Ernst Torndal Binderup

20-epi-vitamin D3 analogues: a novel class of potent regulators of cell growth and immune responses.

The 20-epi-vitamin D3 analogues are a novel class of vitamin D3 derivatives, structurally related to 1 alpha,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1 alpha,25(OH)2D3). They are characterized by an altered stereochemistry at carbon 20 in the side-chain. In vitro, these new analogues were found to be considerably more potent as regulators of growth and differentiation in the human histiocytic lymphoma cell line U 937 than 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3, despite a practically unchanged calcemic activity in vivo. The most potent analogue, KH 1060, inhibited cell proliferation by 50% at 10(-12) M (14,000 times more active than 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3). At the same time, KH 1060 induced cell differentiation at concentrations as low as 10(-14)M. In addition, the 20-epi-vitamin D3 analogues were found to be very potent inhibitors of T-lymphocyte proliferation induced by interleukin-1 or alloantigen. In this respect, they were several orders of magnitude more active than the potent immunosuppressive agent cyclosporin A (CyA). KH 1060, the most potent analogue, inhibited interleukin-1-induced mouse thymocyte proliferation by 50% at 3 x 10(-16) M and allogeneic stimulation of mouse spleen lymphocytes at 5 x 10(15) M. These effects were considered to be mediated by inhibition of interleukin-2 release from activated T-lymphocytes. The new analogues are of potential interest in the prevention of graft rejection and in the treatment of psoriasis, cancer and auto-immune diseases.

Determination of the vitamin D analog EB 1089 (seocalcitol) in human and pig serum using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric assay in human and pig serum has been developed for quantitative analysis of EB 1089 (seocalcitol). EB 1089 is a novel vitamin D analog under development for the treatment of cancer. The analyte was extracted from serum after protein precipitation using an automated solid-phase extraction procedure involving both a reversed-phase and normal-phase procedure on a single C18 cartridge. The analytical chromatography was performed using a Symmetri C8 50x2.1 mm, 3.5 microm column. The mobile phase was a linear gradient from 75% to 99% methanol with a constant concentration of 2 mM ammonium acetate. EB 1089 and the internal standard [d6]-EB 1089 were detected by using MS-MS. The ion source was operated in the positive electrospray ionisation (ESI) mode. The assay is specific, sensitive, and has a capacity of more than 100 samples per day, with a limit of quantitation of 10 pg ml(-1) for a 1.0-ml sample aliquot. It is now used for routine analysis in connection with pharmacokinetic studies in humans and toxicokinetic studies in pigs.

The synthesis of [26,27-11C]dihydroxyvitamin D3, a tracer for positron emission tomography (PET)

1Alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), an endogenous ligand with the highest affinity for the vitamin D receptor (VDR), was labeled with 11C for use in biological experiments. The radionuclide was incorporated via the reaction of [11C]methyllithium on a methyl ketone precursor in tetrahydrofuran at -10 degrees C. Deprotection of the labeled intermediate yielded 2.5-3 GBq [26,27-11C]1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [11C-1,25(OH)(2) D(3)] with specific radioactivity averaging 100 GBq/micromol at the end of synthesis and HPLC purification. The entire process took 48 min from the end of radionuclide production. In vitro binding experiments in rachitic chick purified VDR demonstrated the high affinity binding of this novel tracer. Thus; 11C-1,25(OH)(2) D(3) is available for in vivo distribution studies and may be suitable for the positron emission tomography (PET) determination of VDR levels and occupancy in animals and humans.

Structural Variants of the Vitamin D Analogue EB1089 Reduce Its Ligand Sensitivity and Promoter Selectivity

The nuclear hormone 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD) has important cell‐regulatory functions but also a strong calcemic effect. Therefore, various VD analogues have been synthesized and screened for their biological profile. In order to gain more insight into the molecular basis of the high antiproliferative but low calcemic action of the VD analogue EB1089, we characterized this compound in comparison to five structurally related VD analogues. The activities of the six VD analogues in in vitro assays (limited protease digestion assays for determining interaction with monomeric vitamin D receptor (VDR), ligand‐dependent gel shift assays for showing the increase of DNA binding of VDR‐retinoid X receptor (RXR) heterodimers, and reporter gene assays on different types of VD response elements for demonstrating the efficacy in nuclear VD signalling) were found to represent their biological potency (antiproliferative effect on different malignant cell lines). In this series, EB1089 proved to be the most potent VD analogue; that is, every structural modification (20‐epi configuration, cis‐configuration at position C24, or changes at the ethyl groups at position C25) appeared to reduce the determined activities mediated through the VDR of these analogues. Moreover, the modifications of EB1089 resulted in a loss of VD response element selectivity, suggesting that this parameter is very critical for the biological profile of this VD analogue. J. Cell. Biochem. 71:340–350, 1998.

Metabolism of the vitamin D3 analogue EB1089 alters receptor complex formation and reduces promoter selectivity

1 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin3 (VD) is a nuclear hormone that has important cell regulatory functions but also a strong calcemic effect. EB1089 is a potent antiproliferative VD analogue, which has a modified side chain resulting in increased metabolic stability and a selective functional profile. Since EB1089 is considered for potential systemic application, it will be investigated to what extent its recently identified metabolites (hydroxylated at positions C26 and C26a) contribute to biological profile of the VD analogue. 2 Limited protease digestion analysis demonstrated that EB1089 is able to stabilize the high affinity ligand binding conformation of the VDR, starting at concentrations of 0.1 nM and affecting up to 80% of all receptor molecules. The metabolites EB1445 and EB1470 showed to be 100 fold less potent than EB1089, whereas the remaining three metabolites (EB1435, EB1436 and EB1446) showed a clearly reduced ability to stabilize the high affinity ligand binding conformation. Interestingly, at pharmacological concentrations all EB1089 metabolites stabilized a second, apparently lower affinity conformation to a much higher extent than EB1089. 3 In reporter gene assays all metabolites showed lower potency than EB1089. Moreover, the preference of EB1089 for activation of VDR binding to sites formed by inverted palindromic arrangements spaced by nine nucleotide (IP9‐type VD response elements) appeared to be reduced (with EB1445 and EB1470) or completely lost (with EB1435, EB1436 and EB1446). The ranking of EB1089 and its metabolites that was obtained by limited protease digestion and reporter gene assays was confirmed by an analysis of their antiproliferative effect in breast cancer cells. 4 The potency and selectivity of the EB1089 metabolites in mediating gene regulatory effects was found to be drastically reduced in comparison to the parent compound suggesting that the contribution of the metabolites to the biological effect of EB1089 is minor. However, the compounds showed to be interesting tools for understanding the selective biological profile of EB1089.

Polyclonal antibodies to EB1089 (seocalcitol), an analog of 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

Abstract A hapten derivative of EB1089 [1(R),3(S),25-trihydroxy-26,27-dimethyl-9,10-seco-24-homocholesta-5(Z),7(E),10(19),22(E),24(E)-pentaene], a side-chain analog of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , was synthesized for raising antibodies with a high specificity for EB1089. The A-ring moiety of EB1089 was replaced in the hapten by a linker for conjugation to a protein. Three polyclonal antibodies were obtained by immunizing rabbits with a BSA-conjugate of the hapten. The antibodies were characterized for titer, avidity and specificity using an enzyme immunoassay with covalently bound EB1089. The three antibodies had similar binding profiles and were highly selective for EB1089 and its metabolites over the naturally occurring vitamin D metabolites. Cross-reactivities with 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 , the most abundant vitamin D metabolite in serum, were in the range 0.01–0.2% relative to EB1089.