A selective matrix metalloproteinase-12 inhibitor retards atherosclerotic plaque development in apolipoprotein E-knockout mice.

Objective: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-12 has been implicated in plaque progression and instability and is also amenable to selective inhibition. In this study, we investigated the influence of a greater than 10-fold selective synthetic MMP-12 inhibitor on plaque progression in the apolipoprotein E knockout mouse model of atherosclerosis.

Methods And Results: A phosphinic peptide (RXP470.

Computer-aided optimization of phosphinic inhibitors of bacterial ureases.

Urease inhibitors can be considered as a tool to control the damaging effect of ureolytic bacteria infections in humans which occur commonly in the developed countries. Computer-aided optimization of the aminomethylphosphinate structures by modifying both their N- and P-termini led to the invention of a novel group of inhibitors of bacterial ureases. Introduction of P-hydroxymethyl group into the molecule resulted in considerable increase of the inhibitory activity against enzymes purified from Bacillus pasteurii and Proteus vulgaris as compared with their P-methyl counterparts described previously.

Conformational and solvation studies via computer simulation of the novel large scale diastereoselectively synthesized phosphinic MMP inhibitor RXP03 diluted in selected solvents.

Structure-activity relationship studies, regarding the influence of side chains of phosphinic pseudotripeptidic inhibitors on matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), provided potent and selective inhibitors for this family of structurally and functionally related proteases. Among them, phosphinic pseudopeptide CbzPhepsi[P(O)(OH)CH(2)] phenylpropyl TrpNH(2), known as RXP03, has been extensively used for in vivo and in vitro studies so far. The large quantities of RXP03 required for in vivo studies, as well as the necessity for diastereoisomeric purity, motivated us to further explore and develop an efficient synthetic methodology, which allows separation of the four diastereoisomers of RXP03 based on the astonishing observed differences in solubility of the four isomers in various solvents.

Inhibition of zinc metallopeptidases in cardiovascular disease--from unity to trinity, or duality?

The fusion of therapeutics and diagnostic medicine in an effort to provide individualized pharmacotherapy frequently requires the manipulation of drugs that target different enzymes and receptors. To this end, and as a strategy to increase the efficiency of drug development pipelines, new chemical entities are often developed that interact with more than one target. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), its homologue ACE2, neutral endopeptidase (NEP) and endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE-1) are metallopeptidases that are involved in the metabolism of biologically active peptides that impact on the regulation of the cardiovascular system.

Phosphinic tripeptides as dual angiotensin-converting enzyme C-domain and endothelin-converting enzyme-1 inhibitors.

A new series of phosphinic inhibitors able to interact with both angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) C-domain and endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1), while sparing neprilysin (NEP), has been developed. The most potent and selective inhibitor in this series (compound 8(F2)) displays K(i) values of 0.65 nM, 150 nM, 14 nM and 6.