Replacement of the carboxylic acid group of prostaglandin F2α with a hydroxyl or methoxy substituent provides biologically unique compounds

Replacement of the carboxylic acid group of PGF2α with the non-acidic substituents hydroxyl (-OH) or methoxy (-OCH3) resulted in an unexpected activity profile. Although PGF2α 1-OH and PGF2α 1-OCH3 exhibited potent contractile effects similar to 17-phenyl PGF2α in the cat lung parenchymal preparation, they were approximately 1000 times less potent than 17-phenyl PGF2α in stimulating recombinant feline and human FP receptors. In human dermal fibroblasts and Swiss 3T3 cells PGF2α 1-OH and PGF2α 1-OCH3 produced no Ca2+ signal until a 1 μM concentration was exceeded. Pretreatment of Swiss 3T3 cells with either 1 μM PGF2α 1-OH or PGF2α 1-OCH3 did not attenuate Ca2+ signal responses produced by PGF2α or fluprostenol. In the rat uterus, PGF2α 1-OH was about two orders of magnitude less potent than 17-phenyl PGF2α whereas PGF2α 1-OCH3 produced only a minimal effect. Radioligand binding studies on cat lung parenchymal plasma membrane preparations suggested that the cat lung parenchyma does not contain a homogeneous population of receptors that equally respond to PGF2α1-OH, PGF2α1-OCH3, and classical FP receptor agonists. Studies on smooth muscle preparations and cells containing DP, EP1, EP2, EP3, EP4, IP, and TP receptors indicated that the activity of PGF2α 1-OH and PGF2α 1-OCH3 could not be ascribed to interaction with these receptors. The potent effects of PGF2α 1-OH and PGF2α 1-OCH3 on the cat lung parenchyma are difficult to describe in terms of interaction with the FP or any other known prostanoid receptor. British Journal of Pharmacology (2000) 130, 1933–1943; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0703462