Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Mehdi.
In vitro hippocampal slices from adult rats were subjected to transient hypoxia in the presence of a cell-penetrating, calpain inhibitor (Cbz-Val-Phe-H; MDL-28170). The posthypoxic recovery of synaptic potentials was greatly improved in protease inhibitor-treated slices relative to control slices. These findings support a role for calcium-activated proteolysis in the process of hypoxic pathophysiology.
Inhibitors of the calcium-dependent cysteine protease calpain are described that are new analogs of the naturally-occurring compounds E-64 and leupeptin. These new derivatives, unlike the parent compounds, can inhibit calpain within cells. Their lack of charged groups probably accounts for this improved membrane permeability. These new inhibitors are proving useful in exploration of the role of calpain in many cellular processes, including platelet activation.
The design and synthesis of (E)- and (Z)-5'-fluoro-4',5'-didehydro-5'-deoxyadenosine (6 and 13, respectively), a new class of mechanism-based inhibitors of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH) hydrolase, is described. A number of analogues of 6 and 13 were synthesized in order to determine the structure-activity relationship necessary for inhibition of the enzyme. Substitution of chlorine for fluorine in 6 (i.e. 44), addition of an extra chlorine to the 5'-vinyl position (i.e. 51 and 52), modification of the 2'-hydroxyl group to the deoxy (34 and 35) and arabino (36 and 37) nucleosides provided competitive inhibitors of SAH hydrolase. Nucleosides 6 and 13, as well as 5'-deoxy-5',5'-difluoroadenosine (14) proved to be time-dependent inhibitors of SAH hydrolase. All three compounds are postulated to inhibit through the potent electrophile derived from oxidation of the 3'-hydroxyl of 6 or 13 to the ketone (i.e. 3 and/or the E-isomer). Consistent with the proposed mechanism of inactivation of SAH hydrolase by 6, 13, and 14 was the observation that incubation of purified rat liver SAH hydrolase with 6 resulted in release of 1 equiv of fluoride ion (by 19F NMR) and incubation with 14 resulted in release of 2 equiv of fluoride ion. The general synthetic route developed for the synthesis of the title nucleosides utilized the fluoro Pummerer reaction for the introduction of fluorine into the requisite precursors. Preliminary antiretroviral data from Moloney leukemia virus (MoLV) is presented and correlates with SAH hydrolase inhibition. Antiviral activity (IC50 against MoLV) ranged from 0.05 to 10 micrograms/mL.
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Neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G are serine proteases that can damage connective tissue and trigger other pathological reactions. Compounds containing a peptide sequence to impart specificity and bearing an alpha-dicarbonyl unit (alpha-diketone or alpha-keto ester) at the carboxy terminus are potent inhibitors of the neutrophil serine proteases (human neutrophil elastase: R-Val-COCH3, Ki = 0.017 microM; R-Val-COOCH3, Ki = 0.002 microM; human neutrophil cathepsin G: R-Phe-COCH3, Ki = 0.8 microM; R-Phe-COOCH3, Ki = 0.44 microM; R = N-(4-[(4-chlorophenyl)sulfonylaminocarbonyl]phenylcarbonyl)+ ++ValylProlyl).
HIV-1-positive antisera were tested for their ability to lyse HIV-1-infected cells in the presence of active complement. Cytolytic effects caused by sera derived from infected humans were slower than those observed with sera from immunised chimpanzees. Lytic but also negative sera were found among HIV-1-infected asymptomatic men as well as among clinical AIDS cases. Human antisera that lysed infected cells reacted similarly irrespective of whether the complement was heterologous or autologous. Analysis of complement-mediated lysis using defined antisera against recombinant HIV-1 env or core antigens suggested that gp160/gp120 and p24 can act as target antigens for an antibody- and complement-mediated cytolysis of infected cells. Complement alone reduced the spread of HIV-1 infection in CD4+ cells and the ability of HIV-1 and HIV-2 to form plaques in CD4-transfected HeLa cells. Co-operative effects of specific antibodies and complement were the most effective in inhibiting HIV infections.
Antibody-like molecules consisting of the human CD 4 extracellular domain fused to human IgG1 heavy chain constant regions were genetically constructed and expressed in a BHK cell stable transfectant. Purified chimeric antibodies bound to HIV particles as it was shown by immuno electron microscopy, inhibited fusions of HIV-1-infected cells with uninfected cells, neutralized HIV-1, and were able to inhibit the spread of a cellular HIV-1 infection in CD 4+ cells. Plaque reduction assays with CD 4(+)-transfected Hela-cells showed a comparable inhibition of HIV-1 and HIV-2. Inhibitory functions were enhanced in the presence of complement. HIV-1- and HIV-2-infected CD 4+ cells were efficiently lysed by a slow, complement-dependent mechanism, whereas uninfected CD 4+ cells and HLA-DR+ cells were not affected.
Inhibitors of neutrophil proteases may have therapeutic effects in inflammatory diseases. MDL 27,324 (Dansyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Val-CF3), inhibits human neutrophil elastase and MDL 27,399 (MeOSucc-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-COOCH3), inhibits human neutrophil cathepsin G. These compounds individually or in combination, partially inhibited the hydrolysis of fluoresceinated bovine serum albumin and fluoresceinated immune complexes by rat and human neutrophil granule lysate. In contrast, the combination of inhibitors completely prevented the breakdown of a complex connective tissue substrate, azure hide powder. Rat neutrophils phagocytosed and hydrolyzed fluoresceinated immune complexes, a process which was inhibited by cytochalasin B (15 micrograms/ml, 65% inhibition) and chloroquine (200 microM, 80% inhibition). Although MDL 27,324 was taken up by the cells, it had only a modest inhibitory effect on the proteolysis of ingested fluoresceinated immune complexes (200 microM, 20% inhibition); MDL 27,399 had similar limited efficacy. Therefore, these compounds may be effective inhibitors of neutrophil serine proteases secreted into the extracellular space during inflammation without interfering with the normal process of intracellular degradation of phagocytosed material.
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Comparison of MeO-Suc-Val-Pro-Phe-CO2Me (29) and MeO-Suc-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe- CO2Me (25) with their corresponding trifluoromethyl ketones 9a and 9b, respectively, in rat and human neutrophil cathepsin G assays showed the alpha-keto esters to be more potent inhibitors. Likewise, Ac-Pro-Ala-Pro-Ala-CO2Me (21) was more potent than its corresponding trifluoromethyl ketone (9c) in both porcine pancreatic elastase and human neutrophil elastase assays. Within a set of Ala-Ala-Pro-Val-CF3 elastase inhibitors, the carbobenzyloxy (Cbz) N-protecting group conferred greater potency as a P5 site recognition unit for elastase than did dansyl, methoxysuccinyl, or tert-butyloxycarbonyl. Initial inhibition of elastase was greater when trifluoromethyl ketone 9f was added from a stock solution of dimethyl sulfoxide than when it had been buffer-equilibrated prior to assay, which suggests that the nonhydrated ketone is the more effective form of the inhibitor. The most potent elastase inhibitor we report is Na-(Ad-SO2)-N epsilon-(MeO-Suc)Lys-Pro-Val-CF3 (16) which has a Ki of 0.58 nM.
Different chimeric antibody-like molecules consisting of the four human CD4 extracellular domains (amino acids 1-369) fused to different parts of human IgG1 and IgM heavy-chain constant regions have been created and expressed in mammalian cells. For both IgG1 and IgM fusion proteins, the best expression in COS cells was observed for molecules lacking the CH1 domain of the heavy-chain constant region. The chimeric molecules are potent inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and HIV-mediated cytotoxicity. A CD4:IgG1 hinge fusion protein, which was analyzed in more detail, binds efficiently to HIV gp160 and human Fc receptors and shows complement-assisted inhibition of viral propagation in culture. Half-life studies after intravenous application of the latter human fusion protein into mice and monkeys showed significant prolongation of serum survival compared to soluble CD4. An IgG2b murine homolog of the human CD4:IgG1 hinge fusion protein was prepared and evaluated in mice, where it was found to be nontoxic and to have no detectable effect on the humoral response to soluble antigen.
(Z)-4',5'-Didehydro-5'-deoxy-5'-fluoroadenosine (I), 5'-deoxy-5'-difluoroadenosine (II), and 4',5'-didehydro-5'-deoxy-5'-fluoroarabinosyl-adenosine (III) are inhibitors of rat liver S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase. Compounds I and II are time-dependent and irreversible inhibitors of the enzyme. Both I and II are oxidized by E.NAD to produce E.NADH, and fluoride anion is formed in the inactivation reaction (0.7 to 1.0 mole fluoride/mole of enzyme subunit, and 1.7 moles fluoride/mole of enzyme subunit from I and II, respectively). The enzyme is stoichiometrically labeled with [8-3H]-I, but the label is lost upon denaturation of the protein either with or without treatment of the labeled complex with sodium borohydride. The compound III, the arabino derivative of I, is a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme. The mechanism of the inhibition of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase by these inhibitors is discussed.
Human retroviruses causing AIDS (HIV-1, HIV-2) can occur in human plasma donations. Since HIV-contaminated plasma cannot be completely excluded by testing for anti-HIV-1 (routine plasma screening for anti-HIV-2 has not yet been established), a safeguard against AIDS in therapeutics derived from human plasma can only be achieved by introducing HIV inactivating/eliminating methods into the manufacturing process of plasma derivatives. To investigate the HIV inactivating efficiency of such methods, aliquots of infectious HIV-1 or HIV-2 concentrates were added to a protein preparation, the resulting HIV spiked preparation was then treated according to the method to be studied, and the amount of infectious HIV in this preparation was determined before and after treatment. Methods by which HIV-1 or HIV-2, respectively, were completely inactivated were ethanol fractionation according to the Cohn procedure, pepsin treatment, affinity chromatography, protein precipitation by various methods, and pasteurization (heat treatment at 60 degrees C in aqueous solution). The use of these methods for manufacturing human plasma derivatives resulted in products that were free of any infectious HIV-1 or HIV-2 and thus unable to transmit AIDS.
The cofactor requirements of dehydroquinate synthase from Escherichia coli have been characterized. The homogeneous enzyme, purified from the overproducing strain RB791 (pJB14), is a monomeric metalloenzyme of Mr = 39,000 that contains 1 mol of tightly bound Co(II) according to atomic absorption analysis. The holoenzyme rapidly loses activity upon incubation with EDTA, giving rise to a stable but catalytically inactive apoenzyme. Activity is fully restored by reconstitution with Co(II) and partially restored with other divalent cations. Reconstitution of the apoenzyme with Zn(II) (which is probably the functioning metal in vivo) restores activity to 53% of the level observed with the Co(II)-holoenzyme. The presence of the substrate 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (1) blocks the inactivation by EDTA. Dehydroquinate synthase also binds 1 mol of NAD+, the presence of which is essential for catalytic activity. The rate constant for the dissociation of NAD+ from the Co(II)-holoenzyme was found to be 0.024 min-1. Under turnover conditions with saturating levels of substrate, the dissociation rate of NAD+ increases by a factor of 40, to 1 min-1. Under these conditions (pH 7.5, 20 degrees C), the Km for NAD+ was determined to be 80 nM.
Relative values of Vmax/Km for hydrolysis of 40 peptide p-nitroanilides catalyzed by human Cl-s and human acrosin are reported. For Cl-s, Ac-Lys(gamma Cbz)-Gly-Arg is the optimum sequence, but 25% of the substrates have (Vmax/Km)rel greater than 0.25 compared to this sequence. The best acrosin substrate tested has the sequence Tos-Gly-Pro-Arg, although (Vmax/Km)rel greater than 0.15 for more than half of the substrates. Proline at P2 is preferred by acrosin. Both enzymes prefer arginine at P1 greater than or equal to 3-fold over lysine and will not accept citrulline. In addition, occupancy of site S3 may yield an increase in Vmax/Km of greater than or equal to 10-fold with either enzyme, but many residues are accepted at S2, S3 and S4. Thus, an acrosin assay using Tos-Gly-Pro-Arg p-nitroanilide as a substrate is more than 20-times as sensitive as existing assays with blocked arginine derivatives.
An assay for measuring dihydroorotase activity was devised. Radiolabeled substrate and product were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography using a reverse-phase column with ion-pairing, and the radioactivity was quantitated by flow detection.
A synthetic inhibitor of calpain protects rat erythrocyte membrane-associated cytoskeletal proteins from proteolytic degradation (IC50 = 1 microM) which occurs when the cells are rendered permeable to Ca++. Leupeptin, a naturally occurring inhibitor of the enzyme, does not afford any protection at concentrations up to 100 microM.
A hepatitis A virus isolate originally obtained from the feces of a clinically ill patient and passaged in diploid human embryonic kidney and lung cells was adapted to grow in MRC-5, Cercopithecus aethiops muscle and in Vero cells. Three different adaptation methods were applied. Either method proved to be suitable to finally give high virus titres of cell-bound as well as cell-free virus in the supernatant of infected cultures during 10 to 15 passages. An easily performable immunoperoxidase staining method was used for the titration of hepatitis A virus in microtitre plates. Cytopathogenic changes in MRC-5 cell cultures infected with fully adapted virus are described.