Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-IV inhibitors are a new approach to the treatment of type 2 diabetes. DPP-IV is a member of a family of serine peptidases that includes quiescent cell proline dipeptidase (QPP), DPP8, and DPP9; DPP-IV is a key regulator of incretin hormones, but the functions of other family members are unknown. To determine the importance of selective DPP-IV inhibition for the treatment of diabetes, we tested selective inhibitors of DPP-IV, DPP8/DPP9, or QPP in 2-week rat toxicity studies and in acute dog tolerability studies. In rats, the DPP8/9 inhibitor produced alopecia, thrombocytopenia, reticulocytopenia, enlarged spleen, multiorgan histopathological changes, and mortality. In dogs, the DPP8/9 inhibitor produced gastrointestinal toxicity. The QPP inhibitor produced reticulocytopenia in rats only, and no toxicities were noted in either species for the selective DPP-IV inhibitor. The DPP8/9 inhibitor was also shown to attenuate T-cell activation in human in vitro models; a selective DPP-IV inhibitor was inactive in these assays. Moreover, we found DPP-IV inhibitors that were previously reported to be active in models of immune function to be more potent inhibitors of DPP8/9. These results suggest that assessment of selectivity of potential clinical candidates may be important to an optimal safety profile for this new class of antihyperglycemic agents. Diabetes

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To investigate the effect of hypophyseal transection (HST) on GH secretagogue activity of the non-peptidyl GH secretagogue L-692,585 in the conscious pig, male castrated swine were randomly assigned to either a hypophyseal stalk transection group (HST; n = 3) or to a sham-operated control group (SOC; n = 3). Treatments administered were L-692,585 (100 micrograms/kg), human GH-releasing factor(1-29)NH2 (GRF; 20 micrograms/kg) or L-692,585 (100 micrograms/kg) + GRF (20 micrograms/kg) on days -7 to -3 before surgery and days +3 to +8 after surgery. To evaluate the integrity of the pituitary gland, the animals were challenged with corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH; 150 micrograms) or GnRH (150 ng/kg) both before and after surgery. Blood was collected from -60 to +180 min post treatment and assayed for GH, cortisol and LH. Before surgery, no significant difference (P > 0.05) in peak GH response (ng/ml) was present between the two groups (SOC vs HST) in response to L-692,585 (101 +/- 12 vs 71 +/- 9) or L-692,585 + GRF (171 +/- 21 vs 174 +/- 21). Only two out of three SOC vs three out of three HST pigs responded to GRF (13 +/- 2 vs 25 +/- 3) resulting in a significant difference between groups. Following surgery, significant differences were present in peak GH response (ng/ml) between SOC and HST groups following L-692,585 (79 +/- 6 vs 13.8 +/- 1.0); however, the response to L-692,585 + GRF was similar (115 +/- 8 vs 94 +/- 7). All animals responded to GRF; however, a significant difference was present between groups due to the magnitude of the responses. Whereas the cortisol responses (ng/ml) to L-692,585 in the SOC and HST groups were similar before surgery, a significant difference was present after surgery (44.4 +/- 6.4 vs 14.6 +/- 2.1). No significant difference was noted between the HST and SOC groups in response to CRH or GnRH either before or after surgery. These results indicated that L-692,585 induced an immediate GH response in the intact animal in contrast to GRF where the GH release was variable. L-692,585 also stimulated an immediate increase in cortisol levels. Transection of the hypophyseal stalk dramatically decreased but did not ablate the GH or cortisol response to L-692,585. Co-administration of L-692,585 + GRF induced an immediate GH response of similar magnitude in the intact and HST animal. We conclude that L-692,585 has a direct but limited action at the level of the pituitary and that an intact hypophyseal stalk is required for a maximal GH and cortisol response. L-692,585 acts with GRF at the level of the pituitary to induce a maximal GH response. These findings suggest that L-692,585 stimulates GH secretion by acting in combination with GRF and interrupting the inhibitory tone of somatostatin on the somatotroph.

SummaryEquilibrium binding studies on canine mononuclear and granulocytic cells allow the identification of a single high affinity receptor for the human C-C chemokine RANTES (dissociation constant, 14 ± 8 pM), that, in contrast to the human RANTES receptor, has no affinity for human macrophage inflammatory protein lcx (hMIP-lot) . A single intradermal injection of hRANTES in dog resulted in eosinophil-and macrophage-rich inflammatory sites within 4 h. Cell infiltration peaked at 16-24 h after hRANTES injection . There was histological evidence of intravascular activation ofeosinophils at 4 h, although eosinophils in the vasculature and interstitium contained apparently intact granules. Monocytes were the predominant cells adherent to venular endothelium at 16-24 h. Human MIP-1a elicited no response in canine dermis, whereas monoryte chemoattractant protein 1 caused mild perivascular cuffing with monocytes. In contrast, human interleukin 8 induced a neutrophilic dermal infiltrate that was maximal by 4 h after challenge. This provides the first direct evidence in vivo that RANTES has significant proinflammatory activity and, in addition, could be a mediator in atopic pathologies characterized by eosinophilic and monocytic inflammatory responses.

L-692,585 is a 2-hydroxypropyl derivative of L-692,429, both novel non-peptidyl growth hormone (GH) secretagogues. The effects of single and repeated intravenous administration of L-692,585 on serum or plasma GH and other hormones in beagles were evaluated. In a balanced 8-dog dose-ranging study, compared to the saline control with a mean (+/- S.E.M.) after-dose serum GH peak of 6.1 +/- 1.3 ng/ml, L-692,585 significantly increased (P < 0.05) peak GH concentrations 4.3-fold (32.5 +/- 7.0 ng/ml) at a dose of 0.005 mg/kg, 7-fold (49.4 +/- 10.6 ng/ml) at a dose of 0.02 mg/kg, and 21-fold (134.3 +/- 29.0 ng/ml) at a dose of 0.10 mg/kg. Total GH release, expressed as area under the curve, showed a similar dose-dependent increase. Peak GH levels were recorded at 5 or 15 min after dosing with the levels returning to near baseline by 90 min. Serum cortisol levels were increased above saline control levels in a dose-dependent manner; however, the increases were modest compared to the GH increases. Based on peak responses and total GH release, L-692,585 was 10- to 20-fold and 2- to 2.5-fold more potent than L-692,429 and the growth hormone releasing peptide, GHRP-6, respectively. When L-692,585 was administered once daily for 14 consecutive days at 0, 0.01 or 0.10 mg/kg to each of 6 dogs, peak plasma GH levels and total GH release on days 1, 8 and 15 significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner, and no desensitization was evident.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)