Two site-directed mutants of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) of Escherichia coli have been studied by site-directed mutagenesis kinetic and structural studies. Substitution of phenylalanine for tyrosine at position 160 (Y160F) showed 0.4% of the kcat of wild-type with isocitrate as substrate, while the Km for isocitrate remained unchanged. When the postulated intermediate, oxalosuccinate, was enzymatically decarboxylated, Y160F showed a higher kcat and a similar Km to the wild type values. The rate of reduction of oxalosuccinate to isocitrate by the Y160F mutant was greatly decreased relative to the wild-type. Substitution of methionine for lysine at position 230 decreased kcat to 1.1% of that of the wild-type and Km increased by a factor of 500-600. The decarboxylation of oxalosuccinate was undetectable for the K230M mutant. The structure of the site-directed mutants of IDH with and without a bound complex of isocitrate and Mg2+ was solved at 2.5 A resolution and compared by difference mapping against previously determined enzyme structures. The structural studies show that (i) the overall protein-folding side chain conformations and active sites of both mutants are isomorphous with wild-type enzyme, (ii) isocitrate and magnesium bind to both enzyme mutants with the same relative conformation and binding interactions as wild-type enzyme, and (iii) the mutated side chains (Phe 160 and Met 230) are positioned for catalysis in a similar conformation as that observed for the wild-type enzyme. Hence, the alteration of the side chain functional groups is directly related to the loss of enzyme activity. Possible roles of the active site tyrosine and lysine are discussed.

The current studies were designed to investigate the functional significance of elevated endogenous atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in acute congestive heart failure (CHF). Integrated cardiorenal and endocrine function were measured in three models of acute low-output congestive heart failure with comparably reduced cardiac output (CO) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Acute CHF was produced by rapid right ventricular pacing (group I, n = 5) which decreases CO and increases atrial pressures and plasma ANF. In group II, n = 5, thoracic inferior vena caval constriction (TIVCC) was produced to decrease venous return and CO but without increases in atrial pressure or plasma ANF. In group III, n = 5, TIVCC was performed and exogenous ANF infused to achieve plasma concentrations observed in acute CHF. In acute CHF with increases in endogenous ANF, sodium excretion (UNaY), renal blood flow (RBF), plasma renin activity (PRA), and plasma aldosterone (PA) were maintained despite decreases in CO and MAP. In contrast, TIVCC with similar reductions in CO and MAP but without increases in ANF resulted in decreases in UN2V and RBF and increases in PRA and PA. Exogenous administration of ANF in TIVCC to mimic levels in acute CHF prevented sodium retention, renal vasoconstriction, and activation of renin and aldosterone. These studies demonstrate that endogenous ANF serves as an important physiologic volume regulator in acute CHF to maintain sodium excretion and possibly participate in the suppression of activation of the reninangiotensin-aldosterone system despite the stimulus of arterial hypotension.

Introduction Dasatinib inhibits the protein tyrosine kinase, Src, which can support the development of bone metastases in patients with ER+ breast cancer. The primary objective of this study is to determine if letrozole plus dasatinib increases the clinical benefit rate (CBR) (CR+PR+SD ≥6mo) in first-line MBC patients compared with letrozole alone. Secondary objectives include overall response; progression-free survival; time to treatment failure (TTF); and toxicity. Methods This is a Phase II randomized, noncomparative study of postmenopausal women with locally recurrent or metastatic, measurable or nonmeasurable BC, ER+, HER2-. Patients are allowed to have had prior non-AI endocrine therapy for MBC; prior adjuvant AI therapy if completed at least 1 year prior to study entry; and up to 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for MBC. Patients are stratified by ≤2 yrs vs >2 years disease-free interval (DFI) from initial breast cancer diagnosis (date of definitive surgery) to first locally recurrent or MBC and by prior tamoxifen for MBC. Patients were randomly assigned to Arm 1 (letrozole 2.5mg PO QD + dasatinib 100mg PO QD) or Arm 2 (single-agent letrozole 2.5mg PO QD) on 28-day cycles. Arm 1 patients who experienced intolerable toxicity related to dasatinib discontinued dasatinib and continued single-agent letrozole. Arm 2 patients who developed progressive disease (PD) on letrozole had the option to receive dasatinib plus letrozole. The primary endpoint of CBR was assessed when patients developed progressive disease on their randomly assigned therapies before any crossover therapy. Results Patients with prior adjuvant AI/tamoxifen were 39%/32% Arm 1 and 44%/37% Arm 2; prior metastatic endocrine therapy Arm 1/Arm 2 was 9%/5%; and prior metastatic chemotherapy Arm 1/Arm 2 was 11%/6%. Median DFI Arm 1/Arm 2 was 27.5/21.2 months; patients presenting with de novo MBC Arm 1/Arm 2 was 42%/32%, respectively; measureable disease by RECIST Arm 1/Arm 2 was 58%/75%. The ITT population comprised 120 patients; 57 in Arm 1 and 63 in Arm 2. Clinical benefit rate (CBR) in 116 evaluable patients in Arm 1(55)/Arm 2(61), respectively, was 64% (95% CI, 50-76) and 61% (95% CI, 47-73). Median PFS time was 22 months with letrozole/dasatinib and 11 months with letrozole alone, p = .05. PFS at 6 and 12 months for Arms 1 and 2, respectively, was 78%/66% and 66%/43%. The most common toxicities observed with dasatinib on Arm 1 were fatigue (38%), nausea (38%), anemia (25%), rash (23%), pleural effusion (16%), and edema (13%). 27% of patients required dasatinib dose reduction. Conclusion The addition of dasatinib to letrozole in MBC patients receiving their first AI therapy for metastatic disease did not improve CBR compared with letrozole alone. Median PFS improved from 11 to 22 months (p = .05) with the addition of dasatinib, suggesting dasatinib improved duration of disease control combined with letrozole. Most patients tolerated full dose dasatinib until PD. 25% of patients remain on study therapy; final results will be available at SABCS 2013. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr S3-07.