Rational design of selective submicromolar inhibitors of Tritrichomonas foetus hypoxanthine-guanine-xanthine phosphoribosyltransferase

All parasitic protozoa lack the ability to synthesize purine nucleotides de novo, relying instead on purine salvage enzymes for their survival. Hypoxanthine-guanine-xanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGXPRT) from the protozoan parasite Tritrichomonas foetus is a rational target for antiparasitic drug design because it is the primary enzyme the parasite uses to salvage purine bases from the host. The study presented here is a continuation of our efforts to use the X-ray structure of the T. foetus HGXPRT-GMP complex to design compounds that bind tightly to the purine pocket of HGXPRT. The goal of the current project was to improve the affinity and selectivity of previously identified HGXPRT inhibitor TF1 [4-(3-nitroanilino)phthalic anhydride]. A virtual library of substituted 4-phthalimidocarboxanilides was constructed using methods of structure-based drug design, and was implemented synthetically on solid support. Compound 20 [(4'-phthalimido)carboxamido-3-benzyloxybenzene] was then used as a secondary lead for the second round of combinatorial chemistry, producing a number of low-micromolar inhibitors of HGXPRT. One of these compounds, TF2 [(4'-phthalimido)carboxamido-3-(4-bromobenzyloxy)benzene], was further characterized as a competitive inhibitor of T. foetus HGXPRT with respect to guanine with a K(I) of 0.49 microM and a 30-fold selectivity over the human HGPRT. TF2 inhibited the growth of cultured T. foetus cells in a concentration-dependent manner with an ED(50) of 2.8 microM, and this inhibitory effect could be reversed by addition of exogenous hypoxanthine. These studies underscore the efficiency of combining structure-based drug design with combinatorial chemistry to produce effective species-specific enzyme inhibitors of medicinal importance.

A new, more efficient, and effective process for the synthesis of a key pentacyclic intermediate for production of ecteinascidin and phthalascidin antitumor agents

An efficient process is described for the synthesis of 5, a key intermediate for the synthesis of the potent antitumor agents ecteinascidin 743 (1) and phthalascidin (2) from the readily available building blocks 3b and 4.

Synthesis and anticonvulsant and neurotoxic properties of substituted N-phenyl derivatives of the phthalimide pharmacophore

A series of compounds including 4-amino (1), 3-amino (2), 4-nitro (3), 2-methyl-3-amino (4), 2-methyl-3-nitro (5), 2-methyl-4-amino (6), 2-methyl-4-nitro (7), 2-methyl-5-amino (8), 2-methyl-5-nitro (9), 2-methyl-6-amino (10), 2-methyl-6-nitro (11), 2,6-dimethyl (12), 2-methyl-3-carboxy (13), 2-methoxycarbonyl (14), 2-methyl-4-methoxy (15), 2,4-dimethoxy (16), 2-chloro-4-amino (17), and 2-chloro-4-nitro (18) N-phenyl substituents of phthalimide were evaluated along with N-[3-methyl-(2-pyridinyl)]phthalimide (19), N-(3-amino-2-methylphenyl)succinimide (20), and phenytoin for anticonvulsant and neurotoxic properties. Initial screening in the intraperitoneal (ip) maximal electroshock-induced seizure (MES) test and the subcutaneous pentylenetetrazol-induced seizure (scPtz) test in mice led to the selection of 1, 2, 4, 10, 12, 17, and 19 for oral MES evaluation in rats. The resultant ED(50) values for 4, 10, 17, and phenytoin were 8.0, 28.3, 5.7 and 29.8 mg/kg, respectively. In the batrachotoxin affinity assay, IC(50) values for 17 and phenytoin were 0.15 and 0.93 microM, respectively, and in the recently validated magnesium deficiency-dependent audiogenic seizure test, ED(50) values of 5.2 and 23 mg/kg were obtained for 17 and phenytoin, respectively. Electrophysiology studies on compound 17 point out its ability to (i) potentiate GABA-evoked current responses with a failure to directly activate the GABAA receptor and (ii) to affect, at 100 microM excitatory non NMDA, but not NMDA, receptors with a 25% block of kainate-evoked response. Electrophysiology measurements on voltage-gated sodium channels in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells confirm voltage-dependent block of these channels by compound 17. In view of its interaction with multiple ion channels, one would predict that compound 17 might be active in a wide range of seizure models.

[New derivatives of pantolactonyl N-phthalimido-2-arylpropanoate]

We present the crystal and molecular structures of two new N-phthalyl-3-amino-2-arylpropionic acid pantolactonyl ester derivatives with 4-fluorophenyl and 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl as the aryl group, 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxofuran-3-yl 3-phthalimido-2-(4-fluorophenyl)propanoate, C23H20FNO6, and 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxofuran-3-yl 3-phthalimido-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)propanoate ethyl acetate hemisolvate, C25H25NO8.0.5C4H8O2. This structural study confirms the S configuration of the C2 and validates the stereospecificity of our synthesis strategy.

On the bioactive conformation of NAN-190 (1) and MP3022 (2), 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonists

Structural modifications of 1, a postsynaptic 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist, provided its flexible (8, 12) and rigid (7, 9, 11, 13) analogues. Compounds 7, 8, 9, and 11 showed high 5-HT(1A) receptor affinity (K(i) = 4-72 nM). They acted as 5-HT(1A) postsynaptic receptor antagonists, since, like 1, they inhibited the behavioral syndrome, i.e., flat body posture (FBP) and forepaw treading (FT), in reserpine-pretreated rats as well as the lower lip retraction (LLR) in rats, both induced by 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin hydrobromide (8-OH-DPAT), a 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist. Compound 12, which demonstrated high 5-HT(1A) receptor affinity (K(i) = 50 nM), revealed properties of a partial 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist: it induced LLR and, at the same time, inhibited FT in rats. Compound 13 (K(i) = 1600 nM) was not tested in a behavioral study. Restriction of the conformational freedom in 2, a full 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist, yielded compound 14 with high 5-HT(1A) receptor affinity (K(i) = 47 nM) and partial agonist properties at postsynaptic 5-HT(1A) receptors in the above tests in vivo; i.e., it induced LLR and inhibited FBP and FT in rats. New constrained analogues of 1 and 2 (compounds 7 and 14, respectively) were also synthesized to recognize a bioactive conformation of those 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonists. On the basis of in vitro and in vivo investigations, binding and functional properties of compound 7 were found to reflect those of 1 at 5-HT(1A) receptors. On the other hand, compound 14, a rigid analogue of 2, showed a different activity in vivo in comparison with the parent compound. PM3 and MM calculations revealed the existence of three low-energy conformers of 7 and six of 14, all of them belonging to the extended family of conformations. The optimized structures of both analogues had a different angle between aromatic planes of terminal fragments; moreover, the heteroaromatic system of those molecules occupied various space regions. Our present study provides support to the hypothesis that the bioactive conformation of 1, responsible for its postsynaptic 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonism, is an extended linear structure represented by 7.

Phthalimide analogs of CB 1954: synthesis and bioactivation

Four novel 4-substituted 5-nitrophthalimides (5-substituted-6-nitro-1,3-dihydro-isoindol-1,3-diones), 6, 7, 10 and 11, and the known 5 are prepared as analogs of the dinitrobenzamide prodrug CB 1954, 1, and considered as potential candidates for gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy. All the phthalimides are poor substrates for Escherichia coli nitroreductase compared to CB 1954. However, 6, 7, 10 and 11 are reduced by both the human and rat forms of DT-diaphorase; 10 is a particularly good substrate but 7 decomposes in phosphate buffer. A cell-line panel consisting of V79 cells that have been engineered to express various levels of either the human or rat forms of DT-diaphorase in an identical cellular background was used to evaluate these compounds as prodrugs activated by this enzyme. The cytotoxic effect of CB 1954 is proportional to the activity of either the rat or human enzyme but cells expressing the rat enzyme were much more sensitive (10000-fold at higher levels of DT-diaphorase activity) than cells expressing comparable levels of the human enzyme. These results demonstrate that the resistance of human tumors to CB 1954 can be accounted for solely by the kinetic properties of the enzyme for this prodrug. The nitrophthalimide analogs overcome this kinetic failing of CB 1954. However, these compounds are not activated to produce cytotoxicity in these DT-diaphorase-expressing cell lines. It is postulated their reduction products fail to undergo an acylation reaction in a manner analogous to CB 1954. Thus, reduction by DT-diaphorase is not predictive of cytotoxicity in this class of prodrugs.

Bisquaternary ligands of the common allosteric site of M2 acetylcholine receptors: search for the minimum essential distances between the pharmacophoric elements

Structurally diverse molecules, such as alcuronium, gallamine, and tubocurarine as well as W84 and WDUO, are known to interact allosterically with ligand binding to muscarinic M2 acetylcholine receptors. Preliminary molecular modeling studies revealed two positive charges in the middle and two lateral aromatic areas to be essential elements of a high allosteric potency. To find out the optimum distances between these pharmacophoric elements, a systematic variation of the spacer in the series of W84, WDUO, and IWDUO compounds was performed. The allosteric reduction of the rate of dissociation of the antagonist [3H]-N-methylscopolamine from porcine heart M2 receptors served as a test system. The minimal essential distance between the positive charges was found to be 10 A. The length of the peripheral spacers connecting the positive charge and the lateral aromatic moiety appears to depend on the chemical functionality; the peripheral spacers have to be long and flexible enough to position the aromatic skeletons in the spatial neighborhood of the alkane middle chain: in the case of an oxime ether containing peripheral spacer, six atoms are required, and in the case of an alkane chain, four carbon atoms are necessary to adopt the pharmacophoric S-shape conformation.

[Synthesis of optically active (R)- and (S)-tai-ding-an(TDA) and their anti-HSV activity evaluation]

Tai-Ding-An (3-phthalimido-2-oxo-n-butyraldehyde bisthiosemicarbazone, TDA) is an antiviral drug first synthesized in this institute. In order to clarify the difference between the two enantiomeric isomers of TDA, (R)- and (S)-TDA were synthesized from (R)- and (S)-alanine, respectively, via the following steps: fusing with phthalic anhydride gave 2-phthalimido alanine(2a or 2b). The resulting acid was reacted with thionyl chloride to offer the corresponding acid chloride(3a or 3b), which was treated with diazomethane to give the diazoketone(4a or 4b). Bromination of the ketone with hydrobromic acid gave the key intermediate 3-phthalimido-2-oxo-1-bromobutanone (5a or 5b). Compound 5a or 5b was oxidized with DMSO to give 6a or 6b, which was directly condensed with thiosemicarbazide to afford the desired (R)- or (S)-TDA. (R)-TDA, (S)-TDA and (RS)-TDA have been tested in cell culture for anti-Herpes simplex virus I (HSV-1) and HSV-2 activities by plaque reducing method. All of them showed inhibitory effects on HSV-1 and HSV-2 replication with IC50 of 0.0296 mmol.L-1, 0.0359 mmol.L-1 and 0.0418 mmol.L-1 for HSV-1 and 0.88 mmol.L-1, 1.04 mmol.L-1 and 1.06 mmol.L-1 for HSV-2. Not much difference was found among these compounds either on IC50 or on therapeutic indexes.

New phthalimide derivatives with potent analgesic activity: II

Seven new phthalimide derivatives (9a-g) with 1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl methyl group attached to nitrogen have been synthesized from N-phthaloylglycine 6 and arylamidoximes 7a-g. All of these showed potent analgesic effect with acetic acid induced "writhing" test in mice. One of the better compounds (ID50 = 2.2 mg/Kg i.p.) has been found to be 9a which also demonstrates analgesic activity against inflammatory pain.

Synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of some 2-N-(phthalimido)-1-alkyl esters

Synthesis and physicochemical properties of new 2-N-(phthalimido)-1-alkyl esters are described. Esters were synthesized from aromatic and heterocyclic acids with appropriate bromoalkyl phthalimides in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5,4,0]-undec-7-ene or triethylamine. The obtained compounds were evaluated for anticonvulsant activity. The display protection against MES and ScMet-induced seizures.

4-(5,6-dimethoxy-2-phthalimidinyl)phenylsulfonyl semipiperazide as a fluorescent labelling reagent for determination of carboxylic acids in precolumn high-performance liquid chromatography

A fluorescent labelling reagent, 4-(5,6-dimethoxy-2-phthalimidinyl)phenylsulfonyl semipiperazide, was designed for the determination of carboxylic acids by precolumn HPLC. The reagent was reacted with carboxylic acids at 100 degrees C for 15 min in the presence of an activating reagent (a mixture of triphenylphosphine, 2,2'-dipyridyldisulfide and pyridine) and produced highly fluorescent derivatives, which were separated on a reversed-phase column by fluorescence measurement at 317 nm (excitation) and 380 nm (emission). The detection limits were 4-12 fmol/injection. The reagent was used for HPLC assays of long chain fatty acids in human serum by isocratic elution.

Identification of a [3H]Ligand for the common allosteric site of muscarinic acetylcholine M2 receptors

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors bind allosteric modulators at a site apart from the orthosteric site used by conventional ligands. We tested in cardiac tissue whether modulator binding to ligand-occupied muscarinic M2 receptors is a preferential event that can be detected using a radioactive allosteric agent. The newly synthesized dimethyl-W84 (N,N'-bis[3-(1,3-dihydro-1, 3-dioxo-4-methyl-2H-isoindol-2-yl)propyl]-N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1, 6-hexanediaminium diiodide) has a particular high potency at M2 receptors occupied by the conventional antagonist N-methylscopolamine (NMS); dissociation of [3H]NMS is half-maximally retarded at an EC50,diss value of 3 nM. Using obidoxime as an "allosteric antagonist," evidence was found that dimethyl-W84 interacts with the postulated common allosteric site. Binding of [3H]dimethyl-W84 (0.3 nM; specific activity, 168 Ci/mmol) was measured in porcine heart homogenates (4 mM Na2HPO4, 1 mM KH2PO4, pH 7.4, 23 degrees) in the presence of 1 microM NMS. Homologous competition experiments revealed two components of saturable radioligand binding: one with a high affinity (KD = 2 nM) and small capacity ( approximately 30% of total saturable binding) and the other with a 20,000-fold lower affinity. The Bmax value of the high affinity sites (68 fmol/mg protein) matched muscarinic receptor density as determined by [3H]NMS (79 fmol/mg). Prototype allosteric agents, alcuronium, W84 (the parent compound of the radioligand), and gallamine, displaced high affinity [3H]dimethyl-W84 binding concentration-dependently (pKi values = 8.62, 7.83, and 6.72, respectively). The binding affinities of the modulators were in excellent correlation with their potencies to allosterically stabilize NMS/receptor complexes (EC50,diss = 8.40, 7.72, and 6.74, respectively). We conclude that high affinity binding of [3H]dimethyl-W84 reflects occupation of the common allosteric site of M2 receptors.

Human protoporphyrinogen oxidase: relation between the herbicide binding site and the flavin cofactor

Protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase (protox) catalyzes the oxidation of protoporphyrinogen IX to protoporphyrin IX in the penultimate step of heme and chlorophyll biosynthesis in animals and plants. Protox is the target of light-dependent peroxidizing herbicides and is inhibited at nanomolar levels by several chemical classes including tetrahydrophthalimides (discussed below) and diphenyl ethers (e.g., acifluorfen) usually with little selectivity between the mammalian and plant enzymes. The herbicide binding site is examined here with a photoaffinity radioligand optimized on the basis of structure-activity relationships. A radiosynthetic procedure is described for this new herbicidal probe, N-(5-azido-4-chloro-2-fluorophenyl)-3,4,5, 6-[3H]tetrahydrophthalimide ([3H]AzTHP), resulting in high specific activity (2.6 TBq/mmol). Human protox expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography is used with [3H]AzTHP to characterize the herbicide/substrate binding site. Specific binding of [3H]AzTHP to human protox is rapid, completely reversible in the absence of light with a Kd of 93 nM, and competitively inhibited by the 5-propargyloxy analogue and by acifluorfen, which are known to bind at the substrate (protoporphyrinogen) site. The Bmax establishes one [3H]AzTHP binding site per FAD. Diphenyleneiodonium, proposed to inhibit protox by interaction with the FAD cofactor, inhibits enzyme activity by 48% at 100 micro M without affecting [3H]AzTHP binding in the presence or absence of substrate, suggesting that the herbicide binding site may not be proximal to FAD. The first step has been taken in photoaffinity labeling the herbicide/substrate site with [3H]AzTHP resulting in apparent covalent derivatization of 13% of the herbicide binding site.

Phthalimidomethyl as a drug pro-moiety. Probing its reactivity

Phthalimidomethyl derivatives 1, encompassing a wide range of leaving group abilities, are rapidly hydrolysed to the corresponding phthalamic acid via rate-determining attack at the phthalimide carbonyl group.

Dual inhibition of human rhinovirus 2A and 3C proteases by homophthalimides

The 2A and 3C proteases encoded by human rhinoviruses (HRVs) are attractive targets for antiviral drug development due to their important roles in viral replication. Homophthalimides were originally identified as inhibitors of rhinovirus 3C protease through our screening effort. Previous studies have indicated that the antiviral activity of certain homophthalimides exceeded their in vitro inhibitory activity against the viral 3C protease, suggesting that an additional mechanism might be involved. Reported here is the identification of homophthalimides as potent inhibitors for another rhinovirus protease, designated 2A. Several homophthalimides exhibit time-dependent inhibition of the 2A protease in the low-micromolar range, and enzyme-inhibitor complexes were identified by mass spectrometry. Compound LY343814, one of the most potent inhibitors against HRV14 2A protease, had an antiviral 50% inhibitory concentration of 4.2 microM in the cell-based assay. Our data reveal that homophthalimides are not only 3C but also 2A protease inhibitors in vitro, implying that the antiviral activity associated with these compounds might result from inactivation of both 2A and 3C proteases in vivo. Since the processing of the viral polyprotein is hierarchical, dual inhibition of the two enzymes may result in cooperative inhibition of viral replication. On the basis of the current understanding of their enzyme inhibitory mechanism, homophthalimides, as a group of novel nonpeptidic antirhinovirus agents, merit further structure-action relationship studies.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha production-inhibiting activity of phthalimide analogues on human leukemia THP-1 cells and a structure-activity relationship study

N-Substituted phthalimides (2-substituted 1H-isoindole-1,3-diones) were prepared and their inhibitory effects on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production by human leukemia cell line THP-1 stimulated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) or okadaic acid (OA) were examined. A structure-activity relationship study of these phthalimide analogues revealed that their inhibitory effects on TPA- and OA-induced TNF-alpha production by THP-1 cells are well correlated to each other, i.e. they may involve the same target molecule(s). An analysis by the use of phthalimide analogue-immobilized affinity gels indicated the existence of several phthalimide-binding proteins in THP-1 cell extract.

Novel biological response modifiers: phthalimides with tumor necrosis factor-alpha production-regulating activity

Novel N-substituted phthalimides (2-substituted 1H-isoindole-1,3-diones) were prepared, and their effects on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production by human leukemia cell line HL-60 stimulated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) or okadaic acid (OA) were examined. A structure-activity relationship study of the N-phenylphthalimides and N-benzylphthalimides revealed that their enhancing effect on TPA-induced TNF-alpha production by HL-60 cells and their inhibiting effect on OA-induced TNF-alpha production by HL-60 cells are only partially correlated.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new fragments from kirromycin antibiotic

New N-acyl derivatives of 1-N-desmethyl goldinamine were obtained from degradation of kirromycin. Periodate-oxidation of these derivatives provided new aldehydic fragments that were further elaborated. Both N-phenyl ureido and N-phthalimido derivatives of 1-N-desmethyl goldinamine are able to inhibit bacterial protein synthesis in cell-free assay and are active against whole microorganisms, although with lower potency than kirromycin. The derivatives from the aldehydic fragments are totally inactive.

Evidence for a multiple binding mode of bispyridinium-type allosteric modulators of muscarinic receptors

The ligand binding properties of muscarinic receptors can be modulated by allosterically acting compounds. Here, a set of novel bispyridinium-type compounds was investigated which were designed to study structure-activity relationships and to provide more insight into the molecular events underlying the allosteric delay of the dissociation of [3H]N-methylscopolamine from muscarinic M2 receptors in porcine cardiac membranes. The parent compound, a non-substituted bispyridinium oxime, displayed a weak allosteric potency and was unable to prevent radioligand dissociation at maximum concentrations. Introduction of either a phthalimidomethyl-moiety or a dichlorobenzyl-moiety at one end of the parent compound led to a considerable increase of the allosteric activity with regard to both the potency and the maximum effect. In these unilaterally ring-substituted bispyridiniums, homologous contralateral non-aromatic modifications were accompanied by divergent potency shifts depending on whether the unilateral ring was phthalimidomethyl or dichlorobenzyl. The findings point to a multiple binding mode of bispyridinium compounds at M2 receptors in the [3H]N-methylscopolamine-occupied state, i.e., different orientations of the compounds at the allosteric binding area or even an interaction with distinct allosteric recognition sites.

Inducer-specific regulators of tumor necrosis factor alpha production

Novel potent regulators of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) production by a human promyelocytic leukemia cell line, HL-60, were prepared. All the compounds showed inducer-specific and bidirectional regulation of TNF-alpha production, i.e., they enhanced 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced TNF-alpha production, while they inhibited okadaic acid-induced one.

Fragmentation of isomeric N-quinolinylphthalimides on electron impact ionization

The isomeric 2-, 3-, 5-, 6- and 8-quinolinylphthalimides give rise to different electron impact ionization mass spectra, which permit easy distinction. The specific fragmentation process are rationalized in terms of proximity effects and stabilization of cyclic ion structures. Collision-induced dissociation spectra were used to support the proposed ion structures of major fragment ions.

Effect of linking bridge modifications on the antipsychotic profile of some phthalimide and isoindolinone derivatives

A series of phthalimide and isoindolinone derivatives bridged to 4-(1,2-benzisothiazol-3-yl)-1-piperazinyl was prepared. The compounds were evaluated in vitro at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT1a and 5-HT2 receptors and in vivo for their ability to antagonize the apomorphine-induced climbing response in mice. The effects of bridge length and conformation on the biological activity of these potential antipsychotic agents are discussed. A four-carbon spacer provided optimal activity within the two homologous series. Conformational investigations of the lead compound, isoindolinone 2, were conducted in an attempt to account for the superior activity observed for the butyl derivatives. On the basis of NMR and molecular modeling studies, two types of folded structures were proposed and several conformationally restrained analogues were synthesized. In general, restrictions incorporated within the linking bridge were detrimental to activity.