Thiobenzothiazole-modified Hydrocortisones Display Anti-inflammatory Activity with Reduced Impact on Islet β-Cell Function

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry 2015-05, Vol.290 (21), p.13401-13416
• Main Authors: Burke, Susan J., May, Amanda L., Noland, Robert C., Lu, Danhong, Brissova, Marcela, Powers, Alvin C., Sherrill, Elizabeth M., Karlstad, Michael D., Campagna, Shawn R., Stephens, Jacqueline M., Collier, J. Jason
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3T3-L1 Cells; adipogenesis; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - chemical synthesis; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Apoptosis - drug effects; Benzimidazoles - chemical synthesis; Benzimidazoles - pharmacology; Benzothiazoles - chemical synthesis; Benzothiazoles - pharmacology; Blotting, Western; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; chemokine; Dexamethasone - pharmacology; Gene Expression Profiling; glucocorticoid; Hepatocytes - drug effects; Hepatocytes - immunology; Hepatocytes - metabolism; Humans; Hydrocortisone - analogs & derivatives; Hydrocortisone - chemical synthesis; Hydrocortisone - pharmacology; Immunoenzyme Techniques; inflammation; Inflammation - drug therapy; Inflammation - immunology; Inflammation - metabolism; Inflammation - pathology; Insulin - metabolism; Insulin Secretion; Islets of Langerhans - drug effects; Islets of Langerhans - immunology; Islets of Langerhans - metabolism; Islets of Langerhans - pathology; Metabolomics; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Molecular Bases of Disease; Oxygen Consumption - drug effects; Rats; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Thiazoles - chemistry
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M114.632190

Glucocorticoids signal through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and are administered clinically for a variety of situations, including inflammatory disorders, specific cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, and organ/tissue transplantation. However, glucocorticoid therapy is also associated with additional complications, including steroid-induced diabetes. We hypothesized that modification of the steroid backbone is one strategy to enhance the therapeutic potential of GR activation. Toward this goal, two commercially unavailable, thiobenzothiazole-containing derivatives of hydrocortisone (termed MS4 and MS6) were examined using 832/13 rat insulinoma cells as well as rodent and human islets. We found that MS4 had transrepression properties but lacked transactivation ability, whereas MS6 retained both transactivation and transrepression activities. In addition, MS4 and MS6 both displayed anti-inflammatory activity. Furthermore, MS4 displayed reduced impact on islet β-cell function in both rodent and human islets. Similar to dexamethasone, MS6 promoted adipocyte development in vitro, whereas MS4 did not. Moreover, neither MS4 nor MS6 activated the Pck1 (Pepck) gene in primary rat hepatocytes. We conclude that modification of the functional groups attached to the D-ring of the hydrocortisone steroid molecule produces compounds with altered structure-function GR agonist activity with decreased impact on insulin secretion and reduced adipogenic potential but with preservation of anti-inflammatory activity. Background: Glucocorticoids impair islet β-cell function via glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activation. Results: Thiobenzothiazole-modified hydrocortisone compounds exhibit anti-inflammatory properties with reduced impact on insulin secretion. Conclusion: Novel glucocorticoids can be engineered to reduce impact on β-cell mass and function. Significance: Improved GR agonists will be beneficial in a variety of clinical settings.