Dietary isothiocyanates abundant as glucosinolate precursors in many edible cruciferous vegetables are effective for prevention of cancer in chemically-induced and transgenic rodent models. Some of these agents, including phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), have already advanced to clinical investigations. The primary route of isothiocyanate metabolism is its conjugation with glutathione (GSH), a reaction catalyzed by glutathione S-transferase (GST). The pi class GST of subunit type 1 (hGSTP1) is much more effective than the alpha class GST of subunit type 1 (hGSTA1) in catalyzing the conjugation. Here, we report the crystal structures of hGSTP1 and hGSTA1 each in complex with the GSH adduct of PEITC. We find that PEITC also covalently modifies the cysteine side chains of GST, which irreversibly inhibits enzymatic activity.

Overexpressed glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) has been associated with chemotherapy resistance. GSTP1 activated arylated diazeniumdiolates causes significant DNA damage by nitric oxide (NO) release. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP) inhibitors induces DNA damage. A hybrid prodrug was designed by combining the structural features of established PARP-1 inhibitors and arylated diazeniumdiolates to exacerbate DNA damage. The prodrug is activated by GSTP1 catalyzed reaction with glutathione and releases NO and a moiety that inhibits PARP-1. It has also proven to be effective as anticancer agent in both in vitro and in vivo models. The chemopotentiating effects of the prodrug were also observed in combination with microtubule targeting agents or proteasome inhibitors, accompanied by increase in DNA damage, and induction of apoptosis. Interestingly, S-nitrosation of Cys101 of GSTP1 by the prodrug upon activation by GSTP1 was observed. This modification significantly decreased the catalytic activity of GSTP1, suggesting that the prodrug executes synergistic effects through multiple cellular effects, including direct inhibitory effect on GSTP1. These findings demonstrate that S-nitrosation of GSTP1 may affect proper protein folding and induce unfolded protein and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Our strategy not only activates prodrug by GSTP1 catalytic activity but also inhibits GSTP1 upon activation and delivers the compound at the cancer site. Thus, a three-pronged attack on cancer cells may be afforded by such a novel strategy. Additionally, GSTP1 inhibition by designed prodrug may provide a translational opportunity to target GSTP1 for its role in MAP kinase cascades, which participates in cellular survival and death signaling. As future studies are warranted to confirm our hypothesis, we plan to continue our structure based design to improve the hybrid prodrug for higher GSTP1 selectivity and higher bioavailability.

V-PYRRO/NO [O(2)-vinyl-1-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate] and V-PROLI/NO (O2-vinyl-[2-(carboxylato)pyrrolidin-1-yl]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate), two structurally similar diazeniumdiolate derivatives, were designed as liver-selective prodrugs that are metabolized by cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, with subsequent release of nitric oxide (NO). Yet, their efficacy in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and their comparative pharmacokinetic and metabolic profiles have not been characterized. The aim of the present work was to compare the effects of V-PYRRO/NO and V-PROLI/NO on liver steatosis, glucose tolerance, and liver fatty acid composition in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet, as well as to comprehensively characterize the ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) profiles of both NO donors. Despite their similar structure, V-PYRRO/NO and V-PROLI/NO showed differences in pharmacological efficacy in the murine model of NAFLD. V-PYRRO/NO, but not V-PROLI/NO, attenuated liver steatosis, improved glucose tolerance, and favorably modified fatty acid composition in the liver. Both compounds were characterized by rapid absorption following i.p. administration, rapid elimination from the body, and incomplete bioavailability. However, V-PYRRO/NO was eliminated mainly by the liver, whereas V-PROLI/NO was excreted mostly in unchanged form by the kidney. V-PYRRO/NO was metabolized by CYP2E1, CYP2C9, CYP1A2, and CYP3A4, whereas V-PROLI/NO was metabolized mainly by CYP1A2. Importantly, V-PYRRO/NO was a better NO releaser in vivo and in the isolated, perfused liver than V-PROLI/NO, an effect compatible with the superior antisteatotic activity of V-PYRRO/NO. In conclusion, V-PYRRO/NO displayed a pronounced antisteatotic effect associated with liver-targeted NO release, whereas V-PROLI/NO showed low effectiveness, was not taken up by the liver, and was eliminated mostly in unchanged form by the kidney.

Background and purpose: There is an unmet medical need for novel NAFLD treatments. Here we have examined the effects of liver-selective NO donor (V-PYRRO/NO) as compared with metformin on hepatic steatosis and glucose tolerance in mice fed high fat diet.Material and methods: Effects of V-PYRRO/NO (5 mg kg(-1)) or metformin (616 mg kg(-1)) were examined in C57BL/6J mice fed high fat diet (HF, 60 kcal% fat). Quantitative determination of steatosis, liver fatty acid composition and western blot analysis of selected proteins involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, fatty acid de nova synthesis and oxidation, triacylglycerols and cholesterol transport from the liver were performed. Liver NO and nitrate concentration and blood biochemistry were also analyzed.Results: V-PYRRO/NO and metformin reduced liver steatosis with simultaneous reduction of total liver triacylglycerols, diacylglycerols and ceramides fraction and reversed HF-induced decrease in UFA/SFA ratio. V-PYRRO/NO substantially improved postprandial glucose tolerance, while the effect of metformin was modest and more pronounced on HOMA IR index. The anti-steatotic mechanism of V-PYRRO/NO was dependent on NO release, differed from that of metformin and involved improved glucose tolerance and inhibition of de novo fatty acid synthesis by Akt activation and ACC phosphorylation. In turn, major mechanism of metformin action involved increased expression of proteins implicated in mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism (PGC-1 alpha, PPAR alpha, COX IV, cytochrome c, HADHSC).Conclusions: V-PYRRO/NO acts as a liver-specific NO donor prodrug affording pronounced anti-steatotic effects and may represent an efficient, mechanistically novel approach to prevent liver steatosis and insulin resistance. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PABA/NO [O(2)-{2,4-dinitro-5-[4-(N-methylamino)benzoyloxy]phenyl} 1-(N,N-dimethylamino) diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate] is a nitric oxide (NO)-releasing arylating agent designed to be selectively activated by reaction with glutathione (GSH) on catalysis by glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), an enzyme frequently overexpressed in cancer cells. PABA/NO has proven active in several cancer models in vitro and in vivo, but its tendency to be metabolized via a variety of pathways, some that generate inactive metabolites and hydrolysis products, limits its potential as a drug. Here we show that a simple replacement of cyano for nitro at the 4 position to give compound 4b ('p-cyano-PABA/NO') has the dual effect of slowing the undesired side reactions while enhancing the proportion of NO release and arylating activity on catalysis by GSTP1. Compound 4b showed increased resistance to hydrolysis and uncatalyzed reaction with GSH, along with a more favorable product distribution in the presence of GSTP1. It also showed significant proapoptotic activity. The data suggest p-cyano-PABA/NO to be a more promising prodrug than PABA/NO, with better selectivity toward cancer cells.

Recent theoretical studies have suggested that the parent diazeniumdiolate ion, H2N-N(O)═NO(-) ("diazeniumdiolated ammonia"), might be stable enough to be isolated and that it could potentially serve as a uniquely advantageous prodrug form of bioactive nitroxyl (HNO). Here, we report on an attempt to isolate its O(2)-benzylated derivative by aminolysis of the C═N bond in PhC(NH2)═N-N(O)═NOBn. The reaction proved remarkably sluggish in comparison to aminolysis of unsubstituted benzamidine, and the desired product could not be isolated, apparently because of base sensitivity of the NH2 group. Consistent with this interpretation, O-benzylhydroxylamine and N2O were recovered from the reaction mixture in high yields, along with N,N'-dibutylbenzamidine. Theoretical calculations rationalize the observed slow aminolysis by demonstrating that the diazeniumdiolate group greatly suppresses the electrophilicity of the adjacent C═N carbon center, rendering attack at that position endothermic. The data provide significant insights into the challenges inherent to the pursuit of diazeniumdiolated ammonia.

We report the antitumor effects of nitric oxide (NO) releasing derivatives of the PARP-1 inhibitor olaparib (1). Compound 5b was prepared by coupling the carboxyl group of 3b and the free amino group of arylated diazeniumdiolated piperazine 4. Analogue 5a has the same structure except that the F is replaced by H. Compound 13 is the same as 5b except that a Me2N-N(O)═NO- group was added para and ortho to the nitro groups of the dinitrophenyl ring. The resulting prodrugs are activated by glutathione in a reaction accelerated by glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), an enzyme frequently overexpressed in cancers. This metabolism generates NO plus a PARP-1 inhibitor simultaneously, consuming reducing equivalents, leading to DNA damage concomitant with inhibition of DNA repair, and in the case of 13 inducing cross-linking glutathionylation of proteins. Compounds 5b and 13 reduced the growth rates of A549 human lung adenocarcinoma xenografts with no evidence of systemic toxicity.

We report the apparently unprecedented direct reaction of nitric oxide (NO) with amides to generate ions of structure R(C=O)NH–N(O)=NO–, with examples including R = Me (1a) or 3-pyridyl (1b). The sodium salts of both released NO in pH 7.4 buffer, with 37 °C half-lives of 1–3 min. As NO-releasing drug candidates, diazeniumdiolated amides would have the advantage of generating only 1 equiv of base on hydrolyzing exhaustively to NO, in contrast to their amine counterparts, which generate 2 equiv of base.

The nitric oxide (NO) prodrug JS-K, a promising anti-cancer agent, consists of a diazeniumdiolate group necessary for the release of NO as well as an arylating ring. In this study, we research the mechanism by which JS-K kills a murine erythroleukemia cell line and determine the roles of NO and arylation in the process. Our studies indicate that JS-K inhibits the PI 3-kinase/Akt and MAP kinase pathways. This correlates with the activation of the tumor suppressor FoxO3a and increased expression of various caspases, leading to apoptosis. The arylating capability of JS-K appears to be sufficient for inducing these biological effects. Overall, these data suggest that JS-K kills tumor cells by arylating and inactivating signaling molecules that block the activation of a tumor suppressor.

JS-K is a nitric oxide (NO)-releasing prodrug of the O2-arylated diazeniumdiolate family that has demonstrated pronounced cytotoxicity and antitumor properties in a variety of cancer models both in vitro and in vivo. The current study of the metabolic actions of JS-K was undertaken to investigate mechanisms of its cytotoxicity. Consistent with model chemical reactions, the activating step in the metabolism of JS-K in the cell is the dearylation of the diazeniumdiolate by glutathione (GSH) via a nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction. The resulting product (CEP/NO anion) spontaneously hydrolyzes, releasing two equivalents of NO. The GSH/GSSG redox couple is considered to be the major redox buffer of the cell, helping maintain a reducing environment under basal conditions. We have quantified the effects of JS-K on cellular GSH content, and show that JS-K markedly depletes GSH, due to JS-K's rapid uptake and cascading release of NO and reactive nitrogen species. The depletion of GSH results in alterations in the redox potential of the cellular environment, initiating MAPK stress signaling pathways, and inducing apoptosis. Microarray analysis confirmed signaling gene changes at the transcriptional level and revealed alteration in the expression of several genes crucial for maintenance of cellular redox homeostasis, as well as cell proliferation and survival, including MYC. Pre-treating cells with the known GSH precursor and nucleophilic reducing agent N-acetylcysteine prevented the signaling events that lead to apoptosis. These data indicate that multiplicative depletion of the reduced glutathione pool and deregulation of intracellular redox balance are important initial steps in the mechanism of JS-K's cytotoxic action.

Amine-based diazeniumdiolates (NONOates) have garnered widespread use as nitric oxide (NO) donors, and their potential for nitroxyl (HNO) release has more recently been realized. While NO release rates can vary significantly with the type of amine, half-lives of seconds to days under physiological conditions, there is as yet no way to determine a priori the NO or HNO production rates of a given species, and no discernible trends have manifested other than that secondary amines produce only NO (i.e., no HNO). As a step to understanding these complex systems, here we describe a procedure for modeling amine-based NONOates in water solvent that provides an excellent correlation (R(2) = 0.94) between experimentally measured dissociation rates of seven secondary amine species and their computed NO release activation energies. The significant difference in behavior of NONOates in the gas and solvent phases is also rigorously demonstrated via explicit additions of quantum mechanical water molecules. The presented results suggest that the as-yet unsynthesized simplest amine-based NONOate, the diazeniumdiolated ammonia anion [H2N-N(O)═NO(-)], could serve as an unperturbed HNO donor. These results provide a step forward toward the accurate modeling of general NO and/or HNO donors as well as for the identification of tailored prodrug candidates.

Abstract JS-K is a nitric oxide (NO)-releasing drug of the O2-arylated diazeniumdiolate family that has demonstrated pronounced cytotoxicity and antitumor properties in a variety of cancer models. It is activated for NO release by reaction with glutathione (GSH), a step that consumes an equivalent of GSH, effectively irreversibly. The two equivalents of NO thus released can be oxidized intracellularly, leading to S-nitrosylation and S-glutathionylation of GSH in a cascade of further reactions that consume additional equivalents of GSH and generate GSH disulfide (GSSG). The GSH/GSSG redox couple is the major redox buffer of the cell, helping maintain a reducing environment under basal conditions. Here we show that depletion of GSH on treating U937 leukemia cells with JS-K markedly raises the reduction potential of the cell, initiating MAPK stress signaling pathways, and inducing apoptosis. Microarray analysis confirmed signaling gene changes at the transcriptional level and revealed alteration in the expression of several genes crucial for maintenance of cellular redox homeostasis, as well as cell proliferation and survival, including MYC. The data indicate that multiplicative depletion of reduced GSH and deregulation of intracellular redox balance are important steps in the mechanism of JS-K's cytotoxic action. An additional GSH-consuming pathway was found to occur with Double JS-K, an aryl bis(diazeniumdiolate) created with the purpose of doubling the payload of NO. Double JS-K caused pronounced protein glutathionylation, in contrast to its monovalent counterpart. Serving as a bivalent electrophile, Double JS-K irreversibly crosslinked GSH to protein thiols through its aromatic linker. The results provide a previously unrecognized component of the multifaceted mechanism of action of bivalent electrophiles of the arylated diazeniumdiolate class. Citation Format: Ryan J. Holland, Anna E. Maciag, Robert Y.-S. Cheng, Luis G. Rodriguez, Joseph E. Saavedra, Lucy M. Anderson, Larry K. Keefer. Stoichiometric depletion of glutathione by anticancer agent JS-K. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2922. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2922

We introduce a strategy for generating mixtures of nitric oxide (NO) and nitroxyl (HNO) at tunable rates in physiological media. The approach involves converting a spontaneously HNO/NO-generating ion to a caged (prodrug) form that is essentially stable in neutral media, but that can be activated for HNO/NO release by adding an enzyme capable of efficiently opening the cage to regenerate the ion. By judiciously choosing the enzyme, substrate, and reaction conditions, unwanted scavenging of the HNO and NO by the protein can be minimised and the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme can be maintained. We illustrate this approach with a proof-of-concept study wherein the prodrug is Gal-IPA/NO, a diazeniumdiolate of structure iPrHN-N(O)NOR, with R=β-d-galactosyl. Escherichia coli-derived β-d-galactosidase at concentrations of 1.9-15nM hydrolysed 56μM substrate with half-lives of 140-19min, respectively, producing the IPA/NO anion (iPrHN-N(O)NO(-), half-life ∼3min), which in turn spontaneously hydrolysed to mixtures of HNO with NO. Using saturating substrate concentrations furnished IPA/NO generation rates that were directly proportional to enzyme concentration. Consistent with these data, the enzyme/substrate combination applied to ventricular myocytes isolated from wild-type mouse hearts resulted not only in a significant positive inotropic effect, but also rescued the cells from the negative inotropy, hypercontractions, and occasional cell death seen with the enzyme alone. This mechanism represents an alternate approach for achieving controlled fluxes of NO/HNO to investigate their biological actions.

Abstract Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase (PARP) has been recognized as a potential molecular target in cancer therapy. PARP inhibitors have been evaluated in clinical trials, both in combination with DNA damaging chemotherapy, and also as single agents in patients with BRCA deficiencies. However, there are problems associated with the clinical applicability of PARP inhibitors that include theoretical genotoxicity of these DNA damage repair inhibitors, and increased toxicity in combination with chemotherapy. Therefore targeted delivery of PARP inhibitors selectively to cancer cells would be clinically beneficial. Diazeniumdiolate-based nitric oxide (NO)-releasing prodrugs developed in our laboratory have proven effective as anticancer agents in a number of in vitro and in vivo models. The lead prodrug JS-K exhibits a multifaceted mechanism of action that includes generation of oxidative/nitrosative stress and DNA damage. We hypothesized that inhibiting PARP may increase effectiveness of JS-K. More importantly, creating a PARP inhibitor prodrug that is activated specifically in the cancer cell could diminish dose-limiting adverse events observed in clinical trials. Using structure-based molecular modeling approaches we have designed and synthesized novel diazeniumdiolate/PARP inhibitor hybrid prodrugs that are activated by glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), an enzyme frequently overexpressed by cancer cells. This GSTP1-catalyzed activation allows for the selective delivery of nitric oxide and PARP inhibitor simultaneously to the cancer cell. Biological evaluation of the prodrugs in vitro in lung adenocarcinoma and leukemia cells reveals that their mechanism of action involves oxidative/nitrosative stress associated with NO release and depletion of cellular GSH, leading to DNA strand break damage. The compounds induce aryl-mediated crosslinking glutathionylation of cellular thiols that is irreversible, and may lead to observed endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The tumor suppressor p53 pathway is involved in cells bearing wildtype p53. We have also observed the activation of stress kinases p38 and SAPK/JNK. All of the above events led to initiation of apoptosis through both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Cancer cells often exhibit specific stress-related phenotypes, caused by insults such as reactive oxygen species, DNA damage, metabolic stress, or ER stress, and agents that further enhance these stresses could be developed as potential therapies. GSTP1-activated diazeniumdiolate/PARP inhibitor hybrid prodrugs selectively induce cancer cell death through ROS/DNA damage and ER stress overload, leading to apoptosis. Citation Format: Anna E. Maciag, Joseph E. Saavedra, Ryan J. Holland, Youseung Kim, Vandana Kumari, Christina E. Luthers, Waheed S. Sehareen, Xinhua Ji, Lucy M. Anderson, Larry K. Keefer. GSTP1-activated nitric oxide-releasing/PARP inhibitor hybrid prodrugs induce cancer cell death through ROS/RNS, DNA damage, ER stress, and apoptosis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3334. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3334

Structural modifications of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have successfully reduced the side effect of gastrointestinal ulceration without affecting anti-inflammatory activity, but they may increase the risk of myocardial infarction with chronic use. The fact that nitroxyl (HNO) reduces platelet aggregation, preconditions against myocardial infarction, and enhances contractility led us to synthesize a diazeniumdiolate-based HNO-releasing aspirin and to compare it to an NO-releasing analogue. Here, the decomposition mechanisms are described for these compounds. In addition to protection against stomach ulceration, these prodrugs exhibited significantly enhanced cytotoxcity compared to either aspirin or the parent diazeniumdiolate toward nonsmall cell lung carcinoma cells (A549), but they were not appreciably toxic toward endothelial cells (HUVECs). The HNO-NSAID prodrug inhibited cylcooxgenase-2 and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and triggered significant sarcomere shortening on murine ventricular myocytes compared to control. Together, these anti-inflammatory, antineoplasic, and contractile properties suggest the potential of HNO-NSAIDs in the treatment of inflammation, cancer, or heart failure.

Diazeniumdiolates that have the structure RHN-N(O)═NOR' are of interest as prodrug (caged) forms of the bioeffectors nitric oxide (NO) and nitroxyl (HNO). Previous work has focused on examples possessing α-branched R groups, with isopropylamine (IPA)/NO (R = isopropyl) being the smallest examined to date. To probe the effect of minimizing the alkyl-group size on the chemistry of IPA/NO, we prepared the corresponding methylamine derivative as a sodium salt that was highly unstable but could be trapped in very low overall yield as the stable O(2)-benzyl derivative. To prepare enough for efficient characterization, we devised an alternate synthesis involving a novel N-dealkylation route. CH(3)HN-N(O)═NOBn, synthesized in high yield and crystallized as the Z isomer as determined by X-ray crystallography, was observed to exist as a 11:1 mixture of two isomeric forms in dynamic equilibrium in solution. Similar results were seen for the O(2)-ethyl derivative, whose two equilibrium constituents were partially separated by HPLC to reveal essentially identical UV and mass spectra, indicating them to be Z and E isomers of CH(3)HN-N(O)═NOEt. The results could lead the way to a fuller understanding of the chemistry of the acyclic (E)-diazeniumdiolates.