Joan G. Wilson

A regulatory cascade of the nuclear receptors FXR, SHP-1, and LRH-1 represses bile acid biosynthesis.

Bile acids repress the transcription of cytochrome P450 7A1 (CYP7A1), which catalyzes the rate-limiting step in bile acid biosynthesis. Although bile acids activate the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), the mechanism underlying bile acid-mediated repression of CYP7A1 remained unclear. We have used a potent, nonsteroidal FXR ligand to show that FXR induces expression of small heterodimer partner 1 (SHP-1), an atypical member of the nuclear receptor family that lacks a DNA-binding domain. SHP-1 represses expression of CYP7A1 by inhibiting the activity of liver receptor homolog 1 (LRH-1), an orphan nuclear receptor that is known to regulate CYP7A1 expression positively. This bile acid-activated regulatory cascade provides a molecular basis for the coordinate suppression of CYP7A1 and other genes involved in bile acid biosynthesis.

Identification of a subtype selective human PPARα agonist through parallel-array synthesis

Using solid-phase, parallel-array synthesis, a series of urea-substituted thioisobutyric acids was synthesized and assayed for activity on the human PPAR subtypes. GW7647 (3) was identified as a potent human PPARalpha agonist with approximately 200-fold selectivity over PPARgamma and PPARdelta, and potent lipid-lowering activity in animal models of dyslipidemia. GW7647 (3) will be a valuable chemical tool for studying the biology of PPARalpha in human cells and animal models of disease.

The Effect of PPARα, PPARδ, PPARγ, and PPARpan Agonists on Body Weight, Body Mass, and Serum Lipid Profiles in Diet-Induced Obese AKR/J Mice

Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α, δ, and γ subtypes increases expression of genes involved in fatty acid transport and oxidation and alters adiposity in animal models of obesity and type-2 diabetes. PPARpan agonists which activate all three receptor subtypes have antidiabetic activity in animal models without the weight gain associated with selective PPARγ agonists. Herein we report the effects of selective PPAR agonists (GW9578, a PPARα agonist, GW0742, a PPARδ agonist, GW7845, a PPARγ agonist), combination of PPARα and δ agonists, and PPARpan (PPARα/γ/δ) activators (GW4148 or GW9135) on body weight (BW), body composition, food consumption, fatty acid oxidation, and serum chemistry of diet-induced obese AKR/J mice. PPARα or PPARδ agonist treatment induced a slight decrease in fat mass (FM) while a PPARγ agonist increased BW and FM commensurate with increased food consumption. The reduction in BW and food intake after cotreatment with PPARα and δ agonists appeared to be synergistic. GW4148, a PPARpan agonist, induced a significant and sustained reduction in BW and FM similar to an efficacious dose of rimonabant, an antiobesity compound. GW9135, a PPARpan agonist with weak activity at PPARδ, induced weight loss initially followed by rebound weight gain reaching vehicle control levels by the end of the experiment. We conclude that PPARα and PPARδ activations are critical to effective weight loss induction. These results suggest that the PPARpan compounds may be expected to maintain the beneficial insulin sensitization effects of a PPARγ agonist while either maintaining weight or producing weight loss.

Potentiation by thiopurines and sulfhydryl-reactive agents of the inhibition by 3-deazaadenosine of mononuclear phagocytes.

Combination effects of 3-deazaadenosine (c3Ado) on antibody-dependent phagocytosis in mouse resident peritoneal cells and human peripheral blood monocytes precultured with cytotoxic thiols, azathioprine (AZA) or 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), and thiol-reactive agents, 2-cyclohexene-1-one (2-CH) or ethacrynic acid (ETA), are described. In the mouse cell preparations, a non-inhibitory concentration of 10 microM AZA or 6-MP potentiated the inhibition by 5 and 10 microM c3Ado of phagocytosis. Higher concentrations of AZA or 6-MP (50, 100 microM) and c3Ado (40, 50 microM) were needed to achieve similar effects in human monocytes. Both 2-CH (50 microM) and ETA (25 microM) inhibited mouse cell phagocytosis and acted synergistically with c3Ado. Precultivation of mouse cells with an inhibitor of glutathione synthesis, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO, 50 microM) caused no inhibition of phagocytosis and no potentiation of the inhibition by c3Ado, although BSO potentiated the inhibition by 2-CH (50 microM). In human monocytes, non-inhibitory concentrations (10 and 25 microM) of gold sodium thiomalate (GST), AZA, and c3Ado, but not 6-MP, potentiated the inhibition by 2-CH (25-37.5 microM) of phagocytosis. Results are discussed in connection with the possible modulation by endogenous sulfhydryl-reactive metabolites of phospholipid turnover of the effects of c3Ado.