Development of an a priori computational approach for brain uptake of compounds in an insect model system

Opportunities and challenges in application of artificial intelligence in pharmacology

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a machine science that can mimic human behaviour like intelligent analysis of data. AI functions with specialized algorithms and integrates with deep and machine learning. Living in the digital world can generate a huge amount of medical data every day. Therefore, we need an automated and reliable evaluation tool that can make decisions more accurately and faster. Machine learning has the potential to learn, understand and analyse the data used in healthcare systems. In the last few years, AI is known to be employed in various fields in pharmaceutical science especially in pharmacological research. It helps in the analysis of preclinical (laboratory animals) and clinical (in human) trial data. AI also plays important role in various processes such as drug discovery/manufacturing, diagnosis of big data for disease identification, personalized treatment, clinical trial research, radiotherapy, surgical robotics, smart electronic health records, and epidemic outbreak prediction. Moreover, AI has been used in the evaluation of biomarkers and diseases. In this review, we explain various models and general processes of machine learning and their role in pharmacological science. Therefore, AI with deep learning and machine learning could be relevant in pharmacological research.

Identification of Potential Insect Growth Inhibitor against Aedes aegypti: A Bioinformatics Approach

Aedes aegypti is the main vector that transmits viral diseases such as dengue, hemorrhagic dengue, urban yellow fever, zika, and chikungunya. Worldwide, many cases of dengue have been reported in recent years, showing significant growth. The best way to manage diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti is to control the vector with insecticides, which have already been shown to be toxic to humans; moreover, insects have developed resistance. Thus, the development of new insecticides is considered an emergency. One way to achieve this goal is to apply computational methods based on ligands and target information. In this study, sixteen compounds with acceptable insecticidal activities, with 100% larvicidal activity at low concentrations (2.0 to 0.001 mg·L−1), were selected from the literature. These compounds were used to build up and validate pharmacophore models. Pharmacophore model 6 (AUC = 0.78; BEDROC = 0.6) was used to filter 4793 compounds from the subset of lead-like compounds from the ZINC database; 4142 compounds (dG < 0 kcal/mol) were then aligned to the active site of the juvenile hormone receptor Aedes aegypti (PDB: 5V13), 2240 compounds (LE < −0.40 kcal/mol) were prioritized for molecular docking from the construction of a chitin deacetylase model of Aedes aegypti by the homology modeling of the Bombyx mori species (PDB: 5ZNT), which aligned 1959 compounds (dG < 0 kcal/mol), and 20 compounds (LE < −0.4 kcal/mol) were predicted for pharmacokinetic and toxicological prediction in silico (Preadmet, SwissADMET, and eMolTox programs). Finally, the theoretical routes of compounds M01, M02, M03, M04, and M05 were proposed. Compounds M01−M05 were selected, showing significant differences in pharmacokinetic and toxicological parameters in relation to positive controls and interaction with catalytic residues among key protein sites reported in the literature. For this reason, the molecules investigated here are dual inhibitors of the enzymes chitin synthase and juvenile hormonal protein from insects and humans, characterizing them as potential insecticides against the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

Looking at Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing from the Perspective of an Invertebrate Embryo

Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) of chemical compounds disrupts the formation of a normal brain. There is impressive progress in the development of alternative testing methods for DNT potential in chemicals, some of which also incorporate invertebrate animals. This review briefly touches upon studies on the genetically tractable model organisms of Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster about the action of specific developmental neurotoxicants. The formation of a functional nervous system requires precisely timed axonal pathfinding to the correct cellular targets. To address this complex key event, our lab developed an alternative assay using a serum-free culture of intact locust embryos. The first neural pathways in the leg of embryonic locusts are established by a pair of afferent pioneer neurons which use guidance cues from membrane-bound and diffusible semaphorin proteins. In a systematic approach according to recommendations for alternative testing, the embryo assay quantifies defects in pioneer navigation after exposure to a panel of recognized test compounds for DNT. The outcome indicates a high predictability for test-compound classification. Since the pyramidal neurons of the mammalian cortex also use a semaphorin gradient for neurite guidance, the assay is based on evolutionary conserved cellular mechanisms, supporting its relevance for cortical development.

The Mitochondrial mitoNEET Ligand NL-1 Is Protective in a Murine Model of Transient Cerebral Ischemic Stroke

PURPOSE

Therapeutic strategies to treat ischemic stroke are limited due to the heterogeneity of cerebral ischemic injury and the mechanisms that contribute to the cell death. Since oxidative stress is one of the primary mechanisms that cause brain injury post-stroke, we hypothesized that therapeutic targets that modulate mitochondrial function could protect against reperfusion-injury after cerebral ischemia, with the focus here on a mitochondrial protein, mitoNEET, that modulates cellular bioenergetics.

METHOD

In this study, we evaluated the pharmacology of the mitoNEET ligand NL-1 in an in vivo therapeutic role for NL-1 in a C57Bl/6 murine model of ischemic stroke.

RESULTS

NL-1 decreased hydrogen peroxide production with an IC50 of 5.95 μM in neuronal cells (N2A). The in vivo activity of NL-1 was evaluated in a murine 1 h transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (t-MCAO) model of ischemic stroke. We found that mice treated with NL-1 (10 mg/kg, i.p.) at time of reperfusion and allowed to recover for 24 h showed a 43% reduction in infarct volume and 68% reduction in edema compared to sham-injured mice. Additionally, we found that when NL-1 was administered 15 min post-t-MCAO, the ischemia volume was reduced by 41%, and stroke-associated edema by 63%.

CONCLUSION

As support of our hypothesis, as expected, NL-1 failed to reduce stroke infarct in a permanent photothrombotic occlusion model of stroke. This report demonstrates the potential therapeutic benefits of using mitoNEET ligands like NL-1 as novel mitoceuticals for treating reperfusion-injury with cerebral stroke.