NPC 15199 (FMOC-L-Leucine) is an anti-inflammatory agent.

NPC-15199 [(N-(9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl)L-leucine)], a novel anti-inflammatory agent, increases intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in human bladder female transitional cancer (BFTC) cells.?Using fura-2 as a Ca2+ probe, NPC-15199 (0.1-2 mM) was found to increase [Ca2+]i concentration-dependently.?The response saturated at 2-5 mM NPC-15199.?The [Ca2+]i increase comprised an initial rise, a slow decay, and a plateau.?Ca2+ removal partly inhibited the Ca2+ signals.?In Ca2+-free medium, pretreatment with 1 mM NPC-15199 abolished the [Ca2+]i increase induced by 1 microM thapsigargin (an endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump inhibitor);?and after pretreatment with thapsigargin, NPC-15199-induced Ca2+ release was dramatically inhibited.?This indicates that NPC-15199 released internal Ca2+ mostly from the endoplasmic reticulum.?Adding 3 mM Ca2+ increased [Ca2+]i in cells pretreated with 1 mM NPC-15199 in Ca2+-free medium.?Together, the findings suggest that in BFTC bladder cancer cells, NPC-15199 induced Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum and activating Ca2+ entry.