overexpressed in colon cancer and is dephosphorylated by curcumin: involvement of non-receptor type 1 protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPN1).

Cortactin (CTTN), first identified as a major substrate of the Src tyrosine kinase, actively participates in branching F-actin assembly and in cell motility and invasion. CTTN gene is amplified and its protein is overexpressed in several types of cancer. The phosphorylated form of cortactin (pTyr421) is required for cancer cell motility and invasion. In this study, we demonstrate that a majority of the tested primary colorectal tumor specimens show greatly enhanced expression of pTyr421-CTTN, but no change at the mRNA level as compared to healthy subjects, thus suggesting post-translational activation rather than gene amplification in these tumors. Curcumin (diferulolylmethane), a natural compound with promising chemopreventive and chemosensitizing effects, reduced the indirect association of cortactin with the plasma membrane protein fraction in colon adenocarcinoma cells as measured by surface biotinylation, mass spectrometry, and Western blotting. Curcumin significantly decreased the pTyr421-CTTN in HCT116 cells and SW480 cells, but was ineffective in HT-29 cells. Curcumin physically interacted with PTPN1 tyrosine phosphatases to increase its activity and lead to dephosphorylation of pTyr421-CTTN. PTPN1 inhibition eliminated the effects of curcumin on pTyr421-CTTN. Transduction with adenovirally-encoded CTTN increased migration of HCT116, SW480, and HT-29. Curcumin decreased migration of HCT116 and SW480 cells which highly express PTPN1, but not of HT-29 cells with significantly reduced endogenous expression of PTPN1. Curcumin significantly reduced the physical interaction of CTTN and pTyr421-CTTN with p120 catenin (CTNND1). Collectively, these data suggest that curcumin is an activator of PTPN1 and can reduce cell motility in colon cancer via dephosphorylation of pTyr421-CTTN which could be exploited for novel therapeutic approaches in colon cancer therapy based on tumor pTyr421-CTTN expression.

Redox-active Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents: Studies with Thiol-bearing 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetracetic Acid Derivatives

The synthesis and structure-activity relationships of a homologous series of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid gadolinium(III) complexes bearing thiol-terminated alkyl side chains from three to nine carbons in length are reported. The observed binding with human serum albumin (HSA) of the compounds having C-3 through C-7 side chain lengths was inhibited by homocysteine in a manner consistent with single-site binding. The observed binding with HSA of the compounds having C-8 and C-9 side chain lengths was only partly inhibited by homocysteine, consistent with multisite binding. The binding affinity of the C-7 compound could be related to the HSA oxidation state. 2D 1H-1H NMR TOCSY provided evidence of covalent binding of the europium analog of the C-6 compound to HSA-Cys34. The longitudinal water-proton MRI relaxivities of the gadolinium complexes at 7 T increased upon binding to HSA. On the basis of these results, the C-6 and C-7 compounds were identified as promising redox-sensitive MRI contrast agents.

Organic crystal engineering with piperazine-2,5-diones. 2. Crystal packing of weakly dipolar piperazinediones derived from 2-amino-4-bromo-7-methoxyindan-2-carboxylic acid

Abstract Piperazine-2,5-diones with the potential to manifest three chemically distinct and linearly independent intermolecular interactions were synthesized from the enantiomers of 2-amino-4-bromo-7-methoxyindan-2-carboxylic acid. Samples of enantiomerically pure, racemic, and meso piperazinediones were characterized in the solid state by X-ray crystallography. “Ladder-like” intermolecular amide-to-amide hydrogen bonding interactions were observed in each case, establishing tape structures parallel to one crystallographic axis. The observed tape morphologies and crystal packing closely resemble that previously observed for a topographically similar tetramethoxy-piperazinedione. The results obtained demonstrate that the weak dipoles associated with the p-bromoanisole moiety play no role in determining order in the crystalline state.

Synthesis and characterization of a Eu-DTPA-PEGO-MSH(4) derivative for evaluation of binding of multivalent molecules to melanocortin receptors

A labeled variant of MSH(4), a tetrapeptide that binds to the human melanocortin 4 receptor (hMC4R) with low microM affinity, was prepared by solid-phase synthesis methods, purified, and characterized. The labeled ligand, Eu-DTPA-PEGO-His-dPhe-Arg-Trp-NH(2), exhibited a K(d) for hMC4R of 9.1+/-1.4 microM, approximately 10-fold lower affinity than the parental ligand. The labeled MSH(4) derivative was employed in a competitive binding assay to characterize the interactions of hMC4R with monovalent and divalent MSH(4) constructs derived from squalene. The results were compared with results from a similar assay that employed a more potent labeled ligand, Eu-DTPA-NDP-alpha-MSH. While results from the latter assay reflected only statistical effects, results from the former assay reflected a mixture of statistical, proximity, and/or cooperative binding effects.

Organic crystal engineering with piperazine-2,5-diones. 1. Crystal packing of piperazinediones derived from substituted 2-aminoindan-2-carboxylic acids

Abstract We have postulated that molecules engineered to participate in three chemically distinct and linearly independent intermolecular interactions will self-assemble in a predictable fashion. Six prototypes for molecules capable of manifesting such interactions were synthesized from 2-aminoindan-2-carboxylic acid, 2-amino-5,6-dimethylindan-2-carboxylic acid, and 2-amino-4,7-dimethoxyindan-2-carboxylic acid. These piperazinediones were characterized in solution by NMR spectroscopy and in the solid state by X-ray crystallography. “Ladder-like” intermolecular amide-to-amide hydrogen bonding interactions were observed in each case, establishing tape structures parallel to one crystallographic axis. Tape morphology varied depending on the arene substitution pattern and was governed by the development of arene and/or van der Waals contact interactions.

α-Tocopheryloxyacetic acid: a novel chemotherapeutic that stimulates the antitumor immune response

Introductionα-Tocopheryloxyacetic acid (α-TEA) is a novel ether derivative of α-tocopherol that has generated interest as a chemotherapeutic agent because of its selective toxicity toward tumor cells and its ability to suppress tumor growth in various rodent and human xenograft models. We previously reported that oral α-TEA inhibited the growth of both a transplanted (4T1) and a spontaneous MMTV-PyMT mouse model of breast cancer.MethodsBecause little is known about the possible immunological mechanisms underlying the in vivo α-TEA effects, we evaluated the impact of α-TEA therapy on the immune response by characterizing immune cell populations infiltrating the tumor site.Resultsα-TEA treatment resulted in higher frequencies of activated T cells in the tumor microenvironment and twofold and sixfold higher ratios of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to regulatory T cells, respectively. This finding was correlated with an increased ability of tumor-draining lymph node cells and splenocytes from α-TEA-treated mice to secrete interferon (IFN)-γ in response to CD3 or to mediate a cytolytic response in a tumor-specific fashion, respectively. That the α-TEA-mediated antitumor effect had a T cell-dependent component was demonstrated by the partial abrogation of tumor suppression when CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were depleted. We also determined the intratumoral cytokine and chemokine profile and found that α-TEA treatment increased intratumoral IFN-γ levels but decreased interleukin (IL)-4 levels, suggesting a shift toward a TH1 response. In addition, α-TEA induced higher levels of the inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and the chemokine CCL5.ConclusionsTaken together, these data suggest that α-TEA treatment, in addition to its direct cytotoxic effects, enhanced the anti-tumor immune response. This study provides a better understanding of the mechanisms of action of α-TEA and its effect on the immune system and may prove useful in designing immune-stimulating strategies to boost the antitumor effects of α-TEA in breast cancer patients.

The crystal packing of a strongly dipolar piperazinedione

Abstract A strongly dipolar piperazine-2,5-dione was synthesized in enantiomerically pure form, crystallized from DMSO, and the supramolecular organization of the crystals determined by X-ray crystallography. In contrast with non-polar or weakly polar piperazinediones of similar molecular topography, which form tapes by reciprocal intermolecular amide-to-amide hydrogen bonding, the strongly dipolar piperazinedione participated in hydrogen bonding with occluded DMSO. The dipoles of the piperazinedione molecules were aligned and were opposed by the dipoles of the DMSO molecules. The cocrystals exhibited second harmonic generation when subjected to pulsed irradiation.