Jpn. J. Pharmacol. 78 (3), 355-364 (1998)


Cholesterol-Lowering Effects of NTE-122, a Novel Acyl-CoA:Cholesterol Acyltransferase (ACAT) Inhibitor, on Cholesterol Diet-Fed Rats and Rabbits

Yukimasa Azuma, Takashi Kawasaki, Kiyohito Ikemoto, Keisuke Obata, Katsutoshi Ohno, Nobuko Sajiki, Toshihiro Yamada, Masahiro Yamasaki and Yoichi Nobuhara


Central Research Institute, Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd., 2247, Noji, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-0055, Japan

Abstract: Pharmacological characterization of NTE-122 (trans-1,4-bis[[1-cyclohexyl-3-(4-dimethylamino phenyl)ureido]methyl]cyclohexane), a novel acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor, was performed with both in vitro and in vivo assay systems. NTE-122 inhibited microsomal ACAT activities of various tissues (liver of rabbit and rat, small intestine of rabbit and rat, and aorta of rabbit) and cultured cells (HepG2 and CaCo-2), with IC50 values from 1.2 to 9.6 nM. The inhibition mode of NTE-122 was competitive for HepG2 ACAT. NTE-122 had no effect on other lipid metabolizing enzymes, such as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, acyl-CoA synthetase, cholesterol esterase, lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase, acyl-CoA:sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase and cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase up to 10 microM. When NTE-122 was administered to the cholesterol diet-fed rats, serum and liver cholesterol levels were markedly reduced with an ED50 of 0.12 and 0.44 mg/kg/day, respectively. In the cholesterol diet-fed rabbits, NTE-122 significantly lowered plasma and liver cholesterol levels at more than 2 mg/kg/day. These results indicate that NTE-122 is a potent, selective and competitive inhibitor of ACAT, making it a worth while therapeutic agent for hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.

Keywords: NTE-122, Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor, Enzyme selectivity, Cholesterol-lowering effect


Copyright© The Japanese Pharmacological Society 1998

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