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Time course characterization of the induction of cytochrome P-450 2E1 by pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole.

Cytochrome P-450 (P-450) 2E1 is under transcriptional and post-transcriptional control. Well-defined time courses were carried out to compare the effect of pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole on catalytic activities, apo-P-450 2E1 levels and mRNA levels to evaluate whether induction of P-450 2E1 is preceded by altered mRNA levels. Two days of treatment with pyrazole or three days of treatment with 4-methylpyrazole resulted in significant induction of P-450 2E1, as assessed by Western blots and by oxidation of dimethylnitrosamine or p-nitrophenol. No changes in mRNA levels were detected with either inducer. Within 2 h of the second treatment with pyrazole, maximal induction of P-450 2E1 was observed, however, a 8-12 h time-dependent period was required after the third treatment with 4-methylpyrazole for maximal induction. Irrespective of the time period, increased catalytic activity and P-450 2E1 appears to reflect a post-transcriptional mechanism. A single treatment with 4-methylpyrazole increased P-450 2B1/B2 levels and oxidation of pentoxyresorufin about 2- to 3-fold. No change in mRNA levels for 2B1/B2 was observed. Although significant, the induction of 2B1/B2 by 4-methylpyrazole is more than an order of magnitude less than that by phenobarbital. Pyrazole did not induce 2B1/B2. It appears that, similar to acetone and ethanol, 4-methylpyrazole may increase several P-450 isozymes, whereas pyrazole is more specific for induction of P-450 2E1.

Animals↗

Synthesis and cytotoxicity of epoxide and pyrazole analogs of the combretastatins.

Twenty-six epoxide and corresponding pyrazole derivatives, of the structurally related chalcones and combretastatin A-4 (CA-4), were synthesized and tested for in vitro cytotoxicity. These molecules were synthesized by epoxidation of the relevant chalcones, followed by reaction with hydrazine. The structures of epoxides 3 and 7, and pyrazole 17, were confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. The relatively coplanar conformation of a 3',3'',4',4'',5',5''-hexamethoxypyrazole 17 was in good agreement with the shape for 3',3'',4',4'',5'-pentamethoxypyrazole 16, which was determined from molecular mechanics optimization. In vitro cytotoxicity of each class of compounds was obtained using a 72 h continuous exposure MTT assay against two murine cancer cell lines; B16 melanoma and L1210 leukemia. The effect of substitution in the A-ring is addressed: three methoxy groups versus two, generally increased cytotoxicity across both cell lines. In the majority of cases, the pyrazoles are generally more active than the epoxides, with the most active, 5-(3''-amino-4''-methoxyphenyl)-3-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl)pyrazole 21, possessing an IC(50) value of 5 and 2.4 microM (B16 and L1210, respectively). Due to their planar conformations, the pyrazoles are typically less active than the corresponding chalcones, which adopt angular conformations similar to CA-4. B-ring modifications confirmed that in general the amino compounds are more active than the corresponding nitro compounds. Varying the number and orientation of methoxy groups on the A-ring did not produce any significant differences in toxicity in the cell lines studied.

Animals↗

Posttranscriptional regulation of coumarin 7-hydroxylase induction by xenobiotics in mouse liver: mRNA stabilization by pyrazole.

The induction mechanism by pyrazole or phenobarbital of coumarin 7-hydroxylase (cytochrome P450coh) was investigated in DBA/2J male mice. The P450coh mRNA in the pyrazole-induced mice was increased gradually to a 20-fold higher level within 48 h, yet transcription of the P450coh gene was not affected. The half-life of P450coh mRNA, on the other hand, was at least 4-fold longer in the pyrazole-induced DBA/2J (approximately 6.0 h) than in control DBA/2J (approximately 1.5 h) male mice. The stabilization of P450coh mRNA, therefore, is the primary mechanism for the induction by pyrazole of coumarin 7-hydroxylase. Phenobarbital, on the other hand, regulates the induction either translationally or posttranslationally. This drug affected neither the P450coh mRNA nor the P450coh gene's transcription levels in the DBA/2J male mice, although Western blots showed approximately a 3-fold increase of the P450coh protein in the liver microsomes of the drug-treated mice. The results indicate, therefore, that both phenobarbital and pyrazole regulate the P450coh induction posttranscriptionally; the former inducer enhances the translational efficiency of P450coh mRNA or alters the degradation rate of P450coh aproprotein, while the latter stabilizes P450coh mRNA.

Animals↗

Kinetic characterization of novel pyrazole TGF-beta receptor I kinase inhibitors and their blockade of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) signaling pathways regulate a wide variety of cellular processes including cell proliferation, differentiation, extracellular matrix deposition, development, and apoptosis. TGF-beta type-I receptor (TbetaRI) is the major receptor that triggers several signaling events by activating downstream targets such as the Smad proteins. The intracellular kinase domain of TbetaRI is essential for its function. In this study, we have identified a short phospho-Smad peptide, pSmad3(-3), KVLTQMGSPSIRCSS(PO4)VS as a substrate of TbetaRI kinase for in vitro kinase assays. This peptide is uniquely phosphorylated by TbetaRI kinase at the C-terminal serine residue, the phosphorylation site of its parent Smad protein in vivo. Specificity analysis demonstrated that the peptide is phosphorylated by only TbetaRI and not TGF-beta type-II receptor kinase, indicating that the peptide is a physiologically relevant substrate suitable for kinetic analysis and screening of TbetaRI kinase inhibitors. Utilizing pSmad3(-3) as a substrate, we have shown that novel pyrazole compounds are potent inhibitors of TbetaRI kinase with K(i) value as low as 15 nM. Kinetic analysis revealed that these pyrazoles act through the ATP-binding site and are typical ATP competitive inhibitors with tight binding kinetics. More importantly, these compounds were shown to inhibit TGF-beta-induced Smad2 phosphorylation in vivo in NMuMg mammary epithelial cells with potency equivalent to the inhibitory activity in the in vitro kinase assay. Cellular selectivity analysis demonstrated that these pyrazoles are capable of inhibiting activin signaling but not bone morphogenic protein or platelet-derived growth factor signal transduction pathways. Further functional analysis revealed that pyrazoles are capable of blocking the TGF-beta-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in NMuMg cells, a process involved in the progression of cancer, fibrosis, and other human diseases. These pyrazoles provide a foundation for future development of potent and selective TbetaRI kinase inhibitors to treat human disease.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a library of 1-(2-thiazolyl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole-4-carboxamides.

A library of 422 1-(2-thiazolyl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole-4-carboxamides was prepared in five steps using solution-phase chemistry. The first step in the synthesis was the reaction of ethyl 2-ethoxymethylene-3-oxo-4,4,4-trifluorobutanoate with thiosemicarbazide, which is reported in the literature to afford a 1:1 mixture of ethyl 1-thiocarbamoyl-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole-4-carboxylate and ethyl 1-thiocarbamoyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole-4-carboxylate. We reassigned the structure of the product to be a single compound, ethyl 5-hydroxy-1-thiocarbamoyl-5-(trifluoromethyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylate. This common intermediate was diversified by reaction with 17 alpha-bromoketones affording, in two steps, 17 1-(2-thiazolyl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole-4-carboxylic acids. Scavenger resins were used to facilitate formation and purification of up to 27 amides from each of these acids in the last step. In addition, the Curtius reaction was applied to 12 of the acids followed by quenching with alcohols to afford a 108-member carbamate library. Certain compounds in the two libraries were toxic to C. elegans.

Amides↗

3-Substituted pyrazole derivatives as inhibitors and inactivators of liver alcohol dehydrogenase.

3-Substituted pyrazoles, HOCH2 (1), HOCH2CH2 (2), HOCH2CH2CH2 (3), ClCH2 (4), ClCH2CH2 (5), ClCH2CH2CH2 (6), and CH3CO (7), were synthesized and evaluated in vitro on horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase for their potential as inhibitors of ethanol metabolism. 1 to 6 bound to the enzyme-NAD+ complex with dissociation constants of 40 to 200 microM, much higher than the constants for the corresponding 4-substituted pyrazoles, but with the same absorption maximum at 295 nm. 4 inactivated the enzyme within a few minutes, but NAD+ protected against reaction, and 4 nonspecifically alkylated many sulfur atoms in the protein. The isomer, 4-(chloromethyl)pyrazole, behaved similarly, 5 and 6 strongly inhibited the enzyme in the presence of NAD+, due to formation of the slowly dissociable (10(-3)s-1) enzyme-NAD+-pyrazole complex, but did not irreversibly inactivate the enzyme. 7 inhibits the enzyme weakly (Kp = 5 mM). It appears that the 3-substituted pyrazoles bind to the enzyme-NAD+ complex with the reactive functional group improperly positioned for specific irreversible reaction.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

Synthesis and selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitory activity of a series of novel, nitric oxide donor-containing pyrazoles.

The synthesis of a series of novel pyrazoles containing a nitrate (ONO(2)) moiety as a nitric oxide (NO)-donor functionality is reported. Their COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitory activities in human whole blood are profiled. Our data demonstrate that pyrazole ring substituents play an important role in COX-2 selective inhibition, such that a cycloalkyl pyrazole (6b) was found to be a potent and selective COX-2 inhibitor. Other modifications at the 3 position of the central pyrazole ring (17b, 23b, 26b-I) enhanced COX-2 inhibitory potency. Among the pyrazoles synthesized, the oxime (23b) was identified as the most potent COX-2 selective inhibitor. Accordingly, 23b was profiled pharmacologically in the rat after oral administration and shown to possess potent antiinflammatory activity in the carrageenan-induced air-pouch model and less gastric toxicity than a standard COX-2 inhibitor when administered with background aspirin treatment. We suggest that the enhanced gastric tolerance of an NO-donor COX-2 selective inhibitor has the potential to augment the clinical profile of this drug class.

Administration, Oral↗

Novel 1,3-disubstituted 8-(1-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl) xanthines: high affinity and selective A2B adenosine receptor antagonists.

Adenosine has been suggested to induce bronchial hyperresponsiveness in asthmatics, which is believed to be an A(2B) adenosine receptor (AdoR) mediated pathway. We hypothesize that a selective, high-affinity A(2B) AdoR antagonist may provide therapeutic benefit in the treatment of asthma. In an attempt to identify a high-affinity, selective antagonist for the A(2B) AdoR, we synthesized 8-(C-4-pyrazolyl) xanthines. Compound 22, 8-(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1,3-dipropyl xanthine, is a N-1 unsubstituted pyrazole derivative that has favorable binding affinity (K(i) = 9 nM) for the A(2B) AdoR, but it is only 2-fold selective versus the A(1) AdoR. Introduction of a benzyl group at the N-1-pyrazole position of 22 resulted in 19, which had moderate selectivity. The initial focus of the SAR study was on the preparation of substituted benzyl derivatives of 19 because the corresponding phenyl, phenethyl, and phenpropyl derivatives showed a decrease in A(2B) AdoR affinity and selectivity relative to 19. The preferred substitution on the phenyl ring of 19 contains an electron-withdrawing group, specifically F or CF(3) at the m-position, as in 33 and 36 respectively, increases the selectivity while retaining the affinity for the A(2B) AdoR. Exploring disubstitutions on the phenyl ring of derivatives 33 and36 led to the 2-chloro-5-trifluoromethylphenyl derivative 50, which retained the A(2B) AdoR affinity but enhanced the selectivity relative to 36. After optimization of the substitution on the 8-pyrazole xanthine, 1,3-disubstitution of the xanthine core was explored with methyl, ethyl, butyl, and isobutyl groups. In comparison to the corresponding dipropyl analogues, the smaller 1,3-dialkyl groups (methyl and ethyl) increased the A(2B) AdoR binding selectivity of the xanthine derivatives while retaining the affinity. However, the larger 1,3-dialkyl groups (isobutyl and butyl) resulted in a decrease in both A(2B) AdoR affinity and selectivity. This final SAR optimization led to the discovery of 1,3-dimethyl derivative 60, 8-(1-(3-(trifluoromethyl) benzyl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1,3-dimethyl xanthine, a high-affinity (K(i) = 1 nM) A(2B) AdoR antagonist with high selectivity (990-, 690-, and 1,000-) for the human A(1), A(2A,) and A(3) AdoRs.

Adenosine A2 Receptor Antagonists↗

Effects of pyrazole and 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole on the metabolism and toxicity of dimethylnitrosamine in the rat.

Pretreatment of rats with pyrazole or 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT) known inhibitors of alcohol metabolism, profoundly inhibited the metabolism of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN), both in terms of [14C]CO2 excretion and of the decline in the blood concentration. Additionally, 4-methylpyrazole, tetraethylthiuram disulfide (disulfiram), methanol, and ethanol inhibited the metabolism of DMN in the whole animal. In parallel experiments with [14C]aminopyrine, no substantial inhibitory effect was found with pyrazole, 3-AT, or disulfiram pretreatment. Investigations into the effects of pyrazole and 3-AT pretreatment on the acute toxicity and hepatotoxicity of DMN showed that pyrazole significantly increased the median lethal dose (LD50) of DMN and provided substantial protection against the hepatotoxicity of DMN, in that centriblobular necrosis was not seen at dose levels of DMN up to 25 mg/kg and early histochemical changes indicative of liver injury were not observed at a dose level of 15 mg DMN/kg. In contrast, 3-AT pretreatment did not affect the LD50 of DMN or provide any protection against the hepatotoxicity of DMN. Further, although both inhibitors delayed the incorporation of radioactivity from [14C]DMN into hepatic subcellular organelles, pyrazole was significantly more effective than was 3-AT.

Amitrole↗

Effect of pH on pyrazole binding to liver alcohol dehydrogenase.

1. Kinetic and equilibrium data have been determined at different pH between 4 and 10 for binding of the inhibitor pyrazole to liver alcohol dehydrogenase and to the binary complexes formed between enzyme and NADH or NAD+. 2. Pyrazole binding to free enzyme requires the protonated form of an ionizing group with a pKa of 9.2, agreeing with the pKa value reported for the water molecule bound at the catalytic zinc ion of the enzyme subunit. The rate of association of the inhibitor to the enzyme . NAD+ complex exhibits a similar pKa-7.6-dependence attributable to ionization of zinc-bound water in the latter binary complex. These observations lend support to the idea that pyrazole combines to the catalytic zinc ion on complex formation with the enzyme, zinc-bound water most likely being displaced by the inhibitor. 3. The rate of dissociation of the inhibitor from the ternary enzyme . NAD+ . pyrazole complex is proportional to the hydrogen ion concentration over the examined pH range (4-8). This effect of pH, which is proposed to reflect ionization of the enzyme-bound inhibitor with a pKa value below 4 (indirectly estimated to 2.4), accounts for the exceptional stability of the ternary complex at neutral and alkaline pH. It is concluded that pyrazole, by analogy to water and alcohol ligands, undergoes a drastic pKa perturbation on binding to the catalytic zinc ion in the enzyme . NAD+ complex.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

Opposite action of S-adenosyl methionine and its metabolites on CYP2E1-mediated toxicity in pyrazole-induced rat hepatocytes and HepG2 E47 cells.

S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) is protective against a variety of hepatotoxins, including ethanol. The ability of SAMe to protect against cytochrome P-450 2E1 (CYP2E1)-dependent toxicity was studied in hepatocytes from pyrazole-treated rats and HepG2 E47 cells, both of which actively express CYP2E1. Toxicity was initiated by the addition of arachidonic acid (AA) or by depletion of glutathione after treatment with L-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO). In pyrazole hepatocytes, SAMe (0.25-1 mM) protected against AA but not BSO toxicity. SAMe elevated GSH levels, thus preventing the decline in GSH caused by AA, and SAMe prevented AA-induced lipid peroxidation. SAMe analogs such as methionine or S-adenosyl homocysteine, which elevate GSH, also protected against AA toxicity. 5'-Methylthioadenosine (MTA), which cannot produce GSH, did not protect. The toxicity of BSO was not prevented by SAMe and the analogs because GSH cannot be synthesized. In contrast, in E47 cells, SAMe and MTA but not methionine or S-adenosyl homocysteine potentiated AA and BSO toxicity. Antioxidants such as trolox or N-acetyl cysteine prevented this synergistic toxicity of SAMe plus AA or SAMe plus BSO, respectively. In pyrazole hepatocytes, SAMe prevented the decline in mitochondrial membrane potential produced by AA, whereas in E47 cells, SAMe potentiated the decline in mitochondrial membrane potential. In E47 cells, but not pyrazole hepatocytes, the combination of SAMe plus BSO lowered levels of the antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2. Because SAMe can be metabolized enzymatically or spontaneously to MTA, MTA may play a role in the potentiation of AA and BSO toxicity by SAMe, but the exact mechanisms require further investigation. In conclusion, contrasting effects of SAMe on CYP2E1 toxicity were observed in pyrazole hepatocytes and E47 cells. In hepatocytes, SAMe protects against CYP2E1 toxicity by a mechanism involving maintaining or elevating GSH levels.

Animals↗

Inhibition of dopamine beta-hydroxylase by 4-hydroxypyrazole: ethanol-pyrazole effects on serum dopamine beta-hydroxylase in vivo.

Chronic pyrazole treatment caused a 40% decrease in rat serum dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity. Ethanol given simultaneously with pyrazole prevented the inhibition. 4-Hydroxypyrazole, the major metabolite of pyrazole, competitively inhibited both rat serum DBH and partially purified bovine adrenal DBH in vitro. In vivo, 4-hydroxypyrazole caused large decreases in rat serum (53-84%) and adrenal (97%) DBH activity but had no effect on brain enzyme. The decrease in rat serum DBH after chronic pyrazole treatment and the pyrazole-induced changes in physiological parameters, such as body weight and temperature, may be due to the formation of 4-hydroxypyrazole.

Adrenal Glands↗

1-Aryl-1H-pyrazole-5-acetic acids with antiinflammatory, analgesic and other activities.

Reaction of methyl 4-methoxy-2-dimethylaminomethylene-3-oxobutanoate with arylhydrazines gave methyl 1-aryl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylates 1 in high yields. Esters 1 were hydrolyzed to the relative carboxylic acids, which were converted by heating to 1-aryl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrazoles 3 in good yields. Reaction of 3 with hydrobromic acid afforded the intermediate 1-aryl-5-(bromomethyl)-1H-pyrazoles, which were converted with potassium cyanide to 1-aryl-1H-pyrazole-5- acetonitriles, whose hydrolysis gave the required 1-aryl-1H-pyrazole-5-acetic acids. Some acids 5 showed a strong antiinflammatory and analgesic activity in rats and mice, respectively, as well as moderate antipyretic and in vito platelet antiaggregating effects.

Acetates↗

Characterization of peptide-pyrazole interactions in solution by low-temperature NMR studies.

Complexation of the amino- and carboxyl-protected tripeptide Piv-L-Val-L-Val-L-Val-tBu with 3-methylpyrazole and 3-amino-5-methylpyrazole was studied by low-temperature NMR experiments in a freonic solvent. The peptide forms an extended beta-type structure at all temperatures and associates through hydrogen bonding with the two pyrazole-based beta-sheet ligands. A detailed structural characterization of the formed complexes by one- and two-dimensional NMR experiments under slow exchange conditions was made possible by employing very low temperatures. The tripeptide associates to stable antiparallel dimers that are symmetrically capped on both sides by two pyrazole receptors to form 2:2 complexes. Amide groups of two neighboring residues in an extended conformation are involved in cyclic hydrogen bonds to the pyrazole. Based on amide chemical shift changes, the relative strength of intermolecular hydrogen bonds can be assessed and correlated with the electronic effects of the substituents on the pyrazole.

Binding Sites↗

Heuristic molecular lipophilicity potential (HMLP): a 2D-QSAR study to LADH of molecular family pyrazole and derivatives.

The quantum chemical and structure-based technique heuristic molecular lipophilicity potential (HMLP) is used in the liver alcohol dehydrogenase (LADH) study of molecular family pyrazole and derivatives. The molecular lipophilic index LM, molecular hydrophilic index HM, lipophilic indices lss, and hydrophilic indices hss of the substitutes (fragments), and atomic lipophilicity indices las are constructed and used in QSAR study. The HMLP indices are correlated with bioactivities of 18 pyrazole derivatives according to the 2D QSAR procedure. The multiple linear regression equation between the bioactivities of pyrazole derivatives and HMLP indices are built using partial least square (PLS) with the optimal statistical quantity (r=0.987, s=0.479, F=47.19). The inhibition mechanism of LADH of the pyrazole derivatives is explained according to the physical meaning of HMLP indices. During the HMLP calculations for the 2D QSAR, the only input parameters are the atomic van der Waals radius without the need to resort to any empirical parameters. Accordingly, HMLP can provide a rigorous theoretical approach with a crystal clear physical meaning for the 2D QSAR.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Differences in teratogenic and toxic properties of alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitors pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole in Drosophila melanogaster: II. Adh allozymes in an isogenic background.

Pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole (4-MP) are in vivo and in vitro inhibitors of alcohol dehydrogenase activity in mammals. The fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster has been used to demonstrate the influence of genetic variation in alcohol dehydrogenase alleles on the results of larval treatment with pyrazole and 4-MP. Genetic polymorphism of organisms involved in experiments with teratogenic and toxic agents is not often considered. Administration of pyrazole to larvae of isogenic D. melanogaster strains, differing mainly in their Adh alleles, caused large Notch-like teratogenic aberrations, macrochaetae multiplication, and pupal mortality. The level of teratogenicity and developmental-toxicity of pyrazole was both concentration and Adh-genotype-dependent. The strain with the highest ADH activity showed smaller effects after the treatments with the two concentrations used. 4-MP does not cause morphological aberrations, although treatment of larvae with an isogenic background caused a high pupal mortality due to non-differentiated material in the pupal case.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

Increased production of hydroxyl radical by pericentral microsomes compared to periportal microsomes after pyrazole induction of cytochrome P4502E1.

Cytochrome P4502E1 is localized in the pericentral (PC) zone of the liver acinus to a greater extent than in the periportal (PP) zone. After pyrazole treatment, PC microsomes were more active in oxidizing typical substrates of CYP2E1 than PP microsomes and had an increased content of CYP2E1. The ability of PC and PP microsomes from pyrazole-treated rats to interact with iron and generate reactive oxygen species such as the hydroxyl radical (.OH) was evaluated. A sensitive DNA strand cleavage assay was used to detect .OH; supercoiled plasmid DNA is compact but is converted by .OH-induced single strand breaks to the relaxed open circular state. Microsomes from PC hepatocytes of pyrazole-treated rats were several fold more reactive than PP microsomes in promoting NADPH-dependent DNA strand cleavage with a variety of iron catalysts, including ferric-ATP, ferric-histidine, ferric-citrate, ferric ammonium sulfate, and ferric-EDTA. DNA strand cleavage was inhibited by superoxide dismutase, catalase, and .OH scavengers such as DMSO and ethanol. Rates of H2O2 production were higher with the PC microsomes. These results indicate that rates of .OH production are higher with PC microsomes than PP microsomes after pyrazole treatment to induce cytochrome P4502E1 and suggest the possibility that elevated production of reactive oxygen species may play a role in ethanol toxicity to the PC zone of the liver acinus.

Animals↗

The inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase in vitro and in isolated hepatocytes by 4-substituted pyrazoles.

As a means of comparing the functional properties of an enzyme in dilute solution in vitro with those for the same enzyme acting in its normal cellular environment, a study was conducted with 4-substituted pyrazoles as inhibitors of rat liver alcohol dehydrogenase in vitro and ethanol oxidation in isolated rat hepatocytes. Inhibitor constants (Ki's) for the same set of pyrazole derivatives were also determined for human liver alcohol dehydrogenase. The best-fitting equations were derived to relate the Ki's to the chemical nature of substituents. These quantitative structure-activity relationships show that pyrazoles with stronger electron-withdrawing substituents are weaker inhibitors both for the enzyme in vitro and, to an equal extent, for ethanol oxidation by intact cells. Inhibitor effectiveness is also dependent on substituent hydrophobicity, but, while increasing hydrophobicity makes stronger inhibitors of the enzyme in vitro, it can diminish the effectiveness in vivo by decreasing permeability through the cell membrane. A structure-activity analysis of published Ki's for pyrazoles acting against human pi-ADH indicates that its active site differs from those in other alcohol dehydrogenases.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗