First evaluation of the potential effectiveness in muscular dystrophy of a novel chimeric compound, BN 82270, acting as calpain-inhibitor and anti-oxidant.
BN 82270 is a membrane-permeable prodrug of a chimeric compound (BN 82204) dually acting as calpain inhibitor and anti-oxidant. Acute in vivo injection of dystrophic mdx mice (30 mg/kg, s.c.) fully counteracted calpain overactivity in diaphragm. A chronic 4-6 weeks administration significantly prevented in vivo the fore limb force drop occurring in mdx mice exercised on treadmill. Ex vivo electrophysiological recordings showed that BN 82270 treatment contrasted the decrease in chloride channel function (gCl) in diaphragm, an index of spontaneous degeneration, while it was less effective on both exercise-impaired gCl and calcium-dependent mechanical threshold of the hind limb extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle fibres. The BN 82270 treated mdx mice showed a marked reduction of plasma creatine kinase and of the pro-fibrotic cytokine TGF-beta1 in both hind limb muscles and diaphragm; however, the histopathological profile of gastrocnemious muscle was poorly ameliorated. In hind limb muscles of treated mice, the active form was detected by HPLC in the low therapeutic concentration range. In vitro exposure to 100 microM BN 82270 led to higher active form in diaphragm than in EDL muscle. This is the first demonstration that this class of chimeric compounds, dually targeting pathology-related events, exerts beneficial effects in muscular dystrophy. The drug/prodrug system may require posology adjustment to produce wider beneficial effects on all muscle types.
Unit of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacobiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
Rosa
R
Burdi
Maria Paola
MP
Didonna
Bernadette
B
Pignol
Beatrice
B
Nico
Domenica
D
Mangieri
Jean-François
JF
Rolland
Claudia
C
Camerino
Alberta
A
Zallone
Paolo
P
Ferro
Francesca
F
Andreetta
Paolo
P
Confalonieri
Annamaria
A
De Luca
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001835:Body Weight; D002154:Calpain / Q000502:physiology; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000187:drug effects; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006614:Hindlimb; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects; D009137:Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010640:Phenothiazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
D000975:Antioxidants; C513568:BN 82204; D018118:Chloride Channels; D006023:Glycoproteins; D010640:Phenothiazines; D011355:Prodrugs; C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; C508962:Tgfb1 protein, rat; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; C039304:calpain inhibitors; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D002154:Calpain