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We report a series of new in vitro and in vivo data proving the selective antitumor activity of our somatostatin structural derivative, TT-232. In vitro, it inhibited the proliferation of 20 different human tumor cell lines in the range of 50-95% and induced a very strong apoptosis. In vivo TT-232 was effective on transplanted animal tumors (Colon 26, B16 melanoma, and S180 sarcoma) and on human tumor xenografts. Treatment of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer xenografted in mice with low submaximal doses of TT-232 [0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg of body weight (b.w.)] caused an average 80% decrease in the tumor volume resulting in 30% tumor-free animals surviving for longer than 200 days. Treatment of prostate tumor (PC-3) xenografted animals with 20 mg/kg of b.w. of TT-232 for 3 weeks resulted in 60% decrease in tumor volume and 100% survival even after 60 days, while 80% of nontreated animals perished. We have demonstrated that TT-232 did not bind to the membrane preparation of rat pituitary and cortex and had no antisecretory activity. TT-232 was not toxic at a dose of 120 mg/kg of b.w. in mice. Long-term incubation (24 h) of tumor cells with TT-232 caused significant inhibition of tyrosine kinases in good correlation with the apoptosis-inducing effect. The level of p53 or KU86 did not change following TT-232 treatment, suggesting a p53-independent apoptotic effect. Preincubation of human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-453) with TT-232 for 2 h decreased the growth factor receptor antophosphorylation. All of these data suggest that TT-232 is a promising and selective antitumor agent.

Investigates the effect of GnRH analogs on antiproliferative activity of structural modification and conjugation of cell lines. Reduction of cell proliferation and clonogenicity; Increase on the inhibitory effect of GnRH analogs due to the conjugation of GnRH analogs with N-vinylpyyrolidone-co-maleic acid; Induction of accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase.

Strategies that prevent initial HIV infection of cells are greatly needed. In this study, we determined the requirement of divalent cations for HIV infection of and attachment to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), which contain several types of HIV-infectable cells-CD4(+) T cells, monocytes and dendritic cells. EDTA, added only during PBMC exposure to HIV, reduced infection by an average of 92%. The reduction of infection by EDTA was accompanied by a reduction in HIV binding to PBMC; R5, X4 and dual-tropic HIV binding to PBMC were inhibited by >85%. EGTA similarly reduced HIV binding to PBMC, while addition of Ca(2+) or Mn(2+), but not Mg(2+), fully restored binding. Virus attachment was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by trypsin treatment of PBMC, indicating protein involvement in HIV binding. In contrast, mannan or soluble ICAM-1 did not inhibit HIV binding to PBMC. These data indicate that a Ca(2+)-dependent cell-surface protein(s) is responsible for the majority of HIV attachment to and infection of PBMC. Further studies of this are likely to reveal novel strategies to prevent infection of PBMC.

Ac-D-Trp1,3, D-Cpa2, D-Lys6, D-Ala10-GnRH has been prepared by solid phase synthesis. The peptide was found to completely inhibit ovulation when administered on proestrus day in a dose of 1.5 microgram/rat, s.c. The peptide completely inhibited ovulation for a period corresponding to three to four cycles when administered daily in a dose of 5 micrograms/rat, s.c. and caused 70% inhibition of ovulation in a dose of 3 micrograms/rat.

Although the systematic substitution of benzene and other aromatic ring systems with various atoms and groups has been a standard approach in conventional pharmaceutical research, it has only recently received the attention it deserves in peptide research. The observation that D-p-Cl-Phe inserted in position 2 of certain LH-RH (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone) analogs results in large improvements in antagonist activity led us to examine the effect of this and other substituents on position 1 and 2 D-phenylalanyl analog side chains. Analogs containing two D-p-Cl-phenylalanines were found to be particularly powerful competitive inhibitors when assayed in cycling rat for blockade of ovulation. Analogs with non-aromatic amino acids in the first position exhibited much lower activities.

Analogs of a superactive somatostatin (SRIF) octapeptide (code named SMS 201-995 (1)) were synthesized using solid-phase synthetic methodology and assayed for their ability to inhibit growth hormone release from cultured rat anterior pituitary cells and in sodium pentobarbital-anesthetized rats. One analog: (Formula: see text) exhibited greatly enhanced in vitro inhibitory activity (greater than 1,000x) relative to both the parent octapeptide molecule and to the 14 amino acid SRIF molecule. This analog which was also very potent in vivo contains a tyrosine residue and, given its high in vitro activity, may be of investigative importance as a radioiodinated ligand in receptor assays. An octapeptide retro-inverso analog also exhibited significant SRIF-like activity. Several very low activity octapeptide analogs were synthesized and were found to be devoid of SRIF-antagonist activity. A dodecapeptide analog previously shown to be superactive in vivo also demonstrated high in vitro activity.