Synthesis and biological evaluation of 4-oxoquinoline-3-carboxamides derivatives as potent anti-fibrosis agents

Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Molecular Modeling Studies of New 8-methyl-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carbohydrazides as Potential Anti-HIV Agents

Background

The development of a highly safe and potent scaffold is a significant challenge in anti-HIV drug discovery.

Objectives

This study aimed at developing a novel series of anti-HIV agents based on HIV integrase inhibitor pharmacophores.

Methods

A novel series of 8-methyl-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carbohydrazide derivatives featuring various substituted benzoyl and N-phenyl carboxamide and carbothioamide moieties were designed and synthesized.

Results

According to the biological evaluation, all the developed compounds were effective against HIV at concentrations lower than 150 µM, associated with no significant cytotoxicity (CC50 > 500 µM).

Conclusions

Compound 8b, possessing a 4-fluorobenzoyl group, was the most potent compound, with an EC50 of 75 µM. Docking studies revealed that the binding modes of designed compounds are similar to the known HIV integrase inhibitors.

15.4.5 Quinolinones and Related Systems (Update 2022)

Quinolinones, of which the quinolin-4(1H)-one ring system can be highlighted, represent an exciting class of nitrogen heterocycles. The quinolinone motif can be found in many natural compounds and approved drugs for several diseases. This chapter is a comprehensive survey of the methods for the synthesis of quinolin-2(1H)-ones, quinolin-4(1H)-ones, and their thio- and amino derivatives, and is an update to the previous Science of Synthesis chapter (Section 15.4), covering the period between 2003 and 2020.

Synthesis of Novel 2-(Pyridin-2-yl) Pyrimidine Derivatives and Study of Their Anti-Fibrosis Activity

A pyrimidine moiety exhibiting a wide range of pharmacological activities has been employed in the design of privileged structures in medicinal chemistry. To prepare libraries of novel heterocyclic compounds with potential biological activities, a series of novel 2-(pyridin-2-yl) pyrimidine derivatives were designed, synthesized and their biological activities were evaluated against immortalized rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6). Fourteen compounds were found to present better anti-fibrotic activities than Pirfenidone and Bipy55'DC. Among them, compounds ethyl 6-(5-(p-tolylcarbamoyl)pyrimidin-2-yl)nicotinate (12m) and ethyl 6-(5-((3,4-difluorophenyl)carbamoyl)pyrimidin-2-yl)nicotinate (12q) show the best activities with IC₅₀ values of 45.69 μM and 45.81 μM, respectively. Furthermore, the study of anti-fibrosis activity was evaluated by Picro-Sirius red staining, hydroxyproline assay and ELISA detection of Collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1) protein expression. Our study showed that compounds 12m and 12q effectively inhibited the expression of collagen, and the content of hydroxyproline in cell culture medium in vitro, indicating that compounds 12m and 12q might be developed the novel anti-fibrotic drugs.

Synthesis and discovery of new compounds bearing coumarin scaffold for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, characterized by excess accumulation of extracellular matrix, involved in many chronic diseases or injuries, threatens human health greatly. We have reported a series of compounds bearing coumarin scaffold which potently inhibited TGF-β-induced total collagen accumulation in NRK-49F cell line and migration of macrophages. Compound 9d also suppressed the TGF-β-induced protein expression of COL1A1, α-SMA, and p-Smad3 in vitro. Meanwhile, 9d at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day through oral administrations for 4 weeks effectively alleviated infiltration of inflammatory cells in lung tissue and fibrotic degree in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model, which may related to its inhibition of TGF-β/Smad3 pathway and anti-inflammation efficacy. In addition, 9d demonstrated decent bioavailability (F = 39.88%) and suitable eliminated half-life time (T_1/2 = 13.09 h), suggesting that 9d could be a potential drug candidate for the treatment of fibrotic diseases.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Ursolic acid Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Prodrugs

Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural product which has been shown to possess a wide range of pharmacological activities, in particular those with anticancer activity. In this study, 13 novel ursolic acid derivatives were designed and synthesized in an attempt to further improve compound potency. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were confirmed using mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and (1) H NMR. The ability of the UA derivatives to inhibit cell growth was assayed against both various tumor cell lines and a non-pathogenic cell line, HELF. Analysis of theoretical toxicity risks for all derivatives was performed using OSIRIS and indicated that the majority of compounds would present moderate to low risks. Pharmacological results indicated that the majority of the derivatives were more potent growth inhibitors than UA. In particular, 5b demonstrated IC50 values ranging from 4.09 ± 0.27 to 7.78 ± 0.43 μm against 12 different tumor cell lines. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that 5b induced G0/G1 arrest in three of these cell lines. These results were validated by structural docking studies, which confirmed that UA could bind to cyclins D1 (Cyc D1) and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK6), the key regulators of G0/G1 transition in cell cycle, while the piperazine moiety of 5b could bind with glucokinase (GK), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), and ATPase, which are the main proteins involved in cancer cell metabolism. Acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining confirmed that 5b was capable of inducing apoptosis and decreasing cell viability in a dose-dependent manner.