Synthesis and biological activity of a novel squalene epoxidase inhibitor, FR194738

The synthesis and biological properties of a novel squalene epoxidase inhibitor, FR194738, are described. This compound displayed potent in vitro inhibitory activities against squalene epoxidase and cholesterol synthesis, and lowered plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels in dogs.     

Green tea polyphenols: novel and potent inhibitors of squalene epoxidase

The green tea gallocatechins, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) (IC(50) = 0.69 microM), (-)-gallocatechin-3-O-gallate (GCG) (IC(50) = 0.67 microM), (-)-epicatechin-3-O-gallate (ECG) (IC(50) = 1.3 microM), and theasinensin A (IC(50) = 0.13 microM), were found to be potent and selective inhibitors of rat squalene epoxidase (SE), a rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol biogenesis. On the other hand, flavan-3-ols without galloyl group at C-3 did not show significant enzyme inhibition. It was demonstrated for the first time that the cholesterol lowering effect of green tea may be attributed to their potent SE inhibition activities. Inhibition kinetics revealed that EGCG inhibited SE in noncompetitive (K(I) = 0.74 microM), and non-time-dependent manner. The potent enzyme inhibition would be caused by specific binding to the enzyme, and by scavenging reactive oxygen species required for the monooxygenase reaction.     

Stereospecific syntheses of trans-vinyldioxidosqualene and 3-hydroxysulfide derivatives, as potent and time-dependent 2,3-oxidosqualene cyclase inhibitors

trans-Vinyldioxidosqualene and beta-hydroxysulfide derivatives were synthesized stereospecifically and evaluated as inhibitors of animal and yeast oxidosqualene cyclases. Only trans-vinyldioxidosqualene and 2,3-epoxy-vinyl-beta-hydroxysulfides, having the reactive function at crucial positions 14,15 and 18,19, were active as inhibitors of animal and yeast cyclases. (14-trans)-28-Methylidene-2,3: 14,15-dioxidoundecanorsqualene 27 was the most potent inhibitor of the series of pig liver cyclase, with an IC50 of 0.4 microM, and it behaved also as the most active time-dependent inhibitor of the animal enzyme.     

Molecular cloning and expression of squalene synthase and 2,3-oxidosqualene cyclase genes in persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) fruits

Oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA) are the main triterpene acids in persimmon fruit, and squalene synthase and 2,3-oxidosqualene cyclases are important enzymes in pentacyclic triterpene biosynthesis. In order to study their relationship, DkSQS and DkOSC were cloned from persimmon fruits in the present study. The full-length cDNA of DkSQS was 1647 bp, containing an open reading frame (ORF) of 1245 bp that encoded a peptide of 415 amino acids (AA). The 3′-end of DkOSC cDNA fragment contained 522 bp, including a partial ORF of 298 bp, a full poly A tail that encoded 98 AA. Two cultivars of persimmon, i.e. cv. Nishimurawase and cv. Niuxinshi, were used to study the content of OA and UA and the related gene expression. Results showed that OA and UA contents changed in both cultivars during fruit development, the difference in cv. Nishimurawase was greater than that in cv. Niuxinshi. The expression of DkSQS and DkOSC had no obvious correlation with the biosynthesis of OA and UA in the flesh. There may be two main reasons. Firstly, different enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of triterpenes and mutual adjustment were existed in different gene expressions. Secondly, it was not clear that the DkOSC cloned in this research belonged to which subfamily. Therefore, the real relationship between triterpenes and DkSQS and DkOSC in persimmon fruits is still to be revealed.     

Pyrazoline based MAO inhibitors: synthesis, biological evaluation and SAR studies

Twenty-two pyrazoline derivatives were synthesized and tested for their human MAO (hMAO) inhibitory activity. Twelve molecules with unsubstituted ring A and substituted ring C (5-16) were found to be potent inhibitors of hMAO-A isoform with SI_MAO-A in the order 10³ and 10⁴. Ten molecules with unsubstituted ring A and without ring C (21-30), in which eight molecules (21, 23-26, and 28-30) were selective for hMAO-A, one for hMAO-B (22) and the other one non-selective (27). Presence of ring C increases potency as well as SI towards hMAO-A; however its absence decreases both potency and SI towards hMAO-A and hMAO-B.     

Structure-activity studies of cyclic ketone inhibitors of the serine protease plasmin: design, synthesis, and biological activity

Three series of cyclic ketone inhibitors were synthesized and evaluated against the serine protease plasmin. Peptide inhibitors that incorporated 3-oxotetrahydrofuran and 3-oxotetrahydrothiophene 1,1-dioxide groups had the highest activities. Alkylamino substituents, which were designed to bind in the S1 subsite of plasmin, were attached to the inhibitors. Compounds 5c and 5g, which incorporated 6-aminohexyl substituents, were found to be optimal and demonstrated IC₅₀ values in the low micromolar range. Incorporating conformationally constrained peptide segments into the inhibitors did not improve their activities.     

Rational design,synthesis and biological profiling of new KDM4C inhibitors

The human histone demethylases of the KDM4 family have been related to diseases such as prostate and breast cancer. Majority of currently known inhibitors suffer from the low permeability and low selectivity between the enzyme isoforms. In this study, toxoflavin motif was used to design and synthesize new KDM4C inhibitors with improved biological activity and in vitro ADME properties. Inhibitors displayed good passive cellular permeability and metabolic stability. However, diminishing of redox liability and consequently non-specific influence on cell viability still remains a challenge.     

Multisubstrate adduct inhibitors: Drug design and biological tools

In drug discovery, different methods exist to create new inhibitors possessing satisfactory biological activity. The multisubstrate adduct inhibitor (MAI) approach is one of these methods, which consists of a covalent combination between analogs of the substrate and the cofactor or of the multiple substrates used by the target enzyme. Adopted as the first line of investigation for many enzymes, this method has brought insights into the enzymatic mechanism, structure, and inhibitory requirements. In this review, the MAI approach, applied to different classes of enzyme, is reported from the point of view of biological activity.     

Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of new 2,3-diarylquinoline derivatives as selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors

A new group of 2,3-diarylquinoline derivatives possessing a methylsulfonyl COX-2 pharmacophore at the para-position of the C-2 phenyl ring were synthesized and evaluated as selective COX-2 inhibitors. In vitro COX-1/COX-2 structure–activity relationships were determined by varying the substituents on the C-4 quinoline ring. Among the 2,3-diarylquinolines, 2-(4-(methylsulfonyl) phenyl)-3-phenylquinoline-4-carboxylic acid (8) exhibited the highest potency and selectivity for COX-2 inhibitory activity (COX-2 IC₅₀ = 0.07 μM; selectivity index = 687.1) that was more selective than the reference drug celecoxib (COX-2 IC₅₀ = 0.06 μM; selectivity index = 405). A molecular modeling study where 8 was docked in the binding site of COX-2 indicated that the p-MeSO₂ COX-2 pharmacophore group on the C-2 phenyl ring is oriented in the vicinity of the COX-2 secondary pocket (Arg⁵¹³, Phe⁵¹⁸ and Val⁵²³) and the carboxylic acid substituent can interact with Ser⁵³⁰. The structure activity data acquired indicate that the size and nature of the C-4 quinoline substituent are important for COX-2 inhibitory activity.     

Indolinone based phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1) inhibitors. Part 1: design, synthesis and biological activity

HTS screening identified 1 with micromolar inhibitory activity against PDK1. Optimization of 1 afforded 4i (BX-517) which has single-digit nanomolar activity against PDK1 and excellent selectivity against PKA.     

Design,synthesis and biological studies of novel tubulin inhibitors

A series of compounds originally derived from the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, SU5416, were synthesized and evaluated. The most potent compound in this series, compound 3, which structurally resembles the potent anti-microtubule agent combretastatin A-4, inhibited tubulin polymerization and showed potent growth inhibitory activities on both prostate and breast cancer lines with IC₅₀ values in the low nanomolar range.     

Design, synthesis, and in vitro biological activity of benzimidazole based factor Xa inhibitors

Inhibitors based on the benzimidazole scaffold showed subnanomolar potency against Factor Xa with 500-1000-fold selectivity against thrombin and 50-100-fold selectivity against trypsin. The 2-substituent on the benzimidazole ring had a strong impact on the FXa inhibitory activity. Crystallography studies suggest that the 2-substituent may have a conformational effect favoring the extended binding conformation.     

Design and evaluation of a novel series of 2,3-oxidosqualene cyclase inhibitors with low systemic exposure, relationship between pharmacokinetic properties and ocular toxicity

We describe the discovery of novel potent inhibitors of 2,3-oxidosqualene:lanosterol cyclase inhibitors (OSCi) from a focused pharmacophore-based screen. Optimization of the most tractable hits gave a series of compounds showing inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis at 2mg/kg in the rat with distinct pharmacokinetic profiles. Two compounds were selected for toxicological study in the rat for 21 days in order to test the hypothesis that low systemic exposure could be used as a strategy to avoid the ocular side effects previously described with OSCi. We demonstrate that for this series of inhibitors, a reduction of systemic exposure is not sufficient to circumvent cataract liabilities.     

Molecular-modeling based design, synthesis, and activity of substituted piperidines as gamma-secretase inhibitors

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating disease widely thought to be associated with the accumulation of beta amyloid (Abeta) in the brain. Inhibition of gamma-secretase, one of the enzymes responsible for Abeta production, may be a useful strategy for the treatment of AD. Described below is a series of gamma-secretase inhibitors designed from a scaffold identified by a ROCS [J. Comput. Chem.1996, 17, 1653] search of the corporate database.     

Design, synthesis, and biological activity of novel Magmas inhibitors

Magmas (mitochondria associated, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor signaling molecule), is a highly conserved and essential gene, expressed in all cell types. We designed and synthesized several small molecule Magmas inhibitors (SMMI) and assayed their effects on proliferation in yeast. We found that the most active compound 9 inhibited growth at the 4 μM scale. This compound was shown by fluorometric titration to bind to Magmas with a K_d = 33 μM. Target specificity of the lead compound was established by demonstrating direct binding of the compound to Magmas and by genetic studies. Molecular modeling suggested that the inhibitor bound at the predicted site in Magmas.     

New N,N-dimethylcarbamate inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase: design synthesis and biological evaluation

Abstract

A series of N,N-dimethylcarbamates containing a N,N-dibenzylamino moiety was synthesized and tested to evaluate their ability to inhibit Acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The most active compounds 4 and 8, showed 85 and 69% of inhibition at 50?μM, respectively. Furthermore, some basic SAR rules were outlined: an alkyl linker of six methylene units is the best spacer between the carbamoyl and dibenzylamino moieties; electron-withdrawal substituents on aromatics rings of the dibenzylamino group reduce the inhibitory power. Compound 4 produces a slow onset inhibition of AChE and this is not due to the carbamoylation of the enzyme, as demonstrated by the time-dependent inhibition assay of AChE with compound 4 and by MALDI-TOF MS analysis of trypsinized AChE inhibited by compound 4. Instead, compound 4 could act as a slow-binding inhibitor of AChE, probably because of its high conformational freedom due to the linear alkyl chain.     

The design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of PIM kinase inhibitors

A series of substituted benzofuropyrimidinones with pan-PIM activities and excellent selectivity against a panel of diverse kinases is described. Initial exploration identified aryl benzofuropyrimidinones that were potent, but had cell permeability limitation. Using X-ray crystal structures of the bound PIM-1 complexes with 3, 5m, and 6d, we were able to guide the SAR and identify the alkyl benzofuropyrimidinone (6l) with good PIM potencies, permeability, and oral exposure.     

Towards novel S-DABOC inhibitors: synthesis, biological investigation, and molecular modeling studies

A small family of S-DABO cytosine analogs (S-DABOCs) has been synthesized and biologically evaluated as HIV-1 inhibitor both on wild type (wt) and drug-resistant mutants leading to the identification of an interesting compound (5d). Molecular modeling studies have been finally performed in order to rationalize the results.     

Fluorescent analogs of peptoid-based HDAC inhibitors: Synthesis,biological activity and cellular uptake kinetics

Fluorescent tagging of bioactive molecules is a powerful tool to study cellular uptake kinetics and is considered as an attractive alternative to radioligands. In this study, we developed fluorescent histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors and investigated their biological activity and cellular uptake kinetics. Our approach was to introduce a dansyl group as a fluorophore in the solvent-exposed cap region of the HDAC inhibitor pharmacophore model. Three novel fluorescent HDAC inhibitors were synthesized utilizing efficient submonomer protocols followed by the introduction of a hydroxamic acid or 2-aminoanilide moiety as zinc-binding group. All compounds were tested for their inhibition of selected HDAC isoforms, and docking studies were subsequently performed to rationalize the observed selectivity profiles. All HDAC inhibitors were further screened in proliferation assays in the esophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines OE33 and OE19. Compound 2, 6-((N-(2-(benzylamino)-2-oxoethyl)-5-(dimethylamino)naphthalene)-1-sulfonamido)-N-hydroxyhexanamide, displayed the highest HDAC inhibitory capacity as well as the strongest anti-proliferative activity. Fluorescence microscopy studies revealed that compound 2 showed the fastest uptake kinetic and reached the highest absolute fluorescence intensity of all compounds. Hence, the rapid and increased cellular uptake of 2 might contribute to its potent anti-proliferative properties.     

A new chitosan-thymine conjugate: synthesis, characterization and biological activity

Conjugation of chitosan with nucleobases is expected to expand its not only antimicrobial activity but also anti-cancer activity. Here, we report the synthesis of a novel chitosan-thymine conjugate by the reaction between chitosan and thymine-1-yl-acetic acid followed by acylation. The synthesized conjugate was characterized by FTIR, XRD, (1)H NMR, TGA and SEM. The microbiological screening results demonstrated the antimicrobial activity of the conjugate against bacteria viz., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and fungi viz., Aspergillus niger. The chitosan-thymine conjugate also inhibited (p<0.05) the proliferation of human liver cancer cells (HepG2) in a dose-dependent manner but had no cellular toxicity in non-cancerous mouse embryonal fibroblast cells (NIH 3T3). Thus, the chitosan-nucleobase conjugate may open a new perspective in biomedical applications.