Sara Peleg

Differential Interaction of 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Analogues and Their 20-epi Homologues with the Vitamin D Receptor

An important focus of structure-function studies of synthetic ligands for the vitamin D receptor (VDR) concerns the chiral center at carbon 20 of the steroid side chain; 20-epi analogues are 100-10,000 times more potent transcriptionally than the natural hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α,25-(OH)2D3). We have compared the binding properties of three pairs of analogues either with a natural (N) or 20-epi (E) orientation. In intact cells, 45-60% of VDR·N-analogue complexes, but only 5-20% of VDR·E-analogue complexes, dissociated over a 3-h interval. The two groups of ligands induced distinct changes in VDR conformation as revealed by protease clipping assays. Mapping of ligand-VDR binding activity by deletions indicated that amino acids 420-427 were important for high affinity of VDR·N-analogue complexes, but not for VDR·E-analogue complexes. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that residues 421 and 422 were essential for 1α,25-(OH)2D3-induced conformational changes, high affinity of 1α,25-(OH)2D3 for VDR, and transcriptional activity, but not for binding of its 20-epi analogue. In contrast, deletion of residues 396-427 abolished binding of 1α,25-(OH)2D3, but binding of its 20-epi analogue was still detectable. The results suggest that the ligand-binding domain of VDR has multiple and different contact sites for the two families of side chain-modified ligands, resulting in VDR·ligand complexes with different half-lives and transcriptional activities.

Potent, selective and low-calcemic inhibitors of CYP24 hydroxylase: 24-sulfoximine analogues of the hormone 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

A dozen 24-sulfoximine analogues of the hormone 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) were prepared, differing not only at the stereogenic sulfoximine stereocenter but also at the A-ring. Although these sulfoximines were not active transcriptionally and were only very weakly antiproliferative, some of them are powerful hydroxylase enzyme inhibitors. Specifically, 24-(S)-NH phenyl sulfoximine 3a is an extremely potent CYP24 inhibitor (IC(50) = 7.4 nM) having low calcemic activity. In addition, this compound shows high selectivity toward the CYP24 enzyme in comparison to CYP27A1 (IC(50) > 1000 nM) and CYP27B (IC(50) = 554 nM).

1α,25-Dihydroxy-3-epi-vitamin D3, a natural metabolite of 1α,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3: production and biological activity studies in pulmonary alveolar type II cells

Pulmonary alveolar type II cells have been shown to be a possible target for the secosteroid hormone, 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1alpha,25(OH)2D3], during perinatal transition. At present, there is great interest to isolate and identify the metabolites of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 produced in its target tissues and to determine the contribution of each individual metabolite of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 to the final expression of the pleiotropic actions attributed to 1alpha,25(OH)2D3. Of all the known metabolites of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3, 1alpha,25(OH)2-3-epi-D3 has gained most attention as it is produced only in specific tissues and possesses significant activity in tissues in which it is produced. Furthermore, in vivo studies indicate that this metabolite when compared to 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 is less calcemic. Therefore, we performed the present study to identify production of 1alpha,25(OH)2-3-epi-D3 in alveolar type II cells, and to evaluate its effect on surfactant synthesis. We incubated NCI-H441 cells, an alveolar type II cell line, with 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 and demonstrated that these cells metabolize 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 to various previously well-characterized polar metabolites, and to a less polar metabolite which was unequivocally identified as 1alpha,25(OH)2-3-epi-D3 by GC/MS and HPLC analysis. Further, biological activity studies in H441 cells indicated that 1alpha,25(OH)2-3-epi-D3 possesses significant activity in terms of its ability: (i) to increase surfactant phospholipid synthesis, (ii) to induce surfactant SP-B mRNA gene expression, and (iii) to increase surfactant SP-B protein synthesis. However, the activity of 1alpha,25(OH)2-3-epi-D3 when compared to 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 in generating VDR-mediated transcriptional activity in ROS 17/2.8 cells transfected with human osteocalcin VDRE/growth hormone gene construct, was significantly reduced. The high metabolic stability of 1alpha,25(OH)2-3-epi-D3, as previously proposed by us, may be a possible explanation for the high in vitro activity in spite of the reduced VDR-mediated transcriptional activity. In summary, we report for the first time the pathways of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 metabolism in pulmonary alveolar type II cells and indicate that 1alpha,25(OH)2-3-epi-D3, a natural intermediary metabolite of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 possesses significant activity in stimulating surfactant synthesis in alveolar type II cells.

Evidence for tissue‐ and cell‐type selective activation of the vitamin D receptor by Ro‐26‐9228, a noncalcemic analog of vitamin D3

Our recent studies have shown that the vitamin D analog Ro‐26‐9228 restores bone mineral density without inducing hypercalcemia in osteopenic rats. Our ex vivo experiments demonstrated that the analog upregulated gene expression in trabecular bone but not in the duodenum of female rats. We examined the mechanism for the tissue selectivity of Ro‐26‐9228 in Caco‐2, a human cell line of intestinal origin, and hFOB, and a human fetal osteoblast cell line. We found that the abilities of Ro‐26‐9228 and the natural hormone, 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3) to induce VDRE‐reporter gene expression in transiently transfected human osteoblasts are similar. In contrast, in Caco‐2 cells, Ro‐26‐9228 induces 40‐fold less reporter gene expression than 1,25D3 does. We also examined the abilities of the vitamin D receptor (VDR)‐ligand complexes from these two cell lines to interact with partners of transcription (glucocorticoid receptor‐interacting protein, VDR‐interacting protein, and retinoid X receptor), in pull‐down assays. These assays revealed that 1,25D3 induces similar levels of interaction of these co‐factors with VDR from both osteoblasts and intestinal cells. In contrast, Ro‐26‐9228 induces significant interaction of VDR from osteoblast cells with these co‐factors, but less of VDR from Caco‐2 cells. These results suggest that the cellular environment of intestinal cells, unlike that of osteoblasts, represses the ability of VDR‐Ro‐26‐9228 complexes to interact with transcription partners. J. Cell. Biochem. 88: 267–273, 2003.

Novel Changes in NF-κB Activity during Progression and Regression Phases of Hyperplasia: ROLE OF MEK, ERK, AND p38*

Utilizing the Citrobacter rodentium-induced transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia (TMCH) model, we measured hyperplasia and NF-κB activation during progression (days 6 and 12 post-infection) and regression (days 20–34 post-infection) phases of TMCH. NF-κB activity increased at progression in conjunction with bacterial attachment and translocation to the colonic crypts and decreased 40% by day 20. NF-κB activity at days 27 and 34, however, remained 2–3-fold higher than uninfected control. Expression of the downstream target gene CXCL-1/KC in the crypts correlated with NF-κB activation kinetics. Phosphorylation of cellular IκBα kinase (IKK)α/β (Ser176/180) was elevated during progression and regression of TMCH. Phosphorylation (Ser32/36) and degradation of IκBα, however, contributed to NF-κB activation only from days 6 to 20 but not at later time points. Phosphorylation of MEK1/2 (Ser217/221), ERK1/2 (Thr202/Tyr204), and p38 (Thr180/Tyr182) paralleled IKKα/β kinetics at days 6 and 12 without declining with regressing hyperplasia. siRNAs to MEK, ERK, and p38 significantly blocked NF-κB activity in vitro, whereas MEK1/2-inhibitor (PD98059) also blocked increases in MEK1/2, ERK1/2, and IKKα/β thereby inhibiting NF-κB activity in vivo. Cellular and nuclear levels of Ser536-phosphorylated (p65536) and Lys310-acetylated p65 subunit accompanied functional NF-κB activation during TMCH. RSK-1 phosphorylation at Thr359/Ser363 in cellular/nuclear extracts and co-immunoprecipitation with cellular p65-NF-κB overlapped with p65536 kinetics. Dietary pectin (6%) blocked NF-κB activity by blocking increases in p65 abundance and nuclear translocation thereby down-regulating CXCL-1/KC expression in the crypts. Thus, NF-κB activation persisted despite the lack of bacterial attachment to colonic mucosa beyond peak hyperplasia. The MEK/ERK/p38 pathway therefore seems to modulate sustained activation of NF-κB in colonic crypts in response to C. rodentium infection.

Potent, low-calcemic, selective inhibitors of CYP24 hydroxylase: 24-sulfone analogs of the hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

The new 24-phenylsulfone 4a, a low-calcemic analog of the natural hormone 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), is a potent (IC(50) = 28nM) and highly selective inhibitor of the human 24-hydroxylase enzyme CYP24.

A 20‐epi side chain restores growth‐regulatory and transcriptional activities of an A ring‐modified hybrid analog of 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 without increasing its affinity to the vitamin D receptor

1α‐hydroxymethyl‐25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1β‐hydroxymethyl‐3α,25‐hydroxyvitamin D3, two analogs with modifications restricted to the A ring, bind poorly to vitamin D receptor (VDR). The effective doses required for 50% of maximal binding activity (ED50) are 7 x 10‐7 M for the former and 8 x 10‐8 M for the latter, and the ED50 for their growth‐inhibitory activities is greater than 10‐6 M. Unexpectedly, a hybrid analog with 20‐epi configuration at its side chain and a 1β‐hydroxymethyl group but not a 1α‐hydroxymethyl group inhibits malignant cell growth with an ED50 of 7 x 10‐9 M. To determine if the restored biological activity of the hybrid analog is associated with better binding to VDR, we performed competitive binding assays in vitro with calf thymus VDR and in vivo with recombinant human VDR. We found that the 20 epi side chain reduced the affinity of the 1β‐ and the 1α‐hydroxymethyl hybrid analogs for VDR in vitro and in vivo fourfold to tenfold. To determine whether the 1β‐hydroxymethyl analogs induced a VDR‐mediated transcription, we tested the induction of reporter gene expression through the osteocalcin vitamin D response element (VDRE) in ROS 17/2.8 cells and the induction of binding activity of VDR to VDRE in COS‐1 cells. We found that the ED50 for transcriptional activity of 1β‐hydroxymethyl‐3α,25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 was greater than 10‐6 M, but its 1α diastereomer had barely detectable transcriptional activity. The 20‐epi side chain preferentially increased the transcriptional activity of the 1β‐hydroxymethyl hybrid analog to an ED50 of 10‐8 M, but the 1α‐hydroxymethyl hybrid analog remained inactive. To confirm that this transcriptional activity was dependent on the VDR, we repeated the assay in VDR‐negative CV‐1 cells and compared ligand‐dependent expression of the VDRE/growth hormone reporter in the presence of either wild‐type or transcriptionally inactive mutant VDR expression vectors. Transcription was induced by the 1β‐hydroxymethyl compounds only in the presence of wild‐type VDR. Thus, we conclude that it is possible, by adding a 20 epi side chain, to restore growth‐inhibitory and VDR‐mediated transcriptional activities without increasing binding to the VDR of A ring‐modified analogs.

1α,25-dihydroxy-24-oxo-16-ene vitamin D3, a metabolite of a synthetic vitamin D3 analog, 1α,25-dihydroxy-16-ene vitamin D3, is equipotent to its parent in modulating growth and differentiation of human leukemic cells

Abstract 1α,25(OH)2-16-ene-D3, a synthetic analog of the steroid hormone, 1α,25(OH)2D3, has great potential to become a drug in the treatment of leukemia and other proliferative disorders, because of its minimal in vivo calcemic activity associated with a potent inhibitory effect on cell growth. However, at present, the mechanisms through which 1α,25(OH)2-16-ene-D3 expresses its biological activities are still not completely understood. Our previous in vitro study in a perfused rat kidney indicated for the first time that 1α,25(OH)2-16-ene-D3 and 1α,25(OH)2D3 are metabolized differently. 1α,25(OH)2-24-oxo-16-ene-D3, an intermediary metabolite of 1α,25(OH)2-16-ene-D3 formed through the C-24 oxidation pathway, accumulated significantly in the perfusate when compared to 1α,25(OH)2-24-oxo-D3, the corresponding intermediary metabolite of 1α,25(OH)2D3. In a subsequent in vivo study, we also reported that 1α,25(OH)2-24-oxo-16-ene-D3 exerted immunosuppressive activity equal to its parent, without causing significant hypercalcemia. In order to establish further the critical role of 1α,25(OH)2-24-oxo-16-ene-D3, in generating some of the key biological activities ascribed to its parent, we performed the present in vitro study using a human myeloid leukemic cell line (RWLeu-4) as a model. Comparative target tissue metabolism studies indicated that 1α,25(OH)2-16-ene-D3 and 1α,25(OH)2D3 are metabolized differently in RWLeu-4 cells, and the differences were similar to the ones we previously observed in the rat kidney. The significant finding was the accumulation of 1α,25(OH)2-24-oxo-16-ene-D3 in RWLeu-4 cells because of its resistance to further metabolism. Biological activity studies indicated that both 1α,25(OH)2-16-ene-D3 and its 24-oxo metabolite produced growth inhibition and promoted differentiation of RWLeu-4 cells to the same extent, and these activities were several fold higher than those exerted by 1α,25(OH)2D3. In addition, the genomic action of each vitamin D compound was assessed in a rat osteosarcoma cell line (ROS 17 2.8 ) by measuring its ability to transactivate a gene construct containing the vitamin D response element of the osteocalcin gene linked to the growth hormone reporter gene. In these studies, both 1α,25(OH)2-16-ene-D3 and its 24-oxo metabolite exerted similar but potent transactivation activity which was several fold greater than that exerted by 1α,25(OH)2D3 itself. In summary, our results indicate that the production and slow clearance of the bioactive intermediary metabolite, 1α,25(OH)2-24-oxo-16-ene-D3, in RWLeu-4 cells contributes significantly to the final expression of the enhanced biological activities ascribed to its parent analog, 1α,25(OH)2-16-ene-D3.

Vitamin D Analogs as Modulators of Vitamin D Receptor Action

The natural calcium-regulating hormone 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25D(3)) is a secosteroid that offers organic chemists many sites for modifying structural and/or functional groups. Such modifications alter the chemistry, stereochemistry, and biological properties of the natural hormone. The resulting deltanoids (vitamin D analogs) have been used in the past two decades as molecular probes to investigate structure-function relationships based on their interactions with proteins that regulate deltanoid biostability (catabolic enzymes of the vitamin D endocrine system and vitamin D binding protein) and deltanoid transduction of biological activities (nuclear and membrane receptors). In this review we will focus on structural modifications of 1,25D(3) that selectively modulate the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR). We will discuss the structural requirements and modifications that create analogs with greater potency and efficacy than the natural hormone (superagonists). We will also identify the structural features of an emerging group of noncalcemic selective agonists and describe the pharmacokinetic properties and VDR-mediated actions that promote their tissue- and gene-selective responses. In addition, we will speculate on the possible structural requirements for vitamin D antagonists. We will also examine the evidence from studies in cell-free systems, in culture and in vivo that explain the mechanisms for the distinct actions of each group of analogs, with special emphasis on the relationship between their mode of interaction with the VDR and the molecular and cellular outcome of these interactions. Finally, we will describe the current and potential use of these selective modulators of the VDR for treatment of human diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer, and secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Enhanced biological activity of 1α,25-dihydroxy-20-epi-vitamin D3, the C-20 epimer of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, is in part due to its metabolism into stable intermediary metabolites with significant biological activity

1alpha,25-dihydroxy-20-epi-vitamin D3 (1alpha,25(OH)2-20-epi-D3), the C-20 epimer of the natural hormone 1alpha,25(OH)2D3, is several fold more potent than the natural hormone in inhibiting cell growth and inducing cell differentiation. At present, the various mechanisms responsible for the enhanced biological activities of this unique vitamin D3 analog are not fully understood. In our present study we compared the target tissue metabolism of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 with that of 1alpha,25(OH)2-20-epi-D3 using the technique of isolated perfused rat kidney. The results indicated that the C-24 oxidation pathway plays a major role in the metabolism of both compounds in the rat kidney. However, it was noted that the concentrations of two of the intermediary metabolites of 1alpha,25(OH)2-20-epi-D3, namely, 1alpha,24(R),25(OH)3-20-epi-D3 and 1alpha,25(OH)2-24-oxo-20-epi-D3 in the kidney perfusate, exceeded the concentrations of the corresponding intermediary metabolites of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3. Furthermore, 1alpha,25(OH)2-24-oxo-20-epi-D3 induces the conformation of the vitamin D receptor similar to that induced by its parent analog and is nearly as potent as its parent in inducing transactivation of a gene construct containing the human osteocalcin vitamin D-responsive element. We conclude that 1alpha,25(OH)2-20-epi-D3 by itself is not metabolically stable when compared to 1alpha,25(OH)2D3, but it acquires its metabolic stability because of the reduced rate of catabolism of its intermediary metabolites. Furthermore, 1alpha,25(OH)2-24-oxo-20-epi-D3, the stable bioactive intermediary metabolite plays a significant role in generating the enhanced biological activities ascribed to 1alpha,25(OH)2-20-epi-D3.