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WO2004017957A1 - Prevention et/ou traitement de maladies cardio-vasculaires et/ou insuffisance cardiaque associee - Google Patents

Prevention et/ou traitement de maladies cardio-vasculaires et/ou insuffisance cardiaque associee Download PDF

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WO2004017957A1
WO2004017957A1 PCT/NZ2003/000047 NZ0300047W WO2004017957A1 WO 2004017957 A1 WO2004017957 A1 WO 2004017957A1 NZ 0300047 W NZ0300047 W NZ 0300047W WO 2004017957 A1 WO2004017957 A1 WO 2004017957A1
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arteries
copper
cardiomyopathy
diabetic
patient
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Garth James Smith Cooper
John Richard Baker
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Protemix Corp Ltd
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Protemix Corp Ltd
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
    • A61K31/00—Medicinal preparations containing organic active ingredients
    • A61K31/28—Compounds containing heavy metals
    • A61K31/30—Copper compounds
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
    • A61P3/00—Drugs for disorders of the metabolism
    • A61P3/08—Drugs for disorders of the metabolism for glucose homeostasis
    • A61P3/10—Drugs for disorders of the metabolism for glucose homeostasis for hyperglycaemia, e.g. antidiabetics
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
    • A61P9/00—Drugs for disorders of the cardiovascular system

Definitions

  • This invention concerns methods of treatment, prevention or amelioration of a disease, disorder or condition in a mammal (hereafter "treating"), including, for example, a human being, having undesired copper levels that cause or lead to tissue damage. Treating of mammals includes those, for example, predisposed to copper-involved or -mediated free radical damage of tissue and/or to copper- involved or -mediated impairment of normal tissue stem cell responses.
  • the invention has application inter alia to diabetes-related and non-diabetes-related heart failure, macrovascular disease or damage, microvascular disease or damage, and/or toxic (e.g., hypertensive) tissue and/or organ disease or damage (including such ailments as may, for example, be characterized by heart failure, cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, and related arterial and organ diseases) and to related compounds, compositions, formulations, uses, and procedures.
  • toxic e.g., hypertensive
  • Glucose is the primary source of energy for the human body. Absorbed from the intestine it is metabolized by energy production (by conversion to water and carbon dioxide), conversion to amino acids and proteins or keto-acids, and storage as glycogen. Glucose metabolism is regulated by complex orchestration of hormone activities. While all dietary sugars are broken down into various carbohydrates, the most important is glucose, which is metabolized in nearly all cells of the body. Glucose enters the cell by facilitated diffusion (glucose transport proteins). This facilitated transport is stimulated very rapidly and effectively by an insulin signal, pursuant to which glucose transport into muscle and adipose cells is increased up to twenty fold. After glucose is transported into the cytoplasm, insulin then directs the disposition of it by conversion of glucose to glycogen, to pyruvate and lactate, and to fatty acids.
  • Diabetes mellitus is heterogeneous group of metabolic disorders, connected by raised plasma glucose concentration and disturbance of glucose metabolism with resulting hyper-glycemia.
  • the hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus generally results from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both.
  • WHO World Health Organization
  • IDDM insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
  • NIDDM non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
  • juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes mellitus are no longer primarily used to describe those conditions.
  • Type 1 diabetes results from an autoimmune destruction of the insulin-secreting ⁇ -cells of the pancreas. There are several markers of this autoimmune destruction, detectable in body fluids and tissues, including islet cell autoantibodies, autoantibodies to insulin, autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65), and autoantibodies to the tyrosine phosphatases IA-2 and IA-2B. While genetic factors are strongly implicated, the concordance rate in twin studies is under 50% and supports a role for environmental factors, which are said to include viral infections.
  • NIDDM non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
  • Type 2 diabetes mellitus previously encompassed what is now referred to as type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  • the disease usually develops after 40 years of age. It is much more common that type 1 diabetes and comprises approximately 90% of all individuals with diabetes.
  • Type 2 patients are usually older at the onset of disease, and are characterized by various symptoms. Insulin concentrations are mostly increased but they can be normal or decreased. Obesity is common. Diet and exercise regimens leading to weight reduction can ameliorate hyperglycemia. Oral hypoglycaemic drugs are also used in an effort to lower blood sugar. Nevertheless, insulin is sometimes required to correct hyperglycemia, particularly as patients grow older or as their ⁇ -cells fail. Two groups of disorders may be said to typify type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  • Insulin resistance is defined as a decreased biological response to normal concentrations of circulating insulin and represents the primary underlying pathological process.
  • the second is the dysfunction of pancreatic ⁇ -cells, represented by the inability to produce sufficient amounts of insulin to overcome insulin resistance in the peripheral tissues. Eventually, insulin production can be insufficient to compensate for the insulin resistance due to ⁇ -cell dysfunction.
  • the common result is a relative deficiency of insulin.
  • Data support the concept that insulin resistance is the primary defect, preceding the derangement of insulin secretion. As with type 1 diabetes, the basis of the insulin resistance and insulin secretion defects is believed to be a combination of environmental and genetic factors.
  • Gestational diabetes mellitus is usually asymptomatic and not necessarily life tlireatening to the mother. The condition is associated with an increased incidence of neonatal morbidity, neonatal hypoglycaemia, macrosomia and jaundice. Even normal pregnancies are associated with increasing insulin resistance, mostly in the second and third trimesters. Euglycaemia is maintained by increasing insulin secretion. In those women who are not able to increase the secretion of insulin, gestational diabetes develops. The pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus is not well known but is said to include family history of diabetes mellitus, obesity, complications in previous pregnancies and advanced maternal age.
  • diabetes mellitus Other specific types are heterogeneous, with the following representing the largest groups: genetic defects of ⁇ -cell function; genetic defects in insulin action; diseases of the exocrine pancreas (e.g., pancreatitis, traumapancreatectomy, neoplasia, cystic fibrosis, hemochromatosis, and others); other endocrinopathies (e.g., acromegaly, Cushing's syndrome, glucagonoma, pheochromocytoma, hyperthyroidism, somatostatinoma, aldosteronoma, and others); drug- or chemical-induced diabetes mellitus (e.g., from vacor (an acute rodenticide released in 1975 but withdrawn as a general-use pesticide in 1979 because of severe toxicity, exposure to vacor causing destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas and diabetes mellitus in survivors), pentamidine, nicotinic acid, glucocorticoids, thyroid hormone
  • type 1 diabetes characterized by an absolute deficiency of insulin secretion
  • type 2 diabetes characterized by a combination of resistance to insulin action and an inadequate compensatory insulin secretory response
  • Sixteen million people in the United States are estimated to have diabetes, and more than 90% of these patients have type 2 diabetes.
  • the World Health Organization estimates that the number of diabetic adults will more than double globally, from 143 million in 1997 to 300 million in 2025, largely because of dietary and other lifestyle factors.
  • Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by the presence of fasting hyperglycemia and the development of widespread premature atherosclerosis. Patients with diabetes have increased morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases, especially coronary artery disease. Vascular complications in diabetes may be classified as microvascular, affecting the retina, kidney and nerves and macrovascular, predominantly affecting coronary, cerebrovascular and peripheral arterial circulation.
  • the chronic hyperglycemia of diabetes is associated with long-term damage, dysfunction, and failure of various organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels and long-term complications of diabetes include retinopathy with potential loss of vision; nephropathy leading to renal failure; peripheral neuropathy with risk of foot ulcers, amputation, and Charcot joints; and autonomic neuropathy causing gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and cardiovascular symptoms and sexual dysfunction. Glycation of tissue proteins and other macromolecules and excess production of polyol compounds from glucose are among the mechanisms thought to produce tissue damage from chronic hyperglycemia. Patients with diabetes have an increased incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular, peripheral vascular, and cerebrovascular disease.
  • Hypertension, abnormalities of lipoprotein metabolism, and periodontal disease are often found in people with diabetes.
  • Chronic hyperglycemia results in hyperglycosylation of multiple proteins and is the hallmark of diabetes.
  • Hyperglycosylated proteins have altered function resulting in a spectrum of effects.
  • Epidemiological studies have confirmed that hyperglycemia is the most important factor in the onset and progress of diabetes complications, both in insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
  • Mechanisms connecting hyperglycemia with complications of long-tenn diabetes have been investigated indicating the involvement of non-enzymatic glycation processes.
  • the nonenzymatic glycation process in one in which glucose is chemically bound to amino groups of proteins, but without the help of enzymes.
  • sugar-protein complex is formed through a series of chemical reactions described by Maillard.
  • Maillard reactions sugar-protein complexes are formed (Amadori rearrangement) and represent an early product of nonenzymatic glycation and an intermediary that is a precursor of later compounds. Numerous intermediary products are then formed, followed by complex product polymerization reactions resulting in heterogeneous structures called advanced glycation endproducts (AGE). It was believed that the primary role in Maillard reactions was exclusively played by high glucose concentration.
  • HbAlc glycated hemoglobin
  • Protein modification with AGE is irreversible, there being no enzymes in the organism able to hydrolyze AGE compounds, which consequently accumulate during the life span of a protein on which they had were formed.
  • Examples include all types of collagen, albumin, basic myelin protein, eye lens proteins, lipoproteins and nucleic acid.
  • AGEs change the function of many proteins and contribute to various late complications of diabetes mellitus.
  • the major biological effect of excessive glycation include the inhibition of regulatory molecule binding, crosslinking of glycated proteins, trapping of soluble proteins by glycated extracellular matrix, decreased susceptibility to proteolysis, inactivation of enzymes, abnormalities of nucleic acid function, and increased immunogenicity in relation to immune complexes formation.
  • AGEs progressively accumulate on the tissues and organs that develop chronic complications of diabetes mellitus like retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and progressive atherosclerosis
  • immunohistochemical methods have demonstrated the presence of different AGE compounds in glomeruli and tubuli cells in both experimental and human diabetic nephropathy.
  • the AGE role in atherosclerosis may also be significant.
  • reticulated and irreversible low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from the circulation binds to AGE-modified collagen of blood vessel walls. In the majority of blood vessels such reticular binding delays normal outflow of LDL particles which penetrate vessel walls and thus enhance the deposit of cholesterol in the intima. This is followed by an accelerated development of atherosclerosis.
  • LDL low-density lipoprotein
  • the level of AGE proteins reflects kinetic balance of two opposite processes, the rate of AGE compound formation and the rate of their degradation by means of receptors.
  • AGE receptors participate in the elimination and change of aged, reticular and denaturated molecules of extracellular matrix as well as all other AGE molecules.
  • AGE receptors were first detected on macrophage cells, and AGE protein binding to macrophage cell receptors is believed to cause a cascade of events in the homeostasis of blood vessel walls and their milieu by mediation of cytokines and tissue growth factors.
  • AGE receptors At least four different AGE receptors have been described, among which two belong to the group of receptor scavengers. One of them is very similar, if not identical, to the receptor that internalizes altered LDL particles. Receptors on endothelium cells differ and these cell membrane sites bind AGE-ligands (denoted "RAGE" receptors). They belong to immunoglobulin receptor family and are prevalent in tissues. Binding of AGE compounds to RAGEs leads to cellular stress. It is not currently known whether variations in AGE level explain differences in susceptibility to develop complications, but it has been theorized that gene diversity in AGE receptors could offer an explanation.
  • Hyperglycemia induces a large number of alterations in vascular tissue that potentially promote accelerated atherosclerosis.
  • oxidative stress protein kinase C (PKC) activation.
  • PKC protein kinase C
  • these mechanisms are not independent.
  • hyperglycemia- induced oxidative stress promotes the formation of AGEs and PKC activation
  • type 1 and type 2 diabetes are independent risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, and peripheral arterial disease.
  • Schwartz CJ, et al "Pathogenesis of the atherosclerotic lesion.
  • Atherosclerosis accounts for virtually 80% of all deaths among North American diabetic patients, compared with one-third of all deaths in the general North American population, and more than 75% of all hospitalizations for diabetic complications are attributable to cardiovascular disease.
  • American Diabetes Association "Consensus statement: role of cardiovascular risk factors in prevention and treatment of macrovascular disease in diabetes,” Diabetes Care 16:72-78 (1993).
  • CAD is not confined to particular forms of diabetes, and is prevalent in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
  • type 1 diabetes an excess of cardiovascular mortality is generally observed after the age of 30.
  • Krolewski AS, et al "Magnitude and determinants of coronary artery disease in juvenile-onset, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus," Am J Cardiol 59:750-755 (1987).
  • CAD risk was reported in this study to increase rapidly after age 40, and by age 55, 35% of men and women with type 1 diabetes die of CAD, a rate of CAD mortality that far exceeded that observed in an age-matched nondiabetic cohort. Id. Diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetics also increases the prevalence of CAD.
  • Nepliropathy leads to accelerated accumulation of AGEs in the circulation and tissue and parallels the severity of renal functional impairment.
  • Makita Z, et al "Advanced glycosylation end products in patients with diabetic nephropathy," N Engl J Med 325:836-842 (1991).
  • overall mortality has been reported to be greater than in nondiabetic patients with end-stage renal disease.
  • the relative risk for age-specific death rate from myocardial infarction among all diabetic patients during the first year of dialysis is reportedly 89-fold higher than that of the general population.
  • the degree and duration of hyperglycemia are the principal risk factors for microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes.
  • the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial Research Group "The effect of intensive treatment of diabetes on the development and progression of long-term complications in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus," NEngl JMed 329:977-986 (1993).
  • CAD CAD-associated CAD
  • Insulin resistance is a common condition and, associated with genetic predisposition, sedentary lifestyle, and aging, it is exacerbated and produced by obesity. Thus, even in the absence of diabetes, insulin resistance is reportedly a major risk factor for CAD.
  • Lempiainen P, et al "Insulin resistance syndrome predicts coronary heart disease events in elderly nondiabetic men," Circulation 100:123-128 (1999). Impaired insulin action coupled with compensatory hyperinsulinemia leads to a number of proatherogenic abnomialities referred to as insulin resistance syndrome, and the association of insulin resistance with several established atherogenic risk factors apparently promotes atherosclerosis many years before overt hyperglycemia ensues.
  • Dyslipidemia associated with insulin resistance entails elevated very- low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-triglyceride levels, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, delayed postprandial clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants, and the presence of the very atherogenic, small, dense LDL particles.
  • VLDL very- low-density lipoprotein
  • HDL high-density lipoprotein
  • the atherogenic risk factor profile observed in insulin-resistance patients accounts for only a portion of the excess risk for CAD in patients with type 2 diabetes, indicating that hyperglycemia itself plays a central role in accelerating atherosclerosis in these patients.
  • hyperglycemia itself plays a central role in accelerating atherosclerosis in these patients.
  • insulin-resistant individuals who go on to develop type 2 diabetes become exposed also to the atherogenic effects of hyperglycemia.
  • the threshold above which hyperglycemia becomes atherogenic is unknown, it may be in the range defined as impaired glucose tolerance.
  • the metabolic abnormalities associated with types 1 and 2 diabetes also result in profound changes in the transport, composition, and metabolism of lipoproteins.
  • Lipoprotein metabolism is said to be influenced by several factors including type of diabetes, glycemic control, obesity, insulin resistance, the presence of diabetic nephropathy, and genetic background. Ginsberg HN, "Lipoprotein physiology in nondiabetic and diabetic states. Relationship to atherogenesis," Diabetes Care 14:839-855 (1991).
  • Abnormalities in plasma lipoprotein concentrations are commonly observed in diabetic individuals and reportedly contribute to the atherosclerotic process.
  • the level of glycemic control is the major determmant of lipoprotein levels in type 1 diabetic patients.
  • type 2 diabetes In contrast to type 1 diabetes, the pathophysiology of dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetes results from a complex relationship between hyperglycemia and the insulin-resistance state.
  • the typical lipoprotein profile associated with type 2 diabetes includes high triglycerides, low HDL levels, and normal LDL levels, the most consistent change reportedly being an increase in VLDL-triglyceride levels.
  • Type 2 diabetic subjects with hypertriglycerid-emia have both overproduction and impaired catabolism of VLDL.
  • Increased VLDL production is almost uniformly present in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertiiglyceridemia.
  • Increased VLDL production in diabetes is a consequence of an increase in free fatty acid mobilization (because maintenance of stored fat in adipose tissue depends on the suppression of honnone-sensitive lipase by insulin) and high glucose levels. Because free fatty acid availability is a major determinant of VLDL production by the liver, VLDL overproduction and hypertriglycerid-emia occur.
  • VLDL size is an important determinant of its metabolic fate and large triglyceride-rich VLDL particles may be less efficiently converted to LDL, thereby increasing direct removal from the circulation by non-LDL pathways.
  • overproduction of large triglyceride-rich VLDL is said to be associated with the atherogenic small, dense LDL subclass.
  • VLDL clearance by lipoprotein lipase (LPL) - the rate-limiting enzyme responsible for the removal of plasma triglyceride-rich lipoproteins - is also reported to be impaired.
  • LPL requires insulin for maintenance of normal tissue levels, and its activity is low in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. The result is enzymatic activity insufficient to match the oveiproduction rate, with further accumulation of VLDL triglyceride.
  • Triglyceride concentrations are associated with premature CAD, and studies have shown that triglyceride-rich lipoproteins play an important role in the progression of atherosclerosis.
  • Hodis HN "Myocardial ischemia and lipoprotein lipase activity," Circulation 102:1600-1601 (2000).
  • hypertriglyceridemia as a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) in the nondiabetic population
  • CHD coronary heart disease
  • LDL density and subclass i.e., small, dense LDL
  • HDL high-density lipoprotein
  • Postprandial lipemia consists of a heterogeneous group of triglyceride-rich particles of different composition and origin.
  • HDL high-density lipoprotein
  • LDL subclass phenotype B is associated with other components of insulin-resistance syndrome, including central obesity, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and hyperinsulinemia.
  • glycation is to increase LDL susceptibility to oxidative modification.
  • Advanced glycosylation of an amine-containing phospholipid component of LDL is accompanied by progressive oxidative modification of unsaturated fatty acid residues.
  • glycation is said to also confer increased susceptibility of LDL to oxidative modification, which has been considered a critical step in its atherogenicity.
  • Improved glycemic control using pharmacologic agents such as sulfonylureas, insulin, metformin (N,N-dimethylimidodicarbonimidic diamide hydrochloride), or thiazolidinediones can also help.
  • pharmacologic agents such as sulfonylureas, insulin, metformin (N,N-dimethylimidodicarbonimidic diamide hydrochloride), or thiazolidinediones can also help.
  • the magnitude of improvement in triglycerides generally correlates with the change in glucose levels rather than the mode of therapy.
  • agents that improve insulin sensitivity such as metformin and thiazolidinediones can also lead to lower triglycerides.
  • "perfect" glycemic control is not attained in many type 2 diabetic patients, and relatively recent publications have argued against the relevance of the traditional classification to primary and secondary CHD prevention in the setting of diabetes.
  • Haff er SM "Management of dyslipidemia in adults with diabetes," Diabetes Care 21:160-178 (1998); Haffher SM, et al. "Mortality from coronary heart disease in subjects with type 2 diabetes and in nondiabetic subjects with and without prior myocardial infarction,” N Engl JMed 339:229-234 (1998).
  • the rationale stems from both the high event rates in diabetic patients without clinical evidence of CAD (presumably because of the high rates of subclinical atherosclerosis), as well as the worse prognosis in diabetic patients who have had a clinical event compared with nondiabetic subjects, leading to the suggestion that LDL cholesterol should be lowered to less than 100 mg per dL in diabetic subjects without prior CAD. Id.
  • Endothelial cells situated at the vessel wall-blood interface participate in a number of important homeostatic and cellular functions that protect from atherosclerosis and intraluminal thrombosis. Endothelial dysfunction can promote both the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and the occunence of acute events and, in diabetes, is said to entail profound perturbations in several critical functions of the endothelium that contribute to the initiation and progression of the atherosclerotic process, as well as to the occurrence of clinical events. It is believed that diabetes results in weakened intercellular junctions, and that AGEs diminish endothelial barrier function.
  • the endothelial lining of the large arteries is of the continuous type characterized by tight junctions in the lateral borders, which restrict the movement of macromolecules from reaching the subendothelial space.
  • Leukocyte adhesion to the vascular endothelium also contributes to diabetic complications.
  • atherogenesis involves the binding of mononuclear leukocytes to the endothelium with subsequent entry into the vessel wall. This is mediated through the expression of inducible adhesion molecules on the endothelial cell surface.
  • Hyperglycemia stimulates the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule- 1 (VCAM-1) and E selectin.
  • VCAM-1 vascular cell adhesion molecule- 1
  • AGE interaction with the AGE receptor has been reported to result in the induction of oxidative stress and, consequently, of the transcription factor NF-kappaB and VCAM-1.
  • Impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation which is mediated through the release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF)
  • EDRF endothelium-derived relaxing factor
  • Impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation has been demonstrated in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in the absence of clinical complications, while endothelium-independent vasodilation is preserved, and impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation can be demonstrated in insulin-resistant subjects with normal glucose tolerance.
  • Diabetes is also said to be characterized by a variety of individual alterations in the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems that combine to produce a prothrombotic state. These alterations include increased platelet functional behavior, increased levels of several coagulation components, and impaired fibrinolysis.
  • the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems are said to be especially important in atherosclerosis because of the substantial contribution that mural thrombosis may make to the later stages of plaque progression, and because thrombotic occlusion plays a vital role in the development of clinical events.
  • the fundamental mechanism in the development of potentially life-threatening events such as unstable angina or myocardial infarction is thrombosis arising at sites of plaque disruption.
  • Platelet hyperaggregability including the presence of spontaneous platelet aggregation and increased platelet aggregability induced by conventional stimuli, also increases the risk for cardiovascular events. Platelets from diabetic subjects exhibit enhanced adhesiveness and hyperaggregability, and shear-induced platelet adhesion and aggregation are also increased in diabetic patients. Knobler H, et al, "Shear-induced platelet adhesion and aggregation on subendothelium are increased in diabetic patients," Thromb Res 90:181-190 (1998). von Willebrand factor (vWF) is involved in the initial adhesion of platelets to the subendothelium of injured vessel wall and is among the most important adhesive molecules mediating hemostatic interactions between platelets and vessel wall components.
  • vWF von Willebrand factor
  • vWF endothelial dysfunction
  • plasma concentrations of vWF are elevated and are closely associated with the presence of vascular complications and endothelial dysfunction.
  • CD et al, "Urinary albumin excretion, cardiovascular disease, and endothelial dysfunction in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus," Lancet 340:319- 323 (1992).
  • Epidemiologic data have also demonstrated a relation between plasma vWF and insulin-resistance syndrome.
  • Conlan MG et al, "Associations of factor VIII and von Willebrand factor with age, race, sex, and risk factors for atherosclerosis.
  • vWF The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study," Thromb Haemost 70:380-385 (1993). Increased plasma concentration of vWF has been shown to be predictive of re- infarction and mortality in survivors of myocardial infarction, of cardiac events in healthy people and in patients with angina pectoris.
  • the European Concerted Action on Thrombosis study showed that vWF predictability was not affected by the adjustment with other classical coronary risk factors such as body mass index, lipid disorders or smoking.
  • vWF levels are dependent on the acute phase reaction like fibrinogen, and vWF correlates positively with fibrinogen or C-reactive protein levels, it has to be evaluated if vWF is a risk factor irrespective of fibrinogen level. In type 2 diabetic patients vWF levels are higher in microalbuminuric patients. vWF is reportedly poorly or not at all related to insulin resistance.
  • Hyperactive platelets may form microaggregates leading to capillary microembolization.
  • the resulting relative tissue hypoxia may in the long-terai precede clinically detectable microangiopathy.
  • microembolization of the vasa yasorum of the large vessels by hyperactive platelets may also be the initial event in the development of atherosclerosis.
  • Secretion of mitogenic, oxidative or vasoconstrictive substances by platelets activated in response to endothelial injury amplifies and accelerates the progression of atherosclerosis. Acute thrombotic events in the arterial circulation are also triggered by platelets.
  • the fibrinolytic system is natural defense against thrombosis.
  • PAI-1 is a serine protease inhibitor and evidence suggests that it is the major regulator of the fibrinolytic system. It binds and rapidly inhibits both single- and two-chain t-PA and urokinase. t- PA and PAI-1 rapidly form an inactive irceversible complex. Abnormalities of the fibrinolytic system have been described in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
  • Impaired fibrinolysis is commonly accompanied by an increased plasma levels of PAI-1 and by increased concentration of t-PA antigen, which reflects predominantly t-PA/PAI-1 complexes.
  • type 1 diabetes results are mixed, and diminished, normal and enhanced fibrinolysis have all been reported.
  • risk factors are independently associated with impaired fibrinolysis: obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance.
  • insulin resistance is paralleled by increased insulin and both correlate with triglyceride levels.
  • any one or more of these variables may explain interrelationship with PAI-1.
  • insulin resistance, insulin concentration and triglyceride levels are less tightly interdependent in explaining increased PAI-1.
  • impaired fibrinolysis not only predisposes to thrombotic events but also plays a role in the formation and progression of atherosclerotic lesions.
  • Increased synthesis of PAI-1 has been demonstrated in atherosclerotic lesions. This may lead to fibrin deposition during lesion rupture, contributing to the progression of the lesion.
  • PAI-1 within the lesion inhibits plasmin formation, which plays an important role in cleaving extracellular matrix proteins, directly or via activation of metalloproteinases. This may lead to stabilization and further growth of atherosclerotic lesion. Changes in the fibrinolytic system also play an important role in microangiopathy.
  • Urokinase and plasmin are activators of latent metalloproteinases, such as collagenases, that are responsible for proteolysis of extracellular matrix proteins. Increased PAI-1 may lead to basement membrane thickening observed in microangiopathy.
  • a large body of evidence also indicates strong independent direct correlation between high fibrinogen plasma levels and an increased risk of CAD. Fibrinogen levels are often increased in diabetes, and this elevation is associated with poor glycemic control. Kannel WB, et al, "Diabetes, fibrinogen, and risk of cardiovascular disease: the Framingham Experience," Am Heart J 120:672-676 (1990).
  • the intensity of endogenous fibrinolysis depends on a dynamic equilibrium involving plasminogen activators, primarily tissue-type plasminogen activator, and inhibitors.
  • the principal physiologic inhibitor of tissue-type plasminogen activator is plasminogen activator inhibitor- 1 (PAI-1).
  • Attenuated fibrinolysis caused by an increase of PAI-1 activity has been associated with increased risk for myocardial infarction in patients with established CAD.
  • Kohler HP Grant PJ, "Plasminogen-activator inhibitor type 1 and coronary artery disease,” N Engl JMed 342:1792-1801 (2000).
  • Reduced plasma fibrinolytic activity caused by increased PAI-1 levels is a characteristic feature of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Elevated concentrations of PAI-1 have been recognized consistently in the plasma of hyperinsulinemic type 2 diabetics but occur also in normoglycemic insulin-resistant subjects.
  • the production of PAI-1 by adipose tissue has been demonstrated and could be an important contributor to the elevated plasma PAI-1 levels observed in insulin-resistant patients.
  • Alessi MC, et al "Production of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 by human adipose tissue: possible link between visceral fat accumulation and vascular disease,” Diabetes 46:860-867 (1997).
  • Hyperglycemia can also increase PAI-1 levels because it stimulates transcription of the PAI-1 gene through an effect on its promoter region.
  • the prothrombotic state in diabetes is said to help explain the observation that intracoronary thrombus formation is more frequently found by angioscopic examination in diabetic patients with unstable angina, and its clinical correlate, the higher risk of adverse outcome, namely death, nonfatal infarction, or recurrent unstable angina.
  • Silva JA, et al "Unstable angina.
  • Protein kinase C is also involved and the metabolic consequences of hyperglycemia are said to be seen in cells in which glucose transport is largely independent of insulin.
  • the resulting intracellular hyperglycemia has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications through the activation of the PKC system. Ishii H, et al, "Amelioration of vascular dysfunctions in diabetic rats by an oral PKC beta inhibitor," Science 272:728-731 (1996); Koya D, King GL, “Protein kinase C activation and the development of diabetic complications," Diabetes 47:859-866 (1998).
  • DAG diacylglycerol
  • glycolytic intermediates such as dihydroxy-acetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3 -phosphate.
  • DAG diacylglycerol
  • the elevation of DAG and subsequent activation of PKC in the vasculature can be maintained chronically.
  • PKC is a family of at least 12 isoforms of serine and threonine kinases. Although several PKC isoforms are reportedly expressed in vascular tissue, in the rat model of diabetes there is a preferential activation of PKC b2 in the aorta, heart, and retina, and PKC bl in the glomeruli.
  • TGF-b transforming growth factor-b
  • PKC b selective inhibitor attenuates glomerular expression of TGF-b and extracellular matrix proteins such as fibronectin and type IV collagen.
  • Hyperglycemia-induced PKC activation also results in increased platelet-derived growth factor-b receptor expression on smooth muscle cells and other vascular wall cells (e.g., endothelial cells, monocyte- macrophages).
  • hyperglycemia-induced oxidant stress can increase oxidative stress through several pathways.
  • a major mechanism appears to be the hyperglycemia-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species, produced by the proton electromechanical gradient generated by the mitochondrial electron transport chain and resulting in increased production of superoxide.
  • Nishikawa T, et al "Nonnalizing mitochondrial superoxide production blocks three pathways of hyperglycaemic damage," Nature 404:787-790 (2000).
  • Two other mechanisms have been proposed that may explain how hyperglycemia causes increased reactive oxygen species formation.
  • AGE epitopes and the cell surface AGE receptor up-regulate oxidative stress response genes and release oxygen radicals.
  • hyperglycemia simultaneously enhances.
  • both AGEs formation and oxidative stress, and the mutual facilitatory interactions between glycation and oxidation chemistry can contribute synergistically to the formation of AGEs, oxidative stress, and diabetic complications. Indeed, there are reportedly strong conelations between levels of glycoxidation products in skin collagen. and the severity of diabetic retinal, renal, and vascular disease.
  • CHF congestive heart failure
  • idiopathic cardiomyopathy The risk for congestive heart failure (CHF) and idiopathic cardiomyopathy is also said to be strongly increased in diabetes.
  • Kannel WB et al, "Role of diabetes in congestive heart failure: the Framingham study," Am J Cardiol 34:29-34 (1974);
  • Shmdler DM et al, "Diabetes mellitus, a predictor of morbidity and mortality in the Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction (SOLVD) Trials and Registry," Am J Cardiol 77:1017-1020 (1996); Ho KK, et al, "The epidemiology of heart failure: the Framingham Study," J Am Coll Cardiol 22:6A-13A (1993).
  • diabetes Although data on the effect of diabetes on the prognosis of patients with CHF are limited, several studies implicate diabetes as an independent predictor of poor prognosis in this setting. In the Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction study, diabetes was an independent predictor of morbidity and mortality in patients with symptomatic heart failure, asymptomatic patients with an ejection fraction less than or equal to 35%, and in the registry population. Shmdler, supra. One reason for the poor prognosis in patients with both diabetes and ischemic heart disease seems to be an enhanced myocardial dysfunction leading to accelerated heart failure. Grundy SM, et al, "Diabetes and cardiovascular disease: a statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association," Circulation 100:1134-1146 (1999).
  • Diastolic abnormalities occur in 27% to 69% of asymptomatic diabetic patients.
  • a lower ejection fraction in response to dynamic exercise in the presence of a normal resting ejection fraction has been demonstrated in several studies, indicating that contractile reserve is decreased in many asymptomatic patients with diabetes. Mildenberger, supra; Shapiro LM, et al, "Left ventricular function in diabetes mellitus. II: Relation between clinical features and left ventricular function," Br Heart J 45:129-132 (1981); Mustonen JN, et al, "Left ventricular systolic function in middle-aged patients with diabetes mellitus," Am J Cardiol 73:1202-1208 (1994).
  • Systolic dysfunction may appear, usually in patients with long-standing disease who suffer from advanced microvascular complications.
  • Raev DC "Which left ventricular function is impaired earlier in the evolution of diabetic cardiomyopathy? An echocardiographic study of young type I diabetic patients," Diabetes Care 17:633-639 (1994).
  • subclinical cardiomyopathy with reduced myocardial reserve may become clinically important in the presence of myocardial ischemia or with coexistent uncontrolled hypertension.
  • Stone PH, et al "The effect of diabetes mellitus on prognosis and serial left ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction: contribution of both coronary disease and diastolic left ventricular dysfunction to the adverse prognosis. The MILIS Study Group," JAm Coll Cardiol 14:49-57 (1989).
  • Obesity which is characterized by insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, is also strongly correlated with increased left ventricular mass independent of age and blood pressure. Lauer MS, et al, "The impact of obesity on left ventricular mass and geometry. The Framingham Heart Study," JAMA 266:231-236 (1991). Furthermore, left ventricular mass in normotensive obese subjects is related more to the severity of insulin resistance than to the obesity itself as expressed by the body mass index. Sasson Z, et al, "Insulin resistance is an important determinant of left ventricular mass in the obese," Circulation 88:1431-1436 (1993).
  • left ventricular mass has been shown to correlate with the degree of insulin resistance.
  • Ohya Y, et al "Hyperinsulinemia and left ventricular geometry in a work-site population in Japan,” Hypertension 27:729-734 (1996); Verdecchia P, et al, "Circulating insulin and insulin growth factor- 1 are independent determinants of left ventricular mass and geometry in essential hypertension,” Circulation 100:1802-1807 (1999).
  • a similar association is also observed in nonhypertensive insulin-resistant subjects.
  • Marcus R, et al "Sex-specific determinants of increased left ventricular mass in the Tecumseh Blood Pressure Study," Circulation 90:928-936 (1994).
  • Diabetic patients have increased arterial stiffness compared with nondiabetic individuals and manifest diminished left ventricular compliance at a young age.
  • Several investigators have reported that diabetes has several features of accelerated aging at the tissue level and at the level of collagen itself. Aging and diabetes mellitus are associated with cross-linking and nonenzymatic glycosylation of collagen. This led to the concept that glycosylation could help to explain the progressive cross-linking of collagen during normal aging and at an accelerated rate in diabetes, leading to changes in vascular tissue mechanical properties. Thus, disturbances of vascular and cardiac mechanical properties in diabetes may be caused by a common mechanism.
  • diabetes mellitus is a major source of morbidity in developed countries. Among its co-morbid conditions, atherosclerosis is one of the most important. Since the availability of insulin, up to three-quarters of all deaths among diabetics can be directly attributed to CAD. In patients with type 1 diabetes, up to one third will die of CAD by the age of 50 years. A number of known risk factors for CAD, such as hypertension, central obesity and dyslipidemia, are more common in diabetics than in the general population. Thus diabetes represents a major contributing factor to the CAD burden in the developed world, and most of the excess attributed risk of CAD in diabetics cannot be readily quantified with the use of traditional risk factors analysis.
  • hyperglycemia As indicated, the relation between hyperglycemia and CAD is the subject of debate because serum glucose does not consistently predict the existence of CAD.
  • recent prospective data have clearly established a link between a marker for chronic average glucose levels (HbAlc) and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
  • hyperglycemia There are established sequelae of hyperglycemia, such as cytotoxicity, increased extracellular matrix production and vascular dysfunction and all have been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes- induced vascular disease, and the formation of AGEs correlate directly with the vasculai- and renal complications of diabetes mellitus.
  • Atherosclerosis As noted, patients with diabetes mellitus are particularly susceptible to morbidity and mortality resulting from cardiovascular diseases, especially atherosclerosis, the progression of which is characterized by infiltration of lipids into the vessel wall and the formation of fibrous tissue called the atheromatous plaque. Clinical symptoms of atherosclerosis do not usually occur until over half of the lumen becomes obstructed (occluded) by the plaque, typically in the fifth and sixth decades of life. Consequently, studies on the role of plasma lipids in health and in the genesis of CHD have dominated research on CHD over the past several decades.
  • LDL low-density lipoprotein
  • HDL high density lipoprotein
  • the pathogenesis of the atherosclerosis in diabetes mellitus is not entirely clear and conventional risk factors such as smoking, obesity, blood pressure and seram lipids fail to explain fully this excess risk.
  • important features in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis appear to include vascular endothelial injury, platelet adhesion and activation, fibrin deposition, cellular proliferation, and low- density lipoprotein cholesterol accumulation.
  • Fibrin deposition is an invariable feature in atherosclerotic lesions. Therefore, disturbances of haemostasis leading to accelerated fibrin formation (hypercoagulability) and delayed fibrin removal (impaired fibrinolysis) may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
  • platelet counts are generally normal in patients with diabetes mellitus, multiple studies offer evidence of enhanced activation or increased platelet activity, and an increase in plasma levels of vWF, which is important for the adhesion of platelets to subendothelial structures, has been reported in diabetic patients.
  • Factor VII is a vitamin K dependent protein synthesized in the liver. It is the key enzyme in the initiation of blood coagulation.
  • the Northwick Park Heart Study and the PROCAM study have shown that there is a positive correlation between increased factor VII and cardiovascular mortality.
  • Plasma concentration of factor VII is closely related to several environmental factors, mainly triglycerides and cholesterol levels. These associations are highly dependent on dietary intake.
  • An increase in factor VII has been described in diabetes mellitus and is more pronounced in those with microalbuminuria. Only limited data are available concerning the contributory role of insulin resistance to elevated factor VII.
  • the relationship between factor VII and insulin and proinsulin have been described as very weak or present only in women. Factor VII which is influenced by the efficiency of the metabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins could in this way be modified in insulin resistance.
  • Hypercoagulability can also be judged from increased levels of markers of coagulation system activation, which reflect enhanced thrombin generation.
  • Prothrombin fragment 1+2 released when thrombin is formed from prothrombin is increased in diabetes. Once activated, thrombin is rapidly inactivated by antithrombin, forming thrombin-antithrombin complexes, which subsequently circulate and are removed by the liver.
  • Multiple studies have documented elevated thrombin- antithrombin complexes in diabetes.
  • Fibrinopeptide A is released when fibrinogen is converted to fibrin by thrombin. Thus, fibrinopeptide A levels are increased during coagulation. Measurement of fibrinopeptide A in diabetes has yielded a variety of results, from elevated to normal.
  • hyperinsulinemia has also been associated with cardiovascular disease in non-diabetic subjects.
  • the extent of hyperinsulinemia parallels plasma PAI-1 activity, and insulin has been implicated as a major physiological regulator of PAI-1.
  • a direct effect of insulin on PAI- 1 levels in vivo in humans has not been shown, either with intravenous infusion of insulin or by an oral glucose load with the aim of producing portal hyperinsulinemia.
  • interventions resulting in increased concentration of insulin in vivo increase PAI-1.
  • weight loss and the drag metformin has been shown to reduce PAI-1.
  • Glucose can directly increase PAI-1 production in human endothelial cells.
  • type 2 diabetes a significant correlation between glucose concentration and PAI-1 and has been observed.
  • insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia could influence the synthesis of PAI-1 via effects on lipid metabolism.
  • dyslipidaemia in particular high triglyceride and low high-density lipoprotein level, is common.
  • Studies in vitro have reportedly demonstrated the effect of various lipoproteins on PAI-1 synthesis.
  • VLDLs from hypertriglycer-idemic patients increase endothelial cell production of PAI-1 to a greater degree than that from normo-triglyceridaemic subjects.
  • Oxidized LSLs also stimulate endothelial cell PAI-1 synthesis as does lipoprotein(a).
  • Lipoprotein(a), LDSs, and HDLs also suppress t-PA secretion from human endothelial cells in dose dependent manner.
  • These disturbances of haemostasis favor development of atherosclerosis and thrombosis in particularly of coronary arteries.
  • Metals are present naturally in body and many are essential for cells
  • metals are toxic at higher concentrations.
  • metals may become toxic is because they may cause oxidative stress, particularly redox active transition metals, which can take up or give off an electron (e.g., Fe2+/3+, Cu+/2+) can give rise to free radicals that cause damage (Jones et al, "Evidence for the generation of hydroxyl radicals from a chromium(V) intermediate isolated from the reaction of chromate with glutathione," Biochim. Biophys. Acta 286: 652-655 (1991); Li, Y. and Trash, M.A. 1993.
  • DNA damage resulting from the oxidation of hydroquinone by copper role for a Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox cycle and reactive oxygen generation," Carcinogenes 7: 1303-1311 (1993).
  • metals may be toxic is because they can replace other essential metals in or enzymes, disrupting the function of these molecules.
  • Some metal ions e.g., Hg+ and Cu+
  • Hg+ and Cu+ are very reactive to thiol groups and can interfere with protein stracture and function.
  • Cardiac function is commonly assessed by measuring the ejection fraction.
  • a normal left ventricle ejects at least 50% of its end-diastolic volume each beat.
  • a patient with systolic heart failure commonly has a left ventricular ejection fraction less than 30% with a compensatory increase in end-diastolic volume.
  • Hemodynamic studies conducted on diabetic subjects without overt congestive heart failure have observed normal left ventricular systolic function (LV ejection fraction) but abnormal diastolic function suggesting impaired left ventricular relaxation or filling. See, Regan et al, J. Clin. Invest. 60:885-99 (1977).
  • Diagnosis may be made, for example, by noninvasive measurements.
  • mitral diastolic blood flow measured by Doppler echocardiography is a direct measure of left ventricular filling. The most commonly used measurement is the A/E ratio. Normal early diastolic filling is rapid and is characterized by an E-wave velocity of around lm/sec.
  • Late diastolic filling due to atrial contraction is only a minor component, and the A-wave velocity is perhaps around 0.5m/sec. This gives a normal A/E ratio of approximately 0.5. With diastolic dysfunction, early diastolic filling is impaired, atrial contraction increases to compensate, and the A/E ratio increases to more than 2.0.
  • inotropic drugs are designed to improve the contraction of the failing heart.
  • a heart with pure diastolic dysfunction is already contracting normally and it is believed that inotropic drags will increase the risk of archythmias.
  • vasodilator drugs that reduce after-load and improve the emptying of the ventricle because ejection fraction and end-diastolic volume are already normal. After-load reduction may even worsen cardiac function by creating a degree of outflow obstruction.
  • Diuretics are the mainstay of therapy for heart failure by controlling salt and water retention and reducing filling pressures. However, they are contraindicated in diastolic dysfunction where compromised cardiac pump function is dependent on high filling pressures to maintain cardiac output.
  • Venodilator drugs such as the nitrates, which are very effective in the management of systolic heart failure by reducing pre-load and filling pressures, are understood to be poorly tolerated by patients with diastolic heart failure. Ejection fraction and end-systolic volume are often normal and any reduction in pre-load leads to a marked fall in cardiac output.
  • ⁇ -blockers in heart failure because of their potential to worsen pump function.
  • ⁇ -blockers to patients with diabetes who are treated with sulphonylurea drags and insulin due to a heightened risk of severe hypoglycaemia.
  • the heart is the most susceptible of all the body organs to premature ageing and free radical oxidative stress.
  • treatment with specific copper chelators and other agents e.g., zinc which prevents copper absorption
  • other transition metals e.g., iron, zinc and manganese
  • tl e population including for those diseases, disorders, and/or conditions described above, whether or not attributable to diabetes or to any particular form of diabetes.
  • treatment is preceded by a determination of the absence of a copper deficiency state or undesirably low copper values.
  • copper values particularly, for example, copper (II)
  • copper (II) that not bound internally within cells is available to mediate together with available reducing substances the generation of damaging free radicals that have a role in both tissue damage and impairment of stem cell mediated repair of such tissue.
  • Reference herein to "elevated” in relation to the presence of copper values will include humans having at least about 10 meg free copper/dL of seram when measured as discussed herein.
  • a measurement of free copper equal to total plasma copper minus ceraloplasmin-bound copper can be made using various procedures. A prefened procedure is disclosed in the Merck & Co datasheet (www.Merck.com) for SYPRLNE® (trientine hydrochloride) capsules, a compound used for treatment of Wilson's Disease, in which a 24 hour urinary copper analysis in is undertaken to determine free cooper in the seram by calculating the difference between quantitatively determined total copper and ceruloplasmin-copper.
  • trientine alternatives names include N,N'-Bis(2- aminoethyl)-l,2-ethanedi-amine; triethylenetetramine; l,8-diamino-3,6-diazaoctane; 3,6-diazaoctane-l,8-diamine; 1,4,7,10-tetraazadecane; trien; TETA; TECZA and triene.
  • reduction in available free copper helps to prevent macrovascular, microvascular and/or toxic/metabolic diseases of the kind hereinafter exemplified and in tissue repair processes. This is irrespective of the glucose metabolism of the patient and is thus applicable to diabetics and nondiabetics alike, as well as to those with and without impaired or abnormal glucose levels or metabolism.
  • redox-active transition metal ions are responsible for many of the adverse outcomes and long term complications in diabetes.
  • injury to a target organ is sensed by distant stem cells, which migrate to the site of damage then undergo alternate stem cell differentiation. These events promote structural and functional repair.
  • the accumulation of redox-active transition metals, particularly copper in cardiac or vascular tissues in subjects with diabetes is accompanied by a suppression of the normal tissue regeneration effected by the migration of stem cells. Elevated tissue levels of copper suppress these normal biological behaviors of such undifferentiated cells.
  • Conditions occurring in the context of diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance for example, in which the suppression of normal stem cell responses can cause impairment of normal tissue responses, include cardiac failure, acute myocardial infarction, wound healing and ulceration, tissue damage caused by infection, diabetic kidney damage, impaired cardiac regeneration, impaired vasculai- regeneration, and impaired regeneration of dependant organs. Conditions in which therapy to lower copper values in diabetic patients
  • IGT insulin receptor
  • type 2 diabetes mellitus e.g., with IGT or type 2 diabetes mellitus
  • heart failure in the context of diabetes
  • myocardial infarction in the context of diabetes
  • wound healing and ulceration in the context of diabetes
  • soft tissue damage resulting from infection and occurring in the context of diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance kidney damage occurring in the context of diabetes
  • impaired cardiac regeneration impaired vascular regeneration
  • impaired regeneration of dependant organs e.g., with IGT or type 2 diabetes mellitus
  • cardiac tissues can occur within a few days of cardiac transplantation.
  • a likely mechanism is migration of stem cells from extra-cardiac sites to the heart, with subsequent differentiation of such cells into various specialized cardiac cells, including myocardial, endothelial and coronary vascular cells.
  • myocardial, endothelial and coronary vascular cells include myocardial, endothelial and coronary vascular cells.
  • copper accumulation in cardiac tissues is likely to severely impair these regenerative responses, and that there is a role for therapy, including acute intravenous therapy, with transition a copper chelator in the treatment of diabetic heart failure.
  • MI myocardial infarction
  • AMI myocardial infarction
  • impairment of cardiac function in diabetes is characterized at least in part by a toxic effect of accumulated transition metals on tissue dynamics, resulting in impaired tissue regeneration caused in turn by suppression of normal stem cell responses, which mediate physiological tissue regeneration by migration to damaged tissue from external sites.
  • the processes of normal tissue repair require intervention of mobilizing stem cells, which effect repair of the various layers of blood vessels, for example.
  • an accumulation of transition metals (particularly copper) in vascular tissues causes the impaired tissue behaviour characteristic of diabetes, for example, including impaired wound repair following surgery or trauma, and the exaggerated tendency to ulceration and poor healing of established ulcers.
  • the treatment of diabetics with copper chelators before they undergo surgery for example, or in the context of traumatic tissue damage, will be of benefit.
  • soft tissue damage resulting from infection and occurring in the context of diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance for example, and without wishing to be bound by any particular theory or mechanism, it is believed that the processes of normal tissue repair following infection require intervention of mobilized stem cells that migrate to sites of tissue damage to effect tissue regeneration and repair, for example, of the various layers of blood vessels, and that repair of such tissue damage will be impaired by suppressed stem cell responses, such as those caused by the build up of redox-active transition metals (particularly copper) in tissues, for examples the walls of blood vessels. Treatment with a copper chelator or other agent to remove copper will improve these conditions.
  • kidney damage occurring in the context of diabetes again without wishing to be bound by any particular theory or mechanism, it is believed that impaired stem cell responses in the kidneys of diabetics contribute to diabetic nephropathy and renal failure.
  • Treatment of diabetics having kidney failure by administration of a copper chelator will improve organ regeneration by restoring normal tissue healing by allowing stem cells to migrate and differentiate normally.
  • a reduction in extra-cellular copper values is also proposed to be advantageous in the nondiabetic mammal and even in a mammal without a glucose mechanism abnormality, in that such lower levels will lead to one or both a reduction in copper-mediated tissue damage and improved tissue repair by restoration of normal tissue stem cell responses.
  • cardiac tissues suppresses the normal tissue regeneration effected by the migration of stem cells from extra-cardiac sites to the heart, with subsequent differentiation of such cells into various specialised cardiac cells, including myocardial, endothelial, and coronary vascular cells.
  • a reduction in extra-cellular copper values will reduce or ablate the impairment of tissue regeneration caused by the suppression of normal stem cell responses.
  • transition metals particularly copper
  • a reduction in extracellular copper values is advantageous in that such lower levels will lead to a reduction in the impairment of vascular regeneration by restoration of nonnal tissue stem cell responses.
  • an accumulation of transition metals (particular copper) in the tissues of the dependant organs of the cardiovascular tree e.g., retina, kidney, nerves, etc.
  • an accumulation of transition metals (particular copper) in the tissues of the dependant organs of the cardiovascular tree e.g., retina, kidney, nerves, etc.
  • a reduction in extra cellular copper values is advantageous to reduce or ablate the impairment in tissue regeneration by restoration of normal tissue stem cell responses. It is an object of the present invention to provide methods of treatment and related methods, uses and pharmaceutical compositions that ameliorate, prevent or treat any one or more disease states of the cardiovascular tree (including the heart) and dependent organs (e.g.; retina, kidney, nerves, etc.) exacerbated by elevated non- intracellar free copper values levels.
  • cardiovascular tree including the heart
  • dependent organs e.g.; retina, kidney, nerves, etc.
  • Diseases of the cardiovascular tree and diseases of dependent organs include, for example, but are not limited to any one or more of: disorders of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy or myocarditis) such as idiopathic cardiomyopathy, metabolic cardiomyopathy which includes diabetic cardiomyopathy, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, drug-induced cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and hypertensive cardiomyopathy; atheromatous disorders of the major blood vessels (macrovascular disease) such as the aorta, the coronary arteries, the carotid arteries, the cerebrovascular arteries, the renal arteries, the iliac arteries, the femoral arteries, and the popliteal arteries; toxic, drug-induced, and metabolic (including hypertensive and/or diabetic disorders of small blood vessels (microvascular disease) such as the retinal arterioles, the glomerular arterioles, the vasa nervoram, cardiac arterioles, and associated capillary beds of the eye, the kidney, the heart, and the central and peripheral nervous
  • the present invention also relates to any such ailments and their treatment inespective (unless otherwise stated) of any diabetic and/or glucose abnormality state of the mammalian patient.
  • diabetic cardiomyopathy e.g.; myocardial infarction — MI
  • diabetic hypertensive cardiomyopathy e.g., myocardial infarction — MI
  • IGT impaired glucose tolerance
  • IFG impaired fasting glucose
  • hypertensive cardiomyopathy associated with IGT hypertensive cardiomyopathy associated with IFG
  • ischaemic cardiomyopathy associated with IGT ischaemic cardiomyopathy associated with IFG
  • acute coronary syndrome not associated with any abnormality of tlie glucose metabolism hypertensive cardiomyopathy not associated with any abnormality of the glucose metabolism
  • ischaemic cardiomyopathy not associated with any abnormality of the glucose metabolism irrespective of whether or not such ischaemic cardiomyopathy is associated with coronary heart disease or not
  • diabetes refers to a human being or other mammal suffering from type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), or any other form of diabetes or impaired glucose metabolism in which removal of excess or undesired copper would be of value for treatment.
  • ITT impaired glucose tolerance
  • cardiomyopathy as used herein and where the context so allows includes both cardiomyopathy and associated heart failure.
  • the terms “subjecting the patient” or “administering to” includes any active or passive mode of ensuring the in vivo presence of the active compound(s) or metabolite(s) irrespective of whether one or more dosage to the mammal, patient or person is involved.
  • the mode of administration is oral.
  • all other modes of administration are also contemplated.
  • therapeutically effective amount refers to a predetermined amount of an agent that will or is calculated to achieve a desired response, for example, a therapeutic or preventative or ameliorating response, for example, a biological or medical response of a tissue, system, animal or human that is sought, for example, by a researcher, veterinarian, medical doctor, or other clinician.
  • pharmaceutically acceptable it is meant, for example, a carrier, diluent or excipient that is compatible with the other ingredients of the formulation and generally safe for administration to a recipient thereof or that does not cause an undesired adverse physical reaction upon administration.
  • mamal has its usual meaning and includes primates
  • mice and rats e.g., mice and rats
  • farm animals e.g., cows, hogs, sheep and horses
  • domestic animals such as dogs and cats.
  • copper deficient means the diagnosis of copper deficiency is usually made on the basis of low seram levels of copper ( ⁇ 65 ⁇ g/dL) and low ceraloplasmin levels ( ⁇ 18 mg/dL). Seram levels of copper may be elevated in pregnancy or stress conditions since ceraloplasmin is an acute-phase reactant.
  • the terms “treatment” or “treating” of a condition, disorder, and/or a disease in a mammal means, where the context allows, (i) preventing the condition or disease, that is, avoiding one or more clinical symptoms of the disease; (ii) inhibiting the condition or disease, that is, arresting the development or progression of one or more clinical symptoms; and/or (iii) relieving the condition or disease, that is, causing the regression of one or more clinical symptoms.
  • associated with simply means both circumstances exist and should not be interpreted as meaning one necessarily is causally linked to the other.
  • chelatable copper includes copper in any of its chelatable fonns including different oxygen states such as copper (II).
  • copper values for example, elemental, salts, etc.
  • chelation for example, in extracellular tissue and possibly bound to cell exteriors and/or collagen as opposed to intracellular tissue
  • other means for example, zinc administration
  • Some preferred chelators of copper values appropriate for mammalian administration for treatment of one or more of the conditions, disorders and/or diseases herein include, for example (where appropriate as a salt such as, for example, a suitable calcium sodium salt to avoid hypocalcemia): trientine (triene), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), diethylenetriaminetetraacetic acid (DPTA), 2,2,2 tetramine tetrahydrochloride (TETA), 2,3,2 tetramine tetrahydrochloride, D- penicillamine (DP A), 1,4,8,11 tetraazacyclotretradecane (Cyclam), 5,7,7',12,14,14' hexamethyl-1,4,8,11 tetraazacyclotretradecane (Cyclam S), Sodium 2,3 dimercaptopropane-1 -sulfonate (DMPS), N-acetylpenicillamine (NAP A), D- Penicillamine (PA),' Des
  • one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient if a chelator, has a preferential affinity for copper values over the values of other trace metals (such as iron, zinc and/or manganese).
  • the preferential affinity for copper values is such that copper excess of from 100% to 500% over that of a normal healthy mammal of the species can be controlled to such normal levels or approaching such normal levels without leading to depletion or excessive decreases in such other transition metals as iron, zinc and/or manganese. It is particularly desirable not to induce diseases of such transition metal deficiencies, for example, anemia.
  • any copper chelator for example, trientine
  • routes including parenteral and oral.
  • a dose rate for oral administration may be about 10 times that for parenteral administration. This will overcome any lowered bioavailablity.
  • trientine a suitable parenteral dose is about
  • the dosage or dosages in a human patient if parenteral, is to provide about 120 mg/day, and if oral, about 1200 mg/day.
  • the agent capable of reducing copper values is a zinc salt (preferably as a flavoured aqueous solution) or trithiomolybdate
  • Suitable zinc salts include, for example: zinc acetate; zinc chloride; zinc sulphate; zinc salts of intermediates of the citric acid cycle, such as citrate, isocitrate, ketoglutarate, succinate, malate; and, zinc glucoante.
  • the present invention is a method of improving tissue repair in a mammalian patient of damaged tissue selected from that of the myocardium, the vascular tree and organs dependent on the vascular tree, said method comprising or including the step of subjected the patient to, and/or administering to the patient, an agent or agents effective in lowering the copper values content of the patient's body sufficient to improve tissue repair.
  • the patient is not suffering from Wilson's Disease yet has an elevated copper values content.
  • the agent is trientine or a trientine type copper chelation agent.
  • Trientine hydrochloride may be administered at dosages or a dosage to provide, if parenteral, at least about 120 mg/day in a human patient, and if oral, at least about 1200 mg/day in a human patient.
  • the patient is a human being suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  • the agent(s) may be selected from, for example, trientine (triene), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), diethylenetriamineteti-aacetic acid (DPTA), 2,2,2 tetramine tetrahydrochloride (TETA), 2,3,2 tetramine tetrahydrochloride, D- penicillamine (DP A), 1,4,8,11 tetraazacyclotretradecane (Cyclam), 5,7,7',12,14,14' hexamethyl-1,4,8,11 tetraazacyclotretradecane (Cyclam S), Sodium 2,3 dimercaptopropane-1 -sulfonate (DMPS), N-acetylpenicillamine (NAP A), D- Penicillamine (PA),' Desferroxamine, 2,3-
  • Damage to be ameliorated, treated, and/or prevented may be, for example, damage that has arisen from any one or more of: (i) disorders of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy or myocarditis) such as idiopathic cardiomyopathy, metabolic cardiomyopathy which includes diabetic cardiomyopathy, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, drag-induced cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and hypertensive cardiomyopathy; (ii) atheromatous disorders of the major blood vessels (macrovascular disease) such as the aorta, the coronary arteries, the carotid arteries, the cerebrovascular arteries, the renal arteries, the iliac arteries, the femoral arteries, and the popliteal arteries; (iii) toxic, drag-induced, and metabolic (including hypertensive and/or diabetic disorders of small blood vessels (microvascular disease) such as the retinal arterioles, the glomeralar arterioles, the vasa nervoram, cardiac arterioles, and associated capillary beds of
  • the patient may be suffering from and/or be predisposed to heart failure.
  • the patient may be suffering from diabetes or impaired glucose metabolism, for example, type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  • the invention is the use of a compound (a) which itself in vivo or (b) which has at least one metabolite in vivo which is (i) a copper chelator or (ii) otherwise reduces available copper values for the production of a pharmaceutical composition or dosage unit able to reduce the level of copper in a mammal thereby to elicit by a lowering of copper values in a mammalian patient an improvement of tissue repair of damaged tissue selected from that of the myocardium, the vascular tree and organs dependent on the vascular tree.
  • the damage may be that which has arisen from a disease selected, for example from the group: (i) disorders of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy or myocarditis) such as idiopathic cardiomyopathy, metabolic cardiomyopathy which includes diabetic cardiomyopathy, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, drug-induced cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and hypertensive cardiomyopathy; (ii) atheromatous disorders of the major blood vessels (macrovascular disease) such as the aorta, the coronary arteries, the carotid arteries, the cerebrovascular arteries, the renal arteries, the iliac arteries, the femoral arteries, and the popliteal arteries; (iii) toxic, drug-induced, and metabolic (including hypertensive and/or diabetic disorders of small blood vessels (microvascular disease) such as the retinal arterioles, the glomeralar arterioles, the vasa nervoram, cardiac arterioles, and associated capillary beds of the eye, the kidney, the heart,
  • the compound is may be selected from, for example: trientine (triene), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), diethylenetriaminetetraacetic acid (DPTA), 2,2,2 tetramine tetrahydrochloride (TETA), 2,3,2 tetramine tetrahydrochloride, D- penicillamine (DP A), 1,4,8,11 tetraazacyclotretradecane (Cyclam), 5,7,7',12,14,14' hexamethyl-1,4,8,11 tetraazacyclotretradecane (Cyclam S), Sodium 2,3 dimercaptopropane-1 -sulfonate (DMPS), N-acetylpenicillamine (NAP A), D- Penicillamine (PA),' Desfen-oxamine, 2,3-dimercaptopropanol (BAL), 2,3- dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), trithiomolybdate, 3-7-Dia
  • the compound is trientine or a trientine-type copper chelation agent.
  • the use involves pharmaceutically acceptable excipients, diluents and/or carriers.
  • the invention is also a dosage unit resulting from the use.
  • the invention is a method of treating a mammalian patient (e.g.; a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual tissue damage to the myocardium, the vascular tree and/or organs dependent on the vascular tree, which method comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient mammal one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient thereby to better enable tissue repair.
  • the patient does not have Wilson's Disease yet has elevated copper values.
  • the agent(s) is (are) a chelator (chelators) of copper. It is also prefened but not required that the agent(s) has (have) an affinity for copper over that of iron.
  • the invention is a method of treating a mammalian patient (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual tissue disease to the myocardium, the vascular tree and/or organs dependent on the vascular tree, which method comprises or includes the steps of determining the copper status of the patient, and if the copper status of a patient is elevated yet, for example, the patient is not suffering from Wilson's Disease, subjecting the patient to and/or administering to the patient one or more agents capable of decreasing the patient's copper values content thereby to better enable tissue repair.
  • the method may involve continual or periodic evaluating or monitoring of the copper status of the patient.
  • the determination of the copper status can be by reference to extracellular copper values.
  • the decreasing of the patient's copper values content may be, but is not necessarily, from an elevated status being that typical of the copper values status of a human patient suffering from type 2 diabetic mellitus or other disease, disorder or condition, for example, over that of a non sufferer.
  • the method may include the step of diagnosing and/or evaluating or monitoring glucose levels.
  • the method may include the step of diagnosing and/or evaluating or monitoring postprandial glycemia.
  • the method may include the step of diagnosing and/or evaluating or monitoring renal function.
  • the method may include the step of diagnosing and/or evaluating or monitoring hypertension.
  • the method may include the step of diagnosing and/or evaluating or monitoring insulin resistance.
  • the method may include the step of diagnosing and/or evaluating or monitoring impaired glucose tolerance.
  • the method may include the step of diagnosing and/or evaluating or monitoring obesity.
  • the method may include the step of diagnosing alcoholism.
  • the method may include the step of diagnosing and/or evaluating or monitoring a glucose mechanism abnormality of the patient.
  • the abnormality is type 2 diabetes mellitus, IGT and/or IFG.
  • the method may also include the step of diagnosing and/or evaluating or monitoring macrovasculai-, microvascular, toxic and/or metabolic damage in the patient. Damage to be prevented, treated, or ameliorated can be damage resulting from or associated with any one or more of: (i) disorders of the heart muscle (for example, cardiomyopathy or myocarditis) such as idiopathic cardiomyopathy, metabolic cardiomyopathy which includes diabetic cardiomyopathy, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, drug-induced cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and hypertensive cardiomyopathy; (ii) atheromatous disorders of the major blood vessels (macrovascular disease) such as the aorta, the coronary arteries, the carotid arteries, the cerebrovascular arteries, the renal arteries, the iliac arteries, the femoral arteries, and the popliteal arteries; (iii) toxic, drug-induced, and metabolic (including hyper
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammalian patient (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual disease to the myocardium, the vascular tree and/or organs dependent therefrom, which method comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient to and/or administering to the patient one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient.
  • a mammalian patient for example, a human being
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammalian patient (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual disease to the myocardium, the vascular tree and/or organs dependent on the vascular tree, which method comprises or includes the steps of detennining the copper status of the patient, and if the copper status of a patient is undesirably elevated or above that of a normal patient yet, for example, the patient is not suffering from Wilson's Disease, subjecting the patient to and/or administering to the patient one or more agents capable of decreasing the patient's copper values content.
  • the method may also involve periodic or continual evaluating or monitoring of the copper status of the patient.
  • the determination of the copper status is desirably by reference to extra cellular copper values.
  • the subjection or administration is with any one or more of the agents as herein referenced defined, prefened and/or exemplified.
  • the present invention is the use of a compound (a) which itself in vivo or (b) which has at least one metabolite in vivo which is a copper chelator or otherwise reduces available copper values for the production of a pharmaceutical composition able to reduce the level of copper in a mammal (for example, in heart tissue and/or in the walls of major blood vessels respectively) for the treatment (for example, by repair of tissue resulting) of a disease (other than, for example, Wilson's Disease) of any one or more of the kinds referred to herein.
  • a mammal for example, in heart tissue and/or in the walls of major blood vessels respectively
  • a disease other than, for example, Wilson's Disease
  • the invention is a method of improving tissue repair in a mammalian patient not suffering from Wilson's Disease yet having an elevated copper values body content, said method comprising or including the step of subjected the patient to, and or administering to the patient, an agent effective in lowering the copper values content of the patient's body sufficient to improve tissue repair by restoration or substantially restoration of normal tissue stem cell responses.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual diabetic cardiomyopathy which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient mammal one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient.
  • Such agent(s) may comprise or include copper chelators and/or may include compounds or compositions otherwise capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient (for example, zinc (for example, as a suitable salt such as the gluconate salt) or tri thiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper absorption by a patient).
  • the method may include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and/or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may also include, for example, diagnosis of the patient as a diabetic.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual diabetic acute myocardial infarction which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient mammal one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient.
  • agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient for example; zinc (e.g.; as a suitable salt such as the gluconate) or trithiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper absorption by a patient).
  • the method may include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may also include, for example, diagnosis of the patient as a diabetic.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual diabetic hypertensive cardiomyopathy which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient.
  • Such agent(s) may comprise or include copper chelators and/or may include compounds or compositions otherwise capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient (for example, zinc (for example, as a suitable salt such as the gluconate form) or trithiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper absorption by a patient).
  • the method may include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and/or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may also include, for example, diagnosis of the patient as a diabetic.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual acute myocardial infarction (AMI) associated with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to tlie patient one or more agents capable of reducing the copper values content of the patient.
  • agent(s) may comprise or include copper chelators and/or may include compounds or compositions otherwise capable of reducing the copper values content of the patient (for example, zinc (for example, as a suitable salt including the gluconate form) or trithiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper abso ⁇ tion by a patient).
  • the method may include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and/or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may also include diagnosis of the patient, for example, as a diabetic.
  • the method may also include one or both of the additional steps of diagnosis of the patient with myocardial infarction and/or impaired glucose tolerance.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual acute myocardial infarction associated with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient mammal one or more agents capable of reducing the copper values content of the patient.
  • agents capable of reducing the copper values content of the patient may comprise or include copper chelators and/or may include compounds or compositions otherwise capable of reducing the copper values content of the patient (for example, zinc (for example, as a suitable salt including the gluconate form) or trithiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper abso ⁇ tion by a patient).
  • the method may include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and/or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may also include diagnosis of the patient, for example, as a diabetic.
  • the method can also include one or both of the additional steps of diagnosis of the patient with myocardial infarction and/or impaired fasting glucose.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual hypertensive cardiomyopathy associated with IGT which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient mammal one or more agents capable of reducing the copper values content of the patient.
  • Such agent(s) may comprise or include copper chelators and/or may include compounds or compositions otherwise capable of reducing the copper values content of the patient (for example, zinc (for example, as a suitable salt such as the gluconate form) or trithiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper abso ⁇ tion by a patient).
  • the method may also include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may also include diagnosis of the patient, for example, as a diabetic.
  • the method may also include the additional step or steps of diagnosing the patient as a hypertensive and/or as being subjected to IGT and/or suffering from actual hypertensive cardiomyopathy.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual hypertensive cardiomyopathy associated with IFG which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient mammal one or more agents capable of reducing the copper values content of the patient.
  • agents capable of reducing the copper values content of the patient may comprise or include copper chelators and/or may include compounds or compositions otherwise capable of reducing the copper values content of the patient (for example; zinc (for example, as a suitable salt such as the gluconate) or trithiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper abso ⁇ tion by a patient).
  • the method may also include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and/or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may also include diagnosis of the patient, for example, as a diabetic.
  • the method may further include the additional step or steps of diagnosing the patient, for example, as a hypertensive and/or having IFG and/or having hypertensive cardiomyopathy.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual ischaemic cardiomyopathy associated with IGT which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient mammal one or more agents capable of reducing the copper values content of the patient.
  • agents capable of reducing the copper values content of the patient may comprise or include copper chelators and/or may include compounds or compositions otherwise capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient (for example, zinc (for example, as a suitable salt such as the gluconate form) or trithiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper abso ⁇ tion by a patient).
  • the method may also include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and/or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may further include diagnosis of the patient, for example, as a diabetic.
  • the method may also include the additional step of determining the patient is subject to ischemic disease and/or is subject to IGT and/or is suffering from ischemic cardiomyopathy.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual ischaemic cardiomyopathy associated with IFG which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient mammal one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient.
  • agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient may comprise or include copper chelators and or may include compounds or compositions otherwise capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient (for example, zinc (for example, as a suitable salt such as the gluconate form) or trithiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper abso ⁇ tion by a patient).
  • the method may include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and/or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may also include diagnosis of the patient, for example, as a diabetic.
  • the method may include the additional step or steps of diagnosing the patient as ischaemic and or having IFG and/or suffering from ischaemic cardiomyopathy.
  • the method may include the additional step or steps of diagnosing the patient as subject to ischaemic disease and or suffering from coronary heart disease (CHD) and/or suffering from ischaemic cardiomyopathy.
  • CHD coronary heart disease
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual ischaemic cardiomyopathy associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and or administering to the patient mammal one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient.
  • agent(s) may comprise or include copper chelators and/or may include compounds or compositions otherwise capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient (for example, zinc (for example, as a suitable salt such as the gluconate from) or trithiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper abso ⁇ tion by a patient).
  • the method may include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and/or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may also include diagnosis of the patient, for example, as a diabetic.
  • the method may include the additional step or steps of diagnosing the patient as suffering from acute myocardial infarction.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual acute myocardial infarction not associated with any abnormality of the glucose metabolism which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient mammal one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient.
  • agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient may comprise or include copper chelators and/or may include compounds or compositions otherwise capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient (for example, zinc (for example, as a suitable salt such as the gluconate) or trithiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper abso ⁇ tion by a patient).
  • the method may include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and/or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may include the additional step or steps of diagnosing the patient, for example, as hypertensive and or suffering from hypertensive cardiomyopathy.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual hypertensive cardiomyopathy not associated with any abnormality of the glucose metabolism which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient.
  • agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient may comprise or include copper chelators and/or may include compounds or compositions otherwise capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient (for example, zinc (for example, as a suitable salt such as the gluconate form) or trithiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper abso ⁇ tion by a patient).
  • the method may include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and/or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may also include diagnosis of the patient, for example, as a diabetic.
  • the method may also include the additional step or steps of diagnosing the patient, for example, as hypertensive and/or suffering from hypertensive cardiomyopathy.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a mammal (for example, a human being) at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual ischemic cardiomyopathy not associated with any abnormality of the glucose metabolism (inespective of whether or not such ischemic cardiomyopathy is associated with coronary heart disease or not) which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient.
  • a mammal for example, a human being
  • suspected or with actual ischemic cardiomyopathy not associated with any abnormality of the glucose metabolism (inespective of whether or not such ischemic cardiomyopathy is associated with coronary heart disease or not) which comprises or includes the step of subjecting the patient mammal to and/or administering to the patient one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient.
  • Such agent(s) may comprise or include copper chelators and/or may include compounds or compositions othei-wise capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient (for example, zinc (for example, as a suitable salt such as the gluconate form) or trithiomolybdate (also a copper chelator) which tend to prevent copper abso ⁇ tion by a patient).
  • the method may include an additional step or steps of evaluating or monitoring the copper values of the patient prior to, simultaneously with and/or subsequent to the patient being subjected to or being administered with the agent(s).
  • the method may also include diagnosis of the patient, for example, as a diabetic.
  • the method may include the additional step or steps of diagnosing the patient as suffering from, for example, ischemic disease and/or ischemic cardiomyopathy.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a human at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual cardiomyopathy which comprises or includes the steps of categorizing the human by reference to (a) whether suffering from one or more of type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and/or (b) copper status, and (provided the patient (a) is suffering from type 2 diabetes and/or (IGT) and/or IFG, and/or (b) is not biochemically or clinically or undesirably copper deficient) subjecting the patient to a regimen with a view to decreasing the presence of copper values.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a human at risk to developing, with suspected or with actual acute myocardial infarction which comprises or includes the steps of categorizing the human by reference to (a) whether suffering from one or more Type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and/or (b) copper status, and (provided the patient (a) is suffering from Type 2 diabetes and or IGT and/or IGF, and/or (b) is not biochemically or clinically or undesirably copper deficient) subjecting the patient to an copper chelation and/or other copper values decreasing regimen with a view to decreasing the presence of copper.
  • Step (i) may also includes reference to (c) heart function. Alternatively and/or additionally benefit to patient is assessed by reference to heart function.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a human at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual hypertensive cardiomyopathy which comprises or includes the steps of categorizing the human by reference to (a) whether hypertensive, and/or (b) copper status; and subjecting the patient to an copper chelation and/or other copper values decreasing regimen with a view to decreasing the presence of copper whilst preferably ensuring patient does not have or does not develop a copper deficiency.
  • Step (i) may also include one or both references to (b) copper status and/or (c) heart function.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a human at risk to developing, with suspected or with actual ischemic cardiomyopathy which comprises or includes the steps of categorizing the human by reference to (a) whether suffering from ischaemia, and/or (b) copper status; and subjecting the patient to a copper chelation and or other copper values decreasing regimen with a view to decreasing the presence of copper whilst preferably ensuring patient does not have or does not develop any copper deficiency.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a human at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual cardiomyopathy which comprises or includes the steps of categorizing the human as a candidate patient by reference to at least (a) whether suffering from Type 2 diabetes, (IGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and/or hypertensive impaired glucose tolerance, and (b) heart function, and subjecting the patient to an copper chelation and/or other copper values decreasing regimen with a view to decreasing the presence of copper whilst preferably ensuring patient does not have or does not develop any copper deficiency. There may also be a step of ensuring by reference to heart function that the patient is benefiting from the copper chelation regimen.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a human or other mammal at risk to developing, with suspected or with actual (I) arterial, (II) arterial and coronary and or other organ, and or (III) heart muscle disease which comprises or includes the steps of categorizing the human or other mammal as a candidate patient and subjecting the patient to an copper chelation and or other copper values decreasing regimen with a view to decreasing the presence of copper.
  • Step (i) may also include a determination of the copper status of the human or other mammal.
  • the one or more agents capable of decreasing the copper values content of the patient if a chelator, has a preferential affinity for copper values over the values of other trace metals (such as iron, zinc and/or manganese).
  • the preferential affinity for copper values is such that copper excess of from about 100%) to about 500% over that of a normal healthy mammal of the species can be controlled to such normal levels or approaching such normal levels without leading to depletion or excessive decreases in iron, zinc and/or manganese.
  • the chelators such as those herein referred to and the suitable salts of zinc it is possible to selectively decrease the copper values in the body as a whole even though it is believed there is little decrease in copper values in the intra cellular tissue. Without being bound by this mechanism, it is believed that the decrease is primarily extracellular (for example, interstitial, on the exterior of cells and/or on collagen).
  • the present invention provides a method of treatment, for example, that includes the methodology of either Figures 3 or 4 of the accompanying drawings.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a human having type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose intolerance at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual cardiomyopathy which comprises or includes subjecting the patient to an copper chelation regimen with a view to decreasing the presence of chelatable copper to heart tissue whilst at least on occasions having monitored and/or evaluating or monitoring the patient to avoid a copper deficit.
  • the patient may also be or have been categorized to ensure that the regimen is not commenced and/or does not continue should the patient be copper deficient.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a human having type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose intolerance at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual macrovascular disease which comprises or includes subjecting the patient to a total body copper content decreasing regimen.
  • the patient may also be or have been categorized to ensure that the regimen is not commenced and/or does not continue should the patient be copper deficient.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a human at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual cardiomyopathy related heart failure which comprises or includes decreasing the levels of chelatable and/or other copper values of such patient preferably without taking the patient into undesirable copper values or copper deficit.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a human at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual macrovascular disease of the arterial tree which comprises or includes decreasing the levels of chelatable copper in the walls of major blood vessels of such patient without taking the patient into undesirable copper values or copper deficit.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a human at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual cardiomyopathy which comprises or includes the steps of categorizing the human as being at risk of developing, with suspected or with actual cardiomyopathy, and subjecting the patient to an copper chelation regimen with a view to decreasing the presence of copper.
  • the copper chelation regimen may include or be subject to evaluating or monitoring to ensure the patient does not have or does not develop undesirable copper values or a copper deficiency.
  • the categorization may rely on an initial check of heart function and the patient being categorized for the copper chelation regimen when that heart function is below normal.
  • the heart function evaluating or monitoring may also continue into or beyond the copper chelation regimen.
  • the categorization may include a determination of the patient suffering from type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance.
  • the categorization may also involve a reference to copper status of the patient prior to any commencement or substantial duration of the copper chelation regimen to ensure the patient does no have or does not develop undesirable copper values or a copper deficiency.
  • the following arise or be involved.
  • the compound may be a copper chelator which in the mammal is substantially without an ability to generate free radicals in significant qualities and which also in the mammal at the dosage regimen to be given will not chelate copper down to a depletion state in the mammal.
  • the administration is at a dosage regimen less than that which for a patient suffering from classical copper overload would have the effect of decreasing the copper levels of that patient to normal.
  • the administration is at a dosage regimen (whether dependent upon dosage unit(s) and/or frequency) that does not or will not reduce a patient of normal copper levels to a deficiency state.
  • the regimen is in concert (serial, simultaneous or otherwise) with a regimen to antagonize fructosamine oxidase.
  • the dosage unit(s) is (are) the dosage unit(s) of a copper decreasing regimen.
  • the regimen may run in concert with any of the regimens disclosed in WO 00/18392.
  • the use involves pharmaceutically acceptable diluents and/or carriers.
  • the composition is for use in a method referenced, suggested or identified herein.
  • the present invention also provides a dosage unit resulting from or for any such use.
  • Figure 1 is a diagram showing various pathways addressed by the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is a hypothesis of the mechanisms involved applicable to cardiomyopathy and macrovascular disease in a patient with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, for example, such a hypothesis showing reliance on a possible fractosamine oxidase/superoxide dismutase generation of a precursor to an copper catalyzed reaction (the Haber- Weiss Reaction) which generates the harmful free radicals.
  • Figure 3 is the methodology for a human patient with suspected cardiomyopathy under the present invention.
  • Figure 4 is a similar diagram to that of Figure 3 but in respect of a patient with suspected macrovasculai- disease.
  • Figure 5 is a diagram showing the body weight of animals changing over the time period of experiment.
  • Figure 6 shows the glucose levels of the animals changing over the time period of the experiment.
  • Figure 7 is a diagram showing cardiac output.
  • Figure 8 is a diagram showing coronary flow.
  • Figure 9 is a diagram showing coronary flow normalized to final cardiac weight.
  • Figure 10 is a diagram showing aortic flow.
  • Figure 11 is a diagram showing the maximum rate of positive change in pressure development in the ventricle with each cardiac cycle (contraction).
  • Figure 12 is a diagram showing the maximum rate of decrease in pressure in the ventricle with each cardiac cycle (relaxation).
  • Figure 13 shows the percentage of functional surviving hearts at each after- load.
  • Figure 14 shows diagrammatically how the extracted heart was attached to the modified apparatus.
  • Figure 15 shows diagrammatically the heart depicted in Figure 14 in more detail (picture adapted from Grapp I et al.,Am JPhysiol 34:H1401-1410 (1993)).
  • Figure 16 shows the urine excretion in diabetic and non diabetic animals in response to increasing doses of trientine or equivalent volume of saline, wherein urine excretion in diabetic and nondiabetic animals in response to increasing doses of trientine (bottom; 0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 mg.kg "1 in 75 ⁇ l saline followed by 125 ⁇ l saline flush injected at time shown by a ⁇ ow) or an equivalent volume of saline (top), and each point represents a 15 min urine collection period (see Methods for details); error bars show SEM and P values are stated if significant (P ⁇ 0.05).
  • Figure 17 shows urine excretion in non diabetic and diabetic animals receiving increasing doses of trientine or an equivalent volume of saline, wherein urine excretion in diabetic (top) and nondiabetic (bottom) rats receiving increasing doses of trientine (0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 mg.kg "1 in 75 ⁇ l saline followed by 125 ⁇ l saline flush injected at time shown by arrow) or an equivalent volume of saline, and each point represents a 15 min urine collection period (see Methods for details); enor bars show SEM and P values are stated if significant (P ⁇ 0.05).
  • Figure 18 shows copper excretion in the urine of diabetic and non diabetic animals receiving increasing doses of trientine or an equivalent volume of saline, wherein copper excretion in urine of diabetic (top) and nondiabetic (bottom) rats receiving increasing doses of trientine (0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 mg.kg "1 in 75 ⁇ l saline
  • Figure 19 shows the same information in Figure 18 with presentation of urinary copper excretion per gram of bodyweight, wherein urinary copper excretion per gram of bodyweight in diabetic and nondiabetic animals in response to increasing doses of trientine (bottom; 0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 mg.kg "1 in 75 ⁇ l saline followed by 125 ⁇ l saline flush injected at time shown by anow) or an equivalent volume of saline (top), and each point represents a 15 min urine collection period (see Methods for details); enor bars show SEM and P values are stated if significant (P ⁇ 0.05).
  • Figure 22 shows the iron excretion in urine of diabetic and non diabetic animals receiving increasing doses of trientine or an equivalent volume of saline, wherein iron excretion in urine of diabetic (top) and nondiabetic (bottom) rats receiving increasing doses of trientine (0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 mg.kg "1 in 75 ⁇ l saline followed by 125
  • Figure 23 shows the urinary iron excretion per gram of bodyweight in diabetic and non diabetic animals receiving trientine or saline, wherein urinary iron excretion per gram of bodyweight in diabetic and nondiabetic animals in response to increasing doses of trientine (bottom; 0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 mg.kg "1 in 75 ⁇ l saline followed
  • Figure 26 is a table comparing the copper and iron excretion in the animals receiving trientine or saline, which is a statistical analysis using a mixed linear model.
  • Figure 27 shows urinary [Cu] by AAS ( ⁇ ) and EPR (A) following sequential 10 g-kg “1 (A) and 100 mg.kg “1 (B) trientine boluses, as in Figure 19; (inset) background-conected EPR signal from 75-rnin urine indicating presence of Cu 11 - trientine.
  • Figure 28 shows the structure of LV-myocardium from STZ-diabetic and matched non-diabetic control rats following 7-w oral trientine treatment, wherein cardiac sections were cut following functional studies. Each image is representative of 5 independent sections per heart x 3 hearts per treatment, a — d, Laser confocal images of 120- ⁇ M LV sections co-stained for actin (Phalloidin-488, orange) and
  • a Untreated-control
  • b Untreated-diabetic
  • c Trientine treated diabetic
  • d Trientine-treated non-diabetic control
  • e Untreated- control
  • f Untreated-diabetic
  • g Trientine-treated diabetic
  • h Trientine-treated nondiabetic control.
  • Figure 29 shows plasma concentration-time profiles of trientine after oral administration to four male patients.
  • Figure 30 shows plasma concentration-time profiles of trientine after oral adrrinistration to four female patients.
  • Figure 31 shows a randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing effects of oral trientine and placebo on urinary Cu excretion from male humans with uncomplicated T2DM and matched non-diabetic controls, wherein urinary Cu excretion ( ⁇ mol.2 h "1 on day 1 (baseline) and day 7 following a single 2.4-g oral dose of trientine or matched placebo to subjects described in Table 9, placebo- treated T2DM, o. placebo-treated control, •, trientine-treated T2DM, D; trientine treated control, ⁇ . Cu excretion from T2DM following trientine-treatment was significantly greater than that from trientine-treated non-diabetic controls (P ⁇ 0.05).
  • the invention is related to and describes the methods relating to discoveries surrounding increased tissue copper and mechanisms leading to tissue damage, including nerve and vascular damage, for example, diabetic nerve and/or vascular damage. It is believed, without wishing to be bound by any particular mechanism or theory of operation or effectiveness, that tissue accumulation of trace metals plays a role in the mechanisms of tissue damage in diabetes as well as in other disorders, diseases, and conditions as set forth or referenced or suggested herein.
  • STZ 55mg.kg _1 body weight, Sigma; St. Louis, MO
  • both diabetic and nondiabetic rats were housed in like- pairs and provided with access to normal rat chow (Diet 86 pellets; New Zealand Stock Feeds, Auckland, NZ) and deionized water ad libitum. Blood glucose and body weight were measure at day 3 following STZ/saline injection and then weekly throughout the study. Diabetes was identified by polydipsia, polyuria and hyperglycemia (> 11 mmol.r 1 , Advantage II, Roche Diagnostics, NZ Ltd).
  • the ureters were exposed via a midline abdominal incision, cannulated using polyethylene catheters (external diameter 0.9mm, internal diameter 0.5mm) and the wound sutured closed.
  • the trachea was cannulated and the animal ventilated at 70-80 breaths.min "1 with air supplemented with O 2 (Pressure Controlled Ventilator, Kent Scientific, Connecticut, USA).
  • O 2 Pressure Controlled Ventilator, Kent Scientific, Connecticut, USA
  • the respiratory rate and end-tidal pressure (10-15 cmH 2 O) were adjusted to maintain end-tidal CO 2 at 35-40 mm Hg (SC-300 CO 2 Monitor, Pryon Co ⁇ oration, Wisconsin, USA).
  • Body temperature was maintained at 37°C throughout surgeiy and the experiment by a heating pad.
  • Estimated fluid loss was replaced with intravenous administration of 154 rnmol.r 1 NaCl solution at a rate of 5 ml.kg "1 .h "1 .
  • Trientine was administered intravenously over 60 s in hourly doses of increasing concentration (0.1, 1.0, 10 and 100 mg.kg "1 in 75 ⁇ l saline followed
  • Reagents All reagents used were of the highest purity available and at least of analytical grade.
  • GF-AAS standard working solutions of Cu and Fe were prepared by stepwise dilution of 1000 mg.l "1 (Spectrosol standard solutions; BDH). Water was purified by a Millipore Milli-Q ultra-pure water system to a resistivity of 18 M ⁇ .
  • Standard Reference Material 1577b Bovine Liver was obtained from the National institute of Standards and Technology and used to evaluate the efficiency of tissue digestion. The results obtained are reported below.
  • GF-AAS and ICP-MS results for NIST SRM 1577b bovine liver* Element Certified value GF-AAS ICP-MS
  • Urine Urine was collected in pre- weighed 1.5 ml micro test tubes
  • Heart Following removal from the animal, the heart was cleaned of excess tissue, rinsed in buffer to remove excess blood, blotted dry and a wet ventricular weight recorded. Using titanium instruments a segment of left ventricular muscle was dissected and placed in a pre-weighed 5.0 ml polystyrene tube. The sample was freeze-dried overnight to constant weight before 0.45 ml of 69% Aristar grade HNO 3 was added. The sample tube was heated in a water bath at 65 °C for 60 minutes. The sample was brought to 4.5 ml with Milli-Q H O. The resulting solution was diluted 2:1 in order to reduce the HNO 3 concentration below the maximum permitted for ICP-MS analysis.
  • Statistical analysis using a mixed linear model Data for each dose level were analyzed using a mixed linear model (PROC MIXED; SAS, Version 8).
  • the model included diabetes, drug and their interaction as fixed effects, time as a repeated measure, and rats as the subjects in the dataset. Complete independence is assumed across subjects.
  • the full model was fitted to each dataset using a maximum likelihood estimation method (REML) fits mixed linear models (i.e., fixed and random effects models).
  • a mixed model is a generalization of the standard linear model, the generalization being that you can analyse data generated from several sources of variation instead of just one. A level of significance of 0.05 was used for all tests. The results were as follows.
  • Cardiovascular variables during infusion Baseline levels of MAP during the control period prior to infusion were not significantly different between nondiabetic and diabetic animals (99 ⁇ 4 mm Hg). HR was significantly lower in diabetic than nondiabetic animals (287 + 11 and 364 + 9 bpm respectively, P ⁇ 0.001). Infusion of trientine or saline had no effect on these variables except at the highest dose where MAP decreased by a maximum of 19 ⁇ 4 mm Hg for the 2 in following administration and returned to pre-dose levels within 10 min. Body temperature and oxygen saturation remained stable in all animals throughout the experiment.
  • Urine excretion Diabetic animals consistently excreted significantly more urine than nondiabetic animals except in response to the highest dose of drug (100 mg.kg "1 ) or equivalent volume of saline (Fig. 16). Administration of the 100 mg.kg "1 dose of trientine also increased urine excretion in nondiabetic animals to greater than that of nondiabetic animals receiving the equivalent volume of saline (Fig. 17). This effect was not seen in diabetic animals.
  • Urinary excretion of Cu and Fe Analysis of the dose response curves shows that, at all doses, diabetic and nondiabetic animals receiving drug excreted more Cu than animals receiving an equivalent volume of saline (Fig. 18). To provide some conection for the effects of lesser total body growth of the diabetic animals, and thus to allow more appropriate comparison between diabetic and nondiabetic animals, excretion rates of trace elements were also calculated per gram of body weight. Figure 19 shows that diabetic animals had significantly greater copper excretion per gram of body weight in response to each dose of drug than did nondiabetic animals. The same pattern was seen in response to saline, however the effect was not always significant.
  • Table 3 Heart weight, heart weight/body weight ratios and trace metal content of heart tissue in diabetic versus nondiabetic animals.
  • Diabetic rats excreted significantly higher levels of copper across all dose levels. Baseline copper excretion was also significantly higher in diabetic rats compared to non diabetic rats and prior to drug administration. The drug resulted in a significantly higher excretion of copper compared to saline at all dose levels. There was no difference at baseline levels between the drug and saline groups.
  • the interaction effect for the model was significant at dose levels of 1.0 mg.kg "1 and above. The presence of a significant interaction term means that the influence of one effect varies with the level of the other effect. Therefore, the outcome of a significant interaction between the diabetes and drag factors is increased copper excretion above the predicted additive effects of these two factors.
  • Diabetic animals receiving saline excrete more iron per gram of bodyweight than nondiabetic animals receiving saline.
  • Renal clearance calculations showed a significant increase in clearance of copper in diabetic animals receiving trientine compared with diabetic animals receiving saline. The same trend was seen in nondiabetic animals but the affect was not significant. There was no effect of trientine on renal clearance of iron.
  • Trientine treatment effectively increases copper excretion in both diabetic and nondiabetic animals.
  • the excretion of copper in urine following trientine administration is greater per gram of bodyweight in diabetic than in nondiabetic animals. Iron excretion was not increased by trientine treatment in either diabetic or nondiabetic animals.
  • mice Male albino Wistar rats weighing 330-430g were assigned to four experimental groups as follows:
  • STZ Streptozotocin
  • D7 trientine treatment for 7 consecutive weeks commencing 6 weeks after the start of the experiment.
  • STZ intravenous streptozotocin
  • All rats were given a short inhalational anaesthetic (induction: 5% halothane and 2L/min oxygen, maintained on 2% halothane and 2 L/min oxygen).
  • STZ intravenous streptozotocin
  • Those in the two diabetic groups then received a single intravenous bolus dose of STZ (55mg/kg body weight) in 0.5 ml of 0.9% saline administered via a tail vein.
  • Nondiabetic sham-treated animals received an equivalent volume of 0.9% saline.
  • Diabetic and non-diabetic rats were housed in like-pairs and provided with free access to normal rat chow (Diet 86 pellets; New Zealand Stock Feeds, Auckland, NZ) and deionized water ad libitum. Each cage had two water bottles on it to ensure equal access to water or drug for each animal. Animals were housed at 21 degrees and 60% humidity in standard rat cages with a sawdust floor that was changed daily.
  • Blood glucose was measured in tail-tip capillary blood samples (Advantage II, Roche Diagnostics, NZ Ltd). Sampling was performed on all groups at the same time of the day. Blood glucose and body weight were measured on day 3 following STZ/saline injection and then weekly throughout the study. Diabetes was confirmed by presence of polydipsia, polyuria and hyperglycemia (>1 lmmol.L "1 ).
  • trientine was prepared in the drinking water for each cage at a concentration of 50mg/L. Each animal consumed about 260ml water per day once diabetes was established, to yield a total drug dose per animal per day of ⁇ 13mg.
  • the trientme-containing drinking water was administered continuously from the start of week 7 until the animal was sacrificed at the end of week 13.
  • the drug concentration in their drinking water was adjusted so that they consumed approximately the same dose as the corresponding STZ/D7 group.
  • Trientine treated animals ingested mean drug doses of between 8 to 1 lmg per day.”
  • the aortic root of the heart was immediately ligated to the aortic cannula of the perfusion apparatus.
  • Retrograde (Langendorff) perfusion at a hydrostatic pressure of 100 cm H 2 O and at 37°C was established and continued for 5min while cannulation of the left atrium via the pulmonary vein was completed.
  • the non-working (Langendorff) preparation was then converted to the working heart model by switching the supply of perfusate buffer from the aorta to the left atrium at a filling pressure of 10 cm H 2 O.
  • the left ventricle spontaneously ejected into the aortic cannula against a hydrostatic pressure (after-load) of 76 cmH O (55.9mmHg).
  • the perfusion solution was Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate buffer (mM: KCl 4.7, CaCl 2 2.3, KH 2 PO 4 1.2, MgSO 1.2, NaCl 118, and NaHCO 3 25), pH 7.4 containing 1 ImM glucose and it was continuously gassed with 95% O 2 :5% CO 2 .
  • the buffer was also continuously filtered in-line (initial 8 ⁇ m, following 0.4 ⁇ m cellulose acetate filters; Sartorius, Germany).
  • the temperature of the entire perfusion apparatus was maintained by water jackets and buffer temperature was continuously monitored and adjusted to maintain hearts at 37°C throughout perfusion.
  • a modified 24g plastic intravenous cannula (Becton Dickson, Utah, USA) was inserted into the left ventricle via the apex of the heart using the normal introducer-needle. This cannula was subsequently attached to a SP844 piezo-electric pressure transducer (AD Instruments) to continuously monitor left ventricular pressure. Aortic pressure was continuously monitored through a side arm of the aortic cannula with a pressure transducer (Statham Model P23XL, Gould Inc., CA, USA).
  • the heart was paced (Digitimer Ltd, Heredfordshire, England) at a rate of 300bpm by means of electrodes attached to the aortic and pulmonary vein cannulae using supra-threshold voltages with pulses of 5-ms duration from the square wave generator.
  • Aortic flow was recorded by an in-line flow meter (Transonic T206,
  • the working heart apparatus used was a variant of that originally described by Neely, JR, et al, Am J Physiol 212:804-14 (1967).
  • the modified apparatus allowed measurements of cardiac function at different pre-load pressures ( Figure 14 and Figure 15). This was achieved by constructing the apparatus so that the inflow height of the buffer coming to the heart could be altered through a series of graduated steps in a reproducible manner. As in the case of the pre-load, the outflow tubing from the aorta could also be increased in height to provide a series of defined after-load pressures.
  • the after-load heights have been converted to mm Hg for presentation in the results which is in keeping with published convention.
  • Cardiac output (CO) is the amount of buffer pumped per unit time by the heart and is comprised of buffer that is pumped out the aorta as well as the buffer pumped into the coronary vessels. This is an overall indicator of cardiac function.
  • +dP/dt is the rate of change of ventricular (or aortic pressure) and conelates well with the strength of the contraction of the ventricle (contractility). It can be used to compare contractility abilities of different hearts when at the same pre-load (Textbook of Medical Physiology, Ed. A.Guyton. Saunders company 1986). -dP/dt is an accepted measurement of the rate of relaxation of the ventricle]. The experiment was divided into two parts, the first with fixed after-load and variable pre-load the second, which immediately followed on from the first, with fixed pre-load and variable after-load.
  • Atrial filling pressure and 76cm H 2 O after-load.
  • the left ventricular pressure transducer cannula was inserted and the pacing unit started.
  • the atrial filling pressure was then reduced to 5cm H 2 O of water and then progressively increased in steps of 2.5cmH 2 O over a series of 7 steps to a maximum of 20cmH 2 O.
  • the pre-load was kept at each filling pressure for 2min, during which time the pressure trace could be observed to stabilize and the coronary flow was measured.
  • the variable after-load portion of the experiment was immediately commenced.
  • the filling pressure (pre-load) was set at 10cm H 2 O and the after-load was then increased from 76cm H 2 O (55.9 mm Hg) in steps of 8cm H 2 O (5.88mmHg); again each step was of 2min duration.
  • the maximum height (after-load) to which each individual heart was ultimately exposed, was determined either by attainment of the maximal available after-load height of 145cm H 2 O (106.66 mm Hg), or the height at which measured aortic flow became 0 ml/min.
  • Data from the Powerlab was extracted by averaging lmin intervals from the stable part of the electronic trace generated from each step in the protocol. The results from each group were then combined and analyzed for differences between the groups for the various cardiac function parameters (aortic flow, cardiac flow, MLVDP, LV or aortic +/-dP/dt). Differences between repeated observations at different pre-load conditions were explored and contrasted between study group using a mixed models approach to repeated measures (SAS v8.1, SAS Institute Inc, Cary NC). Missing random data were imputed using a maximum likelihood approach. Significant mean and interaction effects were further examined using the method of Tukey to maintain a pairwise 5% error rate for post hoc tests. All tests were two-tailed.
  • Group Heart weight (g) Heart weight (g) BW Left Left Ventricular wall (g) Ventricular wall thickness per BW thickness (mm)
  • Cardiac output ( Figure 7) is the sum to the aortic flow ( Figure 10) and the coronary flow as displayed in Figure 8. Since the control hearts and experimental groups have significantly different final weights, the coronary flow is also presented ( Figure 9) as the flow normalized to heart weight (note that coronary flow is generally 15 proportional to cardiac muscle mass, and therefore to cardiac weight)
  • the first derivative of the pressure curve gives the rate of change in pressure development in the ventricle with each cardiac cycle and the maximum positive rate of change (+dP/dt) value is plotted in Figure 11.
  • the conesponding maximum rate of relaxation (-dP/dt) is in Figure 12. Similar results showing improvement in cardiac function were found from the data derived from the aortic pressure cannula (results not shown).
  • LV histology was studied by laser confocal (LCM; Fig. 28a - d) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM; Fig 28e - h).
  • LCM laser confocal
  • TEM transmission electron microscopy
  • LV sections were co-stained with phalloidin to visualize actin filaments, and ⁇ - integrin as a marker for the extracellular space.
  • 5 sections from each of 3 hearts were examined by both
  • LCM LCM and TEM.
  • LV sections were fixed (4% paraformaldehyde, 24 h); embedded (6% agar); vibratomed (120 pm, Campden); stained for f-actin (Phalloidin- 488, Molecular Probes) and ⁇ integrin antibody with a secondary antibody of goat anti-rabbit conjugated to CY5 (1:200; Ding B, et al., "Left ventricular hypertrophy in ascending aortic stenosis in mice: anoikis and the progression to early failure," Circulation 101:2854-2862 (2000)); and visualised (TCS-SP2, Leica).
  • ⁇ The aortic transducer measures of pressure change also showed improved function in the drag treated diabetic group compared to the untreated diabetics (data not shown). ⁇ When after-load was increased in the presence of constant pre-load, it was observed that the heart's ability to function at higher after-loads was greatly improved in the drag treated diabetic group compared to the untreated diabetic group. When 50% of the untreated diabetic hearts had failed, about 90% of the trientine treated diabetic hearts were still functioning.
  • T2DM with HbA lc >7%; cardiac ejection fraction (echocardiography) 45% with evidence of diastolic dysfunction but no regional wall-motion anomalies; no new medications for more than 6 months with no change of ⁇ -blocker dose; normal electrocardiogram (sinus rhythm, nonnal PR interval, nonnal T wave and QRS configuration, and isoelectric ST segment); and greater than 90% compliance with single-blinded placebo therapy during a 2-w run-in period).
  • TI DM 45 kg.m "2 TI DM; a history of significant cardiac valvular disease; evidence of autonomic neuropathy; ventricular wall motion abnonnality; history of multiple drug allergies; use or misuse of substances of abuse; abnormal laboratory tests at randomisation; or standard contraindications to MRI.
  • LV diastolic filling was assessed using mitral inflow Doppler (with pre-load reduction) to ensure patients had abnormalities of diastolic filling; no patient with nonnal mitral filling proceeded to randomisation.
  • Subjects meeting inclusion criteria and with no grounds for exclusion were then randomised to receive trientine (600 mg twice-daily) before meals (total dose 1.2 g.d "1 ) or 2 identical placebo capsules twice-daily before meals, in a double-blind, parallel-group design.
  • Treatment assignment was performed centrally using variable block sizes to ensure balance throughout trial recruitment and numbered drag packs were prepared and dispensed sequentially to randomised patients.
  • the double-blind treatment was continued for 6 months in each subject.
  • LV mass was determined using cardiac MRI, performed in the supine position with the same 1.5 T scanner (Siemens Vision) using a phased anay surface coil.
  • Prospectively gated cardiac cine images were acquired in 6 short axis and 3 long axis slices with the use of a segmented k-space pulse sequence (TR 8 ms; TE 5 ms; flip angle 10°; field of view 280 - 350 mm) with view sharing (11 - 19 frames.slice "1 ). Each slice was obtained during a breath-hold of 15 - 19 heart beats.
  • the short axis slices spanned the left ventricle from apex to base with a slice thickness of 8 mm and inter-slice gap of 2 - 6 mm.
  • the long axis slices were positioned at equal 60° intervals about the long axis of the LV.
  • Table 7 shows baseline information on 30 patients with long-standing type 2 diabetes, no clinical evidence of coronary artery disease and abnormal diastolic function who participated in a 6-month randomised, double blind, placebo controlled study of chronic oral therapy with trientine dihydrochloride. • Table 7: Characteristics of Study Participants
  • Urinary Cu losses are increased following oral trientine treatment in humans with type-2 diabetes
  • Urine volumes were equivalent in drug- and placebo-treated groups. Baseline urinary Cu-excretion was significantly greater in diabetics than controls (mean diabetic, 0.257 ⁇ mol.d "1 control, 0.196; P ⁇ 0.001).
  • Trientine increased urinary Cu in both groups, but the excretion rate in diabetes was greater (Fig 29; P ⁇ 0.05). There was no corresponding increase in trientine-evoked urinary Fe excretion, although basal concentrations in diabetes were increased relative to control (P ⁇ 0.001; results not shown). Thus, trientine elicited similar urinary Cu responses in rats with TIDM and in humans with T2DM. Mean trientine-evoked urinary Cu-excretion was 5.8 ⁇ mol.d "1 ; in T2DM compared to 4.1 in non-diabetic controls, a 40 % increase. This correspondence between the two major forms of diabetes in two species suggests that increased systemic Cu 11 is likely to be widely present in diabetes. Trientine treatment reverses LVH in type-2 diabetic humans
  • LV masses were determined by tagged- molecular resonance imaging (MRI; see Bottini PB, et al., "Magnetic resonance imaging compared to echocardiography to assess left ventricular mass in the hypertensive patient," Am. J. Hypertens 8: 221-228 (1995)) at baseline and following 6 months' trientine freatment. As expected, diabetics initially had significant LVH, consistent with previous reports. Struthers AD & Morris AD, "Screening for and treating left-ventricular abnormalities in diabetes mellitus: a new way of reducing cardiac deaths," Lancet 359: 1430-1432 (2002). Mean LV mass significantly decreased, by 5%, following 6 months' trientine treatment, whereas that in placebo-treated subjects increased by 3% (Fig.
  • compositions of the present invention can be prepared by any methods well known in the art of pharmacy. See, for example, Gilman et al. (eds.) GOODMAN AND GILMAN'S: THE PHARMACOLOGICAL BASES OF THERAPEUTICS (8th ed.) Pergamon Press (1990); and Remington, THE SCIENCE OF PRACTICE AND PHARMACY, 20th Edition. (2001) Mack Publishing Co., Easton, Pa.; Avis et al. (eds.) (1993) PHARMACEUTICAL DOSAGE FORMS: PARENTERAL MEDICATIONS Dekker, N.Y.; Lieberman et al.
  • Dosage forms useful herein include any appropriate dosage form well known in the art to be suitable for pharmaceutical formulation of compounds suitable for administration to mammals particularly humans, particularly (although not solely) those suitable for stabilization in solution of therapeutic compounds for administration to mammals preferably humans.
  • the dosage forms of the invention thus include any appropriate dosage form now known or later discovered in the art to be suitable for pharmaceutical formulation of compounds suitable for administration to mammals particularly humans, particularly (although not solely) those suitable for stabilization in solution of compounds for administration to mammals preferably humans.
  • One example is oral delivery forms of tablet, capsule, lozenge, or the like form, or any liquid form such as syraps, aqueous solutions, emulsion and the like, capable of protecting the compound from degradation prior to eliciting an effect, for example, in the alimentary canal if an oral dosage fonn.
  • dosage forms for transdermal delivery include transdermal patches, transdermal bandages, and the like.
  • topical dosage fonns any lotion, stick, spray, ointment, paste, cream, gel, etc., whether applied directly to the skin or via an intermediary such as a pad, patch or the like.
  • dosage forms for suppository delivery include any solid or other dosage form to be inserted into a bodily orifice (particularly those inserted rectally, vaginally and urethrally).
  • dosage units for transmucosal delivery include depositories, solutions for enemas, pessaries, tampons, creams, gels, pastes, foams, nebulised solutions, powders and similar formulations containing in addition to the active ingredients such carriers as are known in the art to be appropriate.
  • dosage units for depot administration include pellets or small cylinders of active agent or solid forms wherein the active agent is entrapped in a matrix of biodegradable polymers, microemulsions, liposomes or is microencapsulated.
  • rmplantable infusion devices include any solid form in which the active agent is encapsulated within or dispersed throughout a biodegradable polymer or synthetic, polymer such as silicone, silicone rubber, silastic or similar polymer.
  • dosage forms for infusion devices may employ liposome delivery systems.
  • the compounds of the present invention may be administered by oral, parenteral (for example, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, intravenous, ICV, intracisternal injection or infusion, subcutaneous injection, or implant), by inhalation spray, nasal, vaginal, rectal, sublmgual, or topical routes of administration and may be formulated, alone or together, in suitable dosage unit formulations containing conventional non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, adjuvants and vehicles appropriate for each route of administration.
  • the pharmaceutical composition and method of the present invention may further comprise other therapeutically active compounds as noted herein which are usually applied in the treatment of the above mentioned conditions.
  • an appropriate dosage level will generally be about 0.001 to 100 mg per kg patient body weight per day which can be administered in single or multiple doses.
  • the dosage level will be about 0.01 to about 25 mg/kg per day; more preferably about 0.05 to about 10 mg/kg per day.
  • a suitable dosage level may be about 0.01 to 25 mg/kg per day, about 0.05 to 10 mg/kg per day, or about 0.1 to 5 mg/kg per day. Within this range the dosage may be about 0.005 to about 0.05, 0.05 to 0.5 or 0.5 to 5 mg/kg per day.
  • compositions are preferably provided in the fomi of tablets containing about 1 to 1000 milligrams of the active ingredient, particularly about 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500, 600, 750, 800, 900, and 1000 milligrams of the active ingredient for the symptomatic adjustment of the dosage to the patient to be treated.
  • the compounds may be administered on a regimen of 1 to 4 times per day, preferably once or twice per day.
  • the compounds of the present invention can be combined with other compounds having related utilities to prevent and treat tissue damage or excess tissue copper. ***
  • any of the terms “comprising”, “consisting essentially of, and “consisting of may be replaced with either of the other two terms in the specification.
  • the term “and/or” means both “and” and “or”.
  • the addition of "(s)” as part of a word embraced both the singular and plural of that word.
  • the terms “comprising”, “including”, containing”, etc. are to be read expansively and without limitation. The methods and processes illustratively described herein suitably may be practiced in differing orders of steps, and that they are not necessarily restricted to the orders of steps indicated herein or in the claims.

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Abstract

L'invention concerne des procédés pour réduire la teneur en cuivre, comprenant par exemple le traitement, la prévention, ou l'amélioration de dommages tissulaires, tels que, par exemple, des dommages tissulaires qui peuvent être provoqués par : (i) des troubles du muscle cardiaque (par exemple la cardiomyopathie ou la myocardite) tels que la cardiomyopathie idiopathique, la cardiomyopathie métabolique qui comprend la cardiomyopathie diabétique, la cardiomyopathie alcoolique, la cardiomyopathie induite par les médicaments, la cardiomyopathie ischémique, et la cardiomyopathie hypertensive ; (ii) des troubles athéromateux des vaisseaux sanguins principaux (maladie macrovasculaire), tels que l'aorte, les artères coronaires, les artères carotides, les artères cérébrovasculaires, les artères rénales, les artères iliaques, les artères fémorales, et les artères poplitées ; (iii) des troubles toxiques, induits par les médicaments, et métaboliques (tels que les troubles hypertensifs et/ou diabétiques) des petits vaisseaux sanguins (maladie microvasculaire) tels que les artérioles rétinales, les artérioles glomérulaires, le vasa nervorum, les artérioles cardiaques, et des lits capillaires associés de l'oeil, du rein, du coeur, du système nerveux central et périphérique ; (iv) la rupture de plaque des liaisons athéromateuses des vaisseaux sanguins principaux tels que l'aorte, les artères coronaires, les artères carotides, les artères cérébrovasculaires, les artères rénales, les artères iliaques, les artères fémorales, et les artères poplitées, (v) du diabète ou les complications du diabète.
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US6951890B2 (en) 2002-03-08 2005-10-04 Protemix Corporation Limited Preventing and/or treating cardiovascular disease and/or associated heart failure
WO2006068516A1 (fr) * 2004-12-20 2006-06-29 Protemix Corporation Limited Dispositifs medicaux implantables revetus de composes chelateurs du cuivre ou contenant ces composes
WO2006104400A1 (fr) * 2005-03-26 2006-10-05 Protemix Corporation Limited Compositions antagonistes du cuivre
WO2006104401A1 (fr) * 2005-03-26 2006-10-05 Protemix Corporation Limited Compositions antagonistes du cuivre
WO2006104402A1 (fr) * 2005-03-26 2006-10-05 Protemix Corporation Limited Compositions d'antagonistes du cuivre
RU2312586C1 (ru) * 2006-05-17 2007-12-20 Геннадий Михайлович Кузнецов Способ диагностики и очистки микрокапилляров
US7459446B2 (en) 1998-09-25 2008-12-02 John Richard Baker Treatment of diabetes with copper binding compounds
US7494990B2 (en) 2004-02-04 2009-02-24 Nycomed Gmbh 2-(piperidin-4-yl)-4,5-dihydro-2H-pyridazin-3-one derivatives as PDE4 inhibitors
EP1877801A4 (fr) * 2005-04-25 2009-03-18 Protemix Corp Ltd Thérapie et évaluation de la régulation par l'utilisation du cuivre
US7582796B2 (en) 2004-07-19 2009-09-01 Protemix Corporation Limited Synthesis of triethylenetetramines
EP2556834A1 (fr) * 2010-03-30 2013-02-13 Magnus TTM IC Utilisation therapeutique de tétrathiomolybdate
EP2578221A1 (fr) * 2011-10-04 2013-04-10 Magnus Intellectual Property Ltd. Utilisation thérapeutique de tétrathiomolybdate
EP1948160A4 (fr) * 2005-11-09 2013-07-10 Protemix Corp Ltd Traitement de maladies liées aux mitochondries et amélioration de déficits métaboliques liés à l'âge
US9339479B2 (en) 2002-08-20 2016-05-17 Philera New Zealand Limited Dosage forms and related therapies
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WO2017050271A1 (fr) * 2015-09-24 2017-03-30 Innolife Co., Ltd. Utilisation de trientine pour délivrer du cuivre à un tissu ischémique
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US10478455B2 (en) 2010-03-30 2019-11-19 Ucl Business Ltd Therapeutic use of tetrathiomolybdate
US10988436B2 (en) 2018-05-04 2021-04-27 Orphalan S.A. Crystalline form of triethylenetetramine tetrahydrochloride and its pharmaceutical use

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