Novel purine analogues regulate IL-1β release via inhibition of JAK activity in human aortic smooth muscle cells.

Purine analogues bearing a nitrate ester motif were previously discovered as cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory agents, but the anti-inflammatory mechanism remains to be established. We therefore investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of two purine analogues, MK118 bearing a nitrate ester moiety and the methyl-substituted analogue MK196 in Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells (AoSMCs), with emphasis on IL-1β release. The AoSMCs were stimulated with LPS with or without purine analogue, followed by ELISA, Olink proteomics, Western blot and real time PCR of NLRP3 inflammasome components.

A novel purine analogue bearing nitrate ester prevents platelet activation by ROCK activity inhibition.

Natural purines like ATP, ADP and adenosine have crucial roles in platelet physiology. This knowledge has been significant in drug development and today ADP receptor antagonists are widely used for prevention of thrombotic events following myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke. Recent studies have shown that a purine analogue bearing nitrate ester group (denoted MK128) has anti-inflammatory effects probably due to its ability to donate nitric oxide (NO).