Effect of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 4-(3-cyclopentyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-pyrrolidone (ZK 62711) on gastric secretion and gastric mucosal cyclic AMP

Abstract

The effect of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 4-(3-cyclopentyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-pyrrolidone (ZK 62711) on gastric secretion and the cyclic AMP system of the gastric mucosa was studied in rats and guinea pigs. In rats, 0.03–0.3 μmoles/kg ZK 62711 i.v. stimulated acid and pepsin secretion in a dose-dependent manner and 0.03 μmoles/kg i.v. enhanced the effect of histamine. In guinea pigs no reproducible stimulation was found after intravenous injections of ZK 62711. The stimulation of gastric secretion in the rat by 0.3 μmoles/kg ZK 62711 i.v. was not affected by vagotomy but was totally inhibited by 10 μmoles/kg cimetidine i.v. The structurally related phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 4-(3-butoxy-4-methoxybenzyl)-2-imidazolidine (Ro 20-1724), at the dose of 3.3 μmoles/kg i.v. stimulated gastric secretion in anaesthetised rats to a similar extent as 0.3 μmoles/kg ZK 62711 i.v. The content of cyclic AMP in the rat gastric mucosa in vivo was slightly increased by 10 μmoles/kg ZK 62711 i.v, whereas lower doses did not change it. Accumulation of cyclic AMP in the rat gastric mucosa by 50 μmoles/kg histamine i.v. was enhanced by simultaneous injections of 3.3 μmoles/kg ZK 62711 i.v. In rat gastric tissue slices in vitro 1–50 μM ZK 62711 increased the level of cyclic AMP but 100 μM histamine had no effect in the absence or presence of ZK 62711. In gastric mucosal slices of the guinea pig 10 and 50 μM ZK 62711 increased the cyclic AMP content which effect was inhibited by 100 μM cimetidine and enhanced the stimulatory effect of 100 μM histamine on cyclic AMP. The activity of soluble cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase was inhibited by ZK 62711 in the rat (IC50=18 μM) and guinea pig gastric mucosa (IC50=1.5 μM). Adenylate cyclase was not affected in the homogenate of the guinea pig gastric mucosa. The results indicate that the phosphodiesterase inhibitor ZK 62711 which increases cyclic AMP levels in the gastric mucosa in vivo and in vitro, is a potent stimulator of gastric acid secretion.