Benzenesulfonamides with pyrimidine moiety as inhibitors of human carbonic anhydrases I,II, VI,VII, XII,and XIII

Two groups of benzenesulfonamide derivatives, bearing pyrimidine moieties, were designed and synthesized as inhibitors of carbonic anhydrases (CA). Their binding affinities to six recombinant human CA isoforms I, II, VI, VII, XII, and XIII were determined by the thermal shift assay (TSA). The binding of several inhibitors was measured by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Direct demonstration of compound inhibition was achieved by determining the inhibition constant by stopped-flow CO₂ hydration assay. The most potent compounds demonstrated selectivity towards isoform I and affinities of 0.5 nM. The crystal structures of selected compounds in complex with CA II, XII, and XIII were determined to atomic resolution. Compounds described here were compared with previously published pyrimidinebenzenesulfonamides.¹ Systematic structure–activity analysis of 40 compound interactions with six isoforms yields clues for the design of compounds with greater affinities and selectivities towards target CA isoforms.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: the first selective, membrane-impermeant inhibitors targeting the tumor-associated isozyme IX

The inhibition of the tumor-associated transmembrane carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) isozyme possessing an extracellular active site has been investigated with a series of positively-charged, pyridinium derivatives of sulfanilamide, homosulfanilamide and 4-aminoethylbenzenesulfonamide. Inhibition data for the physiologically relevant isozymes I and II (cytosolic forms) and IV (membrane-bound) were also provided for comparison. A very interesting inhibition profile against CA IX with these sulfonamides has been observed. Several nanomolar (K(i)'s in the range of 6-54 nM) CA IX inhibitors have also been detected. Because CA IX is a highly active isozyme predominantly expressed in tumor tissues with bad prognosis of disease progression, this finding is very promising for the potential design of CA IX-specific inhibitors with applications as anti-tumor agents. This is the first report of inhibitors that may selectively target CA IX, due to their membrane-impermeability and high affinity for this clinically relevant isozyme.     

4-Substituted-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzenesulfonamides as inhibitors of carbonic anhydrases I,II, VII,XII, and XIII

A series of 4-substituted-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenezenesulfonamides were synthesized and their binding potencies as inhibitors of recombinant human carbonic anhydrase isozymes I, II, VII, XII, and XIII were determined by the thermal shift assay, isothermal titration calorimetry, and stop-flow CO₂ hydration assay. All fluorinated benzenesulfonamides exhibited nanomolar binding potency toward tested CAs and fluorinated benzenesulfonamides posessed higher binding potency than non-fluorinated compounds. The crystal structures of 4-[(4,6-dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)thio]-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzenesulfonamide in complex with CA II and CA XII, and 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-[(2-hydroxyethyl)sulfonyl]benzenesulfonamide in complex with CA XIII were determined. The observed dissociation constants for several fluorinated compounds reached subnanomolar range for CA I isozyme. The affinity and the selectivity of the compounds towards tested isozymes are presented.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: aromatic sulfonamides and disulfonamides act as efficient tumor growth inhibitors

Aromatic/heterocyclic sulfonamides generally act as strong inhibitors of the zinc enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1). Here we report the unexpected finding that potent aromatic sulfonamide inhibitors of CA, possessing inhibition constants in the range of 10(-8)-10(-9) M (against all the isozymes), also act as efficient in vitro tumor cell growth inhibitors, with GI50 (molarity of inhibitor producing a 50% inhibition of tumor cell growth) values of 10 nM-35 microM against several leukemia, non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian, melanoma, colon, CNS, renal, prostate and breast cancer cell lines. The investigated compounds were sulfanilyl-sulfanilamide-, 4-thioureido-benzenesulfonamide- and benzene-1,3-disulfonamide-derivatives. The mechanism of antitumor action with these sulfonamides is unknown, but it might involve either inhibition of several CA isozymes (such as CA IX, CA XII, CA XIV) predominantly present in tumor cells, a reduced provision of bicarbonate for the nucleotide synthesis (mediated by carbamoyl phosphate synthetase II), the acidification of the intracellular milieu as a consequence of CA inhibition or uncoupling of mitochondria and potent CA V inhibition among others. A combination of several such mechanisms is also plausible. Optimization of such derivatives from the SAR point of view, might lead to the development of effective novel types of anticancer agents/therapies.     

Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of coumarin-3-carboxamides as selective carbonic anhydrase IX and XII inhibitors

A series of novel 7-hydroxycoumarin-3-carboxamides was synthesized by the reaction of 7-hydroxy-2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carboxylic acid with various substituted aromatic amines. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against the four physiologically relevant human carbonic anhydrase (hCA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms CA I, CA II, CA IX and CA XII. The CA inhibition results show that the newly synthesized 7-hydroxycoumarin-3-carboxamides (4a-n) exhibited selective inhibition of the tumor associated isoforms, CA IX and CA XII over CA I and II isoforms. The inhibition constants ranged from sub micromolar to low micromolar. Amongst all the compounds tested, compound 4m was the most effective inhibitor exhibiting sub micromolar potency against both hCA IX and hCA XII, with a K_i of 0.2 µM. Therefore, it can be anticipated that compound 4m can serve as a lead for development of anticancer therapy by exhibiting a novel mechanism of action. The binding modes of the most potent compounds within hCA IX and XII catalytic clefts were investigated by docking studies.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: inhibition of the tumor-associated isozyme IX with aromatic and heterocyclic sulfonamides

The inhibition of the tumor-associated transmembrane carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) isozyme has been investigated with a series of aromatic and heterocyclic sulfonamides, including the six clinically used derivatives acetazolamide, methazolamide, ethoxzolamide, dichlorophenamide, dorzolamide and brinzolamide. Inhibition data for the physiologically relevant isozymes I and II (cytosolic forms) and IV (membrane-bound) were also provided for comparison. A very interesting and unusual inhibition profile against CA IX with these sulfonamides has been observed. Several nanomolar (K(I)-s in the range of 14-50 nM) CA IX inhibitors have been detected, both among the aromatic (such as orthanilamide, homosulfonilamide, 4-carboxy-benzenesulfonamide, 1-naphthalenesulfonamide and 1,3-benzenedisulfonamide derivatives) as well as the heterocylic (such as 1,3,4-thiadizole-2-sulfonamide, etc.) sulfonamides examined. Because CA IX is a highly active isozyme predominantly expressed in tumor tissues with poor prognosis of disease progression, this finding is very promising for the potential design of CA IX-specific inhibitors with applications as anti-tumor agents.     

New hydroxypyrimidinone-containing sulfonamides as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors also acting as MMP inhibitors

A set of benzenesulfonamide (BSA) derivatives bearing a hydroxypyrimidinone (HPM) moiety were synthesized and investigated for their inhibitory activity against several carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isozymes. They all revealed to be very potent inhibitors (nanomolar order) of the cytosolic CA I and II isozymes, but especially of the transmembrane, tumor-associated CA IX isozyme, a beneficial feature for a potential antitumor effect of these compounds. Further structure optimization aimed at improving the specificity of CA inhibition and enhancing their matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitory activity may also lead to new compounds with an attractive dual mechanism of action as antitumor agents.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibition. Insight into the characteristics of zonisamide, topiramate, and the sulfamide cognate of topiramate

Some useful therapeutic agents inhibit certain carbonic anhydrase (CA) isozymes to varying degrees. We have conducted enzyme kinetics studies in a 4-nitrophenyl acetate (4-NPA) hydrolysis assay with the marketed antiepileptic drugs topiramate (1) and zonisamide (2) to determine if their full inhibition of human CA-II and CA-I requires extended preincubation conditions. We found that neither 1 nor 2 requires appreciable preincubation with either enzyme to manifest full inhibitory activity. We also examined the sulfamide cognate of topiramate (3) to characterize its CA inhibitory activity, and confirmed that it is a very weak inhibitor, unlike 1 or 2. In a CO(2) hydration assay, 3 behaved as a very weak, partial inhibitor of CA-II and CA-I. We conclude that topiramate (1), zonisamide (2), and sulfamide 3 do not require extended exposure to human CA-I or CA-II to manifest full inhibitory activity (4-NPA assay).     

Inhibition of carbonic anhydrase isoforms I,II, IX and XII with novel Schiff bases: Identification of selective inhibitors for the tumor-associated isoforms over the cytosolic ones

A series of new Schiff bases was obtained from sulfanilamide, 3-fluorosulfanilamide or 4-(2-aminoethyl)-benzenesulfonamide and aromatic/heterocyclic aldehydes incorporating both hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties. The obtained sulfonamides were investigated as inhibitors of four physiologically relevant carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms, the cytosolic CA I and II, as well as the transmembrane, tumor-associated CA IX and XII. Most derivatives were medium potency or weak hCA I/II inhibitors, but several of them showed nanomolar affinity for CA IX and/or XII, making them an interesting example of isoform-selective compounds. The nature of the aryl/hetaryl moiety present in the initial aldehyde was the main factor influencing potency and isoform selectivity. The best and most CA IX-selective compounds incorporated moieties such as 4-methylthiophenyl, 4-cyanophenyl-, 4-(2-pyridyl)-phenyl and the 4-aminoethylbenzenesulfonamide scaffold. The best hCA XII inhibitors, also showing selectivity for this isoform, incorporated 2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl-, 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl and 4-(2-pyridyl)-phenyl functionalities and were also derivatives of 4-aminoethylbenzenesulfonamide. The sulfanilamide and 3-fluorosulfanilamide derived Schiff bases were less active compared to the corresponding 4-aminoethyl-benzenesulfonamide derivatives. As hCA IX/XII selective inhibition is attractive for obtaining antitumor agents/diagnostic tools with a new mechanism of action, compounds of the type described here may be considered interesting preclinical candidates.     

Discovery of a series of hydroximic acid derivatives as potent histone deacetylase inhibitors

Abstract

To develop potent histone deacetylase inhibitors as antitumor agents, structural modification was performed. The synthesized molecules were tested by enzymatic inhibition assay and anti-proliferation assay. Several molecules show improved activities in the enzymatic inhibition assay. However, in the MTT assays, all these derived molecules have limited performance compared with SAHA. The IC50 values of molecule ((S)-N-(6-(hydroxyamino)-6-oxohexyl)-4-(3-(2-oxo-1-phenyl-2-((3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)amino)ethyl)ureido)benzamide, L8) which has the best enzymatic inhibition activity (with an IC50 value of 11.7?nm and 967?nm against Hela nucleus extract and HDAC8, respectively) were calculated compared with SAHA. Molecular docking was performed to predict the binding mode of molecule L8 in the active site of HDAC2 and HDAC8. Hydrophobic interaction, chelate binding, electrostatic attraction and H-bond interaction in combination make contribution to the ligand–receptor interactions.     

Potent isothiocyanate inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase: synthesis and evaluation

The reversible hydration of carbon dioxide by carbonic anhydrase (CA) regulates pH and carbon dioxide concentrations in diverse biological systems. Potent irreversible inhibition of CA would facilitate study of the dynamics of CA turnover as well as therapeutic effects due to long-term inhibition of the enzyme. We have synthesized isothiocyanate-containing sulfonamide inhibitors of CA from the corresponding aminosulfonamides. Significant increases in apparent binding of some of the isothiocyanate inhibitors over the amine analogues were consistent with covalent inhibition of the enzyme.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors; phosphoryl-sulfonamides--a new class of high affinity inhibitors of isozymes I and II

A series of phosphorylated aromatic/heterocyclic sulfonamides with the general formula ArSO2NHPO3H2 have been prepared by condensing ArSO2NH2 with phosphorus pentachloride, followed by controlled hydrolysis in the presence of formic acid. The new derivatives generally act as stronger inhibitors of two carbonic anhydrase (CA) isozymes, CA I and CA II, as compared to the parent unsubstituted sulfonamides from which they were obtained. The inhibition mechanism by this new class of CA inhibitors, as well as structure activity correlations for the series of investigated derivatives, are also discussed.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: the X-ray crystal structure of ethoxzolamide complexed to human isoform II reveals the importance of thr200 and gln92 for obtaining tight-binding inhibitors

Ethoxzolamide, an almost forgotten inhibitor of the metalloenzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1), is the only classical inhibitor whose structure in adduct with any isoform was not reported yet. We report here the inhibition data of this molecule with the 12 catalytically active mammalian isozymes (CA I-CA XIV) and the X-ray crystal structure with the cytosolic, ubiquitous isoform CA II. These data are presumably useful for the design of novel CA inhibitors, targeting various CA isozymes, considering that ethoxzolamide was already the lead molecule to obtain the second generation inhibitors, dorzolamide and brinzolamide, clinically used antiglaucoma agents with topical action, as well as various other investigational agents.     

Pyrrolidinone-bearing methylated and halogenated benzenesulfonamides as inhibitors of carbonic anhydrases

Two series of benzenesulfonamides bearing methyl groups at ortho/ortho or meta/ortho positions and a pyrrolidinone moiety at para position were synthesized and tested as inhibitors of the twelve catalytically active human carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoforms. Observed binding affinities were determined by fluorescent thermal shift assay and intrinsic binding affinities representing the binding of benzenesulfonamide anion to the Zn(II)-bound water form of CA were calculated. Introduction of dimethyl groups into benzenesulfonamide ring decreased the binding affinity to almost all CA isoforms, but gained in selectivity towards one CA isoform. A chloro group at the meta position of 2,6-dimethylbenzenesulfonamide derivatives did not influence the binding to CA I, but it increased the affinity to all other CAs, especially, CA VII and CA XIII (up to 500 fold). The compounds may be used for further development of CA inhibitors with higher selectivity to particular CA isoforms.     

Characterization of human carbonic anhydrase XII stability and inhibitor binding

Human carbonic anhydrase isozyme XII is a transmembrane protein that is overexpressed in many human cancers. Therefore CA XII is an anticancer drug target. However, there are few compounds that specifically target CA XII. The design of specific inhibitors against CA XII relies on the detailed understanding of the thermodynamics of inhibitor binding and the structural features of the protein–inhibitor complex. To characterize the thermodynamic parameters of the binding of known sulfonamides, namely ethoxzolamide, acetazolamide and trifluoromethanesulfonamide, we used isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorescent thermal shift assay. The binding of these sulfonamides to CA XII was buffer and pH-dependent. Dissection of protonation–deprotonation reactions of both the water molecule bound to the CA XII active site and the sulfonamide group of the inhibitor yielded the intrinsic thermodynamic parameters of binding, such as binding enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy. Thermal shift assay was also used to determine CA XII stabilities at various pH and in the presence of buffers and salts.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: inhibition of human and bovine isoenzymes by benzenesulphonamides,cyclitols and phenolic compounds

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) are a class of pharmaceuticals used as anti-glaucoma agents, diuretics and anti-epileptics. We report here the inhibitory capacities of benzenesulphonamides, cyclitols and phenolic compounds 1–11 against three human CA isozymes (hCA I, hCA II and hCA VI) and bovine skeletal muscle carbonic anhydrase III (bCA III). The four isozymes showed quite diverse inhibition profiles with K_i values ranging from low micromolar to millimolar concentrations against all isoenzymes. Compound 5 and 6 had more powerful inhibitory action against hCA I and very similar action against hCA II and hCA VI as compared with acetazolamide (AZA) and sulphapyridine (SPD), specific CAIs. Probably the inhibition mechanism of the tested compounds is distinct of the sulphonamides with RSO₂NH₂ groups and similar to that of the coumarins/lacosamide, i.e. binding to a distinct part of the active site than that where sulphonamides bind. These data may lead to drug design campaigns of effective CAIs possessing a diverse inhibition mechanism compared to other sulphonamide/sulphamate inhibitors.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: interactions of phenols with the 12 catalytically active mammalian isoforms (CA I-XIV)

The inhibition of the metalloenzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) with three phenols was investigated. Phenol was an effective CA I-IV, IX, XII and XIV inhibitor (K(I)s of 2.7-11.5 microM) and a less effective one against the other isoforms, CA VA, VB, VI, VII, and XIII (K(I)s of 208-710 micraoM). 3,5-Difluorophenol was an effective inhibitor of CA III, IV, IX, and XIV (K(I)s of 0.71-10.7 microM) being a weaker one for CA I, II, VA, VB, VI, VII, XII, and XIII (K(I)s of 33.9-163 microM). Clioquinol (5-chloro-7-iodo-8-quinolinol) was the best phenol inhibitor against all isozymes, with inhibition constants in the range of 3.3-16.0 microM. These data prove that the phenol OH moiety can be considered as a new 'zinc-water binding group' for the design of CA inhibitors possessing a different inhibition mechanism as compared to the classical sulfonamide inhibitors that bind the metal ion within the active site cavity.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: inhibition of the human isozymes I, II, VA, and IX with a library of substituted difluoromethanesulfonamides

An inhibition study of the human cytosolic isozymes I, and II, the mitochondrial isoform VA, and the tumor-associated, transmembrane isozyme IX of carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) with a library of aromatic/heteroaromatic/polycyclic difluoromethanesulfonamides is reported. Most of the inhibitors were derivatives of benzenedifluoromethanesulfonamide incorporating substituted-phenyl moieties, or were methylsulfonamide and difluoromethyl-sulfonamide derivatives of the sulfamates COUMATE and EMATE, respectively. Except for the methylsulfonamide-COUMATE derivative which behaved as a potent CA II inhibitor (K(I) of 32nM), these sulfonamides were moderate inhibitors of all isozymes, with inhibition constants in the range of 96-5200nM against hCA I, of 80-670nM against hCA II, and of 195-9280nM against hCA IX, respectively. Remarkably, some derivatives, such as 3-bromophenyl-difluoromethanesulfonamide, showed a trend to selectively inhibit the mitochondrial isoform CA VA, showing selectivity ratios for inhibiting CA VA over CA II of 3.53; over CA I of 6.84 and over CA IX of 9.34, respectively, although it is a moderate inhibitor (K(I) of 160nM). Some of these derivatives may be considered as leads for the design of isozyme selective CA inhibitors targeting the mitochondrial isozyme CA VA, with potential use as anti-obesity agents.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of coumarin-1,3,4-oxadiazole hybrids as selective carbonic anhydrase IX and XII inhibitors

With an aim to develop novel heterocyclic hybrids as potent anticancer agents, we synthesized a series of coumarin-1,3,4-oxadiazole hybrids (7a-t) and evaluated for their inhibitory activity against the four physiologically relevant human carbonic anhydrase (hCA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms CA I, CA II, CA IX and CA XII. The CA inhibition results clearly indicated that the coumarin-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives (7a-t) exhibited selective inhibition of the tumor associated isoforms, CA IX and CA XII over CA I and II isoforms. Among all, compound 7b, exhibited significant inhibition in lower micromolar potency against hCA XII, with a K_i of 0.16 µM and compound 7n, exhibited significant inhibition in lower micromolar potency against hCA IX, with a K_i of 2.34 µM respectively. Therefore, compound 7b and 7n could be the potential leads for development of selective anticancer agents by exhibiting a novel mechanism of action through hCA IX and XII inhibition.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. metal complexes of 5-(2-chlorophenyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-sulfonamide with topical intraocular pressure lowering properties: the influence of metal ions upon the pharmacological activity

Metal complexes of a sulfonamide possessing strong carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitory properties, 5-(2-chlorophenyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-sulfonamide (chlorazolamide) have been obtained from the sodium salt of the sulfonamide and the following metal ions: Mg(II), Zn(II), Mn(II), Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Be(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), Al(III), Fe(III) and La(III). The original sulfonamide and its complexes were assayed for the in vitro inhibition of three CA isozymes, CA I, II, and IV, some of which play a critical role in ocular fluid secretion. All these compounds (the sulfonamide and its metal complexes) behaved as powerful inhibitors against the three investigated isozymes. The parent sulfonamide possessed an extremely weak topical pressure lowering effect when administered as a 1-2% suspension into the rabbit eye, but some of its metal complexes, such as the Mg(II), Zn(II), Mn(II) and Cu(II) derivatives, lower intraocular pressure (IOP) in experimental animals very well. Ex vivo data showed a 99.5-99.9% CA II inhibition in ocular fluids and tissues of rabbits treated with these agents, proving that the observed IOP lowering is due to CA inhibition. The influence of the different metal ions upon the efficiency of the obtained complexes as pressure lowering drugs are discussed, leading to the possibility of designing more selective/potent pharmacological agents from this class.