cyclic-gmp and Osteoarthritis

Activating PKG-1α induces a long-term hyperexcitability (LTH) in nociceptive neurons. Since the LTH correlates directly with chronic pain in many animal models, we tested the hypothesis that inhibiting PKG-1α would attenuate LTH-mediated pain. We first synthesized and characterized compound N46 (N-((3R,4R)-4-(4-(2-fluoro-3-methoxy-6-propoxybenzoyl)benzamido)pyrrolidin-3-yl)-1H-indazole-5-carboxamide). N46 inhibits PKG-1α with an IC50 of 7.5 nmol, was highly selective when tested against a panel of 274 kinases, and tissue distribution studies indicate that it does not enter the CNS. To evaluate its antinociceptive potential, we used 2 animal models in which the pain involves both activated PKG-1α and LTH. Injecting complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the rat hind paw causes a thermal hyperalgesia that was significantly attenuated 24 hours after a single intravenous injection of N46. Next, we used a rat model of osteoarthritic knee joint pain and found that a single intra-articular injection of N46 alleviated the pain 14 days after the pain was established and the relief lasted for 7 days. Thermal hyperalgesia and osteoarthritic pain are also associated with the activation of the capsaicin-activated transient receptor protein vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) channel. We show that capsaicin activates PKG-1α in nerves and that a subcutaneous delivery of N46 attenuated the mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity elicited by exposure to capsaicin. Thus, PKG-1α appears to be downstream of the transient receptor protein vanilloid-1. Our studies provide proof of concept in animal models that a PKG-1α antagonist has a powerful antinociceptive effect on persistent, already existing inflammatory pain. They further suggest that N46 is a valid chemotype for the further development of such antagonists.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Animals; Biphenyl Compounds; Chronic Disease; Cyclic GMP; Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; Disease Models, Animal; Double-Blind Method; Enzyme Inhibitors; Freund's Adjuvant; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Hyperalgesia; Inflammation; Male; Models, Molecular; Osteoarthritis; Pain; Pain Threshold; Pyridines; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Thionucleotides; Time Factors

An early reaction in osteoarthritic chondrocytes is hyaluronan overproduction followed by proteoglycan loss and collagen degradation. We recently found that hyaluronan is exported by the ATP-binding cassette transporter multidrug resistance associated protein 5 (MRP5) in competition with cGMP and that some phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors also inhibited hyaluronan export. These inhibitors also prevented osteoarthritic reactions in cartilage. In an effort to identify the improved inhibitors directed primarily toward MRP5, we analyzed the flavonoids.. Prenylflavonoids from hop xanthohumol, isoxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin inhibited MRP5 export at lower concentrations than phosphodiesterase 5 activity. They were analyzed for their effect on IL-induced osteoarthritic reactions in bovine chondrocytes. Xanthohumol was the superior compound to inhibit hyaluronan export, as well as proteoglycan and collagen loss. It also prevented the shedding of metalloproteases into the culture medium. It directly inhibited MRP5, because it reduced the export of the MRP5 substrate fluorescein immediately and did not influence the hyaluronan synthase activity.. Xanthohumol may be a natural compound to prevent hyaluronan overproduction and subsequent reactions in osteoarthritis.

Topics: Animals; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; Cattle; Cells, Cultured; Chondrocytes; Collagen; Cyclic GMP; Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5; Flavanones; Flavonoids; Humulus; Hyaluronic Acid; Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins; Osteoarthritis; Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors; Plant Extracts; Propiophenones; Proteoglycans; Xanthones

We investigated the effect of the phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, tadalafil, on the acute hypernociception in rat models of arthritis.. Rats were treated with either an intra-articular injection of zymosan (1 mg) or surgical transection of the anterior cruciate ligament (as an osteoarthritis model). Controls received saline intra-articular or sham operation respectively. Joint pain was evaluated using the articular incapacitation test measured over 6 h following zymosan or between 4 and 7 days after anterior cruciate ligament transection. Cell counts, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and the chemokine, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 (CINC-1) were measured in joint exudates 6 h after zymosan. Groups received tadalafil (0.02-0.5 mg·kg⁻¹ per os) or saline 2 h after intra-articular zymosan. Other groups received the µ-opioid receptor antagonist naloxone or the cGMP inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4] oxadiazolo [4,3-a] quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) before tadalafil.. Tadalafil dose-dependently inhibited hypernociception in zymosan and osteoarthritis models. In zymosan-induced arthritis, tadalafil significantly decreased cell influx and TNF-α release but did not alter IL-1 or CINC-1 levels. Pretreatment with ODQ but not with naloxone prevented the anti-inflammatory effects of tadalafil.. Therapeutic oral administration of tadalafil provided analgesia mediated by guanylyl cyclase and was independent of the release of endogenous opioids. This effect of tadalafil was associated with a decrease in neutrophil influx and TNF-α release in inflamed joints.

Topics: Analgesics; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Arthralgia; Arthritis, Experimental; Carbolines; Chemokine CXCL1; Chemokines; Cyclic GMP; Guanylate Cyclase; Injections, Intra-Articular; Interleukin-1; Joints; Male; Naloxone; Narcotic Antagonists; Neutrophils; Nociception; Osteoarthritis; Oxadiazoles; Quinoxalines; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Tadalafil; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Zymosan

Nitric oxide (NO) may play a role in tissue remodeling associated with arthritis. The articular cell sources of human inducible NO synthesis, however, have not been defined. This study demonstrates that human articular chondrocytes in primary or organ culture, but not synovial fibroblasts, produce NO in response to catabolic cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1). As measured by the accumulation of NO2- in culture medium, NO production by IL-1-stimulated chondrocytes was inhibited by the NO synthase inhibitor Ng-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMA) and dependent on the presence of exogenous L-arginine. Other inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor, but not transforming growth factor-beta, induced chondrocyte NO synthesis. The stimulation of NO synthesis required both RNA and protein synthesis. Chondrocytes isolated from cartilage derived from osteoarthritic patients also produced large amounts of NO in response to IL-1. In beginning to define potential effects of NO on chondrocyte function, it is shown that IL-1 induced an increase in cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) which was inhibited by NMA. In summary, these results demonstrate that cytokine-induced production of NO is a response of human articular chondrocytes but not of synovial fibroblasts. A potential role of NO in cytokine-induced tissue remodeling in the joint is provided by the induction of cGMP.

Topics: Cartilage, Articular; Chondrocytes; Cyclic GMP; Cytokines; Humans; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Osteoarthritis; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger

To investigate the effect of cadmium on guanyl cyclase activity, urine levels of the nucleotide cGMP were measured in patients with bone and renal lesions resulting from chronic cadmium exposure, in patients with osteoarthritis and in a normal age-matched control population. The effects of cadmium, zinc and mercury salts on blood mononuclear cell cGMP production were also studied in vitro. The two patient groups exhibited clear differences in cGMP excretion. Lower urine cGMP (59%, P less than 0.01) and creatinine values (43%, P less than 0.01) were found in cadmium-exposed patients and higher cGMP values (56%, P less than 0.05) in patients with osteoarthritis, compared to the control group. Creatinine adjusted cGMP values were also lower in cadmium-exposed patients (28%, P less than 0.05) and higher in patients with osteoarthritis (130%, P less than 0.01). In vitro, a 10 h exposure of mononuclear cells to cadmium or mercury salts depressed guanyl cyclase activity in most experiments. At 10(-4) M, mercury was consistently more inhibitory in all cultures (95%, P less than 0.01). As cadmium has a potential for inhibiting guanyl cyclase activity in human tissue, the low urine cGMP values found in patients with cadmium disease may be attributable to chronic cadmium exposure. High guanyl cyclase activity in patients with osteoarthritis may be associated with inflammation.

Topics: Aged; Cadmium; Cadmium Poisoning; Creatinine; Cyclic GMP; Female; Guanylate Cyclase; Humans; Leukocytes; Mercury; Osteoarthritis; Zinc

Levels of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) have been investigated in joint fluid in inflammatory arthropathies. A disturbed balance between cAMP and cGMP due to a depressed level of cAMP was found in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Reiter's syndrome, in comparison with patients with osteoarthritis. No correlation could be demonstrated between the absolute levels of cAMP or cGMP and the degree of local inflammatory activity, white cell count, or lysosomal enzyme activity in the joint fluid. Intra-articular injection of epinephrine showed just as good an effect on local pain as betamethasone (Cellestona), but the steriod reduced the swelling more effectively. An increase in intracellular levels of cAMP at 20 min was observed following injection of epinephrine with a slight change in cGMP. Intra-articular injection of dibutyryl-cAMP (db-cAMP) produced a marked easing of local pain and swelling in each of the 4 patients so treated. It is concluded that stimulation of the beta-adrenergic system or injection with db-cAMP may be beneficial in rheumatoid inflammation.

Topics: Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Arthritis, Reactive; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Betamethasone; Bucladesine; Cyclic AMP; Cyclic GMP; Epinephrine; Humans; Injections, Intra-Articular; Osteoarthritis; Synovial Fluid