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The prodrug DHED selectively delivers 17?-estradiol to the brain for treating estrogen-responsive disorders.

ABSTRACT: Many neurological and psychiatric maladies originate from the deprivation of the human brain from estrogens. However, current hormone therapies cannot be used safely to treat these conditions commonly associated with menopause because of detrimental side effects in the periphery. The latter also prevents the use of the hormone for neuroprotection. We show that a small-molecule bioprecursor prodrug, 10?,17?-dihydroxyestra-1,4-dien-3-one (DHED), converts to 17?-estradiol in the brain after systemic administration but remains inert in the rest of the body. The localized and rapid formation of estrogen from the prodrug was revealed by a series of in vivo bioanalytical assays and through in vivo imaging in rodents. DHED treatment efficiently alleviated symptoms that originated from brain estrogen deficiency in animal models of surgical menopause and provided neuroprotection in a rat stroke model. Concomitantly, we determined that 17?-estradiol formed in the brain from DHED elicited changes in gene expression and neuronal morphology identical to those obtained after direct 17?-estradiol treatment. Together, complementary functional and mechanistic data show that our approach is highly relevant therapeutically, because administration of the prodrug selectively produces estrogen in the brain independently from the route of administration and treatment regimen. Therefore, peripheral responses associated with the use of systemic estrogens, such as stimulation of the uterus and estrogen-responsive tumor growth, were absent. Collectively, our brain-selective prodrug approach may safely provide estrogen neuroprotection and medicate neurological and psychiatric symptoms developing from estrogen deficiency, particularly those encountered after surgical menopause, without the adverse side effects of current hormone therapies.

SUBMITTER: Prokai L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4591937 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The prodrug DHED selectively delivers 17β-estradiol to the brain for treating estrogen-responsive disorders.

Prokai Laszlo L Nguyen Vien V Szarka Szabolcs S Garg Puja P Sabnis Gauri G Bimonte-Nelson Heather A HA McLaughlin Katie J KJ Talboom Joshua S JS Conrad Cheryl D CD Shughrue Paul J PJ Gould Todd D TD Brodie Angela A Merchenthaler Istvan I Koulen Peter P Prokai-Tatrai Katalin K

Science translational medicine 20150701 297

Many neurological and psychiatric maladies originate from the deprivation of the human brain from estrogens. However, current hormone therapies cannot be used safely to treat these conditions commonly associated with menopause because of detrimental side effects in the periphery. The latter also prevents the use of the hormone for neuroprotection. We show that a small-molecule bioprecursor prodrug, 10β,17β-dihydroxyestra-1,4-dien-3-one (DHED), converts to 17β-estradiol in the brain after systemi ...[more]

PMID: 26203081

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Project description:Rationale17β-Estradiol (E2) attenuates hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) through an unknown mechanism that may involve estrogen receptors (ER) or E2 conversion to catecholestradiols and methoxyestradiols with previously unrecognized effects on cardiopulmonary vascular remodeling.ObjectivesTo determine the mechanism by which E2 exerts protective effects in HPH.MethodsMale rats were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia while treated with E2 (75 μg/kg/d) or vehicle. Subgroups were cotreated with pharmacologic ER-antagonist or with inhibitors of E2-metabolite conversion. Complementary studies were performed in rats cotreated with selective ERα- or ERβ-antagonist. Hemodynamic and pulmonary artery (PA) and right ventricular (RV) remodeling parameters, including cell proliferation, cell cycle, and autophagy, were measured in vivo and in cultured primary rat PA endothelial cells.Measurements and main resultsE2 significantly attenuated HPH endpoints. Hypoxia increased ERβ but not ERα lung vascular expression. Co-treatment with nonselective ER inhibitor or ERα-specific antagonist rendered hypoxic animals resistant to the beneficial effects of E2 on cardiopulmonary hemodynamics, whereas ERα- and ERβ-specific antagonists opposed the remodeling effects of E2. In contrast, inhibition of E2-metabolite conversion did not abolish E2 protection. E2-treated hypoxic animals exhibited reduced ERK1/2 activation and increased expression of cell-cycle inhibitor p27(Kip1) in lungs and RV, with up-regulation of lung autophagy. E2-induced signaling was recapitulated in hypoxic but not normoxic endothelial cells, and was associated with decreased vascular endothelial growth factor secretion and cell proliferation.ConclusionsE2 attenuates hemodynamic and remodeling parameters in HPH in an ER-dependent manner, through direct antiproliferative mechanisms on vascular cells, which may provide novel nonhormonal therapeutic targets for HPH.

Dataset Information

The prodrug DHED selectively delivers 17?-estradiol to the brain for treating estrogen-responsive disorders.

Publications

The prodrug DHED selectively delivers 17β-estradiol to the brain for treating estrogen-responsive disorders.

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