scholarly journals On Benzofuroindole Analogues as Smooth Muscle Relaxants

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ike dela Peña ◽  
Jae Hoon Cheong

At least two laboratories have independently reported the synthesis of benzofuroindole compounds having potential therapeutic implications in many disease states including those that involve smooth muscle hyperactivity. Through a series ofin vitroscreenings, they demonstrated the efficacy (and selectivity) of these compounds to potentiate large conductance calcium- (Ca2+-) activated K+(BKCa) channels, by far, the most characterized of all Ca2+-dependent K+channels. Interestingly, promising benzofuroindole derivatives such as compound 7 (10H-benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]indole) and compound 22 (4-chloro-7-trifluoromethyl-10H-benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]indole-1-carboxylic acid) both exhibited high bladder (versus aorta) selectivity, making them attractive alternative treatments for bladder overactivity. In recent reports, compound 22 (LDD175 or TBIC) also showed inhibition of ileum and uterine contractions, indicating multiple target tissues, which is not surprising as BKCachannels are ubiquitously expressed in the animal and human tissues. In this paper, the authors discuss the value of benzofuroindole compounds and the challenges that need to be overcome if they were considered as smooth muscle relaxants.

Author(s):  
M. Mathur ◽  
A. M. Al-Jumaily ◽  
G. Ijpma ◽  
R. Alany

Current asthma treatments using anti-inflammatory agents and airway smooth muscle (ASM) relaxants are expensive, variable in effectiveness and are associated with several cardiovascular side effects. Previous in vitro experiments conducted on ASM tissues suggest that oscillations applied to contracted muscle result in a reduction in the contractile ability of the tissue. This study focuses on investigating the combined effects of muscle relaxants (bronchodilators) and length oscillations on the dynamics of contracted ASM. Isolated porcine tracheal smooth muscle tissues are contracted using Acetylcholine. Isoproterenol (Iso), a β-agonist, is used as a bronchodilator to relax the contracted ASM. Our results suggest that the combined effect of Iso and breathing oscillations is noted to be greater than the added effects of Iso and breathing alone. It can be proposed that breathing oscillations aid the relaxation of ASM by Isoproterenol.


2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (3) ◽  
pp. E719-E726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shih-Min Hsia ◽  
Yueh-Hsiung Kuo ◽  
Wenchang Chiang ◽  
Paulus S. Wang

Dysmenorrhea is directly related to elevated PGF2α levels. It is treated with nonsteroid antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in Western medicine. Since NSAIDs produce many side effects, Chinese medicinal therapy is considered as a feasible alternative medicine. Adlay ( Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf.) has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for treating dysmenorrhea. However, the relationship between smooth muscle contraction and adlay extracts remains veiled. Therefore, we investigated this relationship in the rat uterus by measuring uterine contraction activity and recording the intrauterine pressure. We studied the in vivo and in vitro effects of the methanolic extracts of adlay hull (AHM) on uterine smooth muscle contraction. The extracts were fractionated using four different solvents: water, 1-butanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane; the four respective fractions were AHM-Wa, AHM-Bu, AHM-EA, and AHM-Hex. AHM-EA and its subfractions (175 μg/ml) inhibited uterine contractions induced by PGF2α, the Ca2+ channel activator Bay K 8644, and high K+ in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro. AHM-EA also inhibited PGF2α-induced uterine contractions in vivo; furthermore, 375 μg/ml of AHM-EA inhibited the Ca2+-dependent uterine contractions. Thus 375 μg/ml of AHM-EA consistently suppressed the increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations induced by PGF2α and high K+. We also demonstrated that naringenin and quercetin are the major pure chemical components of AHM-EA that inhibit PGF2α-induced uterine contractions. Thus AHM-EA probably inhibited uterine contraction by blocking external Ca2+ influx, leading to a decrease in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Thus adlay hull may be considered as a feasible alternative therapeutic agent for dysmenorrhea.


Author(s):  
J. Roemer ◽  
S.R. Simon

We are developing an in vitro interstitial extracellular matrix (ECM) system for study of inflammatory cell migration. Falcon brand Cyclopore membrane inserts of various pore sizes are used as a support substrate for production of ECM by R22 rat aortic smooth muscle cells. Under specific culture conditions these cells produce a highly insoluble matrix consisting of typical interstitial ECM components, i.e.: types I and III collagen, elastin, proteoglycans and fibronectin.


1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (02) ◽  
pp. 880-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique J Wijnberg ◽  
Paul H A Quax ◽  
Nancy M E Nieuwenbroek ◽  
Jan H Verheijen

SummaryThe plasminogen activation system is thought to be important in cell migration processes. A role for this system during smooth muscle cell migration after vascular injury has been suggested from several animal studies. However, not much is known about its involvement in human vascular remodelling. We studied the involvement of the plasminogen activation system in human smooth muscle cell migration in more detail using an in vitro wound assay and a matrix invasion assay. Inhibition of plasmin activity or inhibition of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) activity resulted in approximately 40% reduction of migration after 24 h in the wound assay and an even stronger reduction (70-80%) in the matrix invasion assay. Migration of smooth muscle cells in the presence of inhibitory antibodies against tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) was not significantly reduced after 24 h, but after 48 h a 30% reduction of migration was observed, whereas in the matrix invasion assay a 50% reduction in invasion was observed already after 24 h. Prevention of the interaction of u-PA with cell surface receptors by addition of soluble u-PA receptor or α2-macroglobulin receptor associated protein (RAP) to the culture medium, resulted in a similar inhibition of migration and invasion. From these results it can be concluded that both u-PA and t-PA mediated plasminogen activation can contribute to in vitro human smooth muscle cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, the interaction between u-PA and its cell surface receptor appears also to be involved in this migration and invasion process. The inhibitory effects on migration and invasion by the addition of RAP suggests an involvement of a RAP sensitive receptor of the LDL receptor family, possibly the LDL-receptor related protein (LRP) and/or the VLDL receptor.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document