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Bhat AS, Chakkittukandiyil A, Muthu SK, Kotha S, Muruganandham S, Rajagopal K, Jayaram S, Kothandan R, Selvaraj D. Network-based drug repositioning of linagliptin as a potential agent for uterine fibroids targeting transforming growth factor-beta mediated fibrosis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 703:149611. [PMID: 38354463 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Uterine fibroid is the most common non-cancerous tumor with no satisfactory options for long-term pharmacological treatment. Fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP) is one of the critical enzymes that enhances the fibrosis in uterine fibroids. Through STITCH database mining, we found that dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i) have the potential to inhibit the activity of FAP. Both DPP4 and FAP belong to the dipeptidyl peptidase family and share a similar catalytic domain. Hence, ligands which have a binding affinity with DPP4 could also bind with FAP. Among the DPP4i, linagliptin exhibited the highest binding affinity (Dock score = -8.562 kcal/mol) with FAP. Our study uncovered that the differences in the S2 extensive-subsite residues between DPP4 and FAP could serve as a basis for designing selective inhibitors specifically targeting FAP. Furthermore, in a dynamic environment, linagliptin was able to destabilize the dimerization interface of FAP, resulting in potential inhibition of its biological activity. True to the in-silico results, linagliptin reduced the fibrotic process in estrogen and progesterone-induced fibrosis in rat uterus. Furthermore, linagliptin reduced the gene expression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), a critical factor in collagen secretion and fibrotic process. Masson trichrome staining confirmed that the anti-fibrotic effects of linagliptin were due to its ability to reduce collagen deposition in rat uterus. Altogether, our research proposes that linagliptin has the potential to be repurposed for the treatment of uterine fibroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anusha Shreenidhi Bhat
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Amritha Chakkittukandiyil
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Santhosh Kumar Muthu
- Department of Biochemistry, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, GN Mills, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Satvik Kotha
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sudharsan Muruganandham
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Kalirajan Rajagopal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Saravanan Jayaram
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ram Kothandan
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Divakar Selvaraj
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India.
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