High throughput cell-based assay for identification of glycolate oxidase inhibitors as a potential treatment for Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1

Glycolate oxidase (GO) and alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT) are both involved in the peroxisomal glyoxylate pathway. Deficiency in AGT function causes the accumulation of intracellular oxalate and the primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1). AGT enhancers or GO inhibitors may restore the abnormal peroxisomal glyoxylate pathway in PH1 patients. With stably transformed cells which mimic the glyoxylate metabolic pathway, we developed an indirect glycolate cytotoxicity assay in a 1,536-well plate format for high throughput screening. This assay can be used to identify compounds that reduce indirect glycolate-induced cytotoxicity by either enhancing AGT activity or inhibiting GO. A pilot screen of 4,096 known compounds identified two membrane permeable GO inhibitors: dichromate salt and colistimethate. We also developed a GO enzyme assay using the hydrogen peroxide-Amplex red reporter system. The IC50 values of potassium dichromate, sodium dichromate, and colistimethate sodium were 0.096, 0.108, and 2.3 μM in the GO enzyme assay, respectively. Further enzyme kinetic study revealed that both types of compounds inhibit GO activity by the mixed linear inhibition. Our results demonstrate that the cell-based assay and GO enzyme assay developed in this study are useful for further screening of large compound libraries for drug development to treat PH1.