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Journal of Ovarian Research Feb 2024PAQR7 plays a key role in cell apoptosis as a progesterone membrane receptor. The physiological mechanism of PAQR7 in ovarian function and its anti-apoptotic action in...
PURPOSE
PAQR7 plays a key role in cell apoptosis as a progesterone membrane receptor. The physiological mechanism of PAQR7 in ovarian function and its anti-apoptotic action in mammals remain poorly understood.
METHODS
We first added 0.2 µM aminoglutethimide (AG), an inhibitor of endogenous progesterone (P4) secretion, and transfected siPAQR7 co-incubated with P4 in human KGN cells to identify granulosa cell apoptosis, respectively. Additionally, we used Paqr7 knockout (PAQR7 KO) mice to assess the role of PAQR7 in the ovary.
RESULTS
The PAQR7 deficiency significantly increased apoptosis of KGN cells, and this significant difference disappeared following P4 supplementation. The Paqr7 female mice showed a prolonged estrous cycle, reduced follicular growth, increased the number of atresia follicles, and decreased the concentrations of E2 and AMH. The litters, litter sizes, and spontaneous ovulation in the Paqr7 mice were significantly decreased compared with the Paqr7 mice. In addition, we also found low expression of PAQR7 in GCs from human follicular fluids of patients diagnosed with decreased ovarian reserve (DOR) and ovaries of mice with a DOR-like phenotype, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
The present study has identified that PAQR7 is involved in mouse ovarian function and fertilization potential. One possible mechanism is mediating the anti-apoptotic effect of P4 on GC apoptosis via the BCL-2/BAX/CASPASE-3 signaling pathway. The mechanism underlying the effect of PAQR7 on ovarian development and aging remains to be identified.
Topics: Animals; Female; Humans; Mice; Apoptosis; Granulosa Cells; Ovarian Follicle; Ovary; Progesterone; Receptors, Progesterone; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
PubMed: 38317224
DOI: 10.1186/s13048-024-01348-w -
Journal of Molecular Structure Dec 2020The coronavirus disease infections (COVID-19) caused by a new type of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) have been emerging in the entire world. Therefore, it is necessary to find...
The coronavirus disease infections (COVID-19) caused by a new type of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) have been emerging in the entire world. Therefore, it is necessary to find out potential therapeutic pharmaceuticals for this disease. This study investigates the inhibitory effect of the 3-chymotrypsin-like protease of SARS-CoV-2 (3CL) using pharmaceuticals containing α-ketoamide group and pyridone ring based on molecular docking. Of these, eight pharmaceuticals approved by US-Food and Drug Administration have shown good contact with the catalytic residues of 3CL. They are telaprevir, temsirolimus, pimecrolimus, aminoglutethimide, apixaban, buspirone, lenalidomide, and pomalidomide. Their binding affinity score ranged from -5.6 to -7.4 kcal/mol. Hydrogen bonds were observed and reported. To the knowledge, this study report for the first time a compound that could be binding to ALA, the new residue resulting from genetic modification of 3CL of SARS-CoV-2 that has increased its catalytic activity 3.6-fold compared with its predecessor 3CL of SARS-CoV. It is recommended that telaprevir, and pyridone-containing pharmaceuticals including aminoglutethimide, apixaban, buspirone, lenalidomide, and pomalidomide be repurposed for COVID-19 treatment after suitable validation and clinical trials.
PubMed: 32834113
DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2020.128878 -
Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 2020Aromatase inhibitors are effective for the treatment of diseases such as breast cancer, which has led to an increase in their demand. However, only a limited number of...
Aromatase inhibitors are effective for the treatment of diseases such as breast cancer, which has led to an increase in their demand. However, only a limited number of aromatase inhibitor drugs are currently being marketed. In addition, considering the important aspect of drug resistance, the development of newer drug types is required. We have been developing inhibitors with backbone structures that differ from existing aromatase inhibitors. In this regard, we previously reported that diethylaminocoumarin dimers and thiazolyl coumarin derivatives possess strong aromatase inhibiting capabilities. In this study, we further examined the structure-activity relationships of coumarin derivatives synthesized from thiazolyl coumarin derivatives and their aromatase inhibiting capabilities. Consequently, amide coumarin N-benzhydryl-7-(diethylamino)-2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carboxamide (IC values 4.5 µM) is inhibitor of aromatase. This inhibitor was found to be comparable aromatase inhibitory activity to the 1st generation aromatase inhibitor aminoglutethimide (3.2 µM). Substitution of the amide group on the amide coumarin derivative affects the aromatase inhibiting activity. Our findings suggest that the structure of each substituent changes the orientation of the compound in the active site of aromatase, thus creating a difference in their activities.
Topics: Amides; Aromatase Inhibitors; Coumarins; Drug Development; Esters; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 32741938
DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b20-00035 -
International Journal of Pharmaceutics Dec 2015This paper reported the facile fabrication of drug delivery devices for zero-order sustained release by molecular crowding strategy of molecularly imprinting technology....
This paper reported the facile fabrication of drug delivery devices for zero-order sustained release by molecular crowding strategy of molecularly imprinting technology. Crowding-assisted molecularly imprinting polymers (MIPs) matrices were prepared by free-radical precipitation polymerization using aminoglutethimide (AG) as a model drug. The crowding effect was achieved by adding polystyrene as a macromolecular co-solute in pre-polymerization mixture. The MIP prepared under the non-MMC condition and the two corresponding non-imprinted particles were tested as controlled vehicles. The release profiles presented zero-order behaviors from two crowding-assisted polymers, the duration of approximately 18h for the crowding-assisted MIP and 10h for the crowding-assisted NIP, respectively while AG were all very rapid released from the other two controlled particles (85% occurring in the first hour). The BET surface area and pore volume of the crowding-assisted MIP were about ten times than those of the controlled MIP. The value of imprinting factor is 6.02 for the crowding-assisted MIP and 1.19 for the controlled MIP evaluated by the equilibrium adsorption experiment. Furthermore, the values of effective diffusivity (Deff) obtained from crowding-assisted MIP (10(-17)cm(2)/s) was about two orders of magnitude smaller than those from the controlled MIP, although the values of free drug diffusivity (D) were all found in the order of 10(-13)cm(2)/s. Compared with the commercial AG tablet, the MMC-assisted MIP gave a markedly high relative bioavailability of 266.3%, whereas the MMC-assisted NIP gave only 57.7%. The results indicated that the MMC condition can modulate the polymer networks approaciate to zero-order release of the drug and maintain the molecular memory pockets, even if under the poor polymerization conditions of MIPs preparation.
Topics: Aminoglutethimide; Animals; Delayed-Action Preparations; Drug Delivery Systems; Mathematics; Molecular Imprinting; Polymerization; Polystyrenes; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Solubility
PubMed: 26474963
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2015.10.031 -
Toxicologic Pathology Aug 2017The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of simultaneous measurement of plasma steroids, including precursors, for the evaluation of drug effects on adrenal...
The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of simultaneous measurement of plasma steroids, including precursors, for the evaluation of drug effects on adrenal steroidogenesis in vivo. Plasma concentrations of corticosterone and its precursors were examined in rats dosed with compounds that affect adrenal steroidogenesis via different modes of action as well as the relationships of the changes with blood chemistry and adrenal histopathology. Male rats were dosed with tricresyl phosphate, aminoglutethimide, trilostane (TRL), metyrapone (MET), ketoconazole (KET), or mifepristone for 7 days. In the TRL, MET, and KET groups, precursor levels were markedly increased, while there were no significant changes in the corticosterone level, suggesting that the precursors are more sensitive biomarkers to detect the effect on adrenal steroidogenesis. Also, the precursors with increased levels were those that are normally metabolized by the inhibited enzymes, reflecting the modes of action of the compounds. In addition, different patterns of changes were observed in blood chemistry and histopathology, supporting the mechanism suggested by the steroid changes. These results show that simultaneous measurement of plasma steroids, including precursors, can be a valuable method to sensitively evaluate drug effects on adrenal steroidogenesis and to investigate the underlying mechanisms.
Topics: Adrenal Glands; Animals; Body Weight; Corticosterone; Desoxycorticosterone; Drug Monitoring; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Male; Organ Size; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Pregnenolone; Progesterone; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley
PubMed: 29046138
DOI: 10.1177/0192623317730416 -
Se Pu = Chinese Journal of... Aug 2014Aminoglutethimide (AG) has been used clinically as a drug in the treatment of hormone-dependent metastatic breast cancer. It was reported that S-(-)-AG enantiomer had...
Aminoglutethimide (AG) has been used clinically as a drug in the treatment of hormone-dependent metastatic breast cancer. It was reported that S-(-)-AG enantiomer had small activity and sometimes might cause side effects. Therefore, it was of great significance to obtain the high-purity R-(+)-AG by enantioseparation. In this work, aminoglutethimide enantiomers were separated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using an analytical column which was packed with cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) stationary phase (Chiralcel OD-H). The solubilities of racemic AG in two different solvent compositions, n-hexane/ethanol and n-hexane/isopropanol, were measured, separately. The effects of alcohol content and monoethanolamine additive on the separation performance of racemic AG by HPLC were investigated. According to the experiments, n-hexane-ethanol (30:70, v/v) with 0.1% monoethanolamine additive was selected as the mobile phase. The separation factor, resolution, asymmetry factor, number of theoretical plates and maximum column capacity were measured and analyzed for the chromatographic separation of racemic AG at a flow-rate of 0. 6 mL/min and column temperature of 25-40 °C, with Chiralcel OD-H as stationary phase and n-hexane-ethanol (30:70, v/v) with 0. 1% monoethanolamine as mobile phase. This work provides the basic information of chromatographic separation for the batch and continuous production of aminoglutethimide enantiomers.
Topics: Aminoglutethimide; Cellulose; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Hexanes; Organophosphates; Phenylcarbamates; Quality Control; Solvents; Stereoisomerism; Temperature
PubMed: 25434126
DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1123.2014.04022 -
Neuroscience Research Jun 2015Anteroventral third ventricular region (AV3V) that regulates autonomic functions through a GABAergic mechanism possesses neuroactive steroid (NS)-synthesizing ability....
Anteroventral third ventricular region (AV3V) that regulates autonomic functions through a GABAergic mechanism possesses neuroactive steroid (NS)-synthesizing ability. Although NS can exert effects by acting on a certain type of GABAA-receptor (R), it is not clear whether NS may operate to modulate AV3V GABAergic activity for controlling autonomic functions. This study aimed to investigate the issue. AV3V infusion with a GABAA antagonist bicuculline increased plasma vasopressin (AVP), glucose, blood pressure (BP), and heart rate in rats. These events were abolished by preinjecting its agonist muscimol, whereas the infusion with allopregnanolone, a NS capable of potentiating GABAA-R function, affected none of the variables in the absence or presence of such bicuculline actions. Similarly, AV3V infusion with pregnanolone sulfate, a NS capable of antagonizing GABAA-R, produced no effect on those variables. AV3V infusion with muscimol was effective in inhibiting the responses of plasma AVP or glucose, or BP to an osmotic loading or bleeding. However, AV3V infusion with aminoglutethimide, a NS synthesis inhibitor, did not affect any of the variables in the absence or presence of those stimuli. These results suggest that NS may not cause acute effects on the AV3V GABAergic mechanism involved in regulating AVP release and other autonomic function.
Topics: Aminoglutethimide; Animals; Aromatase Inhibitors; Autonomic Nervous System; Bicuculline; Blood Glucose; Blood Pressure; GABA-A Receptor Agonists; GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; Heart Rate; Male; Muscimol; Pregnanolone; Prosencephalon; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, GABA; Vasopressins
PubMed: 25598212
DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2015.01.002 -
Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 2016A methanol extract of the flowers of Mammea siamensis (Calophyllaceae) was found to inhibit enzymatic activity against aromatase (IC50=16.5 µg/mL). From the extract,...
A methanol extract of the flowers of Mammea siamensis (Calophyllaceae) was found to inhibit enzymatic activity against aromatase (IC50=16.5 µg/mL). From the extract, two new geranylated coumarins, mammeasins C (1) and D (2), were isolated together with seven coumarins: 8-hydroxy-5-methyl-7-(3,7-dimethyl-octa-2,6-dienyl)-9-(2-methyl-1-oxobutyl)-4,5-dihydropyrano[4,3,2-de]chromen-2-one (9), 8-hydroxy-5-methyl-7-(3,7-dimethyl-octa-2,6-dienyl)-9-(3-methyl-1-oxobutyl)-4,5-dihydropyrano[4,3,2-de]chromen-2-one (10), mammeas A/AA (14), A/AB (15), A/AA cyclo D (18), E/BA (23), and E/BC cyclo D (25). The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Among the isolates including 17 previously reported coumarins, 1 (IC50=2.7 µM), 2 (3.6 µM), and mammea B/AB cyclo D (21, 3.1 µM) showed relatively strong inhibitory activities comparable to the activity of the synthetic nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor aminoglutethimide (2.0 µM).
Topics: Aromatase; Aromatase Inhibitors; Coumarins; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Flowers; Humans; Mammea; Molecular Structure; Recombinant Proteins; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 27373643
DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c16-00218