Novel triazole derivatives as ghrelin analogue ligands of growth hormone secretagogue receptors

The present invention provides novel triazole derivatives as ghrelin analogue ligands of growth hormone secretagogue receptors according to formula (I) that are useful in the treatment or prophylaxis of physiological and/or pathophysiological conditions in mammals, preferably humans, that are mediated by GHS receptors. The present invention further provides GHS receptor antagonists and agonists that can be used for modulation of these receptors and are useful for treating above conditions, in particular growth retardation, cachexia, short-, medium- and/or long term regulation of energy balance; short-, medium- and/or long term regulation (stimulation and/or inhibition) of food intake; adipogenesis, adiposity and/or obesity; body weight gain and/or reduction; diabetes, diabetes type I, diabetes type II, tumor cell proliferation; inflammation, inflammatory effects, gastric postoperative ileus, postoperative ileus and/or gastrectomy (ghrelin replacement therapy)

Novel triazole derivatives as ghrelin analogue ligands of growth hormone secretagogue receptors

The present invention provides novel triazole derivatives as ghrelin analogue ligands of growth hormone secretagogue receptors according to formula (I) that are useful in the treatment or prophylaxis of physiological and/or pathophysiological conditions in mammals, preferably humans, that are mediated by GHS receptors. The present invention further provides GHS receptor antagonists and agonists that can be used for modulation of these receptors and are useful for treating above conditions, in particular growth retardation, cachexia, short-, medium- and/or long term regulation of energy balance; short-, medium- and/or long term regulation (stimulation and/or inhibition) of food intake; adipogenesis, adiposity and/or obesity; body weight gain and/or reduction; diabetes, diabetes type I, diabetes type II, tumor cell proliferation; inflammation, inflammatory effects, gastric postoperative ileus, postoperative ileus and/or gastrectomy (ghrelin replacement therapy)

Triazole GHS-R1a antagonists JMV4208 and JMV3002 attenuate food intake, body weight, and adipose tissue mass in mice

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Lethal pulmonary toxicity after autologous bone marrow transplantation peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for hematological malignancies

Background and purpose: Retrospective evaluation of the incidence of lethal pulmonary complications (LPC) with special emphasis on interstitial pneumonia (IP) in a large group of patients homogeneously treated with hyperfractionated total body irradiation (HTBI) before autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) for hematological malignancy. The factors influencing IP are discussed. Materials and methods: Of 260 patients (maximum follow-up 137 months) that were treated with ABMT or PBSCT for hematological neoplasms between 1982 and 1994, 209 patients received HTBI and could be evaluated with respect to lethal pulmonary complications and especially lethal interstitial pneumonia. For most patients (n = 155), the HTBI dose was 14.4 Gy (lung dose 9-9.5 Gy) given in 12 fractions over 4 days. Twenty-one patients received a total dose of greater than or equal to 15 Gy with pulmonary doses of 9-10.5 Gy. Results: The actuarial overall 5-year survival for all 209 patients evaluated was 44 +/- 4%, enabling valid evaluation with respect to lethal pulmonary toxicity. The actuarial incidence of all LPC during the first year was calculated as being 8 +/- 2%. The actuarial incidence of lethal IP is certainly lower and was estimated to be between 3 and 5% for all patients. The overall treatment-related mortality was 12% in 188 patients that received a total dose of <15 Gy and 24% among the patients treated with a total dose of greater than or equal to 15 Gy. Conclusion: ABMT/PBSCT, like other transplant modalities without significant graft versus host disease (GvHD), has a low transplant related mortality, a very small rate of overall LPC and a low incidence of lethal IP after HTBI. Doses up to 14.4 Gy with lung doses of 9-9.5 Gy can be administered safely. For total doses of greater than or equal to 15 Gy with lung doses of 9-10.5 Gy, the risk of serious transplant-related complications cannot yet be finally assessed but such higher doses should be considered with caution because of the possibility of increasing toxicity in organs other than the lung. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Cataract incidence after total-body irradiation

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate cataract incidence in a homogeneously-treated group of patients after total-body irradiation (TBI) followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Methods and Materials: Between 1982 and 1994, a total of 260 patients received either autologous bone marrow or blood stem cell transplantation for hematological malignancy at the University of Heidelberg, Two hundred nine of these patients received TBI in our hospital, Radiotherapy was applied as hyperfractionated TBI, with a median dose of 14.4 Gy in 12 fractions over 4 days. Minimum time between fractions was 4 h. Photons with an energy of 23 MeV were used with a dose rate of 7-18 cGy/min, Ninety-six of the 209 irradiated patients were still alive in 1996; 86 of these patients (52 men, 33 women) answered a questionnaire and could be examined ophthalmologically. The median age at time of TBI was 38.5 years, with a range of 15-59 years. Results: The median follow-up is now 5.8 years, with a range of 1.7-13 years. Cataract occurred in 28/85 patients (32.9%) after a median of 47 months (1-104 months), In 6 of 28 patients who developed a cataract, surgery of the cataract was performed. Whole-brain irradiation prior to TBI had been performed more often in the group of patients developing cataract (14.3%) versus 10.7% in the group of patients without cataract. However, there was no statistical difference (Chi-square, p > 0.05), Conclusion: Cataract is a common side effect of TBI. Cataract incidence found in our patients is comparable to results of other centers using a fractionated regimen for TBI. To assess the incidence of cataract after TBI, a long-term follow-up is required. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc

Dystrophin and dystrophin-associated protein in muscles and nerves from monkey

Since all organs (i.e. skeletal, cardiac, smooth muscles and sciatic nerve) are never only taken from a single patient, all these tissues were obtained from one cynomolgus monkey, a model closely resembling humans. This work describes an up-to-date reinvestigation of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex and related molecules in various monkey tissues such those cited above. We used monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies produced in our laboratory, which are directed against dystrophin, utrophin, short-dystrophin products, α-dystrobrevin, β-dystroglycan, α-syntrophin, α-, β-, γ-, δ-, ε-sarcoglycan, and sarcospan. For each molecule, we determined their molecular weight and tissue localization. Regardless of the tissue analyzed, at least one dystrophin or utrophin as full-length molecule and one short-dystrophin product or dystrobrevin as proteins belonging to the dystrophin superfamily were found. β-dystroglycan, β and δ sarcoglycans were always detected, while other sarcoglycans varied from all to only three components. ε sarcoglycan appears to be specific to smooth muscle, which is devoid of α sarcoglycan. Sarcospan is only absent from sciatic nerve structures. Among the different muscles investigated in this study, short dystrophin products are only present in cardiac muscle. All of these findings are summarized in one table, which highlight in one single animal the variability of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex components in relation with the organ studied. This statement is important because any attempt to estimate protein restoration needs in each study the knowledge of the expected components that should be considered normal

Ghrelin control of GH secretion and feeding behaviour: the role of the GHS-R1a receptor studied in vivo and in vitro using novel non-peptide ligands

Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Italy EwdEnergy homeostasis is controlled by a complex regulatory system of molecules that affect food intake and that are critical for maintaining a stable body weight during life. Ghrelin is a peptide of 28 amino acid synthesized predominantly by the stomach and the gut, which activate the type 1a growth hormone (GH) secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a), a G-protein coupled receptor. The acylated form of ghrelin potently stimulates GH secretion both in vitro and in vivo in several animal species, including humans. Beside the endocrine effect, ghrelin shows also extraendocrine activities, including stimulation of feeding behaviour. Several classes of small synthetic peptide and non-peptide ligands of the GHS-R1a have been described and are able to release GH and stimulate food intake. However, in time, it appeared that the stimulating effects on GH secretion could be divorced from those on food intake, suggesting that more than a single receptor might be involved. Several experimental data have even questioned the physiological role of ghrelin in the control of GH secretion and energy metabolism. By using novel agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists for the GHS-R1a receptor, we have studied whether the stimulation of this receptor could account for the purported physiological role of ghrelin. Our results demonstrate that the ability to bind in vitro the GHS-R1a is not predictive of the in vivo biological activity of the compounds and that the endocrine and extraendocrine effects could be mediated also by receptors different from the GHS-R1a