Nitrosothiols as no-donor drugs: Synthesis, mechanistic studies, chemical stability, pharmacological and physiological activity

S-Nitrosothiols (RSNO) are an important class of NO-donor drugs. They have been used clinically and occur naturally where they may have a role in several biological and physiological processes in the human body. The medical importance of S-nitrosothiols has been highlighted recently by several reports which describe the clinical use of GSNO (13) to inhibit platelet aggregation during coronary angioplasty and also to treat a form of preeclampsia, a high blood pressure condition suffered by some pregnant women. We set out to extend the range of compounds of this type by synthesising a novel series of biologically active S-nitrosothiols (1-13) and to look for a correlation between structure, chemical stability, and physiological activity. The situation has been complicated by the recent discovery that the main route for the release of NO from S-nitrosothiols is a copper- catalysed process. A detailed kinetic study of copper ions, and thiols on the stability of the compounds we synthesised has shown that the dominant pathway for the decomposition of S-nitrosothiols in most circumstances is one catalysed by Cu⁺ ions. We suggest that Cu⁺ ions are formed by the reaction of Cu²⁺ ions with thiol, present in the S-nitrosothiols as an impurity. The implications of this discovery for an understanding of the biological action of S-nitrosothiols is suggested. All the new S-nitrosated dipeptides (2-12) examined show less susceptibility to copper (I)- catalysed release of NO than SNAP (1) but are more reactive than GSNO (13). We found that S-nitrosated dipeptides are potent vasodilators and suitable inhibitors of platelet aggregation but are chemically very stable in the absence of copper ions. All thirteen compounds combine the favoured property of chemical stability with a high level of biological activity. We found that copper(I)-chelation induced reduction of the biological activity of S- nitrosothiols in smooth muscle relaxation. The results show that responses to both SNAP and GSNO are reversibly inhibited by neocuproine. We conclude that relaxation of vasodilator smooth muscle by SNAP and GSNO is caused in part by NO released into solution via a Cu⁺-dependent catalytic reaction, and provide evidence that endogenous Cu⁺ ions may also contribute to the maintenance of vasodilator 'store' in vivo by catalysing the decomposition of naturally-occurring S-nitrosothiols. A particularly interesting finding recently by Gordge et al. (1995) shows that the inhibition of platelet aggregation activity shown by GSNO is much reduced in the presence of neocuproine and the closely related bathocuproine, both specific Cu⁺-chelating agent. However, it was shown very recently (Schrammel et al, 1996) that copper ions inhibit basal and NO-stimulated recombinant soluble guanylate cyclase activity and that Cu⁺ is more effective than Cu²⁺ in this regard. L-Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) could play a role in the in vivo release of NO from naturally occurring and exogenous S-nitrosothiols and so play a part in smooth muscle relaxation and in inhibition of platelet aggregation. All thirteen compounds examined show the ability to release NO in vitro. The inhibitory effect of Hb, a recognised NO scavenger, was investigated. In smooth muscle, responses to intermediate doses of S-nitrosothiols were significantly inhibited by Hb, though not abolished entirely. In platelet, we found that the inhibitory activity of these S-nitrosothiols was reversed by haemoglobin, indicating the involvement of NO in the process. We found that the solution stability of the S-nitrosothiols did not correlate with relaxation of vascular smooth muscle or inhibition of platelet aggregation, again suggesting that the tissue specificity is a function of the R- group. We conclude that the biological activity of S-nitrosothiols depends upon the release of NO in a process catalysed by Cu(I), and that the decomposition may occur inside or outside the cell, depending upon the structure of RSNO

Synthesis, decomposition, and vasodilator action of some new S-nitrosated dipeptides.

A number of amino acid methyl eaters have been coupled to N-acetylpenicillamine to give a range of sulfur-containing dipeptides. These have been nitrosated to give a family of structurally related NO-donor drugs. The catalytic effect of copper ions upon the release of NO from these compounds is much less than that upon S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine. However, all the nitrosated dipeptides respond in a similar way with little variation in the value of hc, On the other hand, the vasodilator action of these compounds and the inhibiting effect of hemoglobin do vary quite considerably within the family. It is suggested that this indicates some tissue penetration by these drugs. (C) 1998 Academic Press.</p

Neocuproine, a selective Cu (I) chelator, and the relaxation of rat vascular smooth muscle by S-nitrosothiols

1 A study has been made of the effect of neocuproine, a specific Cu(I) chelator, on vasodilator responses of rat isolated perfused tail artery to two nitrosothiols: S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamine (SNAP) and S-nitroso-glutathione (GSNO).2 Bolus injections (10 mu l) of SNAP or GSNO (10(-7)-10(-3) M) Were delivered into the lumen of perfused vessels pre-contracted with sufficient phenylephrine (1-7 mu M) to develop pressures of 100-120 mmHg. Two kinds of experiment were made: SNAP and GSNO were either (a) pre-mixed with neocuproine (10(-4) M) and then injected into arteries; or (b) vessels were continuously perfused with neocuproine (10(-5) M) and then injected with either pure SNAP or GSNO.3 In each case, neocuproine significantly attenuated vasodilator responses to both nitrosothiols, although the nature of the inhibitory effect differed in the two types of experiment. We conclude that the ability of exogenous nitrosothiols to relax vascular smooth muscle in our ex vivo model is dependent upon a Cu(I) catalyzed process. Evidence is presented which suggests that a similar Cu(I)-dependent mechanism is responsible for the release of NO from endogenous nitrosothiols and that this process may assist in maintaining vasodilator tone in vivo.</p