Synthesis, structure-activity relationship of some new anti-arrhythmic 5-arylidene imidazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives

Highlights on Steroidal Arylidene Derivatives as a Source of Pharmacologically Active Compounds: A Review

Steroids constitute a unique class of chemical compounds, playing an important role in physiopathological processes, and have high pharmacological interest. Additionally, steroids have been associated with a relatively low toxicity and high bioavailability. Nowadays, multiple steroidal derivatives are clinically available for the treatment of numerous diseases. Moreover, different structural modifications on their skeleton have been explored, aiming to develop compounds with new and improved pharmacological properties. Thus, steroidal arylidene derivatives emerged as a relevant example of these modifications. This family of compounds has been mainly described as 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 and aromatase inhibitors, as well as neuroprotective and anticancer agents. Besides, due to their straightforward preparation and intrinsic chemical reactivity, steroidal arylidene derivatives are important synthetic intermediates for the preparation of other compounds, particularly bearing heterocyclic systems. In fact, starting from arylidenesteroids, it was possible to develop bioactive steroidal pyrazolines, pyrazoles, pyrimidines, pyridines, spiro-pyrrolidines, amongst others. Most of these products have also been studied as anti-inflammatory and anticancer agents, as well as 5α-reductase and aromatase inhibitors. This work aims to provide a comprehensive overview of steroidal arylidene derivatives described in the literature, highlighting their bioactivities and importance as synthetic intermediates for other pharmacologically active compounds.

Discovery of Novel UV-Filters with Favorable Safety Profiles in the 5-Arylideneimidazolidine-2,4-dione Derivatives Group

Effective protection from the harmful effects of UV radiation may be achieved by using sunscreens containing organic or inorganic UV filters. The number of currently available UV filters is limited and some of the allowed molecules possess limitations such as systemic absorption, endocrine disruption properties, contact and photocontact allergy induction, and low photostability. In the search for new organic UV filters we designed and synthesized a series consisting of 5-benzylidene and 5-(3-phenylprop-2-en-1-ylidene)imidazolidine-2,4-dione (hydantoin) derivatives. The photoprotective activity of the tested compounds was confirmed in methanol solutions and macrogol formulations. The most promising compounds possessed similar UV protection parameter values as selected commercially available UV filters. The compound diethyl 2,2'-((Z)-4-((E)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)allylidene)-2,5-dioxoimidazolidine-1,3-diyl)diacetate (4g) was characterized as an especially efficient UVA photoprotective agent with a UVA PF of 6.83 ± 0.05 and favorable photostability. Diethyl 2,2'-((Z)-4-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-2,5-dioxo- imidazolidine-1,3-diyl)diacetate (3b) was the most promising UVB-filter, with a SPFin vitro of 3.07 ± 0.04 and very good solubility and photostability. The main photodegradation products were geometric isomers of the parent compounds. These compounds were also shown to be non-cytotoxic at concentrations up to 50 µM when tested on three types of human skin cells and possess no estrogenic activity, according to the results of a MCF-7 breast cancer model.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Hydantoins: The State of the Art of a Valuable Scaffold

The review highlights the hydantoin syntheses presented from the point of view of the preparation methods. Novel synthetic routes to various hydantoin structures, the advances brought to the classical methods in the aim of producing more sustainable and environmentally friendly procedures for the preparation of these biomolecules, and a critical comparison of the different synthetic approaches developed in the last twelve years are also described. The review is composed of 95 schemes, 8 figures and 528 references for the last 12 years and includes the description of the hydantoin-based marketed drugs and clinical candidates.

Imidazolidine-4-one derivatives in the search for novel chemosensitizers of Staphylococcus aureus MRSA: synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular modeling studies

A series of amine derivatives of 5-aromatic imidazolidine-4-ones (7-19), representing three subgroups: piperazine derivatives of 5-arylideneimidazolones (7-13), piperazine derivatives of 5-arylideneimidazolidine-2,4-dione (14-16) and primary amines of 5-naphthyl-5-methylimidazolidine-2,4-diones (17-19), was evaluated for their ability to improve antibiotics effectiveness in two strains of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus: ATCC 25923 (a reference strain) and MRSA (methicillin resistant S. aureus) HEMSA 5 (a resistant clinical isolate). The latter compounds (17-19) were obtained by 4-step synthesis using Bucherer-Bergs condensation, two-phase bromoalkylation and Gabriel reactions. The naphthalen derivative: (Z)-5-(naphthalen-2-ylmethylene)-2-(piperazin-1-yl)-3H-imidazol-4(5H)-one (10) was the most potent in combination with β-lactam antibiotics and ciprofloxacin against the resistant strain. The high potency to increase efficacy of oxacillin was noted for (Z)-5-(anthracen-10-ylmethylene)-2-(piperazin-1-yl)-3H-imidazol-4(5H)one (12) too. In order to explain the mechanism of action of the compounds 10 and 12, docking studies with the use of crystal structures of a penicillin binding protein (PBP2a) and MecR1 were carried out. Their outcomes suggested that the most probable mechanism of action of the active compounds is the interaction with MecR1. Molecular dynamic experiments performed for the active compounds and compound 13 (structurally similar to 12) supported this hypothesis and provided possible explanation of activity dependencies of the tested compounds in terms of the restoration of antibiotic efficacy in S. aureus MRSA HEMSA 5.

Alpha lipoic acid protects the heart against myocardial post ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmias via KATP channel activation in isolated rat hearts

The cardiovascular effects of alpha lipoic acid were evaluated in isolated rat hearts exposed to ischemia-reperfusion injury in vitro. Alpha-lipoic acid raised the level of sulfane sulfur playing an important role in the release of hydrogen sulfide. H2S was shown to prevent the post-reperfusion arrhythmias and to protect the cardiomyocytes from death caused by hypoxia. The activation of potassium ATP-sensitive channels (K(ATP) channels) is one of the most important mechanisms of action of hydrogen sulfide in the cardiovascular system. The aim of this study was to investigate whether alpha lipoic acid can prevent the occurrence of post-reperfusion arrhythmias in vitro using a Langendorff model of ischemia-reperfusion in rats affecting the K(ATP) channels. Alpha lipoic acid significantly improved post-reperfusion cardiac function (reducing incidence of arrhythmias), especially in a dose of 10(-7)M. These cardiovascular effects of this compound on the measured parameters were reversed by glibenclamide, a selective K(ATP) blocker. Alpha lipoic acid increased the level of sulfane sulfur in the hearts. This may suggest that the positive effects caused by alpha lipoic acid in the cardiovascular system are not only related to its strong antioxidant activity, and the influence on the activity of such enzymes as aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, as previously suggested, but this compound can affect K(ATP) channels. It is possible that this indirect effect of alpha lipoic acid is connected with changes in the release of sulfane sulfur and hydrogen sulfide.

Amine-alkyl derivatives of hydantoin: new tool to combat resistant bacteria

A series of new 5,5-diphenylhydantoin derivatives with various amine-alkyl terminal fragments at N1-position were synthesized. Then a series of twenty-eight compounds with the same hydantoin scaffold were evaluated for their potency to combat bacterial MultiDrug Resistance (MDR). Intrinsic antibacterial activities were first evaluated. As these compounds showed no direct activity on bacteria, their influence on minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nalidixic acid was tested in two strains of Enterobacter aerogenes: the reference-strain ATCC-13048 and the CM-64 strain which over-produces AcrAB-TolC efflux pump. The compounds showed moderate- or low- anti-MDR properties. According to SAR-studies, hit compounds containing 2-methoxyphenylpiperazine at N1-terminal fragment and methylcarboxyl acid one at N3-position of hydantoin have been identified for further microbiological studies and pharmacomodulations to develop efflux pump inhibitors.

Synthesis and in vitro anticancer activity of 2,4-azolidinedione-acetic acids derivatives

The synthesis and evaluation of anticancer activity of 2,4-thia(imida)zolidinedione-3- and 5-acetic acids amides were described. The structures of compounds were determined by IR, (1)H NMR, and MS analysis. In vitro anticancer activity of these compounds has been tested in National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the relationships between structure and anticancer activity are discussed. Among 2,4-azolidinedione-acetic acids derivatives 2-[5-(4-chlorobenzylidene)-2,4-dioxo-imidazolidin-3-yl]-N-(2-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-acetamide (Ic) was superior to other related compounds in terms of high selectivity for the leukemia CCRF-CEM (logGI(50)=-6.06), HL-60(TB) (logGI(50)=-6.53), MOLT-4 (logGI(50)=-6.52) and SR (logGI(50)=-6.51) cell lines.

Novel Quinolizidinyl Derivatives as Antiarrhythmic Agents

Eighteen analogues of lidocaine, mexiletine, and procainamide were synthesized, replacing their aminoalkyl chains with the rigid and cumbersome quinolizidine nucleus. The target compounds were tested for antiarrhythmic, inotropic, and chronotropic effects on isolated guinea pig (gp) heart tissues and to assess calcium antagonist activity. Most compounds exhibited from moderate to high antiarrhythmic activity, and compounds 7, 9, and 19 were more active and potent than quinidine and lidocaine, while producing only modest inotropic, chronotropic, and vasorelaxant effects. These compounds were studied on spontaneously beating Langendorff-perfused gp heart. While quinidine and amiodarone produced a dose-dependent prolongation of all the ECG intervals, compounds 7, 9, and 19, even at concentrations 10-20 times higher than EC50 for the antiarrhythmic activity, only moderately prolonged the PR and QT intervals, leaving unchanged the QRS complex. Ether 7 deserves further investigations due to its interesting cardiovascular profile.

Triazene derivatives of (1,x-)diazacycloalkanes. Part VI. 3-({5,5-Dimethyl-3-[2-aryl-1-diazenyl]-1-imidazolidinyl}methyl)-4,4-dimethyl-1-[2-aryl-1-diazenyl]imidazolidines — Synthesis, characterization, and X-ray crystal structure

Reaction of a series of diazonium salts with a mixture of formaldehyde and 1,2-diamino-2-methylpropane affords the 3-({5,5-dimethyl-3-[2-aryl-1-diazenyl]-1-imidazolidinyl}methyl)-4,4-dimethyl-1-[2-aryl-1-diazenyl]imidazolidines (1a–1f) in excellent yield. The products have been characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopic analysis, elemental analysis, and X-ray crystallography. The X-ray crystal structure of the p-methoxycarbonyl derivative (1c) establishes without question the connectivity of these novel molecules, which can be described as linear bicyclic oligomers with two imidazolidinyl groups linked together by a one-carbon spacer. This is indeed a rare molecular building block. The molecular structure is corroborated by 1H and 13C NMR data, which correlates with the previously published data of compounds of types 5 and 6 derived from 1,3-propanediamine. The triazene moieties in the crystal of 1c display significant π conjugation, which gives the N—N bond a significant degree of double-bond character. This in turn causes restricted rotation around the N—N bond, which leads to considerable broadening of signals in both the 1H and 13C NMR spectra. The molecular ion of the p-cyanophenyl derivative (1b) was observed using electrospray mass spectrometry (ES + Na). The mechanism of formation of molecules of type 1 is proposed to involve diazonium ion trapping of the previously unreported bisimidazolidinyl methane (13).Key words: triazene, bistriazene, imidazolidine, synthesis, X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy.