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R W Grady

Publications and source records attributed to R W Grady.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

The in vitro trypanocidal activity of N-substituted p-benzoquinone imines: assessment of biochemical structure-activity relationships using the Hansch approach.

It has previously been found that naphthoquinones can potentiate the rate of hydrogen peroxide production by mitochondrial preparations of Trypanosoma brucei brucei and that organisms treated with naphthoquinones are more susceptible to lysis, especially in the presence of compounds such as heme, which promote the homolytic cleavage of hydrogen peroxide. We have evaluated the lytic effect of various N-substituted p-benzoquinone imines both in vitro and in vivo and have attempted to correlate their structure with trypanocidal activity using the Hansch approach. While none of the compounds tested proved to be active in vivo, all caused the lysis of trypanosomes in vitro. The parameters that correlated best with trypanocidal activity were the conditional redox potential, the lipophilicity of the substituent attached to the nitrogen atom and the number of active hydrogens on the quinonoid ring. These findings suggest two possible modes of action, which may in fact be related. Conjugate nucleophilic addition and/or oxidative damage could be responsible for lysis of the parasites. These same compounds were previously found to be active against the ascitic sarcoma 180 in mice. The strong correlation between antineoplastic activity in vivo and trypanocidal activity in vitro suggests a similar mode of action in both cases. Further studies aimed at developing a quinonelike compound that will be active against trypanosomes in vivo are now in progress.

Animals↗

Development and evaluation of the improved iron chelating agents EHPG, HBED and their dimethyl esters.

The phenolic EDTA analogues ethylenediamine-N,N'-bis-(2- hydroxyphenylglycine ) ( EHPG ), N,N'-bis(2-hydroxybenzyl)-ethylenediamine diacetic acid ( HBED ), and their respective dimethyl esters ( dimethylEHPG and dimethylHBED ) were studied in hypertransfused rats. Radioiron bound to these compounds was cleared mainly by the liver and excreted in the bile. After a single 40 mg i.m. injection, the percentage of radioiron removed from 59Fe-ferritin-labelled hepatocytes and excreted in the bile was 4% in untreated controls, 24% for desferral , 42% for dimethylEHPG , 58% for EHPG , 63% for HBED , and 80% for dimethylHBED . DimethylHBED combines oral effectiveness with superior chelating ability, selective hepatocellular action, and low apparent toxicity. It may represent a significant advance in the development of new iron chelating drugs.

Administration, Oral↗

Phenolic ethylenediamine derivatives: a study of orally effective iron chelators.

Of 35 potential iron chelators screened for in vivo activity in rats, a group of phenolic compounds with excellent chelating properties were identified. These included N,N'-ethylene-bis(o-hydroxyphenylglycine) (EHPG), N,N'-Bis(o-hydroxybenzyl)-ethylenediamine diacetic acid (HBED), and their respective dimethyl esters (dmEHPG and dmHBED). All four phenolic compounds produced a marked increase in the fecal excretion of hepatocellular radioiron. This amounted to 42% of total body radioactivity with dmEHPG, 58% with EHPG, 63% with HBED, and 80% with dmHBED after a single injection of 40 mg/animal. At a dose of 5 mg/animal, EHPG, HBED, and dmHBED were 9, 12, and 15 times more potent, respectively, than deferoxamine. Both dimethyl esters showed significant oral activity; oral dmEHPG retained 1/3 and dmHBED retained 2/3 of the effect of the same dose given by intramuscular injection. The ester dmHBED combines oral effectiveness with superior chelating ability, selective hepatocellular action, and low apparent toxicity. It may represent a significant advance in the development of new iron chelating drugs.

Administration, Oral↗

Evaluation of iron-chelating agents in an in vivo system: potential usefulness of EHPG, a powerful iron-chelating drug.

Fifteen compounds with a high affinity to ferric iron have been screened for in vivo iron-chelating efficiency in a rat model. One of the most potent of these drugs was ethylenediamine-N,N'-bis(o-hydroxyphenylglycine) (EHPG). EHPG-induced iron excretion was up to 8 times higher than iron excretion induced by identical doses of desferrioxamine (DF). Studies employing selective radio-iron probes of reticuloendothelial and parenchymal iron stores showed that although EHPG is able to interact with both storage iron compartments, its effect on parenchymal iron is much more pronounced. Unlike DF which has two alternative routes of excretion, EHPG-induced iron excretion is restricted mainly to the gut. Although EHPG seems to be superior to DF in both its chelating efficiency and preferential interaction with hepatic parenchymal iron stores, information on its in vivo toxicity is at present insufficient and it cannot yet be recommended for clinical use.

Animals↗

Trypanosoma brucei brucei: a systematic screening for alternatives to the salicylhydroxamic acid-glycerol combination.

Salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) and glycerol, when administered together, cause destruction of bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei, both in vitro and in vivo, but the dose required is exceedingly high. In an attempt to improve the efficacy of this drug combination, we examined the ability of various polyols and hydroxamic acids to substitute for glycerol and SHAM, respectively. No satisfactory substitute for glycerol was found. The inhibition of the trypanosomal alpha-glycerophosphate oxidase system (GPO) by SHAM (Ki 21 microM) was uncompetitive. Only primary and secondary aromatic hydroxamates were inhibitory. Among a series of 19 benzhydroxamates, no correlation existed between their acidity or their affinity for iron and their inhibition of the GPO in a cell free preparation. The Ki's of most of the primary hydroxamates ranged from 10 to 24 microM, with the more lipophilic derivatives being slightly more active. The Ki's of secondary hydroxamates were more variable, the best having Ki's of about 10 microM. Several other classes of iron chelators were also evaluated. Tropolones were active with 3-bromo-4,5-benzotropolone being as active as SHAM. 3,4-Dihydroxybenzaldehyde (Ki 15 microM) also inhibited the GPO. On the other hand, diphenylamine and 8-hydroxyquinoline, known inhibitors of the GPO, were 30 to 50 times less active. The results suggest that a lipophilic aromatic iron-chelating agent may be useful as a substitute for SHAM in combination therapy.

Animals↗

Low molecular weight iron-binding factor from mammalian tissue that potentiates bacterial growth.

A low molecular weight, iron-binding factor was isolated from horse liver. This host-associated iron transfer factor (HAITF) is capable of binding iron and stimulating bacterial growth by promoting iron uptake into bacteria. Also, when injected into infected animals, HAITF increases the virulence of bacterial infections. HAITF bioactivity is ubiquitous in animal tissues and present in serum. It is proposed that HAITF is a factor that inadvertently plays a role in the host-parasite competition for iron.

Animals↗

Rhodotorulic acid--investigation of its potential as an iron-chelating drug.

The use of rhodotorulic acid (RA) as an iron-chelating drug was suggested by experiments in hypertransfused rats in which urinary and fecal iron excretion were significantly enhanced in response to RA. The toxicity of the drug appears to be minimal at a parenteral dose less than 250 mg/kg. An increased excretion of zinc was the only notable side effect of the drug at the doses used. When administered i.v. to humans, RA was only 16% more effective than desferrioxamine (DF). Pharmacokinetic studies showed that RA persisted in the bloodstream of dogs 6 times longer than desferrioxamine after an intravenous injection. Accordingly RA was evaluated as a potential repository drug. While animal experiments were encouraging, human subjects experienced a painful local reaction to RA administered either i.m. or s.c. as a suspension in physiological saline. Accordingly it appears that RA is best looked at as a second line drug, unless a means can be found to obviate local inflammatory reactions.

Adult↗

Chelation therapy in beta-thalassemia major: a one-year double blind study of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid.

A year-long double-blind study of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHB) given orally at a dose of 25 mg/kg four times per day was undertaken in 15 patients with beta-thalassemia major. 2,3-DHB and placebo (mannitol) were tolerated to an equal degree and there were no signs of drug toxicity at the end of 1 year. Efficacy in terms of retardation of iron accumulation could be documented using serial liver biopsies, serum ferritin determinations, or clinical laboratory assessment. Serum iron values increased, as did the iron binding capacity, in the group receiving 2,3-DHB. The increase in iron binding capacity was due to drug interference with the method of determination. Because of the greater efficacy of slow infusions of desferrioxamine in chelating iron when administered slowly, the clinic has shifted its emphasis toward further evaluation of that compound. Nevertheless, in view of the minimal toxicity of 2,3-DHB, further work appears warranted to define its role in the treatment of iron-overload.

Administration, Oral↗

An approach to the development of new drugs for African trypanosomiasis.

The inability of the bloodstream form of Trypanosoma brucei brucei to decompose hydrogen peroxide forms the basis of our attempt to develop new pharmacological agents to kill these organisms. Approximately 1-3% of the oxygen consumed by these parasites appears in the form of hydrogen peroxide. Our previous observation that free radical initiators such as heme and hematoporphyrin D proved to be trypanocidal in vitro and in vivo, respectively, prompted this investigation into the mechanism of action of this class of compounds to enhance their therapeutic efficacy. The locus of H2O2 production within the trypanosome was examined using cell-free homogenates. Experiments described herein suggest that H2O2 is formed by the alpha-glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase in an adventitious manner, and that no enzymatic means of disposing of this potentially toxic compound are present with the organisms. Naphthoquinones were found to substantially increase the rate of both oxygen consumption and H2O2 production by trypanosomal mitochondrial preparations. Presumably, the naphthoquinones are acting as coenzyme Q analogues. The addition of sublytic concentrations of both naphthoquinones and heme leads to a synergistic lysis of the organisms in vitro. Another approach to increasing the susceptibility of T. b. brucei to free radical damage involved reduction of the intracellular concentration of glutathione. This was accomplished through the use of trypanocidal arsenicals. Melarsenoxide and heme acted synergistically in vitro, an effect which was further enhanced via addition of a naphthoquinone. Moreover, hematoporphyrin D and tryparsamide were shown to have a synergistic effect in T. b. brucei-infected mice.

Animals↗

The development of new iron-chelating drugs. II.

For the past several years, we have searched for an orally effective iron-chelating drug and report here on several compounds which warrant further investigations based on their ability to promote iron excretion in the hypertransfused rat. Administrered orally, 2,3-dihydroxybenzyolglycine induced both urinary and fecal iron excretion, suggesting that a conjugate of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid may be more efficacious than the parent compound. Tropolone, although rather toxic, stimulated fecal excretion of iron when given p.o. at low doses. Evaluation of less toxic derivatives of tropolone appears to be justifiable. L-Histidine may also be of use in chelatin therapy. Fecal iron excretion is significantly increased in response to oral doses of this essential amino acid. Lastly, cholylhydroxamic acid proved to be the most efficacious oral agent examined thus far. A marked increase in fecal iron excretion results from its administration.

Animals↗

Mechanism of iron chelation in the hypertransfused rat: definition of two alternative pathways of iron mobilization.

The mechanism of action of two recently identified iron-chelating drugs, RA and CHA, was compared with that of two well-known chelating agents, DF and DTPA, in hypertransfused rats labeled with selective parenchymal and RE cell radioiron probes. The existence of two alternative pathways for the in vivo chelation of iron has been indicated by the present findings. The first of these pathways involves the extracellular chelation of RE cell iron and its subsequent excretion in the urine. The second pathway is concerned with the intracellular binding of hepatic parenchymal cell iron and its subsequent excretion in the bile. Iron chelation by DTPA is restricted to the first pathway, whereas iron chelation by CHA is confined to the second pathway. DF and RA have a dual effect and are able to enhance the urinary excretion of RE cell iron as well as the biliary excretion of hepatic parenchymal iron. Hypertransfused rats are a simple and useful experimental model for the study of iron mobilization by chelating agents of potential clinical usefulness. However, further studies are required to show whether the pathways of iron chelation identified in rats may represent the mechanism of iron chelation in patients with transfusional iron overload.

Animals↗