Marked reduction of mortality in salt-loaded Dahl salt-sensitive rats by the new, selective endothelin ETA receptor antagonist, J-105859

Distinct effects of bosentan on NO-dependent vasodilation and calcium influx in heterozygous Ren-2 transgenic rats on high-salt diet

Our studies in hypertensive Ren-2 transgenic rats (TGR) demonstrated that chronic administration of atrasentan (ETA receptor antagonist) decreased blood pressure by reduced Ca2+ influx through L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels (L-VDCC) and attenuated angiotensin II-dependent vasoconstriction. We were interested whether bosentan (nonselective ET(A)/ET(B) receptor antagonist) would have similar effects. Young 4-week-old (preventive study) and adult 8-week-old (therapeutic study) heterozygous TGR and their normotensive Hannover Sprague-Dawley (HanSD) controls were fed normal-salt (NS, 0.6 % NaCl) or high-salt (HS, 2 % NaCl) diet for 8 weeks. An additional group of TGR fed HS was treated with bosentan (100 mg/kg/day). Bosentan had no effect on BP of TGR fed high-salt diet in both the preventive and therapeutic studies. There was no difference in the contribution of angiotensin II-dependent and sympathetic vasoconstriction in bosentan-treated TGR compared to untreated TGR under the condition of high-salt intake. However, bosentan significantly reduced NO-dependent vasodilation and nifedipine-sensitive BP component in TGR on HS diet. A highly important correlation of nifedipine-induced BP change and the BP after L-NAME administration was demonstrated. Although bosentan did not result in any blood pressure lowering effects, it substantially influenced NO-dependent vasodilation and calcium influx through L-VDCC in the heterozygous TGR fed HS diet. A significant correlation of nifedipine-induced BP change and the BP after L-NAME administration suggests an important role of nitric oxide in the closure of L-type voltage dependent calcium channels.

Renoprotective effects of ET(A) receptor antagonists therapy in experimental non-diabetic chronic kidney disease: Is there still hope for the future?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a life-threatening disease arising as a frequent complication of diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Since it is typically undetected for long periods, it often progresses to end-stage renal disease. CKD is characterized by the development of progressive glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy along with a decreased glomerular filtration rate. This is associated with podocyte injury and a progressive rise in proteinuria. As endothelin-1 (ET-1) through the activation of endothelin receptor type A (ET(A)) promotes renal cell injury, inflammation, and fibrosis which finally lead to proteinuria, it is not surprising that ET(A) receptors antagonists have been proven to have beneficial renoprotective effects in both experimental and clinical studies in diabetic and non-diabetic CKD. Unfortunately, fluid retention encountered in large clinical trials in diabetic CKD led to the termination of these studies. Therefore, several advances, including the synthesis of new antagonists with enhanced pharmacological activity, the use of lower doses of ET antagonists, the addition of diuretics, plus simply searching for distinct pathological states to be treated, are promising targets for future experimental studies. In support of these approaches, our group demonstrated in adult subtotally nephrectomized Ren-2 transgenic rats that the addition of a diuretic on top of renin-angiotensin and ET(A) blockade led to a further decrease of proteinuria. This effect was independent of blood pressure which was normalized in all treated groups. Recent data in non-diabetic CKD, therefore, indicate a new potential for ET(A) antagonists, at least under certain pathological conditions.

Involvement of endothelins in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertension through the modulation of noradrenergic transmission in the rat posterior hypothalamus

NEW FINDINGS

What is the central question of this study? Does ex vivo administration of endothelin-1 and endothelin-3 regulate noradrenergic transmission in the posterior hypothalamus of deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertensive rats compared with normotensive rats? What is the main finding and its importance? Endothelin-1 and endothelin-3 enhanced diverse mechanisms leading to increased noradrenergic transmission in the posterior hypothalamus of deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertensive rats. Unveiling the role of brain endothelins in hypertension would probably favour the development of new therapeutic targets for the treatment of essential hypertension, which still represents a challenging disease with high mortality. Brain catecholamines participate in diverse biological functions regulated by the hypothalamus. We have previously reported that endothelin-1 and endothelin-3 (ET-1 and ET-3) modulate catecholaminergic activity in the anterior and posterior hypothalamus of normotensive rats. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the interaction between endothelins and noradrenergic transmission in the posterior hypothalamus of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats. We assessed the effects of ET-1 and ET-3 on tyrosine hydroxylase activity and expression, neuronal noradrenaline (NA) release, neuronal NA transporter (NAT) activity and expression, monoamine oxidase activity and NA endogenous content and utilization (as a marker of turnover) in the posterior hypothalamus of DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. In addition, levels of ETA and ETB receptors were assayed in normotensive and hypertensive rats. Results showed that tyrosine hydroxylase activity and total and phosphorylated levels, NAT activity and content, NA release, monoamine oxidase activity and NA utilization were increased in DOCA-salt rats. Both ET-1 and ET-3 further enhanced all noradrenergic parameters except for total tyrosine hydroxylase level and NA endogenous content and utilization. The expression of ETA receptors was increased in the posterior hypothalamus of DOCA-salt rats, but ETB receptors showed no changes. These results show that ET-1 and ET-3 upregulate noradrenergic activity in the posterior hypothalamus of DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Our findings suggest that the interaction between noradrenergic transmission and the endothelinergic system in the posterior hypothalamus may be involved in the development and/or maintenance of hypertension in this animal model.

Chronic endothelin A receptor blockade attenuates contribution of sympathetic nervous system to salt hypertension development in adult but not in young Dahl rats

AIM

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of salt-dependent forms of hypertension in adult rats, but its participation in salt hypertension elicited in immature rats is still unknown. Therefore, we compared ET-1 role in the development or the maintenance of salt hypertension induced in young (4-week-old) or adult (12-week-old) Dahl rats.

METHODS

The contribution of pressor ET-1 effects to the maintenance of high blood pressure (BP) was studied using acute injection of ET(A) receptor antagonist ambrisentan (BSF 208075, 1 mg kg(-1) iv) to young or adult rats with established salt hypertension. Furthermore, using chronic ambrisentan treatment (30 mg kg(-1) day(-1) in the drinking fluid during 5 weeks of high salt intake), we investigated the age-dependent involvement of ET(A) receptors in salt hypertension development in these two age groups.

RESULTS

Acute ET(A) receptor blockade lowered BP in both age groups of salt hypertensive Dahl rats more than in rats fed a low-salt diet (but without any age-dependent difference). Chronic ET(A) receptor blockade strongly attenuated the development of salt hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy in adult rats, but it had no significant effects on salt hypertension in young animals. Pronounced BP reduction induced in adult salt hypertensive rats by chronic ambrisentan treatment was attributed to attenuated sympathetic BP component, without changes in nitric oxide (NO)-dependent BP regulation. In contrast, chronic ambrisentan treatment of young animals did not modify sympathetic BP component but substantially attenuated NO-dependent vasodilatation.

CONCLUSIONS

ET(A) receptor-mediated ET-1 effects play an important role in salt hypertension of adult but not young Dahl rats.

Effect of single oral administration of YM598, a novel selective endothelin ETA receptor antagonist, on blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive rats

We investigated the effect of YM598, a selective endothelin ETA receptor antagonist, on blood pressure (BP) in normotensive rats (NTR), spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats (Dahl-SS). We also examined the concomitant effect of YM598 with the L-type Ca2+ channel antagonist nifedipine on BP. Single oral administration of YM598 did not affect BP in NTR and SHR. In Dahl-SS, in contrast, YM598 slightly, but not significantly, reduced BP. Concomitant administration of YM598 with nifedipine at doses inducing slight hypotension on respective single administrations resulted in a stronger hypotensive effect than single administration of either compound alone. However, the magnitude of the concomitant hypotensive effect demonstrated only a simple additive effect of the two compounds. These results indicate that YM598 did cause slight hypotensive effects in some types of hypertension. These results also indicate the possibility of additive, but not synergic, hypotensive effects on concomitant administration of ET receptor antagonist and an L-type Ca2+ channel antagonist.

Increases in CSF [Na+] precede the increases in blood pressure in Dahl S rats and SHR on a high-salt diet

In Dahl salt-sensitive (S) and salt-resistant (R) rats, and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, at 5-6 wk of age, a cannula was placed in the cisterna magna, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was withdrawn continuously at 75 microl/12 h. CSF was collected as day- and nighttime samples from rats on a regular salt intake (0.6% Na+; R-Na) and then on a high salt intake (8% Na+; H-Na). In separate groups of rats, the abdominal aorta was cannulated and blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) measured at 10 AM and 10 PM, with rats first on R-Na and then on H-Na. On H-Na, CSF [Na+] started to increase in the daytime of day 2 in Dahl S rats and of day 3 in SHR. BP and HR did not rise until day 3 in Dahl S rats and day 4 in SHR. In Dahl R and WKY rats, high salt did not change CSF [Na+], BP, or HR. In a third set of Dahl S rats, sampling of both CSF and BP was performed in each individual rat. Again, significant increases in CSF [Na+] were observed 1-2 days earlier than the increases in BP and HR. In a fourth set of Dahl S rats, BP and HR were recorded continuously by means of radiotelemetry for 5 days on R-Na and 8 days on H-Na. On H-Na, BP (but not HR) increased first in the nighttime of day 2. In another set of Dahl S rats, intracerebroventricular infusion of antibody Fab fragments binding ouabain-like compounds (OLC) with high affinity prevented the increase in BP and HR by H-Na but further increased CSF [Na+]. Finally, in Wistar rats on H-Na, intracerebroventricular infusion of ouabain increased BP and HR but decreased CSF [Na+]. Thus, in both Dahl S and SHR on H-Na, increases in CSF [Na+] preceded the increases in BP and HR, consistent with a primary role of increased CSF [Na+] in the salt-induced hypertension. An increase in brain OLC in response to the initial increase in CSF [Na+] appears to attenuate further increases in CSF [Na+] but at the "expense" of sympathoexcitation and hypertension.

CYTOCHROME P450 2C8 (CYP2C8)-MEDIATED HYDROXYLATION OF AN ENDOTHELIN ETA RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST IN HUMAN LIVER MICROSOMES

In vitro studies were performed to identify the human cytochrome P450 enzyme(s) involved in the hydroxylation (isopropyl moiety) of a previously reported endothelin ET(A) receptor antagonist, compound A [(+)-(5S,6R,7R)-2-isopropylamino-7-(4-methoxy-2-[(2R)-3-methoxy-2-methylpropyl])-5-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)cyclopenteno(1,2-b) pyridine 6-carboxylic acid]. Several lines of evidence indicated that the reaction was mainly catalyzed by CYP2C8. Of the 10 recombinant cytochrome P450 isoforms tested, only CYP2C8 exhibited hydroxylase activity. In agreement, inhibitory antibodies selective for CYP2C8 attenuated (>95%) the hydroxylase activity in human liver microsomes, whereas antibodies and chemical inhibitors selective for other cytochrome P450 isoforms had a minor or no effect on the reaction. In addition, the formation of the hydroxy metabolite correlated well with CYP2C8-selective paclitaxel 6alpha-hydroxylation (r(2) approximately 0.92; p < 0.0001) and amodiaquine N-de-ethylation (r(2) approximately 0.91; p < 0.0001) in a bank of human liver microsomes (n = 15 organ donors). Finally, compound A hydroxylase activity conformed to Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and the K(m) (Michaelis constant) in human liver microsomes was similar to that of CYP2C8 ( approximately 10 microM). It is concluded that the hydroxylation of compound A is mainly catalyzed by CYP2C8, and thus the reaction can possibly serve as an alternative marker assay for CYP2C8 in human liver microsomes.

Structure–activity relationships of a novel class of endothelin receptor selective antagonists; 6-carboxy-2-isopropylamino-5,7-diarylcyclopenteno[1,2-b]pyridines

The synthesis and structure-activity relationships of 6-carboxy-2-isopropylamino-5,7-diarylcyclopenteno[1,2-b]pyridine class of ET(A) receptor selective antagonists were described. These derivatives were prepared from the optically active key intermediates (3, 4, 10, and 13). Optimization of the substituent at the 2-position of the bottom 4-methoxyphenyl ring of the lead compound 1 led to identification of 2-hydroxy-1-methylethoxy (2g and h), hydroxyalkyl (2i, m, and p), 3-methoxy-2-methylpropyl (2t and u), N-acetyl-N-methylaminomethyl (2v), and 2-(dimethylcarbamoyl)propyl (2w) derivatives that showed greater than 1000-fold selectivity for the ET(A) receptor over the ET(B) receptor with excellent binding affinity (IC(50)<0.10 nM). Further screening of these compounds by assessing the plasma exposures at 1 h, 4 h, and 8 h after oral administration (3 or 10 mg/kg) in rats led to identification of the hydroxymethyl (2i) and 3-methoxy-2-methylpropyl (2u) derivatives exhibiting good oral bioavailability in rats.

Role of endothelins in animal models of hypertension: focus on cardiovascular protection

Investigation of the regulation of vascular function by endothelium-derived factors has been a prominent topic of research in the field of hypertension during the last decade. Of the different endothelial factors, endothelins, which play an important role in vasodilatation-vasoconstriction balance, have been the subject of great interest and an impressive number of publications. This peptide, a very potent vasoconstrictor, triggers as well events involved in growth, proliferation, matrix production and local inflammation. In parallel, its role in hypertension has evolved from a simple vasoconstrictor to a central local regulator of vascular homeostasis contributing not only to the elevation of blood pressure, but also to the complications of hypertension. This review summarizes research on endothelins and its receptor antagonists in experimental hypertension, with special emphasis on vascular remodeling and target-organ protection.

Role of endothelin in regulation of resistance, fluid-exchange, and capacitance functions of the systemic circulation

This article reviews data at the in vivo whole animal and human level. The importance of both flow and pressure recordings and of the methods used to record these variables is emphasized. Exogenous administration of endothelin-1 evokes a transient depressor response mediated by endothelial endothelinB receptors, but the predominate effect of endothelin-1 is a sustained increase in blood pressure resulting from increases in total peripheral resistance. Resistance in the superior mesenteric, renal, and hindquarter vascular beds of animals and forearm resistance in humans is increased. Both endothelinA and, to a lesser extent, endothelinB receptors on vascular smooth muscle mediate the increases in resistance. Endothelin-1 evokes decreases in the precapillary/postcapillary resistance ratio, resulting in increased capillary pressure and net transcapillary filtration. Endothelin-1 evokes increases in mean circulatory filling pressure in animals and in constriction of the human dorsal hand vein. This venoconstrictor activity is mediated primarily through endothelinA and to a lesser extent endothelinB receptors. Endogenously generated endothelin contributes to the hemodynamic effects of angiotensin and vasopressin in certain animal models of hypertension. Antagonists of endothelin evoke modest hemodynamic changes in healthy humans and in some healthy animals, and they decrease vascular resistance dramatically in several salt-sensitive rat models of hypertension and also in some hypertensive human subjects. Thus, endogenously generated ET appears to play a modest role in the healthy organism, but it likely plays a major role in many pathophysiological states as described in companion articles in this issue.

Acyl glucuronidation and glucosidation of a new and selective endothelin ET(A) receptor antagonist in human liver microsomes

Compound A [(+)-(5S,6R,7R)-2-isopropylamino-7-[4-methoxy-2-((2R)-3-methoxy-2-methylpropyl)-5-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl) cyclopenteno [1,2-b] pyridine 6-carboxylic acid] is a new and selective endothelin ET(A) receptor antagonist. It underwent significant acyl glucuronidation and acyl glucosidation in human liver microsomes supplemented with UDP-glucuronic acid (UDPGA) and UDP-glucose (UDPG). These two conjugations were observed in a panel of human liver microsomal samples (n = 16) that gave rise to varying activities but with no significant correlation with each other in the native and activator-treated microsomal preparations (r(2) <or= 0.4, p > 0.05). The lack of correlation may be explained by the involvement of multiple UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs; UGT1A1, 1A3, 1A9, 2B7 and 2B15) in the glucuronidation but essentially solely UGT2B7 in the glucosidation. Both reactions conformed to monophasic Michaelis-Menten kinetics in human liver microsomes. The glucuronidation reaction exhibited apparent K(m) values (mean +/- S.E.) for compound A and UDPGA of 8.4 +/- 0.6 and 605 +/- 35 microM, respectively, whereas the values for the glucosidation reaction were 10.2 +/- 1.5 and 670 +/- 120 microM, respectively. In both pooled human liver microsomes and expressed UGT2B7, UDPG and UDPGA competitively inhibited their counterpart conjugations with K(i) values close to their K(m) values, indicating a comparable affinity of the enzyme toward these two nucleotide sugars. We herein report a drug acyl glucoside formed in human liver microsomes at a considerable turnover rate and provide the evidence for a UGT isoform (UGT2B7) capable of transferring both glucuronic acid and glucose from UDPGA and UDPG to an aglycone.