The pathogenesis of numerous cardiovascular, pulmonary, inflammatory, and thromboembolic diseases can be related to arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites. One of these bioactive metabolites of particular importance is thromboxane A(2) (TXA(2)). It is produced by the action of thromboxane synthase on the prostaglandin endoperoxide H(2)(PGH(2)), which results from the enzymatic degradation of AA by the cyclooxygenases. TXA(2) is a potent inducer of platelet aggregation, vasoconstriction and bronchoconstriction. It is involved in a series of major pathophysiological states such as asthma, myocardial ischemia, pulmonary hypertension, and thromboembolic disorders. Therefore, TXA(2) receptor antagonists, thromboxane synthase inhibitors and drugs combining both properties have been developed by several pharmaceutical companies since the early 1980s. Several compounds have been launched on the market and others are under clinical evaluation. Moreover, the recent literature reported the interest of thromboxane modulators, which combine another pharmacological activity such as, platelet activating factor antagonism, angiotensin II antagonism, or 5-lipoxygenase inhibition. In this review, we will propose a description of the recently described thromboxane modulators of major interest from both a pharmacological and a chemical point of view.

Dual inhibitors are drugs able to block both the COX and the 5-LOX metabolic pathways. The interest of developing such compounds is supported by a large number of pharmacological studies. Compared to COX or LOX pathways single inhibitors, dual inhibitors present at least two major advantages. First, dual inhibitors, by acting on the two major arachidonic acid metabolic pathways, possess a wide range of anti-inflammatory activity. Secondly, dual inhibitors appear to be almost exempt from gastric toxicity, which is the most troublesome side effect of COX inhibitors. The mechanism of their gastric-sparing properties is not completely understood, although it has been demonstrated that leukotrienes significantly contribute to the gastric epithelial injury. Finally, both COX and LOX derivatives (prostanoids and leukotrienes, respectively) are involved in other diseases than inflammation such as cancer proliferation where the use of dual inhibitors could be an interesting approach.

Targeting proteins overexpressed in hypoxic tumors is as an important means of controlling cancer disease. One such protein is the carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoenzyme IX, which in some types of tumors is overexpressed 150-200-fold. We report here a series of sulfonamide derivatives, prepared from 2-carbohydrazido- and 4-carbohydrazido-benzenesulfonamides, which were further derivatized by reaction with aryl isocyanates or arylsulfonyl isocyanates. Several low nanomolar CA IX inhibitors were detected in this way. SAR is discussed for the diverse types of inhibitors and their affinity for different isozymes, with the aim of obtaining isozyme-specific CA IX inhibitors, with putative applications as antitumor drugs.

No abstract

The recent demonstration that bone sialoprotein (BSP) is expressed in osteotropic cancers suggests that this bone matrix protein might be implicated in the preferential seed and growth of metastatic cells in bone. High expression of BSP in breast and prostate primary carcinomas is associated with progression and bone metastases development. The exact mechanisms by which BSP may favor bone metastases formation are not clearly established yet. Although BSP expression has been detected in breast, prostate, lung, thyroid, and neuroblastoma primary tumors, no information regarding its expression in metastases is available to date. In this study, we have examined BSP expression in 15 bone and 39 visceral metastatic lesions harvested from 8 breast cancer patients and 7 prostate cancer patients who died of disseminated disease. We were able to retrieve the primary lesions from 5 of the 8 breast cancer patients as well as from all 7 prostate cancer patients.

No abstract

No abstract

Compound 7, N-(3-phenoxy-4-pyridinyl)trifluoromethanesulfonamide, showed in vitro (whole blood assay) a strong inhibitory activity on the two cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes (IC(50)(COX-1) = 2.2 microM and IC(50)(COX-2) = 0.4 microM), being more active but less COX-2-selective than nimesulide. Physicochemical studies and structural analyses indicated that the anionic sulfonamidate species seemed to be the active form of methanesulfonamides, which optimally interacted with the COX enzymes' active sites.