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Biomedical subjects

Tilo Grosser

Publications and source records attributed to Tilo Grosser.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

EBP, a program for protein identification using multiple tandem mass spectrometry datasets.

MS/MS combined with database search methods can identify the proteins present in complex mixtures. High throughput methods that infer probable peptide sequences from enzymatically digested protein samples create a challenge in how best to aggregate the evidence for candidate proteins. Typically the results of multiple technical and/or biological replicate experiments must be combined to maximize sensitivity. We present a statistical method for estimating probabilities of protein expression that integrates peptide sequence identifications from multiple search algorithms and replicate experimental runs. The method was applied to create a repository of 797 non-homologous zebrafish (Danio rerio) proteins, at an empirically validated false identification rate under 1%, as a resource for the development of targeted quantitative proteomics assays. We have implemented this statistical method as an analytic module that can be integrated with an existing suite of open-source proteomics software.

Algorithms↗

Marked interindividual variability in the response to selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Variability in response to drugs may influence both efficacy and safety. Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors pose a cardiovascular risk by potentially increasing the likelihood of thrombosis, hypertension, and atherogenesis. Differences between individuals in the response to COX-2 inhibitors would be expected to influence their susceptibility to cardiovascular complications. We examined the variability in degree and selectivity of COX-2 inhibition in humans in response to celecoxib and rofecoxib. METHODS: Fifty healthy volunteers received placebo, rofecoxib (25 mg), and celecoxib (200 mg), randomized by order. COX-1 and COX-2 inhibition was determined using ex vivo and in vivo indices of enzymatic activity. A subset of 5 individuals underwent 5 replicate studies to estimate variability in drug response both within and between subjects. RESULTS: Despite the higher COX-2 selectivity of rofecoxib in vitro, the average selectivity attained by 25 mg rofecoxib and 200 mg celecoxib in vivo were not different. However, there was considerable variability at an individual level in the degree of COX-2 inhibition and selectivity attained by both drugs. Approximately one third of the variability was attributable to differences between individuals, suggesting the contribution of genetic sources of variance, such as candidate polymorphisms detected in COX-1 and CYP2C9. CONCLUSIONS: The actual degree of selectivity for inhibition of COX-2 achieved by the coxibs relates both to chemical properties of the drug and to factors within an individual that modulate drug response. These sources of variability might be exploited to identify patients uniquely susceptible to benefit or at developing risk of cardiovascular complications.

Adult↗

Biological basis for the cardiovascular consequences of COX-2 inhibition: therapeutic challenges and opportunities.

Inhibitors selective for prostaglandin G/H synthase-2 (PGHS-2) (known colloquially as COX-2) were designed to minimize gastrointestinal complications of traditional NSAIDs--adverse effects attributed to suppression of COX-1-derived PGE2 and prostacyclin (PGI2). Evidence from 2 randomized controlled-outcome trials (RCTs) of 2 structurally distinct selective inhibitors of COX-2 supports this hypothesis. However, 5 RCTs of 3 structurally distinct inhibitors also indicate that such compounds elevate the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. The clinical information is biologically plausible, as it is compatible with evidence that inhibition of COX-2-derived PGI2 removes a protective constraint on thrombogenesis, hypertension, and atherogenesis in vivo. However, the concept of simply tipping a "balance" between COX-2-derived PGI2 and COX-1-derived platelet thromboxane is misplaced. Among the questions that remain to be addressed are the following: (a) whether this hazard extends to all or some of the traditional NSAIDs; (b) whether adjuvant therapies, such as low-dose aspirin, will mitigate the hazard and if so, at what cost; (c) whether COX-2 inhibitors result in cardiovascular risk transformation during chronic dosing; and (d) how we might identify individuals most likely to benefit or suffer from such drugs in the future.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗

The pharmacology of selective inhibition of COX-2.

Selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 were developed to improve the safety of anti-inflammatory therapy in patients at elevated risk for gastrointestinal complications which are thought to be caused primarily by depression of COX-1 derived mucosal prostanoids. They were not expected to be more efficacious analgesics than compounds acting on both cyclooxygenases, the traditional (t) non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). While these predictions were generally supported by clinical evidence, an elevated rate of severe cardiovascular complications was observed in randomized controlled trials of three chemically distinct COX-2 selective compounds. The cardiovascular hazard is plausibly explained by the depression of COX-2 dependent prostanoids formed in vasculature and kidney; vascular prostacyclin (PGI2) constrains the effect of prothrombotic and atherogenic stimuli, and renal medullary prostacyclin and prostaglandin (PG) E(2) formed by COX-2 contribute to arterial pressure homeostasis. A drug development strategy more closely linking research into the biology of the drug target with clinical drug development may have allowed earlier recognition of these mechanisms and the cardiovascular risk of COX-2 inhibition. Open questions are i) whether the gastrointestinal benefit of COX-2 selective compounds drugs can be conserved by identifying individuals at risk and excluding them from treatment; ii) whether the risk extends to tNSAIDs; iii) and whether alternative strategies to anti-inflammatory therapy with a more advantageous risk-benefit profile can be developed.

Animals↗

Bioinformatic analysis of circadian gene oscillation in mouse aorta.

BACKGROUND: Circadian rhythmicity of many aspects of cardiovascular function-blood pressure, coagulation and contractile function-is well established, as is diurnal variation in important clinical events, such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Here, we undertake studies to globally assess circadian gene expression in murine aorta. METHODS AND RESULTS: Aortae from mice were harvested at 4-hour intervals for 2 circadian cycles (48 hours). Gene expression was assessed by expression profiling and subjected to a gene ontology bioinformatics analysis. Three hundred thirty transcripts exhibited a circadian pattern of oscillation in mouse aorta, including those intrinsic to the function of the molecular clock. In addition, many genes relevant to protein folding, protein degradation, glucose and lipid metabolism, adipocyte maturation, vascular integrity, and the response to injury are also included in this subset of roughly 7000 genes screened for circadian oscillation. CONCLUSIONS: Detection of functional cassettes of vascular genes that exhibit circadian regulation in the mouse will facilitate elucidation of the mechanisms by which the molecular clock may interact with environmental variables to modulate cardiovascular function and the response to therapeutic interventions.

Animals↗

The cardiovascular pharmacology of COX-2 inhibition.

Selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, the coxibs, were developed to inhibit inflammatory prostaglandins derived from COX-2, while sparing gastroprotective prostaglandins primarily formed by COX-1. However, COX-2-derived prostaglandins mediate not only pain and inflammation but also affect vascular function, the regulation of hemostasis/ thrombosis, and blood pressure control. All coxibs depress COX-2-dependent prostacyclin (PGI(2)) biosynthesis without effective suppression of platelet COX-1-derived thromboxane (Tx) A(2), unlike aspirin or traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2. The actions of PGI(2) oppose mediators, which stimulate platelets, elevate blood pressure, and accelerate atherogenesis, including TxA(2). Indeed, structurally distinct inhibitors of COX-2 have increased the likelihood of hypertension, myocardial infarction and stroke in controlled clinical trials. The detection of these events in patients is related to the duration of exposure and to their baseline risk of cardiovascular disease. Thus, coxibs should be withheld from patients with preexisting cardiovascular risk factors, and exposed patients at low cardiovascular baseline risk should be monitored for changes in their risk factor profile, such as increases in arterial blood pressure.

Animals↗

Prostaglandin E synthases in zebrafish.

OBJECTIVE: Prostaglandin E synthases (PGESs) are being explored as antiinflammatory drug targets as alternatives to cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. Located downstream of the cyclooxygenases, PGESs catalyze PGE(2) formation, and deletion of microsomal (m)-PGES-1 abrogates inflammation. We sought to characterize the developmental expression of COX and PGES in zebrafish. METHODS AND RESULTS: We cloned zebrafish cytosolic (c) and m-PGES orthologs and mapped them to syntenic regions of chromosomes 23 and 5. cPGES was widely expressed during development and was coordinately regulated with zCOX-1 in the inner ear, the pronephros, and intestine. COX-2 and mPGES-1 exhibited restricted expression, dominantly in the vasculature of the aortic arch. However, the enzymes were anatomically segregated within the vessel wall. Experiments with antisense morpholinos and with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs suggest that these genes may not be critical for development. CONCLUSIONS: mPGES-1 is developmentally coregulated with COX-2 in vasculature. Given the high fecundidity and translucency of the zebrafish, this model may afford a high throughput system for characterization of novel PGES inhibitors. Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase (mPGES)-1, located downstream of COX-2, may represent a novel antiinflammatory drug target. Zebrafish cytosolic (c) PGES-1 and COX-1 were coordinately expressed; mPGES-1 and COX-2 were expressed particularly in the vasculature. Zebrafish may afford a high throughput system for detection of novel PGES inhibitors.

Animals↗

Developmental expression of functional cyclooxygenases in zebrafish.

Study of the cyclooxygenases (COXs) has been limited by the role of COX-2 in murine reproduction and renal organogenesis. We sought to characterize COX expression and function in zebrafish (z). Full-length cDNAs of zCOX-1 and zCOX-2 were cloned and assigned to conserved regions of chromosomes 5 and 2, respectively. The deduced proteins are 67% homologous with their human orthologs. Prostaglandin (PG) E(2) is the predominant zCOX product detected by mass spectrometry. Pharmacological inhibitors demonstrate selectivity when directed against heterologously expressed zCOX isoforms. Zebrafish thrombocyte aggregation ex vivo and hemostasis in vivo are sensitive to inhibition of zCOX-1, but not zCOX-2. Both zCOXs were widely expressed during development, and knockdown of zCOX-1 causes growth arrest during early embryogenesis. zCOX-1 is widely evident in the embryonic vasculature, whereas zCOX-2 exhibits a more restricted pattern of expression. Both zCOX isoforms are genetically and functionally homologous to their mammalian orthologs. The zebrafish affords a tractable model system for the study of COX biology and development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Role of prostacyclin in the cardiovascular response to thromboxane A2.

Thromboxane (Tx) A2 is a vasoconstrictor and platelet agonist. Aspirin affords cardioprotection through inhibition of TxA2 formation by platelet cyclooxygenase (COX-1). Prostacyclin (PGI2) is a vasodilator that inhibits platelet function. Here we show that injury-induced vascular proliferation and platelet activation are enhanced in mice that are genetically deficient in the PGI2 receptor (IP) but are depressed in mice genetically deficient in the TxA2 receptor (TP) or treated with a TP antagonist. The augmented response to vascular injury was abolished in mice deficient in both receptors. Thus, PGI2 modulates platelet-vascular interactions in vivo and specifically limits the response to TxA2. This interplay may help explain the adverse cardiovascular effects associated with selective COX-2 inhibitors, which, unlike aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), inhibit PGI2 but not TxA2.

15-Hydroxy-11 alpha,9 alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5↗