Abstract
Background: In mammals, adrenaline and ATP are life-essential vicinal diol and cis-diol functional groups. Here, we show that interactions between a safe organogermanium compound and these cis-diol compounds have the potential to regulate physiological functions. In addition, we represent a possible new druggable target for controlling the action of cis-diol compounds. Results: We analyzed a single crystal structure of organogermanium 3-(trihydroxygermyl)propanoic acid (THGPA), a hydrolysate of safe Ge-132, in complex with catecholamine (adrenaline and noradrenaline), and evaluated the affinity between several cis-diol compounds and THGPA by NMR. An in vitro study using normal human epidermal keratinocytes was performed to investigate the inhibition of cis-diol compound-stimulated receptors by THGPA. At high concentration, THGPA inhibited the calcium influx caused by adrenaline and ATP. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that THGPA can modify cis-diol-mediated cell-to-cell signaling.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors, excluding M Akiba and H Fukaya, were employed by the Asai Germanium Research Institute Co., Ltd. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.