SummaryLike ticlopidine, the ADP receptor antagonist clopidogrel is inactive in vitro and must be administered i.v. or orally to exhibit antiaggregatory and antithrombotic activities. We have previously shown that hepatic metabolism is necessary for activity. This study demonstrates that an active metabolite can be generated from human liver microsomes incubated with clopidogrel. Using several analytical methodologies (LC/MS, NMR, chiral supercritical fluid chromatography), we have identified its structure. In vitro, this highly unstable compound, different from that formed from ticlopidine, exhibited all the biological activities of clopidogrel observed ex vivo: Irreversible inhibition of the binding of 33P-2MeS-ADP to washed human platelets (IC50 = 0.53 µM), selective inhibition of ADP-induced platelet aggregation (IC50 = 1.8 µM) and ADP-induced adenylyl cyclase down-regulation. The irreversible modification of the ADP-receptor site which is responsible for the biological activity could be explained by the formation of a disulfide bridge between the reactive thiol group of the active metabolite and a cysteine residue of the platelet ADP receptor. Abbreviations: ADP: adenosine 5’diphosphate; 2-MeS-ADP: 2-methylthioadenosine-5’-diphosphate; Bmax: maximum binding capacity; IC50: concentration which inhibits 50% of the activity; Kd: dissociation constant; LC/MS: Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry; NMR: Nuclear magnetic resonance

ABSTRACT:Clopidogrel (SR25990C, PLAVIX) is a potent antiplatelet drug, which has been recently launched and is indicated for the prevention of vascular thrombotic events in patients at risk. Clopidogrel is inactive in vitro, and a hepatic biotransformation is necessary to express the full antiaggregating activity of the drug. Moreover, 2-oxo-clopidogrel has been previously suggested to be the essential key intermediate metabolite from which the active metabolite is formed. In the present paper, we give the evidence of the occurrence of an in vitro active metabolite after incubation of 2-oxoclopidogrel with human liver microsomes. This metabolite was purified by liquid chromatography, and its structure was studied by a combination of mass spectometry (MS) and NMR experiments.MS results suggested that the active metabolite belongs to a family of eight stereoisomers with the following primary chemical structure: 2-{1-[1-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-methoxy-2-oxoethyl]-4-sulfanyl-3-piperidinylidene}acetic acid. Chiral supercritical fluid chromatography resolved these isomers. However, only one of the eight metabolites retained the biological activity, thus underlining the critical importance of associated absolute configuration. Because of its highly labile character, probably due to a very reactive thiol function, structural elucidation of the active metabolite was performed on the stabilized acrylonitrile derivative. Conjunction of all our results suggested that the active metabolite is of S configuration at C 7 and Z configuration at C 3-C 16 double bound.

P2Y12, a G protein-coupled receptor that plays a central role in platelet activation has been recently identified as the receptor targeted by the antithrombotic drug, clopidogrel. In this study, we further deciphered the mechanism of action of clopidogrel and of its active metabolite (Act-Met) on P2Y12 receptors. Using biochemical approaches, we demonstrated the existence of homooligomeric complexes of P2Y12 receptors at the surface of mammalian cells and in freshly isolated platelets. In vitro treatment with Act-Met or in vivo oral administration to rats with clopidogrel induced the breakdown of these oligomers into dimeric and monomeric entities in P2Y12 expressing HEK293 and platelets respectively. In addition, we showed the predominant association of P2Y12 oligomers to cell membrane lipid rafts and the partitioning of P2Y12 out of rafts in response to clopidogrel and Act-Met. The raft-associated P2Y12 oligomers represented the functional form of the receptor, as demonstrated by binding and signal transduction studies. Finally, using a series of receptors individually mutated at each cysteine residue and a chimeric P2Y12͞P2Y13 receptor, we pointed out the involvement of cysteine 97 within the first extracellular loop of P2Y12 in the mechanism of action of Act-Met. mechanism of action ͉ platelet ͉ antiaggregant M any G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been shown to assemble as homodimers, heterodimers, as well as larger oligomers (1, 2). The existence of such oligomeric entities raises questions as to their functional consequences as well as their physiological relevance. Heterologous expression systems have provided a variety of answers concerning ligand-dependent regulation of GPCR oligomeric states. Ligand binding, depending on the GPCR studied, can promote (3-10) or inhibit (11-13) dimer formation, as well as having no effect on preexisting constitutive homo-or heterodimers (14-25). The fact that heterodimerization may alter the pharmacological properties of a GPCR along with its internalization and signal transduction behavior is of critical importance (26, 27).Clustering, even for nonheptahelical receptors, now appears as a common feature of cell signaling. Specialized structures such as clathrin-coated pits, caveolae, and lipid rafts contain high concentrations of signaling molecules. Rafts represent dynamic assemblies of proteins and lipids, mostly sphingolipids and cholesterol (28,29). Proteins such as glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins, nonreceptor tyrosine kinases, G␣ subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins, and palmitoylated proteins appear to localize to these microdomains (30). In addition, recent studies have shown that partitioning of proteins in and out of rafts can depend on their state of activation or dimerization (31-33). A variety of GPCR have also been identified in caveolae or rafts. These include ␣ and ␤-adrenergic receptors (34, 35), adenosine A1 receptor (36), angiotensin II type 1 receptor (37), muscarinic receptor (38), EDG1 receptor (39), bradykinin B1 and B2 receptor...