Synthesis of novel inhibitors of β-glucuronidase based on benzothiazole skeleton and study of their binding affinity by molecular docking

Benzothiazole derivatives 1-26 have been synthesized and their in vitro β-glucuronidase potential has been evaluated. Compounds 4 (IC(50)=8.9 ± 0.25 μM), 5 (IC(50)=36.1 ± 1.80 μM), 8 (IC(50)=8.9 ± 0.38 μM), 13 (IC(50)=19.4 ± 1.00 μM), 16 (IC(50)=4.23 ± 0.054 μM), and 18 (IC(50)=2.26 ± 0.06 μM) showed β-glucuronidase activity potent than the standard (d-saccharic acid 1,4-lactone, IC(50)=48.4 ± 1.25 μM). Compound 9 (IC(50)=94.0 ± 4.16 μM) is found to be the least active among the series. All active analogs were also evaluated for cytotoxicity and none of the compounds showed any cytotoxic effect. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were performed using the gold 3.0 program to investigate the binding mode of benzothiazole derivatives. This study identifies a novel class of β-glucuronidase inhibitors.     

6-Nitrobenzimidazole derivatives: potential phosphodiesterase inhibitors: synthesis and structure-activity relationship

6-Nitrobenzimidazole derivatives (1-30) synthesized and their phosphodiesterase inhibitory activities determined. Out of thirty tested compounds, ten showed a varying degrees of phosphodiesterase inhibition with IC(50) values between 1.5±0.043 and 294.0±16.7 μM. Compounds 30 (IC(50)=1.5±0.043 μM), 1 (IC(50)=2.4±0.049 μM), 11 (IC(50)=5.7±0.113 μM), 13 (IC(50)=6.4±0.148 μM), 14 (IC(50)=10.5±0.51 μM), 9 (IC(50)=11.49±0.08 μM), 3 (IC(50)=63.1±1.48 μM), 10 (IC(50)=120.0±4.47 μM), and 6 (IC(50)=153.2±5.6 μM) showed excellent phosphodiesterase inhibitory activity, much superior to the standard EDTA (IC(50)=274±0.007 μM), and thus are potential molecules for the development of a new class of phosphodiesterase inhibitors. A structure-activity relationship is evaluated. All compounds are characterized by spectroscopic parameters.     

The antiplasmodial activity of norcantharidin analogs

The antiplasmodial activities of sixty norcantharidin analogs were tested in vitro against a chloroquine sensitive (D6, Sierra Leone) and chloroquine resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Forty analogs returned IC(50) values <500 μM against at least one of the P. falciparum strains examined. The ring open compound 24 ((1S,4R)-3-(allylcarbamoyl)-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2-carboxylic acid) is the most active aliphatic analog (D6 IC(50)=3.0±0.0 and W2 IC(50)=3.0±0.8 μM) with a 20-fold enhancement relative to norcantharidin. Surprisingly, seven norcantharimides also displayed good antiplasmodial activity with the most potent, 5 returning D6=8.9±0.9 and W2 IC(50)=12.5±2.2 μM, representing a fivefold enhancement over norcantharidin.     

Antioxidative iridoid glycosides from the sky flower (Duranta repens Linn)

Phytochemical investigations were performed on the EtOAc-soluble fraction of the whole plant of the sky flower (Duranta repens) which led to the isolation of the iridoid glycosides 1-6. Their structures were elucidated by both 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis. All the compounds showed potent antioxidative scavenging activity in four different tests, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) values in the range 0.481-0.719 mM against DPPH radicals, 4.07-17.21 μM for the hydroxyl radical (·OH) inhibitory activity test, 43.3-97.37 μM in the total reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitory activity test, and 3.39-18.94 μM in the peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) scavenging activity test. Duranterectoside A (1) displayed the strongest scavenging potential with IC(50) values of (0.481 ± 0.06 mM, 4.07 ± 0.03, 43.30 ± 0.05, 3.39 ± 0.02 μM) for the DPPH radicals, ·OH inhibitory activity test, total ROS inhibitory activity test and the ONOO(-) scavenging activity test, respectively.     

Synthesis, structural elucidation, DNA-PK inhibition, homology modelling and anti-platelet activity of morpholino-substituted-1,3-naphth-oxazines

A number of new angular 2-morpholino-(substituted)-naphth-1,3-oxazines (compound 10b), linear 2-morpholino-(substituted)-naphth-1,3-oxazines (compounds 13b-c), linear 6, 7 and 9-O-substituted-2-morpholino-(substituted)-naphth-1,3-oxazines (compounds 17-22, 24, and 25) and angular compounds 14-16 and 23 were synthesised. The O-substituent was pyridin-2yl-methyl (15, 18, and 21) pyridin-3yl-methyl (16, 19, and 22) and 4-methylpipreazin-1-yl-ethoxy (23-25). Twelve compounds were tested for their inhibitory effect on collagen induced platelet aggregation and it was found that the most active compounds were compounds 19 and 22 with IC(50)=55±4 and 85±4 μM, respectively. Furthermore, the compounds were also assayed for their ability to inhibit DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) activity. The most active compounds were 18 IC(50)=0.091 μM, 24 IC(50)=0.191 μM, and 22 IC(50)=0.331 μM. Homology modelling was used to build a 3D model of DNA-PK based on the X-ray structure of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Ks). Docking of synthesised compounds within the binding pocket and structure-activity relationships (SAR) analyses of the poses were performed and results agreed well with observed activity.     

6-Substituted 3,4-Dihydro-naphthalene-2-carboxylic Acids: Synthesis and Structure-Activity Studies in a Novel Class of Human 5α Reductase Inhibitors

Novel 3,4-dihydro-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acids were synthesized and evaluated for 5 α reductase inhibitory activity. This enzyme exists in two isoforms and is a pharmacological target for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, male pattern baldness and acne. In the present study non-steroidal compounds capable of mimicking the transition state of the steroidal substrates were prepared. The synthetic strategy for the preparation of compounds 1 - 6 consisted of triflation followed by subsequent Heck-type carboxylation or methoxy carbonylation for 6-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-naphthalen-2(1H)-one 1c. A Negishi-type coupling reaction between 6-(trifluoro-methanesulfonyloxy)-3,4-dihydro-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester 7b and various aryl bromides led, after further transformations, to 6-substituted 3,4-dihydro-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acids 7 - 15. In a similar way the corresponding naphthalene-2-carboxylic acids 16 and 17 were obtained. The DU 145 cell line and prostate homogenates served as enzyme sources for the human type 1 and type 2 isozymes, whereas ventral prostate was employed to evaluate rat isozyme inhibitory potency. The most active inhibitors identified in this study were 6-[4- (N, N -dicyclohexylaminocarbonyl)phenyl]-3,4-dihydro-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid (3) (IC 50 =0.09 μM, rat type 1), 6-[3- (N, N -dicyclohexylaminocarbonyl)phenyl]-3,4-dihydro-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid (13) (IC 50 =0.75 μM, human type 2; IC 50 =0.81 μM, human type 1) and 6-[4- (N, N -diisopropylamino-carbonyl)phenyl]naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid (16) (IC 50 =0.2 μM, human type 2). The latter compound was shown to deactivate the enzyme in an uncompetitive manner (Ki=90 nM; Km, Testosterone=0.8-1.0 μM) similar to the steroidal inhibitor Epristeride. Select inhibitors (13 and 16) were tested in vivo using testosterone propionate-treated, juvenile, orchiectomized SD-rats. None of the compounds was active at a dose of 25 mg/kg. This result might in part be ascribed to the relatively poor in vitro rat isozyme inhibitory potency.     

Putative TRP channel antagonists, SKF 96365, flufenamic acid and 2-APB, are non-competitive antagonists at recombinant human α1β2γ2 GABA(A) receptors

Although transient receptor potential (TRP) channel biology research has expanded rapidly in recent years, the field is hampered by the widely held, but relatively poorly investigated, belief that most of the pharmacological tools used to investigate TRP channel function may not be particularly selective for their intended targets. The objective of this study was therefore to determine if this was indeed the case by systematically evaluating the effects of three routinely used putative TRP channel antagonists, SKF 96365, flufenamic acid (FF) and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) against one of the most widely expressed CNS receptor subtypes CNS, the human α1β2γ2 GABA(A) receptor. Using whole cell patch-clamp recording to record responses to rapidly applied GABA in the absence and presence of the three putative antagonists in turn we found that SKF 96365 (1-100 μM) and FF (1-100 μM) significantly inhibited GABA responses of recombinant human α1β2γ2 GABA(A) receptor stably expressed in HEK293 cells with IC(50) values of 13.4 ± 5.1 and 1.9 ± 1.4 μM, respectively, suppressing the maximal response to GABA at all concentrations used in a manner consistent with a non-competitive mode of action. SKF 96365 and FF also both significantly reduced desensitisation and prolonged the deactivation kinetics of the receptors to GABA (1mM; P<0.05). 2-APB (10-1000 μM) also inhibited responses to GABA at all concentrations used with an IC(50) value of 16.7 ± 5.4 μM (n=3-5) but had no significant effect on the activation, desensitisation or deactivation kinetics of the GABA responses. Taken together this investigation revealed that these widely utilised TRP channel antagonists display significant 'off-target' effects at concentrations that are routinely used for the study of TRP channel function in numerous biological systems and as such, data which is obtained utilising these compounds should be interpreted with caution.     

Somatostatin subtype-2 receptor-targeted metal-based anticancer complexes

Conjugates of a dicarba analogue of octreotide, a potent somatostatin agonist whose receptors are overexpressed on tumor cells, with [PtCl(2)(dap)] (dap = 1-(carboxylic acid)-1,2-diaminoethane) (3), [(η(6)-bip)Os(4-CO(2)-pico)Cl] (bip = biphenyl, pico = picolinate) (4), [(η(6)-p-cym)RuCl(dap)](+) (p-cym = p-cymene) (5), and [(η(6)-p-cym)RuCl(imidazole-CO(2)H)(PPh(3))](+) (6), were synthesized by using a solid-phase approach. Conjugates 3-5 readily underwent hydrolysis and DNA binding, whereas conjugate 6 was inert to ligand substitution. NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics calculations showed that conjugate formation does not perturb the overall peptide structure. Only 6 exhibited antiproliferative activity in human tumor cells (IC(50) = 63 ± 2 μM in MCF-7 cells and IC(50) = 26 ± 3 μM in DU-145 cells) with active participation of somatostatin receptors in cellular uptake. Similar cytotoxic activity was found in a normal cell line (IC(50) = 45 ± 2.6 μM in CHO cells), which can be attributed to a similar level of expression of somatostatin subtype-2 receptor. These studies provide new insights into the effect of receptor-binding peptide conjugation on the activity of metal-based anticancer drugs, and demonstrate the potential of such hybrid compounds to target tumor cells specifically.     

An Antitubulin Agent BCFMT Inhibits Proliferation of Cancer Cells and Induces Cell Death by Inhibiting Microtubule Dynamics

Using cell based screening assay, we identified a novel anti-tubulin agent (Z)-5-((5-(4-bromo-3-chlorophenyl)furan-2-yl)methylene)-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one (BCFMT) that inhibited proliferation of human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) (IC(50), 7.2±1.8 μM), human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) (IC(50), 10.0±0.5 μM), highly metastatic breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231) (IC(50), 6.0±1 μM), cisplatin-resistant human ovarian carcinoma (A2780-cis) (IC(50), 5.8±0.3 μM) and multi-drug resistant mouse mammary tumor (EMT6/AR1) (IC(50), 6.5±1μM) cells. Using several complimentary strategies, BCFMT was found to inhibit cancer cell proliferation at G2/M phase of the cell cycle apparently by targeting microtubules. In addition, BCFMT strongly suppressed the dynamics of individual microtubules in live MCF-7 cells. At its half maximal proliferation inhibitory concentration (10 μM), BCFMT reduced the rates of growing and shortening phases of microtubules in MCF-7 cells by 37 and 40%, respectively. Further, it increased the time microtubules spent in the pause (neither growing nor shortening detectably) state by 135% and reduced the dynamicity (dimer exchange per unit time) of microtubules by 70%. In vitro, BCFMT bound to tubulin with a dissociation constant of 8.3±1.8 μM, inhibited tubulin assembly and suppressed GTPase activity of microtubules. BCFMT competitively inhibited the binding of BODIPY FL-vinblastine to tubulin with an inhibitory concentration (K(i)) of 5.2±1.5 μM suggesting that it binds to tubulin at the vinblastine site. In cultured cells, BCFMT-treatment depolymerized interphase microtubules, perturbed the spindle organization and accumulated checkpoint proteins (BubR1 and Mad2) at the kinetochores. BCFMT-treated MCF-7 cells showed enhanced nuclear accumulation of p53 and its downstream p21, which consequently activated apoptosis in these cells. The results suggested that BCFMT inhibits proliferation of several types of cancer cells including drug resistance cells by suppressing microtubule dynamics and indicated that the compound may have chemotherapeutic potential.     

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid derivatives as aminopeptidase N/CD13 inhibitors

A series of novel 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid derivatives were designed, synthesized and assayed for their activities against aminopeptidase N (APN/CD13) and MMP-2. The results showed that most compounds exhibited higher inhibitory activities against APN than that of MMP-2. Within this series, compound 12h (IC(50)=6.28 ± 0.11 μM) showed similar inhibitory activities compared with Bestatin (IC(50)=5.55 ± 0.01 μM), and it could be used as novel lead compound for the future APN inhibitors development as anticancer agents.     

Synthesis, biological evaluation and 3D-QSAR studies of 3-keto salicylic acid chalcones and related amides as novel HIV-1 integrase inhibitors

HIV-1 integrase is one of the three most important enzymes required for viral replication and is therefore an attractive target for anti retroviral therapy. We herein report the design and synthesis of 3-keto salicylic acid chalcone derivatives as novel HIV-1 integrase inhibitors. The most active compound, 5-bromo-2-hydroxy-3-[3-(2,3,6-trichlorophenyl)acryloyl]benzoic acid (25) was selectively active against integrase strand transfer, with an IC(50) of 3.7 μM. While most of the compounds exhibited strand transfer selectivity, a few were nonselective, such as 5-bromo-3-[3-(4-bromophenyl)acryloyl]-2-hydroxybenzoic acid (15), which was active against both 3'-processing and strand transfer with IC(50) values of 11±4 and 5±2 μM, respectively. The compounds also inhibited HIV replication with potencies comparable with their integrase inhibitory potencies. Thus, 5-bromo-2-hydroxy-3-[3-(2,3,6-trichlorophenyl)acryloyl]benzoic acid (25) and 5-bromo-3-[3-(4-bromophenyl)acryloyl]-2-hydroxybenzoic acid (15) inhibited HIV-1 replication with EC(50) values of 7.3 and 8.7 μM, respectively. A PHASE pharmacophore hypothesis was developed and validated by 3D-QSAR, which gave a predictive r(2) of 0.57 for an external test set of ten compounds. Phamacophore derived molecular alignments were used for CoMFA and CoMSIA 3D-QSAR modeling. CoMSIA afforded the best model with q(2) and r(2) values of 0.54 and 0.94, respectively. This model predicted all the ten compounds of the test set within 0.56 log units of the actual pIC(50) values; and can be used to guide the rational design of more potent novel 3-keto salicylic acid integrase inhibitors.     

The inhibition study of human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases with cytochrome P450 selective substrates and inhibitors

Human uridine-5'-diphosphoglucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are the major phase II metabolizing enzymes. In the present study, five human UGTs (UGT1A1, 1A4, 1A6, 2B7, and 2B10) were individually expressed and used to examine the inhibition IC(50) values of 20 selective substrates and inhibitors of major cytochromes P450 (CYPs). The inhibition kinetics of UGT1A1 was also analyzed. The results showed that some compounds like α-naphthoflavone, paclitaxel, midazolam, cyclosporine A, and ketoconazole displayed strong inhibitions on UGT activities with their IC(50) values in a range of 4.1-26 μM. Especially, the IC(50) values were 4.1?±?0.8 μM for ketoconazole in inhibiting UGT1A1-mediated β-estradiol-3-glucuronidation, and 4.9?±?0.3 μM for paclitaxel towards UGT1A4-mediated midazolam-N-glucuronidation. Additionally, the IC(50) values of bupropion, tolbutamide, and testosterone in inhibiting UGT-mediated metabolisms were similar with the K(m) values of respective CYPs. Some kinetic behaviours of UGTs were following Michaelis-Menten kinetics, while some were not.     

Some 3-(4-Aminophenyl)pyrrolidine-2,5-diones as All- trans -retinoic Acid Metabolising Enzyme Inhibitors (RAMBAs)

A series of (±) -3-(4-aminophenyl) pyrrolidin-2,5-diones substituted in the 1-, 3- or 1,3- position with an aryl or long chain alkyl function are weak inhibitors of the metabolism of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) by rat liver microsomes (68-75% inhibition) compared with ketoconazole (85%). Further studies with the 1-cyclohexyl analogue (1) (IC 50 = 98.8 μM, ketoconazole, 22.15 μM) showed that it was not stereoselective in its inhibition. (±) - (1) was not an inhibitor of pig brain microsomal enzyme (ketoconazole, IC 50 = 20.9 μM), had little effect on human liver microsomal enzyme (19.3%, ketoconazole, 81.6%) or human placental microsomal enzyme (9.8%, ketoconazole 73.9%) but was a weak inhibitor of human and rat skin homogenates (52.6% and IC 50 = 211.6 μM respectively; ketoconazole, 38.8% and 85.95 μM). In RA-induced cell cultures of human male genital fibroblasts and HaCat cells, (±) - (1) was a weak inhibitor (c. 53% at 200 μM) whereas ketoconazole showed high potency (c. 65% at 0.625 μM and 0.25 μM respectively). The nature of the induced target enzyme is discussed.     

1,2-Di-O-α-linolenoyl-3-O-β-galactosyl-sn-glycerol as a superoxide generation inhibitor from Perilla frutescens var. crispa

Using a superoxide (O(2)(-)) generation assay system with differentiated HL-60 cells, 1,2-di-O-α-linolenoyl-3-O-β-galactosyl-sn-glycerol (DLGG) was identified as an O(2)(-) generation inhibitor from Perilla frutescens var. crispa (a local variety, kida-chirimen shiso). DLGG suppressed the O(2)(-) level in a dose-dependent manner with an IC(50) value of 21 μM, comparable to those of rosmarinic acid (RoA, IC(50) = 29 μM) and caffeic acid (CA, IC(50) = 30 μM). While RoA and CA also dose-dependently inhibited O(2)(-) generation in a xanthine-xanthine oxidase system, DLGG had no effect in the same system. Thus DLGG appeared to decrease the O(2)(-) level in the HL-60 assay system by mechanisms different from those of RoA and CA, which appeared to act as O(2)(-) scavengers.     

Effective cytochrome P450 (CYP) inhibitors isolated from tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)

Two effective cytochrome P450 (CYP) inhibitors were isolated from tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus. Their structures were spectroscopically identified as 2E,4E-undeca-2,4-diene-8,10-diynoic acid isobutylamide (1) and 2E,4E-undeca-2,4-diene-8,10-diynoic acid piperidide (2). Both compounds had dose-dependent inhibitory effects on CYP3A4 activity with IC50 values of 10.0 ± 1.3 μM for compound 1 and 3.3 ± 0.2 μM for compound 2, and exhibited mechanism-based inhibition. This is the first reported isolation of effective CYP inhibitors from tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) purchased from a Japanese market.     

A Rhodanine Derivative CCR-11 Inhibits Bacterial Proliferation by Inhibiting the Assembly and GTPase Activity of FtsZ

A perturbation of FtsZ assembly dynamics has been shown to inhibit bacterial cytokinesis. In this study, the antibacterial activity of 151 rhodanine compounds was assayed using Bacillus subtilis cells. Of 151 compounds, eight strongly inhibited bacterial proliferation at 2 μM. Subsequently, we used the elongation of B. subtilis cells as a secondary screen to identify potential FtsZ-targeted antibacterial agents. We found that three compounds significantly increased bacterial cell length. One of the three compounds, namely, CCR-11 [(E)-2-thioxo-5-({[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]furan-2-yl}methylene)thiazolidin-4-one], inhibited the assembly and GTPase activity of FtsZ in vitro. CCR-11 bound to FtsZ with a dissociation constant of 1.5 ± 0.3 μM. A docking analysis indicated that CCR-11 may bind to FtsZ in a cavity adjacent to the T7 loop and that short halogen-oxygen, H-bonding, and hydrophobic interactions might be important for the binding of CCR-11 with FtsZ. CCR-11 inhibited the proliferation of B. subtilis cells with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of 1.2 ± 0.2 μM and a minimal inhibitory concentration of 3 μM. It also potently inhibited proliferation of Mycobacterium smegmatis cells. Further, CCR-11 perturbed Z-ring formation in B. subtilis cells; however, it neither visibly affected nucleoid segregation nor altered the membrane integrity of the cells. CCR-11 inhibited HeLa cell proliferation with an IC(50) value of 18.1 ± 0.2 μM (～15 × IC(50) of B. subtilis cell proliferation). The results suggested that CCR-11 inhibits bacterial cytokinesis by inhibiting FtsZ assembly, and it can be used as a lead molecule to develop FtsZ-targeted antibacterial agents.     

The role of heme and the mitochondrion in the chemical and molecular mechanisms of mammalian cell death induced by the artemisinin antimalarials

The artemisinin compounds are the frontline drugs for the treatment of drug-resistant malaria. They are selectively cytotoxic to mammalian cancer cell lines and have been implicated as neurotoxic and embryotoxic in animal studies. The endoperoxide functional group is both the pharmacophore and toxicophore, but the proposed chemical mechanisms and targets of cytotoxicity remain unclear. In this study we have used cell models and quantitative drug metabolite analysis to define the role of the mitochondrion and cellular heme in the chemical and molecular mechanisms of cell death induced by artemisinin compounds. HeLa ρ(0) cells, which are devoid of a functioning electron transport chain, were used to demonstrate that actively respiring mitochondria play an essential role in endoperoxide-induced cytotoxicity (artesunate IC(50) values, 48 h: HeLa cells, 6 ± 3 μM; and HeLa ρ(0) cells, 34 ± 5 μM) via the generation of reactive oxygen species and the induction of mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis but do not have any role in the reductive activation of the endoperoxide to cytotoxic carbon-centered radicals. However, using chemical modulators of heme synthesis (succinylacetone and protoporphyrin IX) and cellular iron content (holotransferrin), we have demonstrated definitively that free or protein-bound heme is responsible for intracellular activation of the endoperoxide group and that this is the chemical basis of cytotoxicity (IC(50) value and biomarker of bioactivation levels, respectively: 10β-(p-fluorophenoxy)dihydroartemisinin alone, 0.36 ± 0.20 μM and 11 ± 5%; and with succinylacetone, >100 μM and 2 ± 5%).     

Stereoselective degradation of tebuconazole in rat liver microsomes

The aim of this study was to assess the stereoselectivity of two tebuconazole [(RS)-1-p-chlorophenyl-4,4-dimethyl-3-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)pentan-3-ol] enantiomers in in vitro system (rat liver microsomes). The analytes were extracted with acetic ether and concentrations were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate)-based chiral stationary phase. The degradation of rac-tebuconazole (15 μM) followed first-order kinetics, and the degradation of the S-tebuconazole (t(1/2) = 22.31 min) was faster than that of the R-tebuconazole (t(1/2) = 48.76 min), but no significant difference between the enantiomers was found in the respective incubation (7.5 μM for each). Kinetic assays showed that the K(m) was different between the two enantiomers (K(mR) = 14.83 ± 2.19, K(mS) = 12.23 ± 2.72). The interaction results revealed that there was competitive inhibition between S- and R-form, and there was a significant difference between the IC(50) of R- to S-tebuconazole and S- to R-tebuconazole (IC(50R/S)/IC(50S/R) = 4.98).     

Investigating the effect of emetic compounds on chemotaxis in Dictyostelium identifies a non-sentient model for bitter and hot tastant research

Novel chemical entities (NCEs) may be investigated for emetic liability in a range of unpleasant experiments involving retching, vomiting or conditioned taste aversion/food avoidance in sentient animals. We have used a range of compounds with known emetic /aversive properties to examine the possibility of using the social amoeba, Dictyostelium discoideum, for research into identifying and understanding emetic liability, and hence reduce adverse animal experimentation in this area. Twenty eight emetic or taste aversive compounds were employed to investigate the acute (10 min) effect of compounds on Dictyostelium cell behaviour (shape, speed and direction of movement) in a shallow chemotaxic gradient (Dunn chamber). Compound concentrations were chosen based on those previously reported to be emetic or aversive in in vivo studies and results were recorded and quantified by automated image analysis. Dictyostelium cell motility was rapidly and strongly inhibited by four structurally distinct tastants (three bitter tasting compounds--denatonium benzoate, quinine hydrochloride, phenylthiourea, and the pungent constituent of chilli peppers--capsaicin). In addition, stomach irritants (copper chloride and copper sulphate), and a phosphodiesterase IV inhibitor also rapidly blocked movement. A concentration-dependant relationship was established for five of these compounds, showing potency of inhibition as capsaicin (IC(50) = 11.9 ± 4.0 μM) > quinine hydrochloride (IC(50) = 44.3 ± 6.8 μM) > denatonium benzoate (IC(50) = 129 ± 4 μM) > phenylthiourea (IC(50) = 366 ± 5 μM) > copper sulphate (IC(50) = 1433 ± 3 μM). In contrast, 21 compounds within the cytotoxic and receptor agonist/antagonist classes did not affect cell behaviour. Further analysis of bitter and pungent compounds showed that the effect on cell behaviour was reversible and not cytotoxic, suggesting an uncharacterised molecular mechanism of action for these compounds. These results therefore demonstrate that Dictyostelium has potential as a non-sentient model in the analysis of the molecular effects of tastants, although it has limited utility in identification of emetic agents in general.     

Synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular docking studies of benzyl, alkyl and glycosyl [2-(arylamino)-4,4-dimethyl-6-oxo-cyclohex-1-ene]carbodithioates, as potential immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive agents

The immunomodulating properties of functionalized [2-(arylamino)-4,4-dimethyl-6-oxo-cyclohex-1-ene] carbodithioates and 6,6-dimethyl-4-(2-(propan-2-ylidene)hydrazinyl)-6,7-dihydro-2H-indazole-3(5H)-thione compounds have been investigated. Four of them, 13, 18, 19 and 20 inhibited PBMC proliferation induced by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in a dose dependent manner with an IC(50) of ≤ 20 μM. The Th-1 cytokine, interleukin-2 (IL-2) in PHA/PMA-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is significantly inhibited by 13, 19 and 20 with an IC(50) of 8.4 ± 0.4, 5.34 ± 0.15 and 4.9 ± 0.7 μM, respectively. They also inhibited the PMA/lipopolysaccharide-induced proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1β and TNF-α production in human monocytic leukemia cells (THP-1), by 86%, 46% and 59.2% for IL-1β and by 83.8%, 48.2% and 58.7% for TNF-α, respectively. Only 20 showed significant suppressive activity against the phagocyte oxidative burst in a dose dependent manner, with an IC(50) of 23.8 μM. LPS-induced nitrites in mouse macrophages were found to be inhibited by compounds 6, 8, 13-15 and 19 with an IC(50), which range between 7.7 and 63 μM. The cytotoxicity for the active compounds was also studied on Rat Wistar Hepatocyte cell line, CC1 and the Mouse Fibroblast cell line 3T3 NIH in the presence of compounds using a standard MTT assay. Furthermore, structural-activity relationship using automated docking software revealed that active compounds 7, 13 and 19, adapted the same binding mode, however the most active compound 20 is found deeply inserted within the ligand binding site of IL-2, as multiple hydrophobic and hydrophilic key interactions stabilize the compound inside the binding site, thus contributing higher activity.