The pharmacology of a novel topical retinoid, BMY 30123: comparison with tretinoin.

Preclinical studies pertaining to the pharmacology and toxicology of BMY 30123 (4-acetamidophenyl retinoate) are reported. BMY 30123 is a novel compound which has topical retinoid activity. This compound exhibits lower toxicity, both local and systemic, than other clinically used topical retinoids such as tretinoin (all-trans retinoic acid) in animal models. BMY 30123 is effective in a number of retinoid sensitive skin models including the rhino mouse utriculi reduction assay, the mouse epidermal hyperplasia model and in the suppression of DNA synthesis in mouse skin stimulated with phorbol ester. BMY 30123 was equipotent with tretinoin in these topical models. In the rhino mouse model the ED30 values for BMY 30123 and tretinoin were 0.037 and 0.015 mM, respectively. In addition, BMY 30123 was active in the UVB-induced photodamaged mouse model, another retinoid sensitive model. One of the problems associated with topically applied tretinoin is local irritation. Therefore, for topical therapy to be optimal, it is important to reduce or minimize local irritation. Repeated applications of BMY 30123 to rabbit skin resulted in low skin irritation. The first perceptible signs of skin irritation produced by BMY 30123 occurred at a dose 10 times higher than that observed for tretinoin. BMY 30123 also exhibits low retinoid activity after oral or i.p. administration in mice and produced no signs of hypervitaminosis A-related toxicity at twenty times the no effect dose of tretinoin. Because retinoids are effective modulators of epidermal growth and differentiation, this compound should be useful for the treatment of cutaneous disorders that exhibit altered epidermal differentiation such as acne, psoriasis, ichthyosis and epithelial tumours.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The Requirement for a Retinoic Acid Lactone of 11-cis, 13-cis-Stereochemistry for Topical Dermatologic Activity

Pharmaceutical Research -     

Effects of topical antiinflammatory agents on Freund's adjuvant-induced skin lesions in rats

Freund's adjuvant, when administered intradermally to rats, causes polyarthritis as well as inflammation of the skin, eye, gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. We assessed the effects of antiinflammatory drugs on ear skin lesions to determine if this might be a useful skin inflammation model. The hind paw of male Lewis rats was injected withMycobacterium butyricum in paraffin oil. Lesions appeared between days 13 and 15 after adjuvant injection. Each ear exhibited on average 1 to 3 highly erythematous, elevated lesions, 2 to 3 mm in diameter. By histology, the lesions consisted of epidermal hyperplasia, with a prominent accumulation of inflammatory cells in the dermis. Ears were treated topically with glucocorticoids, cyclosporine and indomethacin on days 15 through 21 after adjuvant injection. By day 22, dexamethasone, fluocinolone acetonide, and cyclosporine caused near-complete clearing of lesions whereas indomethacin exacerbated the inflammation by causing increased numbers of skin lesions. These results show the potential usefulness of adjuvant-induced skin lesions in rats as a novel subchronic inflammation model.     

Effects of retinoids on phorbol ester-stimulated epidermal DNA synthesis and hyperplasia in hairless mice

We investigated the effects of the retinoids, all-trans retinoic acid (t-RA), 13-cis retinoic acid, etretinate, and arotinoid ethyl ester, on 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced DNA synthesis, and epidermal hyperplasia in hairless mouse skin. Topical application of these retinoids produced dose-dependent inhibition of the TPA-induced epidermal DNA synthesis as measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation at 15 h after TPA application. However, this inhibition was only transient and did not affect the corresponding increase in epidermal cell layers measured at 40 or 70 h after TPA application. Fluocinonide also inhibited the epidermal DNA synthesis and failed to block TPA-induced epidermal hyperplasia. However, fluocinonide did effectively suppress the inflammation caused by TPA. In this paper we have shown that the suppression of TPA-stimulated DNA synthesis is a general property of topically applied retinoids. The biologic significance of a temporary suppression of TPA-stimulated epidermal DNA synthesis by the retinoids and fluocinonide is not understood at this time.     

Androgen-induced delay of hair growth in the golden Syrian hamster

The golden Syrian hamster flank organ has been used to study the stimulatory effect of androgens on sebaceous glands and hair. Androgens cause the sebaceous glands and hair follicles in this organ to grow. We have made the novel observation that exogenously administered androgen, testosterone propionate (TP), suppresses hair growth in the area surrounding the flank organ. When given in a time-release (systemic) subcutaneous dosage form (pellet), 25 mg TP inhibited the regrowth of clipped hair in peri-flank organ skin for up to 21 days; however, by 28 days hair grew back to the same extent as in controls. The peak serum level of testosterone in TP-treated animals occurred at 14 days, and declined thereafter. When two separate TP pellets (25 mg/pellet) were administered 14 days apart in order to maintain high serum levels for 28 days, the amount of hair regrowth after 35 days was identical to animals receiving a single TP pellet or placebo. This suggests that the systemic level of testosterone was not the only factor in hair regulation. Hair growing within the flank organ appeared to be unaffected by TP administration. In the golden Syrian hamster, androgen, as in humans, can exert stimulatory and inhibitory effects on hair growth depending on the body site. We conclude that this animal model could serve as a useful system to investigate the mechanisms responsible for the opposing effects of androgen on hair growth.     

Degranulation of mast cells and inhibition of the response to secretory agents by phototoxic compounds and ultraviolet radiation

The symptoms of cutaneous phototoxicity from coal tar compounds and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug benoxaprofen are characterized by wheal and flare formation which is mediated by histamine released from dermal mast cells. Rat serosal mast cells were used as an in vitro model system to study the direct effect of phototoxic compounds on mast cell degranulation. The coal tar compounds studied included acridine and pyrene. Combined exposure of cells to acridine and UVA (320 to 400 nm) radiation caused mast cells to degranulate, as assayed by the release of [3H]serotonin. Maximum [3H]serotonin release (70 to 80%) was obtained with 50 microM acridine and 300 kJ/m2 UVA. Pyrene (25 microM), when photoexcited with UVB (280 to 360 nm) radiation, caused about 80% release of [3H]serotonin. No degranulation occurred with 20 microM benoxaprofen and UVB doses up to 7.2 kJ/m2. Trypan blue staining correlated well with degranulation caused by acridine plus UVA; however, with pyrene plus UVB there was greater [3H]serotonin release than dye uptake. Excitation of photosensitizers with doses of UV radiation that did not cause trypan blue staining suppressed degranulation of mast cells in response to chemical stimulation. Acridine, pyrene, and benoxaprofen in the presence of UV radiation inhibited the mast cells from responding to compound 48/80 or the calcium ionophore, chlortetracycline. Two other phototoxic compounds, chlorpromazine and deoxytetracycline, also abolished degranulation by compound 48/80. These findings indicate that phototoxic compounds: (1) cause degranulation in the presence of high doses of UV radiation; and (2) suppress degranulation of mast cells in response to secretory stimuli at doses of UV radiation that do not cause release of mediator.     

Topical estrogens: their effects on connective tissue synthesis in hairless mouse skin

Skin is an important target organ for estrogens. The major reported effects of estrogens are as regulators of connective tissue molecules, namely collagen and hyaluronic acid. We investigated the regulation of connective tissue synthesis by topical estrogens in a hairless mouse model of photodamaged skin, which has been previously shown to respond to topical retinoids. The naturally occurring estrogen, 17beta-estradiol (17beta-E) and a close stereoisomer, 17alpha-estradiol (17alpha-E), were found to be as effective as all- trans-retinoic acid in stimulating the development of new connective repair zones in photodamaged skin. Furthermore, 17beta-E and 17alpha-E caused a skin thickening response in normal hairless mouse skin after three daily treatments. Skin thickening is due to water accumulation as a result of estrogen-induced hyaluronan synthesis. Our results show that topical estrogens are important regulators of connective tissue synthesis in photodamaged skin as well as normal skin. These findings are consistent with reports from human studies in which estrogen has been found to stimulate collagen production. We also demonstrated that 17alpha-E, previously thought to be a weak or inactive estrogen, is less potent than 17beta-E, but nonetheless topically effective in stimulating connective tissue synthesis.     

A further characterization of acridine-photosensitized inhibition of mast cell degranulation

The purpose of this study was to further characterize acridine-photosensitized inhibition of mast cell degranulation. Acridine plus UVA radiation (320-400 nm) inhibited degranulation in response to antigen in IgE-sensitized rat serosal mast cells and in response to concanavalin A, which acts by a mechanism similar to antigen-IgE challenge. Removing oxygen from the incubation medium prevented the acridine-photosensitized inhibition of mast cell degranulation in response to 48/80. Acridine plus UVA radiation did not decrease mast cell ATP content, thus excluding inhibition of ATP production as a mechanism for photosensitized inhibition of mast cell degranulation. Although the viability of mast cells, as determined by uptake of trypan blue, was not affected 3 h after treatment with acridine plus UVA radiation, viability decreased by 6 h, and by 22 h 44% of the cells were nonviable. These results indicate that degranulation of mast cells by a variety of agents is inhibited by UVA plus acridine treatment, and that photosensitization requires oxygen and occurs before cytotoxicity.     

Effects of topical retinoids on cytoskeletal proteins: implications for retinoid effects on epidermal differentiation.

In vivo effects of retinoids on epidermal differentiation were investigated by analyzing cytoskeletal proteins in rhino mice treated topically with all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) and other retinoids (13-cis-retinoic acid, etretinate, TTNPB). Non-disulfide-linked cytoskeletal proteins, including keratins from the epidermal "living layers," were first selectively extracted using 9.5 M urea; subsequently, keratins of the stratum corneum were isolated using 9.5 M urea plus a reducing agent. Gel electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis showed that urea extracts of epidermis from vehicle-treated skin were composed predominantly of four major keratins (analogous to human epidermal keratins K1, K5, K10, and K14), and the keratin filament-associated protein filaggrin. In contrast, extracts of epidermis from retinoid-treated skin contained additional keratins (K6, K16, and K17) and almost no detectable filaggrin. Furthermore, similar analysis of stratum corneum keratins demonstrated that extracts from RA-treated skin did not contain the partially proteolyzed keratins typically observed in stratum corneum extracts of control animals. Hyperplasia-inducing agents (salicylic acid, croton oil) caused an increase in keratins K6, K16, and K17, but they did not effect filaggrin or alter proteolysis of stratum corneum keratins. The result that RA induced expression of keratins K6, K16, and K17, as commonly expressed in hyperproliferative epidermis, is consistent with the notion that retinoids increase epidermal cell proliferation in the basal and/or lower spinous layers. The findings that topical RA decreased filaggrin expression and reduced proteolysis of stratum corneum keratins, despite increased size and number of granular cells and the presence of an anucleate stratum corneum, suggest that topical RA may also modulate a later stage of epidermal differentiation involved in stratum corneum formation.