title: Cholesterol-lowering effects of NTE-122, a novel acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor, on cholesterol diet-fed rats and rabbits.
abstract: Pharmacological characterization of NTE-122 (trans-1,4-bis[[1-cyclohexyl-3-(4-dimethylamino phenyl)ureido]methyl]cyclohexane), a novel acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor, was performed with both in vitro and in vivo assay systems. NTE-122 inhibited microsomal ACAT activities of various tissues (liver of rabbit and rat, small intestine of rabbit and rat, and aorta of rabbit) and cultured cells (HepG2 and CaCo-2), with IC50 values from 1.2 to 9.6 nM. The inhibition mode of NTE-122 was competitive for HepG2 ACAT. NTE-122 had no effect on other lipid metabolizing enzymes, such as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, acyl-CoA synthetase, cholesterol esterase, lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase, acyl-CoA:sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase and cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase up to 10 microM. When NTE-122 was administered to the cholesterol diet-fed rats, serum and liver cholesterol levels were markedly reduced with an ED50 of 0.12 and 0.44 mg/kg/day, respectively. In the cholesterol diet-fed rabbits, NTE-122 significantly lowered plasma and liver cholesterol levels at more than 2 mg/kg/day. These results indicate that NTE-122 is a potent, selective and competitive inhibitor of ACAT, making it a worth while therapeutic agent for hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Central Research Institute, Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd., Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikemoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Obata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sajiki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nobuhara
mesh_terms: D051103:1-Acylglycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase; D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003510:Cyclohexanes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D007862:Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D002787:Sterol Esterase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002785:Sterol O-Acyltransferase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000098859:Long-Chain-Fatty-Acid-CoA Ligase
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D003510:Cyclohexanes; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C111531:NTE 122; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D002784:Cholesterol; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase; D000217:Acyltransferases; D002785:Sterol O-Acyltransferase; D007862:Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase; D051103:1-Acylglycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase; D002787:Sterol Esterase; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases; C090799:FAA2 protein, S cerevisiae; D000098859:Long-Chain-Fatty-Acid-CoA Ligase