title: The antimetastatic drug NAMI-A potentiates the phenylephrine-induced contraction of aortic smooth muscle cells and induces a transient increase in systolic blood pressure.
abstract: The ruthenium-based drug imidazolium trans-imidazoledimethylsulphoxidetetrachlorido ruthenate (NAMI-A) is a novel antitumour drug under clinical evaluation. In this study, NAMI-A is tested on aortic rings in vitro and on the systolic blood pressure in vivo with the aim of evaluating its effects on smooth muscle cells and, more in general, on the vascular system. Pre-incubation of aortic rings with 10 µM NAMI-A for 10 min potentiates the contraction induced by phenylephrine (PE). The reduction of the B max value of [(3)H]-prazosin bound to NAMI-A-treated aortic rings and the ability of NAMI-A to displace [(3)H]-prazosin and [(3)H]-IP3 binding by 25 and 42%, respectively, suggest the involvement of α1-adrenoceptor in mediating the effects on smooth muscle cells. NAMI-A also decreases the number of maximal sites of [(3)H]-prazosin bound to kidney membrane preparation from 34 to 24 fmol/mg proteins. A single i.p. dose (105 mg/kg) or a repeated treatment for 6 consecutive days (17 mg/kg/day) in Wistar rats increases the systolic blood pressure, respectively, 1 h and 3 days after treatment, and the responsiveness of rat aortic rings to PE. Atomic absorption spectroscopy confirms the presence of ruthenium in the aortic rings excised from the treated rats. These findings suggest monitoring the cardiovascular parameters when the drug is used in humans for treating cancer patients, particularly if the drug is associated with chemicals that are potentially active at the cardiovascular level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vadori
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Florio
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Groppo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cocchietto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pacor
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zorzet
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Candussio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sava
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017975:Ruthenium Compounds; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D017975:Ruthenium Compounds; C113661:imidazolium-bis(imidazole)dimethylsulfoxideimidazotetrachlororuthenate(III); D010656:Phenylephrine; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide