PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

W H Okamura

Publications and source records attributed to W H Okamura.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Studies on vitamin D (calciferol) and its analogues. 10. Side-chain analogues of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3.

A homologous series of side-chain analogues of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-hydroxycholecalciferol) in which the length of the side chain is modified while maintaining its characteristic tertiary hydroxyl moiety has been synthesized. The following five analogues have been prepared and characterized: pentanor-25-OH-D3 (2a), trinor-25-OH-D3 (2b), dinor-25-OH-D3 (2c), nor-25-OH-D3 (2d), and homo-25-OH-D3 T2e). Biological assays in vivo of intestinal calcium absorption and bone calcium mobilization in the chick of the five analogues revealed that the homo analogue 2e exhibited a significant biological response relative to the -D (vitamin D3) control. Compared to the natural vitamin D3, 2e is as active in its ability to mobilize bone calcium and is about half as effective in stimulating intestinal calcium transport. The remaining analogues (2a-d) exhibited no significant activity in either assay, although the nor analogue 2d was previously observed to exhibit antimetabolite activity.

Animals↗

The chemistry and conformational and biological analysis of vitamin D3, its metabolites and analogues.

The chemical properties, stereochemical relationships and solution conformation, as assessed in part by proton NMR spectroscopy, for vitamin D3, its major metabolites [including 1alpha,25-(OH)2D3, its hormonally active form] and a number of A-ring and side chain analogues are evaluated and discussed in relation to their biological activity. In particular the relative ability of many of these seco-steroids to compete both with 25-OHD3 for its chick serum binding protein and 1alpha,25-(OH)2-D3 for its chick intestinal cytosol-chromatin receptor system was quantitated, in vitro. Further, the relative effectiveness of all these metabolites and analogues to mediate in vivo intestinal calcium absorption and bone calcium mobilization was determined. Collectively these chemical and biological studies constitute a "systems analysis" of the various steroid structural parameters both required and tolerated by the multi-stepped endocrine system associated with the biological actions of vitamin D.

Animals↗

Comparison of effects of 1 alpha-hydroxy-vitamin D3 and 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 in man.

The effects of short-term treatment with 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 [1,25(0H)2D3] or 1 alpha-hydroxy-vitamin D3 [1 alpha(OH)D3] on intestinal absorption of 47Ca were compared in 41 experiments in normals and 72 experiments in patients with chronic renal failure. 11 patients were studied a second time after treatment for 2-5 mo. Doses varied from 0.14 to 5.4 mug/day to establish dose-response relationships. Urinary calcium was monitored in normal subjects, nine of whom received a constant calcium intake on a metabolic unit. There was an increase in intestinal absorption of 47Ca and urinary calcium in normals receiving 1,25 (OH)2D3, 0.14 mug/day or greater, and 0.28 mug/day or greater augmented intestinal absorption of 47Ca in chronic renal failure. In contrast, 2.6 mug/day of 1 alpha (OH) D3 was required to increase intestinal absorption of 47Ca in both groups. The increase in urinary calcium to maximal levels was delayed during treatment with 1 alpha (OH) D3, 5-10 days vs. 2-5 days with 1,25 (OH)2D3. Moreover, half times for urinary calcium to decrease to pretreatment levels after stopping treatment were greater after 1 alpha-(OH) D3 (1.5-2.7 days) than 1,25(OH)2D3 (1.1-2.0 days). With long-term administration there was a progressive increase in intestinal absorption of 47Ca in the patients receiving 1 alpha (OH)D3; this was not observed with 1,25(OH)2D3. The pharmacologic differences between 1 alpha(OH) D3 and 1,25(OH)2D3 may be explained by the requirement for 25-hydroxylation of 1alpha(OH) D3 before biologic effects occur; at low doses (less than 1 mug/day), 1 alpha(OH) D3 competes with vitamin D3 for 25-hydroxylation. With prolonged treatment or larger doses (greater than 2 mug/day),, 1alpha(OH) D3 could accumulate and then be hydroxylated resulting in production of higher levels of 1,25(OH)2D3.

Adult↗

Structural requirements for the interaction of 1 alpha, 25-(OH) 2- vitiamin D3 with its chick interestinal receptor system.

The mechanism by which 1 alpha,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1alpha,25-(OH)2D3), the biologically active metabolite of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), stimulates intestinal calcium absorption has been shown to involve an interaction of the steroid with a specific cytosol-chromatin receptor system in this target organ. Thus, 1alpha,12(OH)2D3 binds to a specific cytoplasmic receptor protein and then, following a temperature-dependent step, becomes associated with a finite number of chromatin acceptor sites prior to the initiation of the physiological response. In this respect, 1alpha,25(OH) 2D3 is similar to a number of other steroid hormones. In this investigation, studies were performed to help define the essential structural features required for interaction of 1alpha,25-(OH)2D3 with its intestinal receptor system, and presumably, for biological activity. To this end, competition studies utilizing a series of closely related structural analogs of cholecalciferol were carried out by means of a competitive binding assay highly specific for 1alpha,25(OH)2D3. The competitive binding assay employed in this study is dependent upon the ability to duplicate, in vitro, the conditions which permit the saturable binding of 1alpha,25-(OH)2[3H]D3 to chick intestinal chromatin, in vivo. Optimal conditions for this assay were achieved by the incubation of a reconstituted intestinal receptor system consisting of separately isolated cytosol and Triton X-100 chromatin fractions at 25 degrees for 45 min with 2.0 X 10-8 M 1alpha,25-(OH)2[3H]D3. Maximal binding of about 21 to 24 pmol of radioactive steroid bound per chick intestinal chromatin occurred under these conditions. The ability of the various analogs to compete with the radioactive hormone was assessed by virtue of a decrease in the amount of radioactive steroid bound to the chromatin in the presence of increasing concentrations of nonradioactive analog.

Animals↗

Vitamin D: 3-deoxy-lalpha-hydroxyvitamin D3, biologically active analog of lalpha-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

The ability of chemically synthesized 3-deoxy-lalpha-hydroxyvitamin D3, an analog of the biologically active form of vitamin D3, (lalpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3), to stimulate intestinal calcium transport was assessed. The 3-deoxy analog acted significantly more rapidly than vitamin D3 and only slightly slower than lalpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Comparison of the dose-response curves of these three vitamin D derivatives emphasizes the importance of the 3beta-hydroxyl group to biological activity.

Animals↗

Vitamin D in solution: conformations of vitamin D3, 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and dihydrotachysterol3.

Solution conformations of the A and seco B rings of vitamin D(3), 1(alpha), 25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), 1(alpha)-hydroxyvitamin D(3), and dihydrotachysterol(3) have been established by high resolution, 300-megahertz proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The A ring of these steroids is dynamically equilibrated between two chair conformers. For vitamin D(3), 1(alpha)-hydroxyvitamin D(3), and 1(alpha),25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) the relative proportions of the two conformers are 1 : 1, whereas dihydrotachysterol3 exists principally as only one conformer. Thus, the substituent groups on the A ring may be either equatorially or axially oriented, and suggests a refinement of the existing topological model for vitamin D hormonal activity.

Cholecalciferol↗

Vitamin D: concerning the relationship between molecular topology and biological function.

Structure-function relationships for vitamin D, its metabolites, and analogs are discussed with particular emphasis on the A-ring conformation. It is emphasized that the A-ring of these seco-steroids consists of a pair of rapidly equilibrating chair conformers. As a consequence, different chair conformations produce different orientations of substituent groups in the A-ring. It is proposed that the 1alpha-hydroxyl of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) or its geometric equivalent in analogs must occupy the equatorial, as opposed to the axial, orientation for optimization of biological activity. This proposal is discussed in relation to existing published data on structure-function relationships and the steroid hormone model of action for the biologically active form of vitamin D. This three-dimensional topological model suggests the synthesis of other vitamin D analogs.

Cholecalciferol↗

Conformationally restricted mimics of vitamin D rotamers.

Drug developments in the vitamin D field have continued to focus on structure-function studies of analogs produced by chemically modifying the structure of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25-D3) and its metabolites. Direct structural information gleaned from X-ray crystallographic or NMR studies regarding the ligand-receptor complex and other guest-host systems, which are likely involved in initiating biologic responses, also offers potential insight into drug design. Evidence has accrued suggesting that topologically different conformers of 1,25-D3 may bind to proteins in different ways, including the induction of different conformations of protein. This paper concerns our progress on the chemical synthesis of analogs (e.g. ansa-steroids, suprasterols, vinylallenes and other analogs) conformationally locked or at least rotationally restricted to mimic higher energy conformers of 1,25-D3.

Animals↗

Different shapes of the steroid hormone 1alpha,25(OH)(2)-vitamin D(3) act as agonists for two different receptors in the vitamin D endocrine system to mediate genomic and rapid responses.

Vitamin D(3) produces biologic responses as a consequence of its metabolism into 1alpha,25(OH)(2)-vitamin D(3) [1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)] and 24R,25(OH)(2)-vitamin D(3). The metabolic production of these two seco steroids and their generation of the plethora of biologic actions that are attributable to the parent vitamin D(3) are orchestrated via the integrated operation of the vitamin D endocrine system. This system is very similar in its organization to that of classic endocrine systems and is characterized by an endocrine gland (the kidney, the source of the two steroid hormones), target cells which possess receptors for the steroid hormones, and a feed-back loop involving changes in serum Ca(2+) that alter the secretion of parathyroid hormone (a stimulator of the renal 1-hydroxylase) which modulates the output by the kidney of the steroid hormones. There are, however, at least two unique aspects to the vitamin D endocrine system. (a) The chemical structures of vitamin D and its steroid hormones dictate that these be highly conformationally flexible molecules present a wide variety of shapes to their biologic environments. (b) It is now believed that 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) produces biologic responses through two distinct receptors which recognize totally different shapes of the conformationally flexible 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3). Thus, the classic actions of 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) to regulate gene transcription occur as a consequence of the stereospecific interaction of a modified 6-s-trans bowl-shape of 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) with its nuclear receptor (VDR(nuc)). The ability of 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) to generate a variety of rapid (seconds to minutes) biologic responses (opening of chloride channels, activation of PKC and MAP kinases) requires a planar 6-s-cis ligand shape which is recognized by a putative plasma membrane receptor (VDR(mem)) to initiate appropriate signal transduction pathways. This report summarizes the evidence for the specificity of different ligand shapes and the operation of the two receptor families for 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3).

Animals↗