Effects of newly synthetized isoquinoline derivatives on rat uterine contractility and ROCK II activity

Protein kinases have an important role in signal transduction in the cellular system via protein phosphorylation. RhoA activated Rho-kinases have a pivotal role in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction. ROCK I and ROCK II phosphorylate myosin-phosphatase and myosin-kinase, which induces contraction in the myometrium. Several studies have investigated the affinity of isoquinoline alkaloids (HA-1077, H1152P) to Rho-kinases, and these compounds notably inhibited the Ca²⁺-independent process. We measured the efficiency of 25 original, newly synthesized isoquinoline derivatives for the Rho-kinase activity using Rho-associated kinase activity assay and determined their effects on the non-pregnant, 20-day pregnant and parturient rat myometrial contraction in vitro. The IC₅₀ values of 11 from among the 25 derivatives were significantly lower on the oxytocin-induced non-pregnant rat uterine contraction compared with Y-27632 and fasudil, although their maximal inhibitory effects were weaker than those of Y-27632 and fasudil. We measured the effects of 11 isoquinoline molecules with significant IC₅₀ values on ROCK II activity. We found two isoquinolines out of 11 compounds (218 and 852) which decreased the active ROCK II level similarly as Y-27632. Then we found that 218 and 852 relaxed the 20th-day pregnant and parturient rat uterus with greater potency as compared with fasudil. The majority of the synthesized isoquinoline derivatives have uterus relaxant effects and two of them significantly suppress the Rho-kinase mediated myosin light chain phosphorylation. Our results may suggest that the isoquinoline structure has a promising prospect for the development of new and effective inhibitors of uterine contractions in preterm birth.