In vitro pharmacological profiling is increasingly being used earlier in the drug discovery process to identify undesirable off-target activity profiles that could hinder or halt the development of candidate drugs or even lead to market withdrawal if discovered after a drug is approved. Here, for the first time, the rationale, strategies and methodologies for in vitro pharmacological profiling at four major pharmaceutical companies (AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Pfizer) are presented and illustrated with examples of their impact on the drug discovery process. We hope that this will enable other companies and academic institutions to benefit from this knowledge and consider joining us in our collaborative knowledge sharing.

The alpha5 subunit of the GABA(A) receptor is localized mainly to the hippocampus of the mammalian brain. The significance of this rather distinct localization and the function of alpha5-containing GABA(A) receptors has been explored by targeted disruption of the alpha5 gene in mice. The alpha5 -/- mice showed a significantly improved performance in a water maze model of spatial learning, whereas the performance in non-hippocampal-dependent learning and in anxiety tasks were unaltered in comparison with wild-type controls. In the CA1 region of hippocampal brain slices from alpha5 -/- mice, the amplitude of the IPSCs was decreased, and paired-pulse facilitation of field EPSP (fEPSP) amplitudes was enhanced. These data suggest that alpha5-containing GABA(A) receptors play a key role in cognitive processes by controlling a component of synaptic transmission in the CA1 region of the hippocampus.

No abstract

The human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG) encodes a K+ channel with biophysical properties nearly identical to the rapid component of the cardiac delayed rectifier K+ current (IKr). HERG/IKr channels are a prime target for the pharmacological management of arrhythmias and are selectively blocked by class III antiarrhythmic methanesulfonanilide drugs, such as dofetilide, E4031, and MK-499, at submicromolar concentrations. By contrast, the closely related bovine ether-a-go-go channel (BEAG) is 100-fold less sensitive to dofetilide. To identify the molecular determinants for dofetilide block, we first engineered chimeras between HERG and BEAG and then used site-directed mutagenesis to localize single amino acid residues responsible for block. Using constructs heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes, we found that transplantation of the S5-S6 linker from BEAG into HERG removed high-affinity block by dofetilide. A point mutation in the S5-S6 linker region, HERG S620T, abolished high-affinity block and interfered with C-type inactivation. Thus, our results indicate that important determinants of dofetilide binding are localized to the pore region of HERG. Since the loss of high-affinity drug binding was always correlated with a loss of C-type inactivation, it is possible that the changes observed in drug binding are due to indirect allosteric modifications in the structure of the channel protein and not to the direct interaction of dofetilide with the respective mutated site chains. However, the chimeric approach was not able to identify domains outside the S5-S6 linker region of the HERG channel as putative candidates involved in drug binding. Moreover, the reverse mutation BEAG T432S increased the affinity of BEAG K+ channels for dofetilide, whereas C-type inactivation could not be recovered. Thus, the serine in position HERG 620 may participate directly in dofetilide binding; however, an intact C-type inactivation process seems to be crucial for high-affinity drug binding.

Efficacy of postsynaptic inhibition through GABA A receptors in the mammalian brain depends on the maintenance of a Cl Ϫ gradient for hyperpolarizing Cl Ϫ currents. We have taken advantage of the reduced complexity under which Cl Ϫ regulation can be investigated in cultured neurons as opposed to neurons in other in vitro preparations of the mammalian brain. GABA is the main inhibitory transmitter in the mammalian brain. The dominant effect of GABA A receptor activation is a hyperpolarization caused by C l Ϫ flux into the cell (for review, see Sivilotti and Nistri, 1991;Kaila, 1994;Thompson, 1994). However, the direction of the C l Ϫ flux depends on the C l Ϫ gradient across the membrane. Indeed, GABA A receptor-mediated hyperpolarizing and /or depolarizing postsynaptic potentials have been observed (for review, see Kaila, 1994;Thompson, 1994). Some findings suggest variations in intracellular [C l Ϫ ] between different neurons and even a distinct C l Ϫ distribution in different compartments of a single neuron (Misgeld et al., 1986). Depolarizing GABA A responses, however, can be caused by bicarbonate efflux in combination with C l Ϫ influx or combined Cl Ϫ and HCO 3 Ϫ efflux (Grover et al., 1993;Kaila, 1994;Thompson, 1994;Staley et al., 1995;Perkins and Wong, 1996;Kaila et al., 1997). To be able to predict the direction of C l Ϫ currents flowing during GABA A receptor-mediated inhibition it is essential to understand the regulation of C l Ϫ homeostasis that provides the transmembrane gradient.A recently cloned K ϩ -Cl Ϫ cotransporter gene (KCC2) represents a perfect candidate for the regulation of neuronal Cl Ϫ homeostasis (Payne et al., 1996). In contrast to the ubiquitous presence of the K ϩ -Cl Ϫ cotransporter KCC1, expression of the K ϩ -Cl Ϫ cotransporter KCC2 is detected in C NS only and seems to be neuron specific. KCC2 is also distinct from KCC1 in that KCC2 is not involved in cell volume regulation and not activated by osmotic changes. Furthermore, KCC2 has a high affinity for extracellular K ϩ ions. The properties of KCC2 allow the regulation of [Cl Ϫ ] i to maintain Cl Ϫ gradients for hyperpolarizing GABAergic inhibition. Thermodynamic considerations predict that the electroneutral K ϩ -Cl Ϫ cotransporter KCC2 operates near equilibrium under physiological ionic conditions. Depending on [Cl Ϫ ] i and [K ϩ ] o (Payne, 1997), the transport will extrude or accumulate Cl Ϫ .The functional role of a particular Cl Ϫ transport system in neuronal Cl Ϫ regulation is difficult to establish in studies using integral preparations such as brain slices. One complicating factor is the presence of HCO 3 Ϫ anions. The HCO 3 Ϫ permeability of the GABA A channel (Bormann, 1988;Fatima-Shad and Barry, 1993) impedes conclusions toward actual [Cl Ϫ ] i if they are calculated from reversal potentials of GABA A receptor-mediated anion currents. Furthermore, a HCO 3 Ϫ /Cl Ϫ exchanger (RaleySusman et al., 1993) may well interfere (Chesler, 1990), and pH changes that result from manipulations of [HCO 3 Ϫ ] o strongly affect neur...

Matrix stiffening with downstream activation of mechanosensitive pathways is strongly implicated in progressive fibrosis; however, pathologic changes in extracellular matrix (ECM) that initiate mechano-homeostasis dysregulation are not defined in human disease. By integrated multiscale biomechanical and biological analyses of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis lung tissue, we identify that increased tissue stiffness is a function of dysregulated post-translational collagen cross-linking rather than any collagen concentration increase whilst at the nanometre-scale collagen fibrils are structurally and functionally abnormal with increased stiffness, reduced swelling ratio, and reduced diameter. In ex vivo and animal models of lung fibrosis, dual inhibition of lysyl oxidase-like (LOXL) 2 and LOXL3 was sufficient to normalise collagen fibrillogenesis, reduce tissue stiffness, and improve lung function in vivo. Thus, in human fibrosis, altered collagen architecture is a key determinant of abnormal ECM structure-function, and inhibition of pyridinoline cross-linking can maintain mechano-homeostasis to limit the self-sustaining effects of ECM on progressive fibrosis.

The failure of antibiotic therapies to clear Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection, the key mortality factor for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, is partly attributed to the high tolerance of P. aeruginosa biofilms. Mannitol has previously been found to restore aminoglycoside sensitivity in Escherichia coli by generating a proton-motive force (PMF), suggesting a potential new strategy to improve antibiotic therapy and reduce disease progression in CF. Here, we used the commonly prescribed aminoglycoside tobramycin to select for P. aeruginosa persister cells during biofilm growth. Incubation with mannitol (10–40 mM) increased tobramycin sensitivity of persister cells up to 1,000-fold. Addition of mannitol to pre-grown biofilms was able to revert the persister phenotype and improve the efficacy of tobramycin. This effect was blocked by the addition of a PMF inhibitor or in a P. aeruginosa mutant strain unable to metabolise mannitol. Addition of glucose and NaCl at high osmolarity also improved the efficacy of tobramycin although to a lesser extent compared to mannitol. Therefore, the primary effect of mannitol in reverting biofilm associated persister cells appears to be an active, physiological response, associated with a minor contribution of osmotic stress. Mannitol was tested against clinically relevant strains, showing that biofilms containing a subpopulation of persister cells are better killed in the presence of mannitol, but a clinical strain with a high resistance to tobramycin was not affected by mannitol. Overall, these results suggest that in addition to improvements in lung function by facilitating mucus clearance in CF, mannitol also affects antibiotic sensitivity in biofilms and does so through an active, physiological response.

The major subunit of the cardiac delayed rectifier current I(Kr) is encoded by the human ether a-go-go related gene (HERG). HERG/I(Kr) channels are blocked selectively by class III antiarrhythmic methanesulfonanilide drugs such as dofetilide. The binding site for methanesulfonanilides is believed to be similar for nonantiarrhythmic drugs such as antihistamines, antibiotics, and antipsychotics. To gain further insight into the binding site, we examined the minimal structural changes necessary to transform low-affinity binding of dofetilide by the related bovine ether a-go-go channel bEAG to high-affinity binding of HERG. Previously, it was shown that high-affinity binding in HERG required intact C-type inactivation; the bovine ether a-go-go K(+) channel (bEAG), unlike HERG, is noninactivating. Therefore, we introduced C-type inactivation into noninactivating bEAG using site-directed mutagenesis. Two point mutations in the pore region, T432S and A443S, were sufficient to produce C-type inactivation. Low concentrations of dofetilide produced block of bEAG T432S/A443S; unlike HERG, block was almost irreversible. Substitution of an additional amino acid in transmembrane domain S6 made the block reversible. Dofetilide blocked the triply mutated bEAG T432S/A443S/A453S with an IC(50) value of 1.1 microM. The blocking potency was 30-fold greater than bEAG WT and about one third that of HERG WT. We conclude that high affinity methanesulfonanilide binding to HERG channels is strongly dependent on C-type inactivation.