SC-41930, 7-[3-(4-acetyl-3-methoxy-2-propylphenoxy)-propoxy]-3,4-dihydro-8-p ropyl- 2H-1-benzopyran-2-carboxylic acid, is a potent in vitro leukotriene-B4 (LTB4) receptor antagonist. LTB4 levels are elevated in colonic tissue of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients which may account for the high degree of neutrophil (PMN) infiltration. The guinea pig acetic acid-induced colonic inflammation model has characteristics of IBD including PMN infiltration, edema, ulceration and necrosis. The model was used to evaluate the effect of SC-41930. SC-41930 was given orally, 30 min before and after intrarectal administration of 3% acetic acid. The PMN marker enzyme, myeloperoxidase, was measured along with histological evaluation to assess inflammation. Both parameters showed significantly less inflammation in SC-41930 treated animals with an oral ED50 of 20 mg/kg. These study results with an LTB4 receptor antagonist indicate a role for LTB4 in colonic inflammation and that an LTB4 receptor antagonist may be beneficial for treatment of IBD.

The nonapeptide [des-Asp1]angiotensin I (IV), synthesized by Merrifield's solid-phase procedure, was tested as a possible substrate for the converting enzymes from porcine lung and plasma. IV, [des-Asp1]angiotensin II (III), [des-(Asp1,Arg2)]angiotensin II (V), [des-(Asp1,Arg2,Val3)]angiotensin II (VI), [Sar1,Ile8]angiotensin II (VII), and [des-Asp1,Ile8]angiotensin II (VIII) possessed 0.5, 20, 2, 0 less than 0.1, and less than 0.01% of the inotropic activity (rabbit atria), 1, 15, 5, 0, 3, and 0% secretory activity of the cat adrenal medulla, and 0.0, 150, 0.5, 3, and 10% of the adrenal steroidogenic activity of angiotensin II, respectively. When tested for their antagonistic activity in the above tissues, only VII and VIII were found to inhibit responses to angiotensin II. The pA2 values for VII and VIII were 8.31 and 10.0 in the adrenal cortex and 9.31 and 9.16 in the adrenal medulla, respectively. All these peptides were also tested as product inhibitors for the plasma and lung converting enzymes. With the plasma enzyme, the ID50 values were II, 1.6 X 10(-4) M; III, 5 X 10(-5) M; V, 1.2 X 10(-4) M; VI 5 X 10(-4) M; VII 5 X 10(-5) M; VIII, 5 X 10(-4) M. Thus, IV is a good substrate for converting enzymes from lung and plasma while all other compounds were inhibitors of these enzymes. The most potent inhibitors of converting enzyme were III followed by VII and VIII. With the exception of II and III, all the other analogs had very low intrinsic activities, per se. These results suggest (a) an alternate pathway for the formation of heptapeptide III, viz., by the action of converting enzyme on the nonapeptide IV, and (b) that III may also be acting as inhibitor of the converting enzyme by the feedback mechanism.