Solid-phase microextraction and GC-ECD of benzophenones for detection of benzodiazepines in urine. (1/275)

Benzodiazepines are common drugs that cause intoxication. Benzodiazepines and their metabolites can be converted by hydrolysis in acid to the corresponding benzophenones, which are easier to be separated from matrices because of their hydrophobic properties. In this study, a new separation technique called solid-phase microextraction (SPME), which can integrate extraction, concentration, sampling and sample introduction into one single procedure, has been employed to extract the products of benzodiazepines from urine after acid hydrolysis. The extracts were determined by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection (GC-ECD). The hydrolysis conditions were optimized by a statistic orthogonal design. Factors influencing direct-immersion (DI)-SPME process were also checked and chosen experimentally. The method was evaluated with spiked human urine samples. The recoveries of nine benzodiazepines ranged from 1 to 25%, with the highest for oxazolam and the lowest for bromazepam. The calibration curves were linear from 10 to 500 ng/mL for oxazolam, haloxazolam, flunitrazepam, nimetazepam, and clonazepam and from 20 to 1000 ng/mL for the others except bromazepam. The detection limits were 2-20 ng/mL for most drugs tested. The intraday and interday coefficients of variation of the developed method were within 10 and 17%, respectively. In addition, the utility of the method was confirmed by determining two ingested benzodiazepines (flunitrazepam and oxazolam) in a volunteer's urine; urine flunitrazepam was still detectable 32 h after a therapeutic dose (1.2 mg) of the drug. Finally, the DI-SPME was compared with the conventional liquid-liquid extraction with regard to detection limits and extraction efficiency of the analytes. By DI-SPME, more amounts of analytes could be introduced into GC column than by conventional liquid-liquid extraction, and thus lower detection limits of the analytes were reached, although benzophenone recoveries by DI-SPME were rather low.  (+info)

Mechanism of regulation of hsp70 chaperones by DnaJ cochaperones. (2/275)

Hsp70 chaperones assist a large variety of protein folding processes within the entire lifespan of proteins. Central to these activities is the regulation of Hsp70 by DnaJ cochaperones. DnaJ stimulates Hsp70 to hydrolyze ATP, a key step that closes its substrate-binding cavity and thus allows stable binding of substrate. We show that DnaJ stimulates ATP hydrolysis by Escherichia coli Hsp70, DnaK, very efficiently to >1000-fold, but only if present at high (micromolar) concentration. In contrast, the chaperone activity of DnaK in luciferase refolding was maximal at several hundredfold lower concentration of DnaJ. However, DnaJ was capable of maximally stimulating the DnaK ATPase even at this low concentration, provided that protein substrate was present, indicating synergistic action of DnaJ and substrate. Peptide substrates were poorly effective in this synergistic action. DnaJ action required binding of protein substrates to the central hydrophobic pocket of the substrate-binding cavity of DnaK, as evidenced by the reduced ability of DnaJ to stimulate ATP hydrolysis by a DnaK mutant with defects in substrate binding. At high concentrations, DnaJ itself served as substrate for DnaK in a process considered to be unphysiological. Mutant analysis furthermore revealed that DnaJ-mediated stimulation of ATP hydrolysis requires communication between the ATPase and substrate-binding domains of DnaK. This mechanism thus allows DnaJ to tightly couple ATP hydrolysis by DnaK with substrate binding and to avoid jamming of the DnaK chaperone with peptides. It probably is conserved among Hsp70 family members and is proposed to account for their functional diversity.  (+info)

Comparison of the potassium channel openers, WAY-133537, ZD6169, and celikalim on isolated bladder tissue and In vivo bladder instability in rat. (3/275)

The effects of the ATP-dependent potassium channel agonists ZD6169, celikalim, and WAY-133537 on bladder contractile function were examined in vitro on isolated bladder strips and in vivo on spontaneous bladder contractions. All three compounds produced a concentration-dependent relaxation of isolated rat detrusor strips (IC50 values = 0.93, 0.03, and 0.09 microM, respectively for ZD6169, celikalim, and WAY-133537. Contractile inhibition by all three compounds was fully reversed by 6 microM glyburide. These compounds also effectively inhibited spontaneous bladder contractions in the rat hypertrophied bladder model of detrusor instability. We also examined the electrophysiological properties of WAY-133537 on isolated rat bladder detrusor myocytes. Myocytes had an average resting membrane potential of -40 mV. Under patch current-clamp conditions, WAY-133537 (0.3 and 1.0 microM, n = 4-5) produced a significant hyperpolarization of 21 and 26 mV, respectively. Hyperpolarization was reversed by the addition of 5 microM glyburide. In patch voltage-clamp studies, WAY-133537 (0.3 microM, n = 3) significantly increased outward current in response to both voltage step and ramp protocols consistent with activation of the ATP-dependent potassium channel. In the detrusor instability model, WAY-133537 and celikalim had similar oral potencies (ED50 = 0.13 and 0.3 mg/kg, respectively), whereas ZD6169 was less potent (ED50 = 2.4 mg/kg). The antihypertensive agent celikalim exerted effects on the bladder at doses that significantly reduced systemic blood pressure. In contrast, both WAY-133537 and ZD6169 inhibited bladder hyperactivity at doses that produced minimal changes in both mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate. These data suggest that both WAY-133537 and ZD6169 may be useful in the treatment of bladder instability at doses associated with minimal hemodynamic side effects.  (+info)

Guanosine triphosphatase stimulation of oncogenic Ras mutants. (4/275)

Interest in the guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) reaction of Ras as a molecular drug target stems from the observation that, in a large number of human tumors, Ras is characteristically mutated at codons 12 or 61, more rarely 13. Impaired GTPase activity, even in the presence of GTPase activating proteins, has been found to be the biochemical reason behind the oncogenicity of most Gly12/Gln61 mutations, thus preventing Ras from being switched off. Therefore, these oncogenic Ras mutants remain constitutively activated and contribute to the neoplastic phenotype of tumor cells. Here, we show that the guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) analogue diaminobenzophenone-phosphoroamidate-GTP (DABP-GTP) is hydrolyzed by wild-type Ras but more efficiently by frequently occurring oncogenic Ras mutants, to yield guanosine 5'-diphosphate-bound inactive Ras and DABP-Pi. The reaction is independent of the presence of Gln61 and is most dramatically enhanced with Gly12 mutants. Thus, the defective GTPase reaction of the oncogenic Ras mutants can be rescued by using DABP-GTP instead of GTP, arguing that the GTPase switch of Ras is not irreversibly damaged. An exocyclic aromatic amino group of DABP-GTP is critical for the reaction and bypasses the putative rate-limiting step of the intrinsic Ras GTPase reaction. The crystal structures of Ras-bound DABP-beta,gamma-imido-GTP show a disordered switch I and identify the Gly12/Gly13 region as the hydrophobic patch to accommodate the DABP-moiety. The biochemical and structural studies help to define the requirements for the design of anti-Ras drugs aimed at the blocked GTPase reaction.  (+info)

The binding site for an inhibitor of squalene:hopene cyclase determined using photoaffinity labeling and molecular modeling. (5/275)

BACKGROUND: The squalene:hopene cyclases (SHCs) are bacterial enzymes that convert squalene into hopanoids, a function analogous to the action of oxidosqualene cyclases (OSCs) in eukaryotic steroid and triterpenoid biosynthesis. We have identified the binding site for a selective, potent, photoactivatable inhibitor of an SHC. RESULTS: SHC from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius was specifically labeled by [3H]Ro48-8071, a benzophenone-containing hypocholesteremic drug. Edman degradation of a peptide fragment of covalently modified SHC confirmed that Ala44 was specifically modified. Molecular modeling, using X-ray-derived protein coordinates and a single point constraint for the inhibitor, suggested several geometries by which Ro48-8071 could occupy the active site. CONCLUSIONS: A covalent complex of a potent inhibitor with a squalene cyclase has been characterized. The amino acid modification and molecular modeling suggest that Ro48-8071 binds at the junction between the central cavity and substrate entry channel, therefore inhibiting access of the substrate to the active site.  (+info)

A novel N-aryl tyrosine activator of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma reverses the diabetic phenotype of the Zucker diabetic fatty rat. (6/275)

The discovery that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma was the molecular target of the thiazolidinedione class of antidiabetic agents suggested a key role for PPAR-gamma in the regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Through the use of high-throughput biochemical assays, GW1929, a novel N-aryl tyrosine activator of human PPAR-gamma, was identified. Chronic oral administration of GW1929 or troglitazone to Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats resulted in dose-dependent decreases in daily glucose, free fatty acid, and triglyceride exposure compared with pretreatment values, as well as significant decreases in glycosylated hemoglobin. Whole body insulin sensitivity, as determined by the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp technique, was significantly increased in treated animals. Comparison of the magnitude of glucose lowering as a function of serum drug concentrations showed that GW1929 was 2 orders of magnitude more potent than troglitazone in vivo. These data were consistent with the relative in vitro potencies of GW1929 and troglitazone. Isolated perfused pancreas studies performed at the end of the study confirmed that pancreata from vehicle-treated rats showed no increase in insulin secretion in response to a step change in glucose from 3 to 10 mmol/l. In contrast, pancreata from animals treated with GW1929 showed a first- and second-phase insulin secretion pattern. Consistent with the functional data from the perfusion experiments, animals treated with the PPAR-gamma agonist had more normal islet architecture with preserved insulin staining compared with vehicle-treated ZDF rats. This is the first demonstration of in vivo efficacy of a novel nonthiazolidinedione identified as a high-affinity ligand for human PPAR-gamma. The increased potency of GW1929 compared with troglitazone both in vitro and in vivo may translate into improved clinical efficacy when used as monotherapy in type 2 diabetic patients. In addition, the significant improvement in daily meal tolerance may impact cardiovascular risk factor management in these patients.  (+info)

Effects of ZD6169, a K(ATP) channel opener, on the micturition reflex in the rat. (7/275)

The effects of ZD6169, a new ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener, on reflex urinary bladder activity were evaluated in urethane-anesthetized female Wistar rats. Continuous transvesical slow infusion cystometrograms (0.04 ml/min) were performed in untreated, capsaicin-pretreated (125 mg/kg s.c., 4 days before experiments) and capsaicin vehicle-pretreated rats. Intravesical infusion of ZD6169 in concentrations of 6, 15, 30, and 300 nM for 2 h at each concentration increased the intercontraction interval and pressure threshold for voiding in a concentration-dependent manner in untreated and vehicle-pretreated rats but not in capsaicin-pretreated animals. The effects appeared within 30 min after administration. ZD6169 did not alter baseline bladder pressure, duration of contractions, or the peak pressure during voiding. Glibenclamide (20 mg/kg i.v.) reversed the effects of ZD6169 (30 nM). During transvesical cystometrograms performed at a fast rate (0.21 ml/min), ZD6169 in concentrations between 6 and 300 nM did not alter the intercontraction interval or pressure threshold for voiding. ZD6169 produced smaller and more variable effects during slow transurethral cystometrograms. Capsaicin, a C-fiber afferent neurotoxin, administered s.c. 4 days before the experiment, produced similar changes and also eliminated the effect of ZD6169. These data suggest that ZD6169 raises the threshold for activation of C-fiber mechanoreceptors in the bladder wall and thereby increases the bladder volume for inducing reflex voiding.  (+info)

Differential and selective inhibition of protein kinase A and protein kinase C in intact cells by balanol congeners. (8/275)

The fungal metabolite balanol is a potent inhibitor of protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) in vitro that acts by competing with ATP for binding (K(i) approximately 4 nM); congeners of balanol show specificity for PKA over PKC. We have characterized the effects of balanol and 10"-deoxybalanol in intact cells to determine whether these compounds cross the cell membrane and whether the potency and specificity noted in vitro are preserved in vivo. In neonatal rat myocytes and cultured A431 cells transiently transfected with a cyclic AMP response element-luciferase reporter construct, balanol inhibits the induction of luciferase activity by isoproterenol, indicating inhibition of PKA. Western analysis shows that both balanol and 10"-deoxybalanol reduce phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein in isoproterenol-stimulated A431 cells; inhibition is concentration dependent with an IC(50) value of approximately 3 microM. Balanol, but not 10"-deoxybalanol, inhibits phosphorylation of the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate protein, a PKC substrate, in phorbol ester-stimulated A431 cells (IC(50) approximately 7 microM). Our data demonstrate that balanol is a potent inhibitor of PKA and PKC in several whole-cell systems and causes no obvious toxicity. In addition, balanol congeners inhibit PKA and PKC with the specificity and potency predicted by in vitro experiments.  (+info)

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