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Adipogenesis is an important process for the improvement of insulin resistance by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma agonists, such as rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. FK614 [3-(2,4-dichlorobenzyl)-2-methyl-N-(pentylsulfonyl)-3-Hbenzimidazole-5-carboxamide] is a structurally novel class of PPARgamma agonist that improves insulin sensitivity in animal models of type 2 diabetes. Herein, we characterize FK614, a selective PPARgamma modulator (SPPARM) with differential properties affecting the regulation of fat cell function. FK614 behaves as a partial agonist in inducing the interaction of PPARgamma with both transcriptional coactivators, cAMP response element-binding protein-binding protein and steroid receptor coactivator-1, but as a full agonist with both PPAR-binding protein and PPAR-interacting protein, which are required for PPARgamma-mediated adipogenesis. In the differentiating 3T3-L1 adipocytes, the levels of adipose fatty acid-binding protein (aP2) mRNA expression and triglyceride accumulation induced by FK614 were as efficacious as those of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. In contrast, the effect of FK614 on aP2 gene expression in mature adipocytes was less than that of the other PPARgamma agonists. Furthermore, the long-term treatment of mature adipocytes with rosiglitazone and pioglitazone reduced the expression of phosphodiesterase 3B, the down-regulation of which has an important role in the development of insulin resistance; however, FK614 had no such effect in mature adipocytes. Thus, FK614 behaves as an SPPARM with differential effects on the activation of PPARgamma at each stage of adipocyte differentiation. The stage-dependent selectivity of FK614 may contribute to its enhanced insulin sensitization in differentiating adipocytes and to reduced insulin resistance at the stage of adipocyte hypertrophy.

Platelet activation and subsequent aggregation play a key role in the pathogenesis of ischemic brain damage. Recent studies revealed that enhanced platelet activation is also observed after ischemia, suggesting that secondary thrombus formation might participate in the development of cerebral infarction. The binding of platelet glycoprotein GPIIb/IIIa (integrin alpha(IIb)beta3) to fibrinogen is the final common pathway in platelet aggregation. Therefore, GPIIb/IIIa antagonists might be useful in acute ischemic stroke as well as in the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of three compounds, FK419 ((S)-2-acetylamino-3-[(R)-[1-[3-(piperidin-4-yl) propionyl] piperidin-3-ylcarbonyl] amino] propionic acid trihydrate), a novel nonpeptide GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, ozagrel, a selective thromboxane A(2) synthase inhibitor, and argatroban, a thrombin inhibitor, on middle cerebral artery (MCA) patency and ischemic brain damage using photochemically induced MCA thrombosis model in guinea pigs. FK419, ozagrel, or argatroban was administered 5 min after the termination of photoirradiation. FK419 dose-dependently improved MCA patency by decreasing the total occlusion time, time to continuous reperfusion, and the number of cyclic flow reductions, at doses that inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation ex vivo. In contrast, ozagrel only improved total occlusion time, and argatroban showed no improvement in MCA patency. FK419 also reduced ischemic brain damage in a dose-dependent fashion, whereas ozagrel and argatroban did not. Finally, FK419 ameliorated neurological deficits, whereas ozagrel and argatroban did not. These results indicate that FK419, a GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, ameliorates ischemic brain damage by improving MCA patency after occlusion and that FK419 is a promising candidate for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

N-(4-Acetyl-1-piperazinyl)-p-fluorobenzamide monohydrate (FK960), a novel antidementia drug, has been demonstrated to ameliorate memory deficits in various experimental models of dementia. This drug selectively increases somatostatin release from hippocampal slices and augments long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA3 area of the hippocampus. In the present study, the effects of FK960 on voltage-activated Ca2+ channels were investigated in acutely isolated rat hippocampal neurons, using whole-cell patch-clamp technique to clarify the cellular mode of action of FK960. Application of somatostatin significantly reduced Ca2+ currents via G protein-coupled signaling pathways. This inhibitory effect was significantly abolished by FK960 when applied in combination. In contrast, FK960 showed only modest inhibition on the reduction in Ca2+ currents produced by baclofen, an agonist of GABAB receptor. Intracellular application of the protein kinase inhibitor H-7 did not alter somatostatin-induced inhibition and had no significant effect on blockade by FK960. In addition, application of FK960 alone produced modest but apparent increases in Ca2+ currents without significant changes in the activation kinetics of the channels. The dose-response relationship on calcium current enhancement was bell-shaped with a maximum effect at 0.1 microM FK960, the same concentration as that for increasing on somatostatin release and CA3-LTP. These results show that FK960 reverses G protein-dependent inhibition of Ca2+ currents by somatostatin in hippocampal neurons. Enhancement of Ca2+ currents by FK960 may be due to its modulatory actions on Ca2+ channels, rather than removal of G protein-inhibited tonic currents. Together, these mechanisms may be involved in the selective effects of FK960 on somatostatin release, excitatory transmission, and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus.