The effect of first-in-class small molecule RhoA inhibitor, HL07, on the phenylephrine-induced artery contraction

Curr Pharm Des. 2012;18(27):4258-64. doi: 10.2174/138161212802430387.

Abstract

The RhoA/ROCK inhibitors have emerged as a new promising treatment for cardiovascular diseases. Recently, we first reported a series of first-in-class small molecular RhoA inhibitors and a chemical compound named HL07 showed high RhoA inhibition activities. In this study, we aimed to explore the pharmacological effect and possible mechanism of HL07 on agonists-induced vasoconstriction. Results showed that 1) in rat thoracic aorta (TA) rings, HL07(0∼180 µmol/L) effectively inhibited phenylephrine (PE)-induced contraction in concentration-dependent manner , whereas the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) being 156.93 µmol/L, while it produced weak inhibition on high-K(+)-induced contraction. Furthermore, in the presence of nifedipine and thapsigargin (Nif/TSG), HL07 had a comparable degree of inhibition on PE-induced contraction with IC(50)=149.52 µmol/L; especially at the concentration (0∼150 µmol/L), the inhibition was greater than the inhibition in absence of Nif/TSG (P < 0.01). In addition, HL07 displayed greater inhibition on pulmonary artery (PA) rings (IC(50)=134.97 µmol/L) than on TA rings. 2) HL07 potently blocked RhoA activation stimulated by PE in concentration-dependent manner in human cerebrovascular smooth muscle cells (HBVSMCs), when HL07 at 10, 2, 0.25 µmol/L, the corresponding inhibition rates were 64 ± 5%, 42 ± 7%, 31 ± 5%, respectively; and at the same concentrations, HL07 had no significant effect on RhoA mRNA level. 3) In HBVSMCs, RhoA activity was increased by pre-incubating with GNP, but HL07 showed inhibitory effect on this tendency. These results indicate that HL07 produces significant inhibitory effects on PE-induced vascular smooth muscle contraction. The inhibitory effects of HL07 were mainly contributed to its inhibition on RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway through blocking RhoA activation, and the binding affinities of HL07 for RhoA preference over the GNP might be responsible for the inhibition of HL07 on RhoA activity.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aorta, Thoracic / drug effects*
  • Aorta, Thoracic / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cinnamates / administration & dosage
  • Cinnamates / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Male
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / drug effects*
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / metabolism
  • Nifedipine / pharmacology
  • Phenylephrine / administration & dosage
  • Phenylephrine / pharmacology
  • Quinoxalines / administration & dosage
  • Quinoxalines / pharmacology*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Thapsigargin / pharmacology
  • Vasoconstriction / drug effects
  • Vasoconstrictor Agents / administration & dosage
  • Vasoconstrictor Agents / pharmacology
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / antagonists & inhibitors*

Substances

  • 3-(3-(quinoxalin-3-ylamino)phenyl)acrylic acid
  • Cinnamates
  • Quinoxalines
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Vasoconstrictor Agents
  • Phenylephrine
  • Thapsigargin
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein
  • Nifedipine