Brigitte Gillet

l-arginine improves dystrophic phenotype in mdx mice

A possible treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophies would be to compensate for dystrophin loss by increasing the expression of utrophin, another cytoskeletal protein of the muscle membrane. We previously found that L-arginine, the substrate for nitric oxide synthase, significantly increased utrophin level in muscle and targeted it to the sarcolemma. Here, we have addressed the expected benefit in the mdx mice. Magnetic resonance imaging of lower limbs revealed a 35% reduction of the necrotic zones, confirmed by histological staining of muscles. This regression of the necrosis was also supported by the drastic reduction of Evans blue incorporation, a cell impermeable dye. The creatine kinase level in the serum decreased by 57%. Utrophin level increased 2- to 3-fold in muscles. Beta-dystroglycan was relocalised with utrophin to the membrane. In the diaphragm, the most affected muscle in mdx mice, the isometric tension increased by 30%, with regression of collagen and of cytoplasmic lipid overloading. Finally, molsidomine, a therapeutic agent that is converted to a NO donor, also attenuated the dystrophic phenotype. Our results suggest that pharmacological activators of the NO pathway may constitute a realistic treatment for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies.

Conformation of Taxotere® and analogues determined by NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling studies

Abstract Taxol 1 and Taxotere® 2 are antitumor compounds interacting with tubulin proteins. In order to find the best conformational fit to the receptor site, the structures of taxotere and twelve analogues showing various in vitro biological activity on tubulin, have been investigated by 1H NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling studies. These structures were compared to that of Taxotere® 2 obtained by X-ray analysis. The results obtained from these studies suggest that the most active 2′R,3′S compounds possess a conformation in which the benzoate group at C-2 holds the side chain in a defined position due to hydrophobic interactions between this group and the N-amido or N-carbonyloxy group at C-3′. This situation together with the presence of hydrogen bonding between 2′OH-3′NH and 2′OH-1′CO gives rise to a specific orientation of the hydroxyl and phenyl groups at C-2′ and C-3′. On the other hand, the 2′S,3′R isomers which display low in vitro biological activity (ie: on tubulin), such as isotaxotere 8, possess a different conformation with no hydrophobic interactions between the side chain and the taxan skeleton.

Synthesis of chiral isoquinuclidines and determination of their absolute configuration

Abstract A route to 1,2-dihydropyridines N1-substituted with chiral auxiliaries has been developed starting from commercially available chiral amines. Cycloaddition between these dihydropyridines and methyl acrylate gave, in moderate d.e., isoquinuclidines of good enantiomeric purity whose absolute configuration has been established.

2D COSY 1H NMR: a new tool for studying in situ brain metabolism in the living animal

2D COSY 1H NMR with surface coil has been used to resolve and assign cerebral metabolites which had previously been detected but could not be resolved or assigned in situ in the living animal by conventional ID 1H NMR. A wide range of cerebral metabolites, including alanine, N‐acetyl aspartate, aspartate, choline derivatives, creatine/phosphocreatine pool, GABA, glucose, glutamate/glutamine pool, inositol, lactate and taurine were simultaneously resolved and assigned in situ in the whole animal using the 2D COSY correlation graphs. Global irreversible ischemia caused the appearance and the disappearance of cross‐peaks in the 2D COSY 1H NMR map, corresponding to increases in alanine, GABA and lactate and glucose depletion.

Localized 2D correlation spectroscopy in human brain at 3 T

The purpose of this study was to acquire a localized 2D (two-dimensional)1H correlation spectrum, in a volume of interest reasonably small, and within an experiment time compatible with clinical applications. A modified PRESS technique has been used. The last 180° pulse of the PRESS sequence has been converted into a 90° pulse for both refocusing and coherence transfer. 2D correlation spectroscopy was performed on healthy volunteers in a clinical magnet, at 3 T. within 34 min, for a voxel size of 27 cm3 This result makes it possible to consider clinical applications.

Cerebral metabolic changes induced by MK-801: a 1D (phosphorus and proton) and 2D (proton) in vivo NMR spectroscopy study

The dynamic effects of the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801 on brain metabolism were investigated over 105 minutes in unanesthetized rats by proton and phosphorus NMR spectroscopy. MK-801 (0.5 and 5 mg/kg, i.p) induced no changes in intracellular pH, and in phosphocreatine, ATP, and inorganic phosphate levels, indicating that the drug preserved energy and intracellular pH homeostasis. There were transient increases in lactate after both doses of MK-801, suggesting early activation of glycolysis, which was not immediately matched by enhanced oxidative metabolism or by enhanced blood flow. Thereafter, lactate control level was not restored after 0.5 mg/kg whereas it was restored after 5 mg/kg in spite of a sustained metabolic activation. The low dose of MK-801 also caused a continuous decrease in cerebral aspartate level (-38%) which is thought to match the enhanced energy demand, whereas the high dose caused shorter and smaller changes. The intracerebral glucose level rose after MK-801 injection, indicating that brain tissue had an adequate or even excessive supply of glucose. Glucose time course seemed to closely match the changes in blood flow elicited by MK-801. This is the first study giving the metabolic pattern of a pharmacological activation. We demonstrate an excess of glycolysis over oxidative metabolism in the early time similar to that following physiological and pathophysiological states such as photic stimulation and seizures. The difference between the effects of the two doses of MK-801 suggests that the adjustment of cerebral metabolism to MK-801 activation is faster and greater with the high dose than with the low dose.

Metabolic action ofN-methyl-d-aspartate in newborn rat brain ex vivo:31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) is an agonist used to identify neuronal receptive sites for dicarboxylic amino acid neurotransmitters; NMDA receptors are implicated in neuronal damage of ischemic or hypoglycemic origin in newborns although involved mechanisms remain to be identified. In the present study, 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy with fast (6/min) data acquisition was used in newborn rat brain slices to measure changes of intracellular phosphocreatine and nucleotide triphosphate levels following extracellular NMDA applications. The rapid exhaustion of phosphocreatine stores in 50% of the total population of brain cells was induced in all cases by application of NMDA (30-45 s, 25-100 mM). It was not reproduced by other excitatory agents: potassium ions (24.6 mM, 4 min), isobutylxanthine (1mM), muscarine (10 mM), serotonin (0.1 mM) or substance P (10 microM). Such an effect of NMDA was not modified after tetrodotoxin (1 microM) and was reduced by extracellular 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (50 microM) or magnesium ions (2.2 mM). However it did develop during NMDA-induce neuronal excitations and was reversible within 10-30 min. This action of NMDA was followed by an irreversible decrease of phosphorus metabolites if mitochondrial creatine kinase and adenosine triphosphatase were decoupled by atractyloside (50 microM). Experiments revealed a link between selective NMDA action at neuronal plasma membranes, neurotoxicity and energy production by mitochondria.

Arginine butyrate: a therapeutic candidate for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

As a strategy to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, we used arginine butyrate, which combines two pharmacological activities: nitric oxide pathway activation, and histone deacetylase inhibition. Continuous intraperitoneal administration to dystrophin‐deficient mdx mice resulted in a near 2‐fold increase in utrophin (protein homologous to dystrophin) in skeletal muscle, heart, and brain, accompanied by an improvement of the dystrophic phenotype in both adult and newborn mice (45 and 70% decrease in creatine kinase level, respectively; 14% increase in tidal volume, 30% decrease in necrotic area in limb and 23% increase in isometric force). Intermittent administration, as performed in clinical trials, was then used to reduce the frequency of injections and to improve safety. This also enhanced utrophin level around 2‐fold (EC50=284 mg/ml) and alleviated the dystrophic phenotype (inverted grid and grip test performance near to wild‐type values, creatine kinase level decreased by 50%). Skin biopsies were used to monitor treatment efficacy, instead of invasive muscle biopsies, and this could be done a few days after the start of treatment. A 2‐fold increase in utrophin expression was also shown in cultured human myotubes. In vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that the drug combination acts synergistically. Together, these data constitute a proof of principle of the beneficial effects of arginine butyrate on muscular dystrophy.—Vianello, S., Yu, H., Voisin, V., Haddad, H., He, X., Foutz, A. S., Sebrié, C., Gillet, B., Roulot, M., Fougerousse, F., Perronnet, C., Vaillend, C., Matecki, S., Escolar, D., Bossi, L., Israël, M., de la Porte, S. Arginine butyrate: a therapeutic candidate for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. FASEB J. 27, 2256–2269 (2013). www.fasebj.org

Metabolic acidosis induced by N-methyl-d-aspartate in brain slices of the neonatal rat: 31P- and 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy

1H- and 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to monitor intracellular lactate, phosphorus metabolites and pH in superfused brain slices from 2- to 9-day-old rats. N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) (100 microM, 0.5-3 min) was applied in the extracellular magnesium-free perfusion medium. NMDA induced intracellular metabolic acidosis, i.e., an increase of freely mobile lactate levels and an 0.3 pH unit acidification. This was abolished when the extracellular glucose supply was reduced. Experiments also indicate that acidosis is not responsible for the cell damage resulting from activation of NMDA receptors in hypoglycemic conditions.

Regio- and stereoselective alkylation at the 3′-terminal end of ribonucleotides by N-2-methyl-9-hydroxyellipticinium acetate : an antitumor agent

Abstract The regio- and stereoselective alkylation at the 3′-terminal end of ribonucleotides by N-2-methyl-9-hydroxyellipticinium acetate under oxidative conditions is reported.