FUT-175 as a potent inhibitor of C5/C3 convertase activity for production of C5a and C3a.

We examined the inhibitory effect of FUT-175 on the C3/C5 convertase activity of the cobra venom factor-derived enzyme CVF,Bb by measuring C5b6-mediated reactive lysis of unsensitized guinea pig erythrocytes and by measuring directly the released fragments C3-des-Arg and C5a-des-Arg. In this study, we showed that the concentration of 4.5 X 10(-6) M of FUT-175 caused 50% inhibition of C5 convertase activity of CVF,Bb in reactive hemolysis assays, and that 4.0 X 10(-6) M FUT-175 caused 50% inhibition of the production of C3a and C5a generated by the C3/C5 convertase activity of CVF,Bb.