Mario Wurglics

Pirinixic acid derivatives as novel dual inhibitors of microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 and 5-lipoxygenase.

Dual inhibition of the prostaglandin (PG) and leukotriene (LT) biosynthetic pathway is supposed to be superior over single interference, both in terms of efficacy and side effects. Here, we present a novel class of dual microsomal PGE(2) synthase-1/5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) inhibitors based on the structure of pirinixic acid [PA, 2-(4-chloro-6-(2,3-dimethylphenylamino)pyrimidin-2-ylthio)acetic acid, compound 1]. Target-oriented structural modification of 1, particularly alpha substitution with extended n-alkyl or bulky aryl substituents and concomitant replacement of the 2,3-dimethylaniline by a biphenyl-4-yl-methane-amino residue, resulted in potent suppression of mPGES-1 and 5-LO activity, exemplified by 2-(4-(biphenyl-4-ylmethylamino)-6-chloropyrimidin-2-ylthio)octanoic acid (7b, IC(50) = 1.3 and 1 microM, respectively). Select compounds also potently reduced PGE(2) and 5-LO product formation in intact cells. Importantly, inhibition of cyclooxygenases-1/2 was significantly less pronounced. Taken together, these pirinixic acid derivatives constitute a novel class of dual mPGES-1/5-LO inhibitors with a promising pharmacological profile and a potential for therapeutic use.

Hypericum perforatum: a 'modern' herbal antidepressant: pharmacokinetics of active ingredients.

Hypericum perforatum (St John’s Wort [SJW]) counts among the most favourite herbal drugs, and is the only herbal alternative to classic synthetic antidepressants in the therapy of mild to moderate depression. Several clinical studies have been conducted to verify the effectiveness of ethanolic or methanolic extracts of SJW.Alcoholic SJW extracts are a mixture of substances with widely varying physical and chemical properties and activities. Hyperforin, a phloroglucinol derivative, is the main source of pharmacological effects caused by the consumption of alcoholic extracts of SJW in the therapy of depression. However, several studies indicate that flavone derivatives, e.g. rutin, and also the naphthodianthrones hypericin and pseudohypericin, take part in the antidepressant efficacy.In contrast to the amount of documentation concerning clinical efficacy, oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetic data about the active components are rather scarce.The hyperforin plasma concentration in humans was investigated in a small number of studies. The results of these studies indicate a relevant plasma concentration, comparable with that used in in vitro tests. Furthermore, hyperforin is the only ingredient of H. perforatum that could be determined in the brain of rodents after oral administration of alcoholic extracts.The plasma concentrations of the hypericins were, compared with hyperforin, only one-tenth and, until now, the hypericins could not be found in the brain after oral administration of alcoholic H. perforatum extracts or pure hypericin.Until now, the pharmacokinetic profile of the flavonoids in humans after oral administration of an alcoholic H. perforatum extract has been investigated in only one study. More data are available for rutin and the aglycone quercetin after administration of pure substances or other flavonoid sources.

Plasma Levels and Distribution of Flavonoids in Rat Brain after Single and Repeated Doses of Standardized Ginkgo biloba Extract EGb 761

It is undisputed that terpene lactones and flavonoid glycosides of Ginkgo biloba are responsible for most of the extracts (e.g., EGb 761®) pharmacological actions. This investigation focused on the pharmacokinetic and the ability of the flavonoid constituents to cross the blood-brain barrier in rats, after single (600 mg/kg) or repeated (8 days, 100, or 600 mg/kg) oral administration of EGb 761®, and their distribution in different areas of the brain. For this purpose, we developed an HPLC-fluorescence method for the determination of the Ginkgo flavonoid metabolites (quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin derivatives) in the brain and plasma. A single dose of 600 mg/kg EGb 761® resulted in maximum plasma concentrations of 176, 341, and 183 ng/mL for quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin/tamarixetin, respectively and in maximum brain concentrations of 291 ng/g protein for kaempferol and 161 ng/g protein for isorhamnetin/tamarixetin. In comparison, the repeated administration of the same dose for 8 days led to an approximate 4.5-fold increase in the plasma concentration for quercetin, 11.5-fold increase for kaempferol, and 10-fold increase for isorhamnetin/tamarixetin. In the brain, an approximate 2-fold increase was observed for kaempferol and isorhamnetin/tamarixetin. About 90% of the determined flavonoids were distributed in the hippocampus, frontal cortex, striatum, and cerebellum, which together represent only 38% of the whole brain.

Comparison of German St. John's Wort Products According to Hyperforin and Total Hypericin Content

OBJECTIVES To compare the hyperforin and hypericin content of currently available St. Johns wort products and to determine their batch-to-batch reproducibility. DESIGN Representative products were obtained either directly from the manufacturer or purchased from pharmacies in and around Frankfurt, Germany. For five batches from each of the eight manufacturers, 10 individual dosage forms (tablets or capsules) were analyzed for both hyperforin and hypericin content. SETTING Laboratories of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany. PRODUCTS: Eight German St. Johns wort products containing from 250 mg to 612 mg dry extract were studied. Three of these products are capsules, four are film-coated tablets, and one is a sugar-coated tablet. Two of the products (Jarsin 300 and Neuroplant 300) are also available in the United States. METHODS Hyperforin concentrations were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Total hypericin concentrations were determined by polarography, an electrochemical method. Concentrations were compared among different batches of the same product and among products from different manufacturers. RESULTS The products contained widely differing amounts of hypericin and hyperforin, even after correcting for differences in the amount of extract per dose. Some products demonstrated consistent concentrations of hyperforin and hypericin from batch to batch, others exhibited pronounced interbatch variability. CONCLUSION The St. Johns wort preparations studied exhibited large differences in hypericin and hyperforin content and are not interchangeable for the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression. Pharmacists should take this variability into account when counseling patients on the use of St. Johns wort products.

Aminothiazole-Featured Pirinixic Acid Derivatives As Dual 5-Lipoxygenase and Microsomal Prostaglandin E2 Synthase-1 Inhibitors with Improved Potency and Efficiency in Vivo

Dual inhibition of microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) is currently pursued as potential pharmacological strategy for treatment of inflammation and cancer. Here we present a series of 26 novel 2-aminothiazole-featured pirinixic acid derivatives as dual 5-LO/mPGES-1 inhibitors with improved potency (exemplified by compound 16 (2-[(4-chloro-6-{[4-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1,3-thiazol-2-yl]amino}pyrimidin-2-yl)sulfanyl]octanoic acid) with IC50 = 0.3 and 0.4 μM, respectively) and bioactivity in vivo. Computational analysis presumes binding sites of 16 at the tip of the 5-LO catalytic domain and within a subpocket of the mPGES-1 active site. Compound 16 (10 μM) hardly suppressed cyclooxygenase (COX)-1/2 activities, failed to inhibit 12/15-LOs, and is devoid of radical scavenger properties. Finally, compound 16 reduced vascular permeability and inflammatory cell infiltration in a zymosan-induced mouse peritonitis model accompanied by impaired levels of cysteinyl-leukotrienes and prostaglandin E2. Together, 2-aminothiazole-featured pirinixic acids represent potent dual 5-LO/mPGES-1 inhibitors with an attractive pharmacological profile as anti-inflammatory drugs.

Development of a high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of 11-keto-β-boswellic acid in human plasma

A validated HPLC method for the determination of 11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (KBA) in human plasma was developed. The method involves the solid-phase extraction of KBA from plasma followed by a separation with reversed-phase HPLC. Calibration was based on external standardisation and ranged between 0.1 and 2.0 microg KBA per ml plasma. Linearity was established over the entire calibration range and in each case the coefficient of correlation (r2) was above 0.99. The recovery of KBA from plasma was 85.7%. It was further demonstrated that the method can be applied successfully to monitor the level of KBA in plasma.

Comparison of the synaptosomal uptake inhibition of serotonin by St John's wort products.

Although the number of prescriptions for psychotropic drugs has decreased in recent years, prescriptions for antidepressants are still increasing (Fritze 2002). Hypericum perforatum (St Johns wort) is the main psychotherapeutic herbal medicinal product used for treatment of mild‐to‐moderate depression. The lipophilic constituent hyperforin (2–5% of the extract) demonstrated, similarly to chemical antidepressants, a significant effect on the synaptosomal uptake inhibition of several neurotransmitters in in‐vitro assays. In Germany, St Johns wort products are distributed via two different markets: products that are pharmacy restricted are only allowed to be distributed in pharmacies; traditionally used products, which do not claim to have a curative character, are allowed to be sold in supermarkets. Depending on the market wherein a St Johns wort product is offered, it needs to fulfill the legal requirements regarding pharmaceutical quality, safety and efficacy. Our goal was to compare the quality of St Johns wort products distributed in pharmacies with that of those available from supermarkets. Therefore, the quantity of the pharmaceutical active ingredients (the phloroglucinol derivate hyperforin, the flavonoids rutin, hyperoside, isoquercitrin, quercitrin and the biflavonoid biapigenin) was determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The naphthodianthrones hypericines and pseudohypericines were quantified by differential pulse polarography (DPP). The efficacy of the products was investigated by measuring their activity to inhibit serotonin (5‐HT) uptake in‐vitro using a radio ligand uptake assay. It could be demonstrated that the products were different not only in the concentration of pharmaceutically relevant ingredients but also in showing individual IC50 values (concentration producing half‐maximal inhibition) in the serotonin reuptake assay (IC50 values between 3.07 and 17.9 μg extract mL−1). The results of our study confirm the assumption that the potency of St Johns wort products in inhibiting the uptake of serotonin depends on the amount of hyperforin in their dosage forms. St Johns wort products having greater hyperforin content and potency on synaptosomal serotonin uptake inhibition are restricted to be sold only in pharmacies.

Biorelevant dissolution testing of St John's wort products.

In contrast to chemically defined drugs, most herbal medicinal products (HMPs) are poorly characterized in terms of their pharmaceutical properties. In many cases it is assumed that the plant extract as a whole is the active moiety, since it is often difficult to identify the individual components responsible for the pharmacological activity and even more difficult to assess synergies among the various components. However, where the active components have been identified, it should be possible to compare products with respect not only to content uniformity but also to their biopharmaceutical properties. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the dissolution characteristics of several St Johns wort products under biorelevant conditions. Components of St Johns wort known, or suspected, to play a role in its antidepressant activity include phloroglucines, naphthodianthrones and the flavonoids. Since these groups have a broad spectrum of polarity and solubility, dissolution was studied for representative compounds from each group. Although the labelling indicates that several of the products studied should be pharmaceutically equivalent, dissolution under biorelevant conditions revealed that they have quite different release profiles and cannot be considered switchable. It was concluded that biorelevant dissolution testing can be a powerful tool for comparing HMPs as well as synthetically produced drug products.

Determination of hypericin in herbal medicine products by differential pulse polarography

A differential pulse polarographic method is presented for the determination of total hypericin in phytotherapeutic preparations (drops, tablets and capsules). The polarographic behaviours of hypericin and of pseudohypericin were examined in various buffer systems over the pH range 3.5–10.0. In Britton Robinson buffer:methanol solution (at pH 6.0) the differential pulse polarograms exhibited reproducible peaks at Ep−1.02 V vs silver/silver chloride for hypericin, and at −1.00 V for pseudohypericin. Under these conditions, a plot of peak height against concentration of hypericin was found to be linear over the range 0.5–9.0 µg/mL (r = 0.9994) and 9.0–16.0 µg/mL (r = 0.9987). The polarographic method was applied to the determination of the content of total hypericin (hypericin, pseudohypericin, protohypericin and protopseudohypericin) in herbal medicinal products containing Hypericum perforatum. The precursors protohypericin and protopseudohypericin were converted into hypericin and pseudohypericin, respectively, by subjecting them to artificial light or daylight prior to analysis. Under these conditions, no separation step was required for the polarographic analysis. In order to evaluate the total concentration of hypericin, the standard addition method with hypericin as standard was applied. The relative standard deviation involved in analysing various herbal medicinal products ranged from ±1.9 to 2.9%. Copyright

A pirinixic acid derivative (LP105) inhibits murine 5-lipoxygenase activity and attenuates vascular remodelling in a murine model of aortic aneurysm.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Arachidonic acid derivatives play a central role in inflammation processes. Arachidonic acid is metabolized by several enzymes, particularly cyclooxygenases (COX), 5‐lipoxygenase (5‐LOX) and microsomal prostaglandin E‐synthase‐1 (mPGES‐1) to pro‐inflammatory mediators.