Real-Time Imaging of Single Retinal Cell Apoptosis in a Non-Human Primate Ocular Hypertension Model.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of using DARC (detection of apoptosing retinal cells) technology as a biomarker for preclinical assessment of glaucomatous damage in a non-human primate (NHP) model of ocular hypertension (OHT).

Methods: Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) was induced by applying a laser to the trabecular meshwork in each eye of NHPs. Changes in DARC counts in the retina, identified as fluorescent-tagged annexin V (ANX776)-positive cells, were evaluated together with optic nerve damage, assessed using spectral domain-optical coherence tomography.

No Dose Adjustment for Isavuconazole Based on Age or Sex.

This phase 1, open-label, single-dose, parallel-group study evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PK) of isavuconazole after a single oral dose of the prodrug isavuconazonium sulfate in healthy nonelderly (age, 18 to 45 years) and elderly (age, ≥65 years) males and females. Overall, 48 subjects were enrolled in the study (=12 each in groups of nonelderly males and females and elderly males and females). All subjects received a single oral dose of 372 mg of isavuconazonium sulfate (equivalent to 200 mg isavuconazole).

Two Phase 1, Open-Label, Mass Balance Studies to Determine the Pharmacokinetics of C-Labeled Isavuconazonium Sulfate in Healthy Male Volunteers.

Isavuconazonium sulfate is the water-soluble prodrug of the active triazole isavuconazole. Two phase 1 studies were conducted to identify the metabolic profile and mass balance of isavuconazole and BAL8728 (inactive cleavage product). Seven subjects in study 1 (isavuconazole mass balance) received a single oral dose of [cyano- C]isavuconazonium sulfate corresponding to 200 mg isavuconazole.

Isavuconazole absorption following oral administration in healthy subjects is comparable to intravenous dosing, and is not affected by food, or drugs that alter stomach pH.

Objective/methods: Two openlabel, single-dose, randomized crossover studies and one open-label, multiple-dose, parallel group study in healthy volunteers were conducted with the prodrug, isavuconazonium sulfate, to determine absolute bioavailability of the active triazole, isavuconazole (EudraCT 2007-004949-15; n = 14), and the effect of food (EudraCT 2007- 004940-63; n = 26), and pH (NCT02128893; n = 24) on the absorption of isavuconazole. Isavuconazonium sulfate 744 mg designed to deliver 400 mg of the active triazole isavuconazole was administered in the absolute bioavailability (oral or intravenous (IV) (2-hour infusion)) and food-effect studies (oral). In the pH-effect study, isavuconazonium sulfate 372 mg designed to deliver 200 mg of isavuconazole was administered orally three times daily (t.

Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of the Drug-Drug Interaction Between Isavuconazole and Warfarin in Healthy Subjects.

This phase 1 trial evaluated pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between the novel triazole antifungal agent isavuconazole and warfarin in healthy adults. Multiple doses of isavuconazole were administered as the oral prodrug, isavuconazonium sulfate (372 mg 3 times a day for 2 days loading dose, then 372 mg once daily thereafter; equivalent to isavuconazole 200 mg), in the presence and absence of single doses of oral warfarin sodium 20 mg. Coadministration with isavuconazole increased the mean area under the plasma concentration-time curves from time 0 to infinity of S- and R-warfarin by 11% and 20%, respectively, but decreased the mean maximum plasma concentrations of S- and R-warfarin by 12% and 7%, respectively, relative to warfarin alone.

Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of CYP3A4-Mediated Drug-Drug Interactions of Isavuconazole With Rifampin, Ketoconazole, Midazolam, and Ethinyl Estradiol/Norethindrone in Healthy Adults.

This report describes the phase 1 trials that evaluated the metabolism of the novel triazole antifungal isavuconazole by cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and isavuconazole's effects on CYP3A4-mediated metabolism in healthy adults. Coadministration of oral isavuconazole (100 mg once daily) with oral rifampin (600 mg once daily; CYP3A4 inducer) decreased isavuconazole area under the concentration-time curve (AUC ) during a dosing interval by 90% and maximum concentration (C ) by 75%. Conversely, coadministration of isavuconazole (200 mg single dose) with oral ketoconazole (200 mg twice daily; CYP3A4 inhibitor) increased isavuconazole AUC from time 0 to infinity (AUC ) and C by 422% and 9%, respectively.

Pharmacokinetic Assessment of Drug-Drug Interactions of Isavuconazole With the Immunosuppressants Cyclosporine, Mycophenolic Acid, Prednisolone, Sirolimus, and Tacrolimus in Healthy Adults.

This report summarizes phase 1 studies that evaluated pharmacokinetic interactions between the novel triazole antifungal agent isavuconazole and the immunosuppressants cyclosporine, mycophenolic acid, prednisolone, sirolimus, and tacrolimus in healthy adults. Healthy subjects received single oral doses of cyclosporine (300 mg; n = 24), mycophenolate mofetil (1000 mg; n = 24), prednisone (20 mg; n = 21), sirolimus (2 mg; n = 22), and tacrolimus (5 mg; n = 24) in the presence and absence of clinical doses of oral isavuconazole (200 mg 3 times daily for 2 days; 200 mg once daily thereafter). Coadministration with isavuconazole increased the area under the concentration-time curves (AUC ) of tacrolimus, sirolimus, and cyclosporine by 125%, 84%, and 29%, respectively, and the AUCs of mycophenolic acid and prednisolone by 35% and 8%, respectively.

Pharmacokinetic Interaction Between Isavuconazole and a Fixed-Dose Combination of Lopinavir 400 mg/Ritonavir 100 mg in Healthy Subjects.

This phase 1, open-label study evaluated the pharmacokinetic effects of coadministration of the antifungal agent, isavuconazole (administered as its water-soluble prodrug isavuconazonium sulfate), with the antiretroviral agent lopinavir/ritonavir in healthy adults. In part 1, 13 subjects were randomized to 2 arms to receive multiple doses of oral isavuconazole 100 mg either alone or with lopinavir/ritonavir 400/100 mg. In part 2, a different group of 55 subjects were randomized to 3 arms to receive multiple doses of oral isavuconazole 200 mg, either alone or with lopinavir/ritonavir 400/100 mg, or to receive oral lopinavir/ritonavir 400/100 mg alone.

Pharmacokinetic Effects of Isavuconazole Coadministration With the Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Substrates Bupropion, Repaglinide, Caffeine, Dextromethorphan, and Methadone in Healthy Subjects.

This report describes phase 1 clinical trials performed to assess interactions of oral isavuconazole at the clinically targeted dose (200 mg, administered as isavuconazonium sulfate 372 mg, 3 times a day for 2 days; 200 mg once daily [QD] thereafter) with single oral doses of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) substrates: bupropion hydrochloride (CYP2B6; 100 mg; n = 24), repaglinide (CYP2C8/CYP3A4; 0.5 mg; n = 24), caffeine (CYP1A2; 200 mg; n = 24), dextromethorphan hydrobromide (CYP2D6/CYP3A4; 30 mg; n = 24), and methadone (CYP2B6/CYP2C19/CYP3A4; 10 mg; n = 23). Compared with each drug alone, coadministration with isavuconazole changed the area under the concentration-time curves (AUC ) and maximum concentrations (C ) as follows: bupropion, AUC reduced 42%, C reduced 31%; repaglinide, AUC reduced 8%, C reduced 14%; caffeine, AUC increased 4%, C reduced 1%; dextromethorphan, AUC increased 18%, C increased 17%; R-methadone, AUC reduced 10%, C increased 3%; S-methadone, AUC reduced 35%, C increased 1%.

Pharmacokinetic Interactions Between Isavuconazole and the Drug Transporter Substrates Atorvastatin, Digoxin, Metformin, and Methotrexate in Healthy Subjects.

This article summarizes 4 phase 1 trials that explored interactions between the novel, triazole antifungal isavuconazole and substrates of the drug transporters breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), multidrug and toxin extrusion protein-1 (MATE1), organic anion transporters 1/3 (OAT1/OAT3), organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1), organic cation transporters 1/2 (OCT1/OCT2), and P-glycoprotein (P-gp). Healthy subjects received single doses of atorvastatin (20 mg; OATP1B1 and P-gp substrate), digoxin (0.5 mg; P-gp substrate), metformin (850 mg; OCT1, OCT2, and MATE1 substrate), or methotrexate (7.

ASP9853, an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase dimerization, in combination with docetaxel: preclinical investigation and a Phase I study in advanced solid tumors.

Purpose: ASP9853 is an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) dimerization, which results in decreased NO production. Here, we report preclinical pharmacology of ASP9853 and the impact of ASP9853 in combination with a taxane on tumor volume in vivo. In addition, a Phase I open-label study of ASP9853 plus docetaxel was conducted to assess this combination in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Decomposition of cyclohexane ion induced by intense femtosecond laser fields by ion-trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Decomposition of cyclohexane cations induced by intense femtosecond laser fields at the wavelength of 800 nm is investigated by ion-trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry in which cyclohexane cations C6H12 (+) stored in an ion trap are irradiated with intense femtosecond laser pulses and the generated fragment ions are recorded by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The various fragment ion species, C5Hn (+) (n = 7, 9), C4Hn (+) (n = 5-8), C3Hn (+) (n = 3-7), C2Hn (+) (n = 2-6), and CH3 (+), identified in the mass spectra show that decomposition of C6H12 (+) proceeds efficiently by the photo-irradiation. From the laser intensity dependences of the yields of the fragment ion species, the numbers of photons required for producing the respective fragment ions are estimated.

Comparison of the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of fidaxomicin in healthy Japanese and caucasian subjects.

Background And Objectives: Fidaxomicin treatment of Clostridium difficile infection is known to produce minimal systemic exposure, as the antibacterial (antibiotic) remains primarily in the gut. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of single and multiple ascending doses of fidaxomicin were evaluated in healthy Japanese and Caucasian subjects.

Methods: Thirty-six healthy subjects were randomly assigned in a 3:1 ratio to receive either fidaxomicin or placebo.

Chronic treatment with novel GPR40 agonists improve whole-body glucose metabolism based on the glucose-dependent insulin secretion.

GPR40 is a free fatty acid receptor that has been shown to regulate glucose-dependent insulin secretion. This study aimed to discover novel GPR40 agonists and investigate the whole-body effect on glucose metabolism of GPR40 activation using these novel GPR40 agonists. To identify novel GPR40-specific agonists, we conducted high-throughput chemical compound screening and evaluated glucose-dependent insulin secretion.

Discovery of a novel neuroprotective compound, AS1219164, by high-throughput chemical screening of a newly identified apoptotic gene marker.

We have reported that tacrolimus (FK506), an immunosuppressive drug, and diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, possess different modes of neuroprotective action. FK506 suppresses only thapsigargin-induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells while diclofenac reverses tunicamycin-induced as well as thapsigargin-induced apoptosis. The aim of this study is to discover novel compounds that exert neuroprotective properties by using the transcriptional response of a newly identified gene, which was regulated by both FK506 and diclofenac, as a surrogate screening marker in high-throughput chemical screening and characterize the compounds in comparison with FK506 and diclofenac.

AS1907417, a novel GPR119 agonist, as an insulinotropic and β-cell preservative agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

G-protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 119 is involved in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and represents a promising target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes as it is highly expressed in pancreatic β-cells. Although a number of oral GPR119 agonists have been developed, their inability to adequately directly preserve β-cell function limits their effectiveness. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of a novel small-molecule GPR119 agonist, AS1907417, which represents a modified form of a 2,4,6-tri-substituted pyrimidine core agonist, AS1269574, we previously identified.

Neuroprotective efficacy of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta-selective agonists in vitro and in vivo.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily and function as ligand-modulated transcription factors that regulate gene expression in many important biological processes. The PPARdelta subtype has the highest expression in the brain and is postulated to play a major role in neuronal cell function; however, the precise physiological roles of this receptor remain to be elucidated. Herein, we show that the high-affinity PPARdelta agonists L-165041 [4-[3-(4-acetyl-3-hydroxy-2-propylphenoxy)-propoxyl]phenoxy]-acetic acid] and GW501516 [2-methyl4-((4-methyl-2-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1,3-triazol-5-yl)-methylsulfanyl)phenoxy acetic acid] protect against cytotoxin-induced SH-SY5Y cell injury in vitro and both ischemic brain injury and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) neurotoxicity in vivo.

CyclinB2 and BIRC5 genes as surrogate biomarkers for neurite outgrowth in SH-SY5Y subclonal cells.

Neurite outgrowth plays a key role in neuronal development and regeneration, and is the hallmark assay for the effects of neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor (NGF). However, measuring neurite outgrowth is a slow and resource-intensive process. We therefore wanted to identify surrogate biomarkers for neurite outgrowth activity by gene expression analysis in SH-O10 cells, a subclone of the human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line but with much higher NGF-induced neurite outgrowth activity.

Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, suppresses apoptosis induced by endoplasmic reticulum stresses by inhibiting caspase signaling.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are frequently used in the treatment of inflammation and pain. In many reports, NSAIDs have induced apoptosis in a variety of cell lines such as colon cancer cells. On the other hand, more recently a few reports have found that NSAIDs protect against apoptosis.

Differences in gene expression profile among SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma subclones with different neurite outgrowth responses to nerve growth factor.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a key role in the differentiation of neurons. In this study, we established three NGF-induced neurite-positive (NIN+) subclones that showed high responsiveness to NGF-induced neurite outgrowth and three NGF-induced neurite-negative (NIN-) subclones that abolished NGF-induced neurite outgrowth from parental SH-SY5Y cells, and analyzed differences in the NGF signaling cascade. The NIN+ subclones showed enhanced responsiveness to FK506-mediated neurite outgrowth as well.

Protective effect of FK506 against apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells correlates with regulation of the serum inducible kinase gene.

Recently, we established an in vitro model of apoptosis induced by exposure of neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells to thapsigargin, an endoplasmic reticular calcium-ATPase inhibitor, and demonstrated that FK506 (tacrolimus) protected against apoptosis. The purpose of this paper was to investigate a possible correlation between the protective effect of FK506 against apoptosis and the regulation of the serum inducible kinase (SNK) and fibroblast growth factor inducible kinase (FNK) genes-which are polo-like kinases expressed abundantly in the brain by FK506. Thapsigargin increased the mRNA level of SNK and FNK in SH-SY5Y cells.

Suppressive effects of FR167653, an inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated kinase, on calreticulin mRNA expression induced by endoplasmic reticulum stresses.

Several endoplasmic reticulum chaperones are simultaneously transactivated in response to various forms of endoplasmic reticulum stresses. Calreticulin is one such chaperone. We here show that the compound FR167653 [1-[7-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-8-(4-pyridyl)pyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazin-2-yl]-2-phenylethanedione sulfate monohydrate] suppresses the transactivation of calreticulin following endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Detailed in vitro pharmacological analysis of FK506-induced neuroprotection.

FK506, a calcineurin inhibitor, shows potent neuroprotective effects in animal models such as those of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the mechanism underlying these neuroprotective effects is unclear. In this study, an in vitro model, in which FK506 protected the cells against cell death, was established and analyzed in detail by pharmacological experiments.

Discovery of novel inhibitors of inducible nitric oxide synthase.

We have discovered three compounds, 5-chloro-1,3-dihydro-2H-benzimidazol-2-one (FR038251), 1,3(2H,4H)-isoquinolinedione (FR038470) and 5-chloro-2,4(1H,3H)-quinazolonedione (FR191863), which show inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The iNOS inhibitory activity of the compounds was examined in comparison with that of aminoguanidine, a representative iNOS inhibitor. FR038251, FR038470 and FR191863 inhibited mouse iNOS, with IC50 values of 1.