title: [Development of agonists/antagonists for protease-activated receptors (PARs) and the possible therapeutic application to gastrointestinal diseases].
abstract: Protease-activated receptors (PARs), a family of G-protein-coupled seven-transmembrane-domain receptors, are activated by proteolytic unmasking of the N-terminal cryptic tethered ligand by certain serine proteases. Among four PAR family members cloned to date, PAR-1, PAR-2, and PAR-4 can also be activated through a non-enzymatic mechanism, which is achieved by direct binding of exogenously applied synthetic peptides based on the tethered ligand sequence, known as PARs-activating peptides, to the body of the receptor. Various peptide mimetics have been synthesized as agonists for PARs with improved potency, selectivity, and stability. Some peptide mimetics and/or nonpeptide compounds have also been developed as antagonists for PAR-1 and PAR-4. PARs are widely distributed in the mammalian body, especially throughout the alimentary systems, and play various roles in physiological/pathophysiological conditions, i.e., modulation of salivary, gastric, or pancreatic glandular exocrine secretion, gastrointestinal smooth muscle motility, gastric mucosal cytoprotection, suppression/facilitation of visceral pain and inflammation, etc. Thus PARs are now considered novel therapeutic targets, and development of selective agonists and/or antagonists for PARs might provide a novel strategy for the treatment of various diseases that are resistant to current therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Division of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kinki University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka 577-8502, Japan. fumiko@kindai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sekiguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015195:Drug Design; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D044462:Receptors, Proteinase-Activated / Q000819:agonists* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D044462:Receptors, Proteinase-Activated