Immunopharmacology and inflammationAn endothelin-3-related synthetic biotinylated pentapeptide as a novel inhibitor of platelet-activating factor

Platelet-activating factor (PAF), a potent proinflammatory mediator, is involved in many inflammatory diseases. We recently reported that synthetic biotinylated peptides having a Tyr-Lys-Asp-Gly sequence inhibit PAF-induced inflammation by directly binding to PAF. In this study, we investigated the effect of two synthetic biotinylated peptides, both of which have a sequence similar to Tyr-Lys-Asp-Gly-an endothelin-3 (ET-3)-related biotinylated pentapeptide (Tyr-Lys-Asp-Lys-Glu, BPET3) and a scavenger receptor CD36-related biotinylated tetrapeptide (Tyr-Lys-Gly-Lys, BPCD36)-on PAF-induced inflammation by using a rat model of hind paw oedema. BPET3 markedly inhibited PAF-induced oedema in a dose-dependent manner, and the dose that caused 50% inhibition was estimated to be approximately 2.64 nmol/paw. The inhibitory effect of BPCD36 on PAF-induced paw oedema was less than that of BPET3, while a synthetic biotinylated pentapeptide (Lys-Lys-Tyr-Asp-Glu) shuffling amino acid sequence of BPET3, an ET-1-related synthetic biotinylated pentapeptide (Leu-Met-Asp-Lys-Glu), or an ET-2-related synthetic biotinylated pentapeptide (Trp-Leu-Asp-Lys-Glu) did not inhibit PAF-induced paw oedema. Furthermore, intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence studies demonstrated that ET-3 specifically interacted with both PAF and its metabolite/precursor lyso-PAF. These results provide evidence that the Tyr-Lys-Asp region in both ET-3 and BPET3 is essential for marked inhibition of the peptide on PAF-induced inflammation, and strongly suggest that BPET3 may be useful as a novel anti-inflammatory drug targeting PAF.