ly-344864 and Disease-Models--Animal

The effective anti-migraine drugs triptans, all bind with high affinity to three serotonin (5-HT) subtypes, the 5-HT1B, 5-HT1D and 5-HT1F. 5-HT1B mRNA is densely localized within smooth muscle, and less in the endothelium of cerebral blood vessels. This vascular distribution of 5-HT1B receptor has been shown to mediate the vasoconstrictive properties of the triptans, responsible for potential cardiac adverse events. Activation of 5-HT1D subtype, although effective in animal models of migraine, was not enough efficient to attenuate migraine attacks in clinical trials. The 5-HT1F receptor is located both in vessels and within the trigeminal ganglion (TG) and the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (Sp5C), but with the difference that the 5-HT1F receptor lack vasoconstrictive properties, making it an attractive target for new anti-migraine drugs. Selective activation of 5-HT1F receptor potently inhibited markers associated with electrical stimulation of the TG. Thus 5-HT1F receptor represents an ideal target for anti-migraine drugs. So far two selective 5-HT1F agonists have been tested in human trials for migraine: LY334370 and lasmiditan. Both molecules were efficient in attenuating migraine attacks with efficacy in the same range as oral sumatriptan 100mg, the gold standard for triptans. The LY334370 project withdrew because of toxicity in animals, while lasmiditan is still testing. In this review we present all the available preclinical and clinical data on the 5-HT1F agonists as a potential new class of anti-migraine drugs lacking vascular activity and we discuss related issues on the vascular and neuronal aspects of migraine pathogenesis.

Topics: Animals; Benzamides; Carbazoles; Clinical Trials as Topic; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Fatigue; Fluorobenzenes; Humans; Indoles; Migraine Disorders; Models, Neurological; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Nausea; Paresthesia; Pilot Projects; Piperidines; Pyridines; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1F; Receptors, Serotonin; Serotonin; Serotonin Receptor Agonists; Treatment Outcome; Vertigo

When Zika virus emerged as a public health emergency there were no drugs or vaccines approved for its prevention or treatment. We used a high-throughput screen for Zika virus protease inhibitors to identify several inhibitors of Zika virus infection. We expressed the NS2B-NS3 Zika virus protease and conducted a biochemical screen for small-molecule inhibitors. A quantitative structure-activity relationship model was employed to virtually screen ∼138,000 compounds, which increased the identification of active compounds, while decreasing screening time and resources. Candidate inhibitors were validated in several viral infection assays. Small molecules with favorable clinical profiles, especially the five-lipoxygenase-activating protein inhibitor, MK-591, inhibited the Zika virus protease and infection in neural stem cells. Members of the tetracycline family of antibiotics were more potent inhibitors of Zika virus infection than the protease, suggesting they may have multiple mechanisms of action. The most potent tetracycline, methacycline, reduced the amount of Zika virus present in the brain and the severity of Zika virus-induced motor deficits in an immunocompetent mouse model. As Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs, the tetracyclines could be quickly translated to the clinic. The compounds identified through our screening paradigm have the potential to be used as prophylactics for patients traveling to endemic regions or for the treatment of the neurological complications of Zika virus infection.

Topics: Animals; Antiviral Agents; Artificial Intelligence; Chlorocebus aethiops; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; High-Throughput Screening Assays; Immunocompetence; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Methacycline; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Protease Inhibitors; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship; Small Molecule Libraries; Vero Cells; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection

LY344864 is a selective receptor agonist with an affinity of 6 nM (Ki) at the recently cloned 5-HT1F receptor. It possesses little affinity for the 56 other serotonergic and non-serotonergic neuronal binding sites examined. When examined for its ability to inhibit forskolin-induced cyclic AMP accumulation in cells stably transfected with human 5-HT1F receptors, LY344864 was shown to be a full agonist producing an effect similar in magnitude to serotonin itself. After an intravenous dose of 1 mg/kg, rat plasma LY344864 levels declined with time whereas brain cortex levels remained relatively constant for the first 6 hours after injection. Oral and intravenous LY344864 administration potently inhibited dural protein extravasation caused by electrical stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion in rats. Taken together, these data demonstrate that LY344864 is a selective 5-HT1F receptor agonist that can be used to explore both the in vitro and in vivo functions of this receptor.

Topics: Animals; Brain; Carbazoles; Disease Models, Animal; Dura Mater; Fluorobenzenes; Humans; Inflammation; Male; Migraine Disorders; Protein Binding; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1F; Receptors, Serotonin; Recombinant Proteins; Serotonin Receptor Agonists