A new synthetic matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor modulates both angiogenesis and urokinase type plasminogen activator activity.

Proteolytic degradation of the extracellular matrix is essential to angiogenesis. Two families of proteases, the serine proteases of plasminogen activator/plasmin system and the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are closely involved in these processes. The treatment of mice with a diet containing a new synthetic MMP inhibitor, OPB-3206: 3S-[4-(N-hydroxyamino)-2R-isobutylsuccinyl] amino-1methoxy-3, 4-dihydrocarbostyril, abrogated the development of new vessels in a rat corneal assay, and in a mouse Matrigel assay. In an in vitro angiogenesis model, OPB-3206 inhibited the migration and the tube formation of bovine aortic endothelial cells at 10-100 times lower concentrations than those required to inhibit the growth of these cells. OPB-3206 as well as other MMP inhibitory drugs, batimastat/BB-94 and marimastat/BB-2516, also selectively inhibited tubular morphogenesis in vitro. OPB-3206 reduced the activities of interstitial collagenase and type IV collagenase, but the concentrations of 50% inhibition against these MMPs were much higher than those of BB-94 and BB-2516. However, this new compound also inhibited urokinase type plasminogen activator activity on fibrin zymogram, while BB-94 and BB-2516 did not. Furthermore, the addition of urokinase type plasminogen activator reduced the inhibitory effect of the tubular morphogenesis of vascular endothelial cells by OPB-3206. The treatment of mice with a diet containing this new compound also reduced the growth of implanted mammary carcinomas as well as the lung metastasis of colon carcinoma. The anti-angiogenic effect of OPB-3206 appeared to be associated with its inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis.