XL335

Cell Assay [2]
Mouse AML12 cells are plated at 200,000 cells/well on the 24-well plate in 1 mL of growth medium [DMEM/F12 10% FBS, 1% penicillin and streptomycin, 1% insulin-transferrin-selenium-G supplement (ITS), 0.1% Dexamethasone (40 ng/mL)/well. The cells are treated with increasing concentrations of WAY-362450 (0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10 μM) or GW4064 for 24 h. Total RNA is prepared and analyzed by real-time RT-PCR, and short heterodimer partner (SHP) expression is normalized to GAPDH and reported as fold induction vs. vehicle-treated cells. Preplated 24-well plates of human male primary hepatocytes with matrigel overlay are obtained from Cellz Direct. Cells are maintained in serum-free Williams medium E and supplemented with penicillin/streptomycin, dexamethasone, ITS, L-glutamine, and HEPES buffer. They are treated overnight with vehicle (0.01% DMSO) or increasing concentrations of WAY-362450 or GW4064. Total RNA is purified using the Qiagen RNeasy clean kit, and gene expression is quantified by real-time RT-PCR with the Qiagen Quantitech kit using an ABI 7900. The relative amount of mRNA is normalized to 18S ribosomal RNA, and data shown represent an average of two independent experiments[2].

Animal Administration [3][2]
Mice[3] Age- and sex-matched 8- to 12-week-old mice are fed standard chow and housed in temperature-controlled virus-free facility on a 12-h-light/dark cycle with free access to food and water. Where indicated, mice are fed either a Western diet containing 42% fat and 0.2% cholesterol by weight or this Western diet supplemented to contain 0.225 mg WAY-362450 per gram of diet. The mice consumed ~4 g diet per day, resulting in the delivery of ~30 mg of WAY-362450 per kg of body weight, assuming a 30 g body weight. Animals are maintained on these diets for 6 (apoE-/-) or 12 weeks (LDLR-/-). At the end of each study, animals are euthanized and blood samples collected via the orbital eye for lipid analysis. Liver and ileum tissue are removed for mRNA quantification, and aortas are removed and stored in 10% buffered formalin solution. Rats[2] Eight-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats and Syrian Golden hamsters are fed a 60% fructose/0.15% cholesterol diet. For the rat study, the rats are placed onto the diet for 2 wk and then treated by daily oral gavage with vehicle (80% polyethylene glycol/20% Tween) or varying concentrations of WAY-362450 (8/group) as indicated for 7 days (8 rats/group). The hamster study is conducted as a preventative treatment, so both the diet and drug treatments are initiated on day 1 and continued for 21 days (8 hamsters/group). On the last day after the final dose, the food is removed to allow a 3 h fast, and serum and liver are harvested for analysis as described above.

References:
[1]. Flatt B, et al. Discovery of XL335 (WAY-362450), a highly potent, selective, and orally active agonist of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR). J Med Chem. 2009 Feb 26;52(4):904-7. [2]. Evans MJ, et al. A synthetic farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist promotes cholesterol lowering in models of dyslipidemia. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2009 Mar;296(3):G543-52. [3]. Hartman HB, et al. Activation of farnesoid X receptor prevents atherosclerotic lesion formation in LDLR-/- and apoE-/- mice. J Lipid Res. 2009 Jun;50(6):1090-100.