Potent in vitro methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus activity of 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)quinoline derivatives

A novel structural class of antibacterials, 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)quinolines, effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), was discovered from a combinatorial library. A structure-activity relationship (SAR) study was conducted to determine the pharmacophore and increase the potency of these compounds. Compounds were prepared that had minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) < 1.0 microg/mL against MRSA and retained activity against two strains of glycopeptide intermediate-resistant S. aureus (GISA).     

Microwave assisted synthesis of 2-(4-substituted piperazin-1-yl)-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carbonitrile as a new class of serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonists

A series of novel 2-(4-substituted piperazin-1-yl)-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carbonitrile 6 were prepared by microwave irradiation and conventional heating. The intermediate, 2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carbonitrile 3, was prepared from 2-aminonicotinaldehyde 1 and ethyl cyanoacetate 2 in the presence of piperidine under solvent free condition. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for 5-HT3 antagonisms in longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus (LMMP) preparation from Guinea pig ileum against 5-HT3 agonist, 2-methyl-5-HT. Among the compounds tested, 2-(4-allylpiperazin-1-yl)-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carbonitrile 6d showed most favorable 5-HT3 receptor antagonism in the Guinea pig ileum.     

Discovery of 5-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-nitroaniline derivatives as a new class of SIRT6 inhibitors

SIRT6 is a deacetylase of histone H3 and inhibitors of SIRT6 have been thought as potential agents for treatment of diabetes. Herein we report the discovery of a series of new SIRT6 inhibitors containing the skeleton 1-phenylpiperazine. Among them, compound 5-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-nitroaniline (6d) is the most potent one, which showed an IC₅₀ value of 4.93 μM against SIRT6 in the Fluor de Lys (FDL) assay. It displayed K_D values of 9.76 μM and 10 μM in surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) assays, respectively. In selectivity assay, 6d showed no activity against other members of the HDAC family (SIRT1-3 and HDAC1-11) at concentrations up to 200 µM. In a mouse model of type 2 diabetes, 6d could significantly increase the level of glucose transporter GLUT-1, thereby reducing blood glucose. Overall, this study provides a promising lead compound for subsequent drug discovery targeting SIRT6.     

Discovery of 4-hydroxy-1,6-naphthyridine-3-carbonitrile derivatives as novel PDE10A inhibitors

A series of 1,6-naphthyridine-based compounds was synthesized as potent phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) inhibitors. Structure-based chemical modifications of the discovered chemotype served to further improve potency and selectivity over DHODH, laying the foundation for future optimization efforts.     

Pharmacophore generation and atom-based 3D-QSAR of novel quinoline-3-carbonitrile derivatives as Tpl2 kinase inhibitors

Tumour progression locus-2 (Tpl2) is a serine/threonine kinase, which regulates the expression of tumour necrosis factor α. The article describes the development of a robust pharmacophore model and the investigation of structure-activity relationship analysis of quinoline-3-carbonitrile derivatives reported for Tpl2 kinase inhibition. A five point pharmacophore model (ADRRR) was developed and used to derive a predictive atom-based 3-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) model. The obtained 3D-QSAR model has an excellent correlation coefficient value (r(2)= 0.96), Fisher ratio (F = 131.9) and exhibited good predictive power (q(2) = 0.79). The QSAR model suggests that the inclusion of hydrophobic substituents will enhance the Tpl2 kinase inhibition. In addition, H-bond donating groups, negative ionic groups and electron withdrawing groups positively contribute to the Tpl2 kinase inhibition. Further, pharmacophoric model was validated by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and was employed for virtual screening to identify six potential Tpl2 kinase inhibitors. The findings of this study provide a set of guidelines for designing compounds with better Tpl2 kinase inhibitory potency.     

Pharmacophore generation and atom-based 3D-QSAR of novel quinoline-3-carbonitrile derivatives as Tpl2 kinase inhibitors

Tumour progression locus-2 (Tpl2) is a serine/threonine kinase, which regulates the expression of tumour necrosis factor α. The article describes the development of a robust pharmacophore model and the investigation of structure-activity relationship analysis of quinoline-3-carbonitrile derivatives reported for Tpl2 kinase inhibition. A five point pharmacophore model (ADRRR) was developed and used to derive a predictive atom-based 3-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) model. The obtained 3D-QSAR model has an excellent correlation coefficient value (r²?=?0.96), Fisher ratio (F?=?131.9) and exhibited good predictive power (q²?=?0.79). The QSAR model suggests that the inclusion of hydrophobic substituents will enhance the Tpl2 kinase inhibition. In addition, H-bond donating groups, negative ionic groups and electron withdrawing groups positively contribute to the Tpl2 kinase inhibition. Further, pharmacophoric model was validated by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and was employed for virtual screening to identify six potential Tpl2 kinase inhibitors. The findings of this study provide a set of guidelines for designing compounds with better Tpl2 kinase inhibitory potency.     

Synthesis and evaluation of 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-4-phenylquinolines as inhibitors of cholesterol esterase

A series of 2-(substituted) phenyl and 2-indolyl quinoline derivatives (10a–l) was synthesized by an efficient microwave-assisted, trifluoroacetic acid-catalyzed, solvent-free method. Evaluation of the inhibitory activity led to the identification of two quinoline inhibitors of cholesterol esterase. 2-(1H-Indol-3-yl)-6-nitro-4-phenylquinoline (10l; IC₅₀ = 1.98 μM) was characterized as a mixed-type inhibitor with a pronounced competitive binding mode.     

Synthesis and evaluation of 1-(1H-indol-3-yl)ethanamine derivatives as new antibacterial agents

A collection of 3-substituted indole derivatives was prepared using nucleophilic addition of indoles to nitrones. The compounds were then tested for their antibacterial activity against almost thirty bacterial strains representative of common human pathogens. Two types of indolic molecules inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA and VISA strains, with MIC values ranging from 8 to 16 mg/L.     

Discovery of a new series of monoamine reuptake inhibitors,the 1-amino-3-(1H-indol-1-yl)-3-phenylpropan-2-ols

A novel series of monoamine reuptake inhibitors, the 1-amino-3-(1H-indol-1-yl)-3-phenylpropan-2-ols, have been discovered by combining virtual and focused screening efforts with design techniques. Synthesis of the two diastereomeric isomers of the molecule followed by chiral resolution of each enantiomer revealed the (2R,3S)-isomer to be a potent norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (IC₅₀ = 28 nM) with excellent selectivity over the dopamine transporter and 13-fold selectivity over the serotonin transporter.     

Synthesis and activity of a new class of dual acting norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitors: 3-(1H-indol-1-yl)-3-arylpropan-1-amines

Compounds with a combination of norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibition have been approved in the US and Europe for a number of indications, including major depressive disorder and pain disorders such as diabetic neuropathy and fibromyalgia. Efforts to design selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors based on SAR from the aryloxypropanamine series of monoamine reuptake inhibitors have led to the identification of a potent new class of dual acting norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitors, namely the 3-(1H-indol-1-yl)-3-arylpropan-1-amines.     

2-Benzimidazolyl-9-(chroman-4-yl)-purinone derivatives as JAK3 inhibitors

A novel class of Janus tyrosine kinase 3 (JAK3) inhibitors based on a 2-benzimidazoylpurinone core structure is described. Through substitution of the benzimidazoyl moiety and optimization of the N-9 substituent of the purinone, compound 24 was identified incorporating a chroman-based functional group. Compound 24 shows excellent kinase activity, good oral bioavailability and demonstrates efficacy in an acute mechanistic mouse model through inhibition of interleukin-2 (IL-2) induced interferon-γ (INF-γ) production.     

Synthesis of N-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methyleneamines and 3,3-diaryl-4-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)azetidin-2-ones as potential antileishmanial agents

A series of N-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methyleneamines and eight new 3,3-diaryl-4-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)azetidin-2-ones have been synthesized and screened for their antileishmanial activity against Leishmania major. 3,3-Diaryl-4-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)azetidin-2-ones have been synthesized by the Staudinger's ketene-imine cycloaddition employing two 2-diazo-1,2-diarylethanones as the precursors of diarylketenes. A marked improvement in anti-parasitic activity is observed by transformation of the methyleneamines to azetidin-2-ones in seven out of eight compounds. Two compounds displayed antileishmanial activity comparable to that of the clinically used antileshmanial drug, amphotericine B.     

A concise,total synthesis and antibacterial evaluation of 2-hydroxy-1-(1H-indol-3-yl)-4-methylpentan-3-one

Treatment of racemic 2-hydroxy-3-(1H-indol-3yl)propionic acid methyl ester (5) with isopropyl magnesium chloride provided the title compound 1 and its isomer, 3-hydroxy-1-(indol-3-yl)-4-methylpentan-2-one (9). Both enantiomers (>96% ee) of each component were obtained via semi-preparative chiral supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). In contrast to previous reports, these compounds, as well as their acetate derivatives, were not active or very weakly active against 16 bacterial strains, including Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus.     

Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of 6-(benzyloxy)-4-methylquinolin-2(1H)-one derivatives as PDE3 inhibitors

Selective PDE3 (phosphodiesterase 3) inhibitors improve cardiac contractility and may be used in congestive heart failure. However, their proarrhythmic potential is the most important side effect. In this work ten new synthetic compounds (3-[(4-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-6-quinolinyl)oxy]methylbenzamide analogs: 4a–j) were designed, synthesized and tested for the inhibitory activity against human PDE3A and PDE3B. The strategy of the design was based on the structure of vesnarinone (a selective PDE3 inhibitor) and its docking analysis results. The synthetic compounds showed better PDE3 inhibitory activity in comparison with vesnarinone. Using docking analysis, a common binding model of each compound toward PDE3 was suggested. In the next step the potential cardiotonic activity of the best PDE3A inhibitors (4b, IC₅₀ = 0.43 ± 0.04 μM) was evaluated by using the spontaneously beating atria model. In the experiment, atrium of reserpine-treated rat was isolated and the contractile and chronotropic effects of the synthetic compound were assessed. That was carried out in comparison with vesnarinone. The best pharmacological profile was obtained for the compound 4b, which displayed selectivity for increasing the force of contraction (46 ± 3% change over the control) rather than the frequency rate (16 ± 4% change over the control) at 100 μM.     

1-[4-(1H-Benzoimidazol-2-yl)-phenyl]-3-[4-(1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl)-phenyl]-urea derivatives as small molecule heparanase inhibitors

A novel class of 1-[4-(1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl)-phenyl]-3-[4-(1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl)-phenyl]-ureas are described as potent inhibitors of heparanase. Among them are 1,3-bis-[4-(1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl)-phenyl]-urea (7a) and 1,3-bis-[4-(5,6-dimethyl-1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl)-phenyl]-urea (7d), which displayed good heparanase inhibitory activity (IC(50) 0.075-0.27 microM). Compound 7a showed good efficacy in a B16 metastasis model.     

4-(1,3-Thiazol-2-yl)morpholine derivatives as inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase

4-(1,3-Thiazol-2-yl)morpholine derivatives have been identified as potent and selective inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase. The SAR data of selected examples are presented and the in vivo profiling of compound 18 is shown to demonstrate the utility of this class of compounds in xenograft models of tumor growth.     

Discovery of 2-arylquinazoline derivatives as a new class of ASK1 inhibitors

The development of a new series of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) inhibitors is described. Starting from purine, pyrimidine and quinazoline scaffolds identified by high throughput screening, we used tools of structure-based drug design to develop a series of potent kinase inhibitors, including 2-arylquinazoline derivatives 12 and 23, with submicromolar inhibitory activities against ASK1. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that the 2-arylquinazoline scaffold ASK1 inhibitors described herein are ATP competitive.     

Design and synthesis of novel 3-(benzo[d]oxazol-2-yl)-5-(1-(piperidin-4-yl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyridin-2-amine derivatives as selective G-protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 and -5 inhibitors

G-protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK)-2 and -5 are emerging therapeutic targets for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. In our efforts to discover novel small molecules to inhibit GRK-2 and -5, a class of compound based on 3-(benzo[d]oxazol-2-yl)-5-(1-(piperidin-4-yl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyridin-2-amine was identified as a novel hit by high throughput screening campaign. Structural modification of parent benzoxazole scaffolds by introducing substituents on phenyl displayed potent inhibitory activities toward GRK-2 and -5.     

Discovery of a novel,CNS penetrant M4 PAM chemotype based on a 6-fluoro-4-(piperidin-1-yl)quinoline-3-carbonitrile core

This Letter details the discovery and subsequent optimization of a novel M₄ PAM scaffold based on an 6-fluoro-4-(piperidin-1-yl)quinoline-3-carbonitrile core, which represents a distinct departure from the classical M₄ PAM chemotypes. Optimized compounds in this series demonstrated improved M₄ PAM potency on both human and rat M₄ (4 to 5-fold relative to HTS hit), and displayed attractive physicochemical and DMPK profiles, including good CNS penetration (rat brain:plasma K_p = 5.3, K_p,uu = 2.4; MDCK-MDR1 (P-gp) ER = 1.1).     

Discovery of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-3-carbonitrile derivatives as a new class of histone lysine demethylase 4D (KDM4D) inhibitors

Herein we report the discovery of a series of new small molecule inhibitors of histone lysine demethylase 4D (KDM4D). Molecular docking was first performed to screen for new KDM4D inhibitors from various chemical databases. Two hit compounds were retrieved. Further structural optimization and structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis were carried out to the more selective one, compound 2, which led to the discovery of several new KDM4D inhibitors. Among them, compound 10r is the most potent one with an IC₅₀ value of 0.41 ± 0.03 μM against KDM4D. Overall, compound 10r could be taken as a good lead compound for further studies.