Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Isoquinoline-1,3,4-trione Derivatives as Potent Caspase-3 Inhibitors

Synthesis and evaluation of N-acyl-substituted 1,2-benzisothiazol-3-one derivatives as caspase-3 inhibitors

A small molecule library of N-acyl-substituted 1,2-benzisothiazol-3-one derivatives has been synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of caspase-3 and -7, in which some of them showed nanomolar potency against caspase-3 and -7 in vitro. Meanwhile, in 10 lM concentration, both compounds 24 and 25 showed significant protection against apoptosis in camptothecin-induced Jurkat T cells system. The docking studies predicted the interactions and binding modes of the synthesized inhibitors in the caspase-3 active site.

Crystal structure of 2-(1,3-dioxoindan-2-yl)isoquinoline-1,3,4-trione

In the title isoquinoline-1,3,4-trione derivative, C18H9NO5, the five-membered ring of the indane fragment adopts an envelope conformation with the nitrogen-substituted C atom being the flap. The planes of the indane benzene ring and the isoquinoline-1,3,4-trione ring make a dihedral angle of 82.06 (6)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked into chains extending along thebcplaneviaC—H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions, enclosingR22(8) andR22(10) loops. The chains are further connected by π–π stacking interations, with centroid-to-centroid distances of 3.9050 (7) Å, forming layers parallel to thebaxis.

Molybdate sulfuric acid (MSA): an efficient solid acid catalyst for the synthesis of diversely functionalized fused imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines under solvent-free conditions

Synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines has been accomplished for the first time under solvent-free conditions using molybdate sulfuric acid (MSA) as a heterogeneous catalyst. The present protocol is operationally simple, green and offers several advantages over the existing methods.

A general metal free approach to α-ketoamides via oxidative amidation–diketonization of terminal alkynes

A metal free catalytic system employing TMSOTf/I₂/DMSO for the oxidative amidation–diketonization of terminal alkynes, in order to produce a wide variety of α-ketoamides, has been developed.

Metal-free in situ sp3, sp2, and sp C–H functionalization and oxidative cross coupling with benzamidines hydrochloride: a promising approach for the synthesis of α-ketoimides

A new metal-free tandem protocol for the synthesis of α-ketoimides via sp³, sp², and sp C–H functionalization followed by oxidative cross coupling with benzamidines hydrochloride using catalytic iodine with TBHP in DMSO has been developed.

Synthesis of isoquinoline-1,3(2H,4H)-dione derivatives via cascade reactions of N-alkyl-N-methacryloyl benzamide with aryl aldehydes

A cascade reaction between N-alkyl-N-methacryloylbenzamide and aryl aldehydes was developed to generate isoquinoline-1,3(2H,4H)-dione derivatives.

OxymaPure/DIC: an efficient reagent for the synthesis of a novel series of 4-[2-(2-acetylaminophenyl)-2-oxo-acetylamino] benzoyl amino acid ester derivatives

OxymaPure (ethyl 2-cyano-2-(hydroxyimino)acetate) was tested as an additive for use in the carbodiimide (DIC) approach for the synthesis of a novel series of α-ketoamide derivatives (4-[2-(2-acetylaminophenyl)-2-oxo-acetylamino]benzoyl amino acid ester derivatives). OxymaPure showed clear superiority to HOBt/DIC or carbodiimide alone in terms of purity and yield. The title compounds were synthesized via the ring opening of N-acylisatin. First, N-acetylisatin was reacted with 4-aminobenzoic acid under conventional heating as well as microwave irradiation to afford 4-(2-(2-acetamidophenyl)-2-oxoacetamido)benzoic acid. This α-ketoamide was coupled to different amino acid esters using OxymaPure/DIC as a coupling reagent to afford 4-[2-(2-acetylaminophenyl)-2-oxo-acetylamino]benzoyl amino acid ester derivatives in excellent yield and purity. The synthesized compounds were characterized using FT-IR, NMR, and elemental analysis.

A label-free LC/MS/MS-based enzymatic activity assay for the detection of genuine caspase inhibitors and SAR development

The resurgence of interest in caspases (Csp) as therapeutic targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases prompted us to examine the suitability of published nonpeptidic Csp-3 and Csp-6 inhibitors for our medicinal chemistry programs. To support this effort, fluorescence-based Csp-2, Csp-3, and Csp-6 enzymatic assays were optimized for robustness against apparent enzyme inhibition caused by redox-cycling or aggregating compounds. The data obtained under these improved conditions challenge the validity of previously published data on Csp-3 and Csp-6 inhibitors for all but one series, namely, the isatins. Furthermore, in this series, it was observed that the nature of the rhodamine-labeled substrate, typically used to measure caspase activity, interfered with the pharmacological sensitivity of the Csp-2 assay. As a result, a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry-based assay that eliminates label-dependent assay interference was developed for Csp-2 and Csp-3. In these label-free assays, the activity values of the Csp-2 and Csp-3 reference inhibitors were in agreement with those obtained with the fluorogenic substrates. However, isatin 10a was 50-fold less potent in the label-free Csp-2 assay compared with the rhodamine-based fluorescence format, thus proving the need for an orthogonal readout to validate inhibitors in this class of targets highly susceptible to artifactual inhibition.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of 1,2-benzisothiazol-3-one derivatives as potent caspase-3 inhibitors

A number of 1,2-benzisothiazol-3-one derivatives were prepared through structural modification of the original compound from high-throughput screening. Some analogues (e.g., 6b, 6r, 6s and 6w) were identified as novel and potent caspase inhibitors with IC50 of nanomolar. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies for caspase-3 inhibition were evaluated in vitro. Molecular modeling studies provided further insight into the interaction of this class of compounds with activated caspase-3. The present small molecule caspase-3 inhibitor with novel structures different from structures of known caspase inhibitors revealed a new direction for therapeutic strategies directed against diseases involving abnormally up-regulated apoptosis.

Photo-induced cycloaddition reactions of α-diketones and transformations of the photocycloadducts

Photocycloaddition, along with subsequent transformation of the photocycloadducts, provides expeditious ways to construct various structures. The photo-induced reactions of α-diketones have been reported to proceed via different reaction pathways with the involvement of one or two of the carbonyl groups. Photoinduced reactions of cyclic α-diketones including N-acetylisatin, phenanthrenequinone and isoquinolinetrione with different C=C containing compounds could take place via [2 + 2], [4 + 2] or [4 + 4] photocycloaddition pathways. We have investigated the photoreactions of these cyclic α-diketones with different types of alkenes and alkynes, with a focus on the unusual cascade reactions initiated by the photocycloaddition reactions of these cyclic α-diketones and the applications of these photocycloaddition reactions along with the transformation of the photocycloadducts. In this paper, we discuss the diverse photo-cycloaddition pathways found in the photocycloaddition of o-diones leading to various photocycloadducts and the potential applications of these reactions via further transformation reactions of the adducts.

An Efficient and Mild Method for the Synthesis and Hydrazinolysis ofN-Glyoxylamino Acid Esters

N-Glyoxylamino acid ester derivatives were synthesized via the ring opening ofN-acetylisatin using moderate conditions. During the hydrazinolysis ofN-glyoxylamino acid ester derivatives with hydrazine hydrate (80%) in methanol, unexpected reduction of theα-keto group occurred to affordN-acylamino acid hydrazide derivatives in good yield (80–90%) (Wolff-Kishner type reaction). All the synthesized compounds were characterized by1H NMR,13C NMR, and elemental microanalysis.

A novel class of small-molecule caspase-3 inhibitors prepared by multicomponent reactions

A series of tetra- and pentasubstituted polyfunctional dihydropyrroles 5 and 6 were synthesized via practical multicomponent reactions (MCRs) for research on their structure-activity relationship as caspase-3 inhibitors. Among 39 compounds evaluated, 14 of them exhibited inhibition against caspase-3 with IC(50) ranging from 5 to 20 μM. The inhibitory activities of 5 and 6 depend on the nature of substituents on different positions. 5 and 6 possess a different scaffold from those previously reported and are the first caspase-3 inhibitors prepared via MCRs. The most active compounds 5k (IC(50) = 5.27 μM) could therefore be used as a lead for the development of highly potent caspase-3 inhibitors as drug candidates for therapeutic agents by taking advantage of MCRs.

Methyl 4'-benzyl-2,2'-dimethyl-1,3-dioxo-2,3-dihydro-1H,4'H-spiro-[iso-quinoline-4,5'-oxazole]-4'-carboxyl-ate

In the isoquinoline ring system of the title mol-ecule, C(22)H(20)N(2)O(5), the N-heterocyclic ring is in a half-boat conformation. The least-squares plane of the dioxa-2-aza-spiro ring [maximum deviation = 0.076 (1) Å] and forms a dihedral angle of 14.54 (4)° with the phenyl ring. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked via inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into layers parallel to (100).

5-Meth-oxy-1,2',3-trimethyl-4,6-dioxa-2-aza-spiro-[bicyclo-[3.2.0]hept-2-ene-7,4'-isoquinoline]-1',3'(2'H,4'H)-dione

In the isoquinoline ring system of the title mol­ecule, C₁₆H₁₆N₂O₅, the N-heterocyclic ring is in a half-boat conformation. The dioxaaza­spiro ring is essentially planar [maximum deviation = 0.022 (1) Å] and forms a dihedral angle of 24.56 (4)° with the benzene ring.

1-Benzyl-5-meth-oxy-2',3-dimethyl-4,6-dioxa-2-aza-spiro-[bicyclo-[3.2.0]hept-2-ene-7,4'-isoquinoline]-1',3'(2'H,4'H)-dione

In the isoquinoline ring system of the title mol­ecule, C₂₂H₂₀N₂O₅, the N-heterocyclic ring is in a half-boat conformation. The dioxa-2-aza­spiro ring is essentially planar [maximum deviation = 0.026 (1) Å] and forms dihedral angles of 22.53 (5) and 64.46 (5)° with the benzene and phenyl rings, respectively. The mol­ecular structure is stabilized by a weak intra­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond, which generates an S(7) ring motif. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked via weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O and C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds into layers parallel to (102).

(1S*,4'S*,5R*)-1-Isobutyl-5-meth-oxy-2',3-dimethyl-4,6-dioxa-2-aza-spiro-[bicyclo-[3.2.0]hept-2-ene-7,4'-isoquinoline]-1',3'(2'H,4'H)-dione

In the isoquinoline ring system of the title compound, C₁₉H₂₂N₂O₅, the N-heterocyclic ring is in a half-chair conformation. The dioxa-2-aza­spiro ring is essentially planar [maximum deviation of 0.025 (1) Å] and forms a dihedral angle of 23.51 (5)° with the benzene ring. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked via weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O and C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds into chains along [010].

(1S*,4'S*,5R*)-1-Isopropyl-5-meth-oxy-2',3-dimethyl-4,6-dioxa-2-aza-spiro-[bicyclo-[3.2.0]hept-2-ene-7,4'-isoquinoline]-1',3'(2'H,4'H)-dione

In the isoquinoline ring system of the title mol­ecule, C₁₈H₂₀N₂O₅, the N-heterocyclic ring is in a half-boat conformation. The dioxa-2-aza­spiro ring is essentially planar, with a maximum deviation of 0.029 (1) Å, and makes a dihedral angle of 30.63 (5)° with the benzene ring. The mol­ecular structure is stabilized by a weak intra­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond, which generates a S(6) ring motif. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked via weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional supra­molecular network. Additional stabilization is provided by π–π stacking inter­actions between symmetry-related benzene rings with a centroid–centroid distance of 3.6507 (5) Å.

4-[(2,4-Dimethyl-1,3-oxazol-5-yl)meth-yl]-4-hydr-oxy-2-methyl-isoquinoline-1,3(2H,4H)-dione

In the title isoquinolinedione derivative, C₁₆H₁₆N₂O₄, the piperidine ring in the tetra­hydro­isoquinoline unit adopts a half-boat conformation. The essentially planar oxazole ring [maximum deviation = 0.004 (2) Å] is inclined at a dihedral angle of 36.00 (8)° to the tetra­hydro­isoquinoline unit. In the crystal structure, pairs of inter­molecular C—H⋯O and O—H⋯N inter­actions link the mol­ecules into chains incorporating R₂²(9) ring motifs. Two neighbouring chains are further inter­connected by inter­molecular C—H⋯O inter­actions into chains two mol­ecules wide along the a axis.

Preparation of the caspase-3/7 substrate Ac-DEVD-pNA by solution-phase peptide synthesis

This protocol describes the gram-scale solution-phase synthesis of the colorimetric caspase-3/7 substrate Ac-DEVD-pNA. The caspase enzymes are integral to cellular inflammation and apoptotic cascades, and are commonly studied by cell biologists, medicinal chemists and chemical biologists. In particular, the assessment of caspase enzymatic activity is a standard method to evaluate cell death pathways and new apoptosis-modulating agents. Caspase enzymatic activity can be conveniently monitored with peptidic chromogenic or fluorogenic substrates, with certain peptide sequences imparting selectivity for certain caspases. The synthesis of these peptide substrates is typically carried out by solid-phase synthesis, a method that is not ideal for production of the gram quantities needed for high-throughput screening. Described herein is a facile method for the synthesis of the Ac-DEVD-pNA caspase-3/7 substrate using solution-phase peptide synthesis. This protocol, involving iterative PyBOP-mediated couplings and Fmoc deprotections, is rapid (about 5 d), operationally simple and can be used to generate over 1 g of product at a fraction of the cost of the commercial substrate.

Combinatorial protocol in multiple linear regression/partial least-squares directed rationale for the caspase-3 inhibition activity of isoquinoline-1,3,4-trione derivatives

The caspase-3 inhibition activity of isoquinoline-1,3,4-trione derivatives has been analysed with the topological and molecular features from Dragon software. Analysis of the structural features in conjunction with the biological endpoints in combinatorial protocol in multiple linear regression (CP-MLR) led to the identification of 45 descriptors for modelling the activity. The study clearly suggested the role of rotatable bonds, mean information on the distance degree equality, radial centricity, bond and structural information content of five-order neighbourhood symmetry, atomic van der Waals volumes and the presence or absence of certain structural fragments to optimise the caspase-3 inhibitory activity of titled compounds. The models developed and the participating descriptors advocate that the substituent groups of the isoquinoline moiety hold scope for further modification in the optimization of the caspase-3 inhibitory activity. Analysis of these descriptors in partial least squares (PLS) highlighted their relative significance in modulating the biological response. The selected descriptors are enriched with information corresponding to the activity when compared to the remaining ones.

Molecular regulation of DNA damage-induced apoptosis in neurons of cerebral cortex

Cerebral cortical neuron degeneration occurs in brain disorders manifesting throughout life, but the mechanisms are understood poorly. We used cultured embryonic mouse cortical neurons and an in vivo mouse model to study mechanisms of DNA damaged-induced apoptosis in immature and differentiated neurons. p53 drives apoptosis of immature and differentiated cortical neurons through its rapid and prominent activation stimulated by DNA strand breaks induced by topoisomerase-I and -II inhibition. Blocking p53-DNA transactivation with alpha-pifithrin protects immature neurons; blocking p53-mitochondrial functions with mu-pifithrin protects differentiated neurons. Mitochondrial death proteins are upregulated in apoptotic immature and differentiated neurons and have nonredundant proapoptotic functions; Bak is more dominant than Bax in differentiated neurons. p53 phosphorylation is mediated by ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase. ATM inactivation is antiapoptotic, particularly in differentiated neurons, whereas inhibition of c-Abl protects immature neurons but not differentiated neurons. Cell death protein expression patterns in mouse forebrain are mostly similar to cultured neurons. DNA damage induces prominent p53 activation and apoptosis in cerebral cortex in vivo. Thus, DNA strand breaks in cortical neurons induce rapid p53-mediated apoptosis through actions of upstream ATM and c-Abl kinases and downstream mitochondrial death proteins. This molecular network operates through variations depending on neuron maturity.

Isoquinoline-1,3,4-trione derivatives inactivate caspase-3 by generation of reactive oxygen species

Caspase-3 is an attractive therapeutic target for treatment of diseases involving disregulated apoptosis. We report here the mechanism of caspase-3 inactivation by isoquinoline-1,3,4-trione derivatives. Kinetic analysis indicates the compounds can irreversibly inactivate caspase-3 in a 1,4-dithiothreitol (DTT)- and oxygen-dependent manner, implying that a redox cycle might take place in the inactivation process. Reactive oxygen species detection experiments using a chemical indicator, together with electron spin resonance measurement, suggest that ROS can be generated by reaction of isoquinoline-1,3,4-trione derivatives with DTT. Oxygen-free radical scavenger catalase and superoxide dismutase eliciting the inactivation of caspase-3 by the inhibitors confirm that ROS mediates the inactivation process. Crystal structures of caspase-3 in complexes with isoquinoline-1,3,4-trione derivatives show that the catalytic cysteine is oxidized to sulfonic acid (-SO(3)H) and isoquinoline-1,3,4-trione derivatives are bound at the dimer interface of caspase-3. Further mutagenesis study shows that the binding of the inhibitors with caspase-3 appears to be nonspecific. Isoquinoline-1,3,4-trione derivative-catalyzed caspase-3 inactivation could also be observed when DTT is substituted with dihydrolipoic acid, which exists widely in cells and might play an important role in the in vivo inactivation process in which the inhibitors inactivate caspase-3 in cells and then prevent the cells from apoptosis. These results provide valuable information for further development of small molecular inhibitors against caspase-3 or other oxidation-sensitive proteins.

Disease-modifying therapies in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that places a substantial burden on patients, their families, and society. The disease affects approximately 5 million individuals in the United States, with an annual cost of care greater than $100 billion. During the past dozen years, several agents have been approved that enhance cognition and global function of AD patients, and recent advances in understanding AD pathogenesis has led to the development of numerous compounds that might modify the disease process. A wide array of antiamyloid and neuroprotective therapeutic approaches are under investigation on the basis of the hypothesis that amyloid beta (A beta) protein plays a pivotal role in disease onset and progression and that secondary consequences of A beta generation and deposition, including tau hyperphosphorylation and neurofibrillary tangle formation, oxidation, inflammation, and excitotoxicity, contribute to the disease process. Interventions in these processes with agents that reduce amyloid production, limit aggregation, or increase removal might block the cascade of events comprising AD pathogenesis. Reducing tau hyperphosphorylation, limiting oxidation and excitotoxicity, and controlling inflammation might be beneficial disease-modifying strategies. Potentially neuroprotective and restorative treatments such as neurotrophins, neurotrophic factor enhancers, and stem cell-related approaches are also under investigation.