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There has been no useful treatments for chronic vascular rejection (CVR) after kidney transplantation until now. Recently, however, some reports have suggested that the thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor, OKY-046, is useful in reducing proteinuria in nephrotic syndrome and preventing progression of CVR. Five patients with CVR (serum creatinine range: 1.7-2.6 mg/dl) were treated with OKY-046 for over one year and the effect of OKY-046 was evaluated. One patient developed acute rejection and another renal hypertension during this study. Except for the cases of acute rejection and renal hypertension, serum creatinine slightly decreased in 1 case and remained unchanged in 2 cases. Urinary excretion of protein and thromboxane B2 decreased significantly but prostaglandin E2 did not change in the treatment of the deterioration with OKY-046. We concluded that OKY-046 was effective in preventing graft function and decreasing urinary protein excretion in kidney transplant recipients with CVR.

We studied the effects of OKY-046 on type I allergic reactions. OKY-046 (100 mg/kg) given orally suppressed antigen-induced bronchoconstriction and TXB2 generation in broncho alveolar lavage fluid in rats passively sensitized with anti-DNP-As monoclonal IgE. At the dose of 30 mg/kg given intraduodenally, it also inhibited antigen-induced bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs passively sensitized with anti DNP-As serum and actively sensitized with ovalbumin. However, aspirin (30 mg/kg) didn't suppressed them significantly. Azelastine (10 mg/kg) inhibited bronchoconstriction in passively sensitized rats and actively sensitized guinea pigs. In 48 hour homologous PCA reactions of rats and mice, oral administration of OKY-046 (300 mg/kg) and tranilast (100 mg/kg) suppressed the extravasated dye in the skin. OKY-046 decreased histamine release from passively sensitized rat peritoneal exudate cells. There was no effect of OKY-046 on SRS-A and leukotriene release from actively sensitized guinea pig lungs and passively sensitized rats. In conclusion, we think that OKY-046 should be an useful asthmatic drug or anti-allergic drug by oral administration.

We studied the effects of OKY-046 on types II, III and IV allergic reactions, as classified by Coombs and Gell. In Type II, OKY-046 at 30-100 mg/kg intraduodenally (i.d.) and at 1-30 mg/kg intravenously (i.v.) inhibited the bronchoconstriction in a dose-dependent manner after Forssman antigen injection. Aspirin (3 mg/kg, i.v.) also suppressed it. OKY-046 (30-100 mg/kg, i.d.) suppressed the increase of TXB2 level in the plasma in a dose-dependent manner. However, there was no effect of OKY-046 and aspirin on the decrease in complement activity (CH50), platelets and leukocytes. Additionally, OKY-046 (300 mg/kg, p.o.) prolonged the survival time following Forssman antigen injection. However, the immune hemolysis reaction was not prevented by OKY-046 (10(-6)-10(-3) M). FUT-175 protected against the Forssman shock at 1 mg/kg, i.v. and the in vitro immune hemolysis reaction at 10(-5) M. In Type III, OKY-046 (300 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly suppressed the direct passive Arthus reaction and immune complex nephritis in rats. There was no effect of OKY-046 on the delayed-type hypersensitive response to picryl chloride in mice. We think that OKY-046 should be a beneficial drug for the treatment of types II and III allergic reactions.

To clarify the mechanisms of ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness, we studied the effect of leukotriene C4/D4 receptor antagonist (ONO-1078) and thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor (OKY-046) on airway hyperresponsiveness induced by ozone exposure in guinea pigs. Airway responsiveness to inhaled methacholine was determined in artificially ventilated guinea pigs using a modification of the Konzett-Rössler technique. After the methacholine challenge, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed. After 1 hour following ozone exposure (2.9 ppm, 30 min), airway responsiveness increased significantly. There was no cellular change in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Pretreatment with ONO-1078 (30 mg/kg, i.p.) or OKY-046 (20 mg/kg, i.p.) caused no effect on airway responsiveness before ozone exposure, and inhibited the increase of airway responsiveness induced by ozone exposure. These results suggest that leukotriene and thromboxane play an important role in the development of airway hyperresponsiveness induced by ozone exposure in guinea pigs.

Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) is an eicosanoid with potent platelet aggregation and vasoconstricting activity, while prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) antagonizes its activity. But these eicosanoids are so labile that the stable degradation products, thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-keto-PGF1 alpha), are determined in biological materials. In a rat spinal cord compression injury model, a production of TXB2 reached a peak (133.6 +/- 13.8 pmol/g cord) 5 minutes after compression injury, while that of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha slightly increased (26.2 +/- 11.7 pmol/g cord). And the magnitude of the increase in TXB2 and the extent of post-traumatic vascular damage as determined by fluorescein uptake were both dependent on the degree of spinal cord compression injury. We also studied the effect of a selective TXA2 synthetase inhibitor, OKY-046 [E)-3-[4-(1-imidazolylmethyl)phenyl]-2-propenoic acid), both on TXB2 production in the injured spinal cord and post-traumatic vascular damage. When OKY-046 was administered intravenously 10 minutes prior to compression injury at a dose of 500 micrograms/kg body weight, the increased production of TXB2 was inhibited by about 80% and uptake of sodium fluorescein was reduced by a maximum of 40%. When the compression injury was induced before OKY-046 was administered, the inhibitory effect of OKY-046 on TXB2 production decreased depending on the duration before administration. In contrast, the 6-keto-PGF1 alpha level was not affected in the presence of OKY-046.

We studied the inhibitory effects of OKY-046.HCl on PAF-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in guinea pigs. 1) Inhalation of PAF (1 or 10 micrograms/ml) caused AHR to acetylcholine (ACh) aerosol and increased TXB2 generation in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) at 30 min and 60 min, but the AHR and the TXB2 generation disappeared at 2 hr. OKY-046.HCl (100 mg/kg, intraduodenally) inhibited the AHR, which was accompanied by its inhibition of the TXB2 generation. However, no changes of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in BALF were found. 2) There were no changes in the number of leukocytes; the activities of alkaline phosphatase, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, and lactate dehydrogenase; and the LTC4/D4/E4 in BALF. 3) In bronchus-lung preparations, PAF (1 microgram/min) also caused the AHR and increased TXB2 generation. OKY-046.HCl (100 micrograms/min) inhibited the AHR and TXB2 generation. 4) PAF (1 microgram/ml) evoked TXB2 generation in BALF from normal guinea pigs. OKY-046.HCl (10(-4)M) inhibited its increase. 5) Stable TXA2 (STA2, 1 ng/ml) inhalation also caused AHR to ACh at 30 min. STA2 (0.45 ng/min) also caused the AHR in bronchus-lung preparations. These results suggest that OKY-046.HCl can inhibit PAF-induced AHR by suppressing the generation of TXA2. We also supposed that TXA2 is released from lung parenchyma, airway epithelium and cell components in BALF.

A number of 2-substituted 2,3-dihydro-3-oxo-5-benzofuranylacryloyl derivatives were synthesized and tested for antiulcer activities in order to study structure-activity relationships. Significant antiulcer activities were found in only the compounds (2e-g, p, s) in which hydroxymethyl and methyl groups or acetoxymethyl and methyl groups were introduced on the 2-position of the benzofuranone skeleton. Among the compounds tested, 1-[3-(2,3-dihydro-2-hydroxymethyl-2-methyl-3-oxo-5-benzofuranyl)acryloyl ] piperidine (2e) was the most promising compound.

Three sodium polyacrylates (PAS) with different viscosities were examined for antiulcerogenic properties. Rats were fed with sugar containing a PAS for 4 hr and subjected to 12 hr reserpinization or stress by water immersion. Lower incidence of ulceration and larger amount of stomach content after the experiment were found in the PAS administered groups. The higher viscous PAS was more effective in prevention of ulceration and in prolongation of gastric emptying. Intragastric administration of the drugs to pylorus ligated rats reduced forestomach ulceration. However, differences in the antiulcerogenic activity of three drugs were not observed. The effects on the gastric secretion of three PAS (50 mg) were also examined, using pylorus ligated (6 hr) rats. In PAS groups, the free acid in the gastric juice was reduced to some extent. There was, however, no relation between the antiacid effect and viscosity. The drugs inhibited the peptic digestion in vitro, but the difference of viscosity was not related to the antipeptic effect. It is concluded that prolongation of gastric emptying may be a major factor in the antiulcerogenic activity of PAS.

The derivatives (2) of 3-(2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-3-oxo-5-benzofuranyl) acrylic acid (2b) were synthesized. The compounds (3a-g) in which bromo, methoxy, nitro, amino or acetamido group was introduced on the benzene ring of the derivatives (2) and the compounds (3h-k) in which acryloyl moiety was introduced on the 6- or 7-position of the benzofuranone skeleton also synthesized. Furthermore, propionic acid derivatives (4a-c), acetic acid derivatives (4d-g), formic acid derivatives (4h-k) and oxyacetic acid derivatives (5) were prepared by converting the acryloyl moiety of the derivatives (2) into propionyl, acetyl, formyl and oxyacetyl groups. These compounds were tested for antiulcer activities. Among these compounds, 1-[3-(2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-3-oxo-5-benzofuranyl)acryloyl]piperidine (2d) and 4-[3-(2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-3-oxo-5-benzofuranyl)acryloyl] morpholine (2g) were found to have stronger antiulcer activities.