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Proceedings of the National Academy of... Feb 2024The drug terazosin (TZ) binds to and can enhance the activity of the glycolytic enzyme phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) and can increase ATP levels. That finding...
The drug terazosin (TZ) binds to and can enhance the activity of the glycolytic enzyme phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) and can increase ATP levels. That finding prompted studies of TZ in Parkinson's disease (PD) in which decreased neuronal energy metabolism is a hallmark feature. TZ was neuroprotective in cell-based and animal PD models and in large epidemiological studies of humans. However, how TZ might increase PGK1 activity has remained a perplexing question because structural data revealed that the site of TZ binding to PGK1 overlaps with the site of substrate binding, predicting that TZ would competitively inhibit activity. Functional data also indicate that TZ is a competitive inhibitor. To explore the paradoxical observation of a competitive inhibitor increasing enzyme activity under some conditions, we developed a mass action model of TZ and PGK1 interactions using published data on PGK1 kinetics and the effect of varying TZ concentrations. The model indicated that TZ-binding introduces a bypass pathway that accelerates product release. At low concentrations, TZ binding circumvents slow product release and increases the rate of enzymatic phosphotransfer. However, at high concentrations, TZ inhibits PGK1 activity. The model explains stimulation of enzyme activity by a competitive inhibitor and the biphasic dose-response relationship for TZ and PGK1 activity. By providing a plausible mechanism for interactions between TZ and PGK1, these findings may aid development of TZ or other agents as potential therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. The results may also have implications for agents that interact with the active site of other enzymes.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Phosphoglycerate Kinase; Prazosin; Parkinson Disease; Glycolysis
PubMed: 38377207
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318956121 -
European Journal of Pharmacology Apr 2024Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a vascular degenerative disease, is a potentially life-threatening condition characterised by the loss of vascular smooth muscle cells...
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a vascular degenerative disease, is a potentially life-threatening condition characterised by the loss of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM), inflammation, and oxidative stress. Despite the severity of AAA, effective drugs for treatment are scarce. At low doses, terazosin (TZ) exerts antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects in several diseases, but its potential to protect against AAA remains unexplored. Herein, we investigated the effects of TZ in two AAA animal models: Angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion in Apoe mice and calcium chloride application in C57BL/6J mice. Mice were orally administered with TZ (100 or 1000 μg/kg/day). The in vivo results indicated that low-dose TZ alleviated AAA formation in both models. Low-dose TZ significantly reduced aortic pulse wave velocity without exerting an apparent antihypertensive effect in the Ang II-induced AAA model. Paternally expressed gene 3 (Peg3) was identified via RNA sequencing as a novel TZ target. PEG3 expression was significantly elevated in both mouse and human AAA tissues. TZ suppressed PEG3 expression and reduced the abundance of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP2/MMP9) in the tunica media. Functional experiments and molecular analyses revealed that TZ (10 nM) treatment and Peg3 knockdown effectively prevented Ang II-induced VSMC senescence and apoptosis in vitro. Thus, Peg3, a novel target of TZ, mediates inflammation-induced VSMC apoptosis and senescence. Low-dose TZ downregulates Peg3 expression to attenuate AAA formation and ECM degradation, suggesting a promising therapeutic strategy for AAA.
Topics: Mice; Humans; Animals; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular; Pulse Wave Analysis; Mice, Knockout; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Apoptosis; Inflammation; Angiotensin II; Disease Models, Animal; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle; Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; Prazosin
PubMed: 38331337
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176397 -
JFMS Open Reports 2024An 8-month-old female spayed domestic shorthair cat was presented for chronic urinary incontinence (UI). Since being adopted 6 months earlier, the cat had a history of...
CASE SUMMARY
An 8-month-old female spayed domestic shorthair cat was presented for chronic urinary incontinence (UI). Since being adopted 6 months earlier, the cat had a history of urine leakage during both activity and rest. Baseline blood work and urine culture showed no significant abnormalities and no evidence of a urinary tract infection. An abdominal CT with excretory urography followed by a focal urinary tract ultrasound revealed a suspected right intramural ectopic ureter (EU) and potential left EU. Cystoscopy confirmed bilateral intramural EUs. Cystoscopic-guided laser ablation (CLA) of both EUs was performed. The cat developed temporary urinary obstruction (UO) 36 h after the procedure, which was medically managed with prazosin and buprenorphine. Ultimately, the cat's urinary signs completely resolved with no UI recognized after the procedure and the cat has remained continent during 18 months of follow-up.
RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION
CLA of intramural EUs is routinely performed in dogs, but this technique has not been previously reported in cats with this condition. Although post-procedural urinary tract signs were initially present, the cat ultimately had an excellent outcome with resolution of UI after this procedure.
PubMed: 38322250
DOI: 10.1177/20551169231220248 -
Nutrients Dec 2023Deoxycholic acid (DCA) is a secondary bile acid produced by gut bacteria. Elevated serum concentrations of DCA are observed in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We...
BACKGROUND
Deoxycholic acid (DCA) is a secondary bile acid produced by gut bacteria. Elevated serum concentrations of DCA are observed in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We hypothesized that DCA might influence hemodynamic parameters in rats.
METHODS
The concentration of DCA in systemic blood was measured with liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Arterial blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and echocardiographic parameters were evaluated in anesthetized, male, 3-4-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats administered intravenously (IV) or intracerebroventricularly (ICV) with investigated compounds. Mesenteric artery (MA) reactivity was tested ex vivo.
RESULTS
The baseline plasma concentration of DCA was 0.24 ± 0.03 mg/L. The oral antibiotic treatment produced a large decrease in the concentration. Administered IV, the compound increased BP and HR in a dose-dependent manner. DCA also increased heart contractility and cardiac output. None of the tested compounds-prazosin (an alpha-blocker), propranolol (beta-adrenolytic), atropine (muscarinic receptor antagonist), glibenclamide (K-ATP inhibitor) or DY 268 (FXR antagonist), glycyrrhetinic acid (11HSD2 inhibitor)-significantly diminished the DCA-induced pressor effect. ICV infusion did not exert significant HR or BP changes. DCA relaxed MAs. Systemic vascular resistance did not change significantly.
CONCLUSIONS
DCA elevates BP primarily by augmenting cardiac output. As a metabolite derived from gut bacteria, DCA potentially serves as a mediator in the interaction between the gut microbiota and the host's circulatory system.
Topics: Male; Rats; Animals; Blood Pressure; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Cardiac Output; Bile Acids and Salts; Deoxycholic Acid
PubMed: 38201862
DOI: 10.3390/nu16010032 -
European Journal of Psychotraumatology 2023Following a traumatic event, 40-80% of the patients with acute stress disorder (ASD) will develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 67% at 6 months. Alpha1-blockers...
BACKGROUND
Following a traumatic event, 40-80% of the patients with acute stress disorder (ASD) will develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 67% at 6 months. Alpha1-blockers are effective in treating some symptoms of PTSD but their usefulness in acute stress situations remains unclear. We hypothesized that reducing noradrenergic hyperactivity with an alpha1-blocker during the acute phase after a traumatic event could prevent the transition to PTSD in patients with ASD.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the efficacy and safety of a 1-month course of alpha1-blocker (prazosin) to prevent the transition to PTSD in patients with ASD at 6 months.
METHOD
In a monocentric open-label prospective pilot study, 15 patients with ASD were included within 3-7 days of exposure to a traumatic event. After enrolment, they received prazosin LP at home at bedtime at 2.5 mg/day for 7 days and then 5 mg/day for 21 days. Incidence of PTSD was assessed at 6 months using the Clinician Administrated PTSD Scale (CAPS).
RESULTS
At 6 months, 22% of patients who completed the study (2/9) met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. This rate was significantly lower than that observed in previous studies (67%; = .047). The treatment was well tolerated and there were no serious adverse events.
CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary findings indicating the safety of prazosin and suggesting its potential to prevent the development of PTSD in ASD require to be replicated in large-scale randomized placebo-controlled studies. The study was pre-registered on a public database (www.clinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03045016).
Topics: Humans; Prazosin; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute; Pilot Projects; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 38154074
DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2251250 -
The Korean Journal of Pain Jan 2024Sitagliptin is an antidiabetic drug that inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase-4 enzyme. This study aimed to investigate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of...
BACKGROUND
Sitagliptin is an antidiabetic drug that inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase-4 enzyme. This study aimed to investigate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of sitagliptin in formalin and carrageenan tests and determine the possible mechanism(s) of its antinociceptive activity.
METHODS
Male Swiss mice (25-30 g) and male Wistar rats (180-220 g) were used for formalin and carrageenan tests, respectively. In the formalin test, paw licking time and in the carrageenan test, paw thickness were considered as indexes of pain behavior and inflammation respectively. Three doses of sitagliptin (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg) were used in these tests. Also, several antagonists and enzyme inhibitors were used to evaluate the role of adrenergic, serotonergic, dopaminergic, and opioid receptors as well as the NO/cGMP/K pathway in the antinociceptive effect of sitagliptin (5 mg/kg).
RESULTS
Sitagliptin showed significant antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects in the formalin and carrageenan tests respectively. In the carrageenan test, all three doses of sitagliptin significantly ( < 0.001) reduced paw thickness. Pretreatment with yohimbine, prazosin, propranolol, naloxone, and cyproheptadine could not reverse the antinociceptive effect of sitagliptin (5 mg/Kg), which indicates that adrenergic, opioid, and serotonin receptors (5HT) are not involved in the antinociceptive effects. L-NAME, methylene blue, glibenclamide, ondansetron, and sulpiride were able to reverse this effect.
CONCLUSIONS
NO/cGMP/K, 5HT and D pathways play an important role in the antinociceptive effect of sitagliptin. Additionally significant anti-inflammatory effects observed in the carrageenan test might contribute in reduction of pain response in the second phase of the formalin test.
PubMed: 38123184
DOI: 10.3344/kjp.23262 -
Heliyon Dec 2023To determine the concentrations of nine drugs used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in human plasma through QuEChERS pre-treatment combined with...
To determine the concentrations of nine drugs used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in human plasma through QuEChERS pre-treatment combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Plasma samples were extracted with 3 mL of acetonitrile, 400 mg of anhydrous magnesium sulfate as a salting agent, and 20 mg of C18 as a sorbent. An Agilent Poroshell 120 EC-C18 column (4.6 × 100 mm, 2.7 μm) was selected and methanol-0.1 % water was used as the mobile phase, and ESI positive ion detection mode was selected. Results: The plasma concentrations of nisoldipine, metoprolol, and prazosin exhibited good linearity within the range of 0.05-4.0 ng/mL (r > 0.99), while atenolol, bisoprolol, propranolol, rosuvastatin, and atorvastatin showed linearity within the range of 0.5-40 ng/mL (r > 0.99). Fluvastatin showed good linearity within the range of 5.0-400 ng/mL. The accuracy of the method ranged from 94.15 to 110.62 %, while the recovery levels were in the range of 85.23 %-115.13 %. The matrix effects were observed between-6.54 % and 12.43 %. The intra-day and inter-day RSD was <15 % for the three concentrations of low, medium, and high. Conclusion The proposed method is rapid, accurate, specific, simple, reproducible, and suitable for the simultaneous measurement of the concentrations of nine drugs used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in human plasma.
PubMed: 38094060
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22543 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2023In order to find new hypotensive drugs possessing higher activity and better selectivity, a new series of fifteen 5,5-dimethylhydantoin derivatives (-) was designed....
In order to find new hypotensive drugs possessing higher activity and better selectivity, a new series of fifteen 5,5-dimethylhydantoin derivatives (-) was designed. Three-step syntheses, consisting of N-alkylations using standard procedures as well as microwaves, were carried out. Crystal structures were determined for compounds -. All of the synthesized 5,5-dimethylhydantoins were tested for their affinity to α-adrenergic receptors (α-AR) using both in vitro and in silico methods. Most of them displayed higher affinity (Ki < 127.9 nM) to α-adrenoceptor than urapidil in radioligand binding assay. Docking to two subtypes of adrenergic receptors, α and α, was conducted. Selected compounds were tested for their activity towards two α-AR subtypes. All of them showed intrinsic antagonistic activity. Moreover, for two compounds ( and ), which possess o-methoxyphenylpiperazine fragments, strong activity (IC < 100 nM) was observed. Some representatives ( and ), which contain alkyl linker, proved selectivity towards α-AR, while two compounds with 2-hydroxypropyl linker ( and ) to α-AR. Finally, hypotensive activity was examined in rats. The most active compound () proved not only a lower effective dose than urapidil but also a stronger effect than prazosin.
Topics: Rats; Animals; Prazosin; Antihypertensive Agents; Radioligand Assay; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1; Hypotension; Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists
PubMed: 38068933
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316609 -
AACE Clinical Case Reports 2023Documented symptomatic progression of a paraganglioma (PGL) over many years is unusual. Our objective is to report a young man with such an occurrence.
BACKGROUND
Documented symptomatic progression of a paraganglioma (PGL) over many years is unusual. Our objective is to report a young man with such an occurrence.
CASE REPORT
A 27-year-old male presented with headache, sweating, and palpitation. He had a history of cyanotic congenital heart disease. Five years before presentation, he had 24-hour urine metanephrines 43 mcg/d (25-222), vanillylmandelic acid 3 mg/d (<6), and homovanillic acid 2.4 mg/d (1.6-7.5) levels and a 3.13 cm mass in the upper aortocaval space. Subsequent imaging showed slow growth of the mass. On admission, his blood pressure was 197/134 mm Hg, heart rate was 163 beats per minute, respiratory rate was 25 per minute, and oxygen saturation was 76% on room air. His 24-hour urine normetanephrine level was 2644 mcg/d (81-667) while metanephrine was 405 mcg/d (55-320). Plasma free metanephrine level was 0.92 nmol/L (0-0.49) and normetanephrine was 11.85 nmol/L (0-0.89). DOTATATE positron emission tomography-computed tomography revealed a 4.3 × 3.1 × 4.9 cm mass with activity in the right upper aortocaval space. He was treated with Prazosin. Two months later, he underwent resection of the mass. Pathology diagnosed a 4.9 cm PGL. He had improvement in metanephrine levels.
DISCUSSION
PGL is diagnosed by documenting excess catecholamines and identifying a lesion on imaging. False negative laboratory testing is rare but can occur. Patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease have a greater risk of developing PGL.
CONCLUSION
It is crucial to evaluate a patient for PGL if clinical conditions suggest catecholamine excess, especially if a retroperitoneal tumor has grown or the patient has risk factors.
PubMed: 38045797
DOI: 10.1016/j.aace.2023.09.003 -
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental... 2023Removal of poorly perfused capillaries by pruning contributes to remodeling the microvasculature to optimize oxygen and nutrient delivery. Blood flow drives this...
Removal of poorly perfused capillaries by pruning contributes to remodeling the microvasculature to optimize oxygen and nutrient delivery. Blood flow drives this process by promoting the intravascular migration of endothelial cells in developing networks, such as in the yolk sac, zebrafish brain or postnatal mouse retina. In this study, we have implemented innovative tools to recognize capillary pruning in the complex 3D coronary microvasculature of the postnatal mouse heart. We have also experimentally tested the impact of decreasing pruning on the structure and function of this network by altering blood flow with two different vasodilators: losartan and prazosin. Although both drugs reduced capillary pruning, a combination of experiments based on imaging, proteomics, electron microscopy and functional approaches showed that losartan treatment resulted in an inefficient coronary network, reduced myocardial oxygenation and metabolic changes that delayed the arrest of cardiomyocyte proliferation, in contrast to the effects of prazosin, probably due to its concomitant promotion of capillary expansion. Our work demonstrates that capillary pruning contributes to proper maturation and function of the heart and that manipulation of blood flow may be a novel strategy to refine the microvasculature and improve tissue perfusion after damage.
PubMed: 38020883
DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1256127