The potency of substituted benzimidazoles such as E3810, omeprazole, Ro 18-5364 to inhibit gastric H+, K(+)-ATPase is correlatedwith the rate of acid-activation of the inhibitor.

The half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of substituted benzimidazoles for the H+, K(+)-ATPase in hog gastric vesicles were measured by using the pyruvate kinase-lactate dehydrogenase-linked system in which hydrolysis of ATP was coupled with the oxidation of NADH. The vesicles were incubated in a solution containing a high concentration of KCl, valinomycin and Mg-ATP, and the intravesicular medium was acidified. The inhibitor was activated in the acidic medium and reacted with SH groups on the luminal (intravesicular) side of the ATPase. The active compound formed in the extravesicular medium (pH 6.11) was quenched by GSH. Under these conditions, IC50 of new compound E3810, 2[(4-(3-methoxypropoxy)-3-methylpyridine-2-yl)methyl-sulfinyl]-1H- benzimidazole sodium salt, was 0.072 microM and that of omeprazole was 0.47 microM at 25 degrees. On the other hand, the rates of formation of active compounds, tetracyclic sulfenamide derivatives, from original substituted benzimidazoles in 0.1 N HCl (k) were determined by measuring optical density at the characteristic wavelengths of the active compounds. There was a good correlation between IC50 and k for various substituted benzimidazoles including E3810, methoxy derivative of E3810, omeprazole, Ro 18-5364, H compound, picoprazole and timoprazole. This fact suggest that the rate of the formation of the acid-activated compound is a main factor determining the potency of the inhibitor.