cardiovascular-agents and 4-nitrobenzylthioinosine

We have recently isolated cDNAs from human placenta and rat jejunum encoding the prototypic human and rat equilibrative nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBMPR)-sensitive nucleoside transporters hENT1 and rENT1. The two proteins (456 and 457 residues, Mr 50,000) are 78% identical in amino acid sequence and contain 11 potential transmembrane segments (TMs) with a large putative extracellular loop between TMs 1 and 2 and a large cytoplasmic loop between TMs 6 and 7. When expressed in Xenopus oocytes, recombinant hENT1 and rENT1 transport both purine and pyrimidine nucleosides, including adenosine, and are inhibited by nanomolar concentrations of NBMPR. hENT1 is also potently inhibited by coronary vasodilator drugs (dipyridamole, dilazep, and draflazine), whereas rENT1 is insensitive to inhibition by these compounds (dipyridamole IC50 values 190 nM (hENT1) and >/=10 microM (rENT1) at 10 microM uridine). In the present study, we have generated reciprocal chimeras between hENT1 and rENT1, using splice sites at residues 99 (end of TM 2) and 231 (end of TM 6), to identify structural domains of hENT1 responsible for transport inhibition by vasoactive compounds. Transplanting the amino-terminal half of hENT1 into rENT1 converted rENT1 into a dipyridamole/dilazep-sensitive transporter, whereas the amino-terminal half of rENT1 rendered hENT1 dipyridamole/dilazep-insensitive. Domain swaps within the amino-terminal halves of hENT1 and rENT1 identified residues 100-231 (incorporating TMs 3-6) of hENT1 as the major site of vasodilator interaction. Since these drugs function as competitive inhibitors of nucleoside transport and NBMPR binding, TMs 3-6 are likely to form part of the substrate-binding site.

Topics: Affinity Labels; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Binding Sites; Cardiovascular Agents; Carrier Proteins; Dipyridamole; Equilibrative Nucleoside Transport Proteins; Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 1; Humans; Membrane Proteins; Molecular Sequence Data; Oocytes; Protein Conformation; Protein Structure, Secondary; Rats; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Thioinosine; Vasodilator Agents; Xenopus

The in vivo nucleoside transport inhibitory effects of 6-[(4-nitrobenzyl)-mercapto]purine ribonucleoside (NBMPR), used as its 5'-monophosphate derivative (NBMPR-P), dilazep, mioflazine and its derivatives soluflazine, R57974 and R75231, were investigated in BALB/c mice. The extent and duration of action were followed by assaying adenosine transport in blood cells sampled at time intervals following i.p. administration (ca. 20 mg/kg). Dilazep and R57974 were found to be short-acting inhibitors, while NBMPR-P and R75231 were similar in their action and caused essentially full inhibition of adenosine transport over a 4- to 5-h period. Mioflazine and soluflazine were rather ineffective, causing only partial inhibition. R75231 was also active after oral administration which, when repeated three times in 4-h intervals, resulted in essentially full transport inhibition up to 20 h following the initial dose. Effects of NBMPR-P, R57974 and dilazep on adenosine transport in blood cells were also measured in blood cells of hamsters after i.p. administration of the same doses. All three drugs caused full transport inhibition, but the action of dilazep and R75231 showed reversal within about 30 min and 2 h, respectively, while NBMPR-P caused full inhibition for at least 3-4 h. These results demonstrate the potential of the mioflazine derivative R75231 to be useful in vivo, possibly even after p.o. administration, for host protection against the actions of cytotoxic nucleosides used in experimental antiparasitic therapy or other studies requiring suppression of nucleoside transport.

Topics: Adenosine; Administration, Oral; Animals; Biological Transport; Cardiovascular Agents; Cricetinae; Dilazep; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Mesocricetus; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Piperazines; Species Specificity; Thioinosine

The sensitivity of facilitated-diffusion and Na(+)-dependent nucleoside transporters to inhibition by a series of novel compounds related to lidoflazine and mioflazine was investigated. Uridine transport by rabbit erythrocytes, which proceeds solely by the nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBMPR)-sensitive facilitated-diffusion system, was inhibited with apparent Ki values of less than 10 nM by lidoflazine, mioflazine, soluflazine and R73-335. These compounds also blocked site-specific [3H]NBMPR binding to rabbit erthrocyte membranes in a competitive fashion. The NBMPR-sensitive system in rat erythrocytes was also inhibited by lidoflazine, mioflazine, soluflazine and R73-335 but was two to three orders of magnitude less sensitive to inhibition than the system in rabbit erythrocytes (apparent Ki 7.3, 2.4, 5.7 and 0.1 microM, respectively). Lidoflazine, mioflazine and R73-335 exhibited a similar potency for the NBMPR-sensitive and -insensitive nucleoside transporters in rat erythrocytes. In contrast, soluflazine was 20- to 100-fold more potent as an inhibitor of the NBMPR-insensitive nucleoside transport component in rat erythrocytes (IC50 of 0.08-0.2 microM) compared to the NBMPR-sensitive nucleoside carrier in these cells (IC50 approximately 10 microM). None of the test compounds were potent inhibits of Na(+)-dependent uridine transport in bovine renal brush-border membrane vesicles. These results indicate that lidoflazine, mioflazine, soluflazine and R73-335 are selective inhibitors of nucleoside transport in animal cells and that the potency of these compounds as nucleoside transport inhibitors is species dependent.

Topics: Affinity Labels; Animals; Biological Transport; Cardiovascular Agents; Cattle; Cells, Cultured; Erythrocytes; Humans; Kidney; Lidoflazine; Nucleosides; Piperazines; Placenta; Rabbits; Rats; Sodium; Thioinosine; Uridine

The binding of [G-3H]-6-(4-nitrobenzylmercapto)purine ribonucleoside [( G-3H]NBMPR) was investigated using a centrifugation assay with membrane preparations from hamster tissues including liver, lung, kidney and heart. Only liver and lung membranes showed high specific binding, with dissociation constants (Kd) values of 2.4 +/- 0.4 and 0.44 +/- 0.05 nM, and maximal binding (Bmax) of 3.7 +/- 0.4 and 1.04 +/- 0.01 pmol/mg, respectively. The binding of [G-3H]NBMPR was inhibited in a concentration dependent manner by unlabelled NBMPR, dilazep and a new group of chemically related nucleoside transport inhibitors, mioflazine, soluflazine and R57974, the latter being the most potent derivative. R57974 displaced bound [G-3H]NBMPR as effectively as unlabelled NBMPR suggesting a common binding site. The assay procedure used appears useful for the rapid screening of the effectiveness of nucleoside transport inhibitors which will be of value for the selection of inhibitors suitable for combination with cytotoxic nucleosides in the treatment of selected cancers or parasitic diseases.

Topics: Animals; Binding Sites; Cardiovascular Agents; Cell Membrane; Cricetinae; Dilazep; In Vitro Techniques; Inosine; Liver; Lung; Male; Mesocricetus; Piperazines; Thioinosine