Synthesis and pharmacological assessment of diversely substituted pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline, and benzo[b]pyrazolo[4,3-g][1,8]naphthyridine derivatives

The Recycling of Substandard Rocket Fuel N,N-Dimethylhydrazine via the Involvement of Its Hydrazones Derived from Glyoxal, Acrolein, Metacrolein, Crotonaldehyde, and Formaldehyde in Organic Synthesis

"Heptil" (unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine-UDMH) is extensively employed worldwide as a propellant for rocket engines. However, UDMH constantly loses its properties as a result of its continuous and uncontrolled absorption of moisture, which cannot be rectified. This situation threatens its long-term usability. UDMH is an exceedingly toxic compound (Hazard Class 1), which complicates its transportation and disposal. Incineration is currently the only method used for its disposal, but this process generates oxidation by-products that are even more toxic than the original UDMH. A more benign approach involves its immediate reaction with a formalin solution to form 1,1-dimethyl-2-methylene hydrazone (MDH), which is significantly less toxic by an order of magnitude. MDH can then be polymerized under acidic conditions, and the resulting product can be burned, yielding substantial amounts of nitrogen oxides. This review seeks to shift the focus of MDH from incineration towards its application in the synthesis of relatively non-toxic and readily available analogs of various pharmaceutical substances. We aim to bring the attention of the international chemical community to the distinctive properties of MDH, as well as other hydrazones (such as glyoxal, acrolein, crotonal, and meta-crolyl), wherein each structural fragment can initiate unique transformations that have potential applications in molecular design, pharmaceutical research, and medicinal chemistry.

1,2,3-Triazolo[4,5-b]aminoquinolines: Design, synthesis, structure, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activity, and molecular docking of novel modified tacrines

An efficient [4 + 2] cyclization protocol to synthesize a series of twelve examples of 1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-b]aminoquinolines (5) as novel structurally modified tacrines was obtained by reacting readily accessible precursors (i.e., 3-alky(aryl)-5-amino-1,2,3-triazole-4-carbonitriles (3)) and selected cycloalkanones (4) of five-, six-, and seven-membered rings. We evaluated the AChE and BChE inhibitory activity of the novel modified tacrines 5, and the compound derivatives from cyclohexanone (4b) showed the best AChE and BChE inhibitory activities. Specifically, 1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-b]aminoquinolines 5bb obtained from 3-methyl-carbonitrile (3b) showed the highest AChE (IC50 = 12.01 μM), while 5ib from 3-sulfonamido-carbonitrile (3i) was the most significant inhibitor for BChE (IC50 = 1.78 μM). In general, the inhibitory potency of compound 5 was weaker than the pure tacrine reference, and our findings may help to design and develop novel anticholinesterase drugs based on modified tacrines.

Pyrazole derivatives of pyridine and naphthyridine as proapoptotic agents in cervical and breast cancer cells

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The increasing prevalence and resistance to chemotherapy is responsible for driving the search of novel molecules to combat this disease. In search of novel compounds with pro-apoptotic potential, pyrazolo-pyridine and pyrazolo-naphthyridine derivatives were investigated against cervical cancer (HeLa) and breast cancer (MCF-7) cells. The anti-proliferative activity was determined through the MTT assay. Potent compounds were then analyzed for their cytotoxic and apoptotic activity through a lactate dehydrogenase assay and fluorescence microscopy after propidium iodide and DAPI staining. Flow cytometry was used to determine cell cycle arrest in treated cells and pro-apoptotic effect was verified through measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of caspases. Compounds 5j and 5k were found to be most active against HeLa and MCF-7 cells, respectively. G0/G1 cell cycle arrest was observed in treated cancer cells. Morphological features of apoptosis were also confirmed, and an increased oxidative stress indicated the involvement of reactive oxygen species in apoptosis. The compound-DNA interaction studies demonstrated an intercalative mode of binding and the comet assay confirmed the DNA damaging effects. Finally, potent compounds demonstrated a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and increased levels of activated caspase-9 and -3/7 confirmed the induction of apoptosis in treated HeLa and MCF-7 cells. The present work concludes that the active compounds 5j and 5k may be used as lead candidates for the development of lead drug molecules against cervical and breast cancer.

Friedlӓnder's synthesis of quinolines as a pivotal step in the development of bioactive heterocyclic derivatives in the current era of medicinal chemistry

In the current scenario of medicinal chemistry, quinoline plays a pivotal role in the design of new heterocyclic compounds with several pharmacological properties, so the search for new synthetic methodologies and their application in drug discovery has been widely studied. So far, many procedures have been performed for the preparation of quinoline scaffolds, among which Friedländer quinoline synthesis plays an important role in obtaining these heterocycles. The Friedländer reaction involves condensation between 2-aminobenzaldehydes and keto-compounds. The quinoline nucleus, once obtained through the Friedländer synthesis, has been extensively modified so that these derivatives can exhibit a large number of biological activities such as anticancer, antimalarial, antimicrobial, antifungal, antituberculosis, and antileishmanial properties. In this work, the focus is on the applicability of the Friedländer reaction in the synthesis of various types of bioactive heterocyclic quinoline compounds, which to date has not been reported in the context of medicinal chemistry. The main part of this review selectively focuses on research from 2010 to date and will present highlights of the Friedländer quinoline synthesis procedures and findings to address biological and pharmacological activities.

1H-Pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinolines: Synthesis and Properties over 100 Years of Research

This paper summarises a little over 100 years of research on the synthesis and the photophysical and biological properties of 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinolines that was published in the years 1911–2021. The main methods of synthesis are described, which include Friedländer condensation, synthesis from anthranilic acid derivatives, multicomponent synthesis and others. The use of this class of compounds as potential fluorescent sensors and biologically active compounds is shown. This review intends to summarize the abovementioned aspects of 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline chemistry. Some of the results that are presented in this publication come from the laboratories of the authors of this review.

Synthesis of 1,8-Naphthyridines by the Ionic Liquid-Catalyzed Friedlander Reaction and Application in Corrosion Inhibition

A several of basic ionic liquids (ILs) were synthesized as green solvents and catalysts for the preparation of 1,8-naphthyridyl derivatives via the Friedlander reaction. [Bmmim][Im] exhibited remarkable catalytic activity to achieve the synthetic targets, and the reaction conditions were optimized. The model product 2,3-diphenyl-1,8-naphthyridine (1,8-Nap), with carboxyethylthiosuccinic acid (CETSA) to form an IL corrosion inhibitor ([1,8-Nap][CETSA]), and its corrosion inhibition performance for Q235 steel in 1 M HCl were researched by weight loss measurements, and the results showed that the inhibition efficiency was 96.95% when the concentration of [1,8-Nap][CETSA] was 1 mM at 35 °C. The electrochemical test verified that [1,8-Nap][CETSA] acted as a mixed-type inhibitor but mainly exhibited cathodic behavior. The inhibitor adsorbed on the metal surface was further proved by surface topography analysis.

Substituted Pyrazoles and Their Heteroannulated Analogs-Recent Syntheses and Biological Activities

Pyrazoles are considered privileged scaffolds in medicinal chemistry. Previous reviews have discussed the importance of pyrazoles and their biological activities; however, few have dealt with the chemistry and the biology of heteroannulated derivatives. Therefore, we focused our attention on recent topics, up until 2020, for the synthesis of pyrazoles, their heteroannulated derivatives, and their applications as biologically active moieties. Moreover, we focused on traditional procedures used in the synthesis of pyrazoles.

Five-Membered-Ring-Fused Tacrines as Anti-Alzheimer’s Disease Agents

Our endeavors in the design, synthesis, and biological assessment of five-membered-ring-fused tacrines as potential therapeutic agents for Alzheimer’s disease are summarized. Particularly, we have identified racemic 4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-3-methyl-2,4,6,7,8,9-hexahydropyrazolo[4′,3′:5,6]pyrano[2,3-b]quinolin-5-amine, a pyranopyrazolotacrine, as having the best nontoxic profile at the highest concentrations used (300 μM); this allows cell viability, is less hepatotoxic than tacrine, and is a potent noncompetitive AChE inhibitor (IC50 = 1.52 ± 0.49 μM). It is able to completely inhibit the EeAChE-induced Aβ1–40 aggregation in a statistically significant manner without affecting the Aβ1–40 self-aggregation at 25 μM, and shows strong neuroprotective effects (EC50 = 0.82 ± 0.17 μM).

1 Introduction

2 Furo-, Thieno-, and Pyrrolotacrines

3 Pyrazolo-, Oxazolo-, and Isoxazolotacrines

4 Indolotacrines

5 Pyrano- and Pyridopyrazolotacrines

6 Conclusions and Outlook

Preparation of New Spiropyrazole, Pyrazole and Hydantoin Derivatives and Investigation of Their Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities

In this study, the synthesis of new spiropyrazoles, pyrazole and hydantoin heterocycles is reported by three component reactions of parabanic acids, hydrazine derivatives, and phenacyl bromides in the presence of triphenylphosphine as a nucleophile and triethylamine as a base in good to high yields (69-91 %). Evaluation of the synthesized compounds revealed a good to excellent antioxidant activities (37.6-96.2 %) using DPPH inhibitory potency. Among these compounds, hydantoin derivatives displayed higher antioxidant activities (93.7-96.2 %) comparing with spiropyrazoles and pyrazoles. The obtained results showed that Cl and Br substituents on the phenyl ring increased antioxidant activities of the related heterocycles. The antibacterial activities of the synthesized compounds were examined against two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) bacteria. Among the synthesized heterocycles, 2-[1,3-dimethyl-2,5-dioxo-4-(2-oxo-2-phenylethyl)imidazolidin-4-yl]hydrazine-1-carbothioamide exhibited the excellent antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Design, Synthesis, and Molecular Docking of Some Novel Tacrine Based Cyclopentapyranopyridine- and Tetrahydropyranoquinoline-Kojic Acid Derivatives as Anti-Acetylcholinesterase Agents

A novel series of tacrine based cyclopentapyranopyridine- and tetrahydropyranoquinoline-kojic acid derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as anti-cholinesterase agents. The chemical structures of all target compounds were characterized by ¹ H-NMR, ¹³ C-NMR, and elemental analyses. The synthesized compounds mostly inhibited acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) with IC₅₀ values of 4.18-48.71 μM rather than butyrylcholinesterase enzyme (BChE) with IC₅₀ values of >100 μM. Among them, cyclopentapyranopyridine-kojic acid derivatives showed slightly better AChE inhibitory activity compared to tetrahydropyranoquinoline-kojic acid. The compound 10-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-11-(4-isopropylphenyl)-7,8,9,11-tetrahydro-4H-cyclopenta[b]pyrano[2',3' : 5,6]pyrano[3,2-e]pyridin-4-one (6f) bearing 4-isopropylphenyl moiety and cyclopentane ring exhibited the highest anti-AChE activity with IC₅₀ value of 4.18 μM. The kinetic study indicated that the compound 6f acts as a mixed inhibitor and the molecular docking studies also illustrated that the compound 6f binds to both the catalytic site (CS) and peripheral anionic site (PAS) of AChE. The compound 6f showed moderate neuroprotective properties against H₂ O₂ -induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells. The theoretical ADME study also predicted good drug-likeness for the compound 6f. Based on these results, the compound 6f seems to be a very promising AChE inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Synthesis of novel pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinolinebisphosphonic acids and an unexpected intramolecular cyclization and phosphonylation reaction

Novel pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline α-ketophosphonic and hydroxymethylenebisphosphonic acid compounds were synthesized using different methodologies, starting from 2-chloro-3-formylquinoline 1. New phosphonic acid compounds were obtained as N-1 derivatives with a side chain with 1 or 3 (n = 1 or 3) methylene groups. All phosphonic acid compounds and their corresponding ester and carboxylic acid precursors were fully characterized, and their structures elucidated by spectroscopic data, using NMR techniques and infrared and high-resolution mass spectroscopy. During the process to obtain the N-1 substituted derivative with two methylene groups (n = 2) in the side chain, an unexpected addition-cyclization cascade reaction was observed, involving the phosphonylation of an aromatic ring and the formation of a new six-member lactam ring to afford a tetracyclic ring system. This was an unexpected result since other pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline derivatives and all corresponding pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine derivatives already prepared, under similar experimental conditions, did not undergo this reaction. This domino reaction occurs with different phosphite reagents but only affords the six-member ring. The spectroscopic data allowed the identification of the new synthesized tetracyclic compounds and the X-ray diffraction data of compound 11 enabled the confirmation of the proposed structures.

Pyrazole Scaffold Synthesis, Functionalization, and Applications in Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease Treatment (2011-2020)

The remarkable prevalence of pyrazole scaffolds in a versatile array of bioactive molecules ranging from apixaban, an anticoagulant used to treat and prevent blood clots and stroke, to bixafen, a pyrazole-carboxamide fungicide used to control diseases of rapeseed and cereal plants, has encouraged both medicinal and organic chemists to explore new methods in developing pyrazole-containing compounds for different applications. Although numerous synthetic strategies have been developed in the last 10 years, there has not been a comprehensive overview of synthesis and the implication of recent advances for treating neurodegenerative disease. This review first presents the advances in pyrazole scaffold synthesis and their functionalization that have been published during the last decade (2011-2020). We then narrow the focus to the application of these strategies in the development of therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD).

Synthesis and Pharmacological Activities of Pyrazole Derivatives: A Review

Pyrazole and its derivatives are considered a pharmacologically important active scaffold that possesses almost all types of pharmacological activities. The presence of this nucleus in pharmacological agents of diverse therapeutic categories such as celecoxib, a potent anti-inflammatory, the antipsychotic CDPPB, the anti-obesity drug rimonabant, difenamizole, an analgesic, betazole, a H2-receptor agonist and the antidepressant agent fezolamide have proved the pharmacological potential of the pyrazole moiety. Owing to this diversity in the biological field, this nucleus has attracted the attention of many researchers to study its skeleton chemically and biologically. This review highlights the different synthesis methods and the pharmacological properties of pyrazole derivatives. Studies on the synthesis and biological activity of pyrazole derivatives developed by many scientists around the globe are reported.

Synthesis and Pharmacological Activities of Pyrazole Derivatives: A Review

Pyrazole and its derivatives are considered a pharmacologically important active scaffold that possesses almost all types of pharmacological activities. The presence of this nucleus in pharmacological agents of diverse therapeutic categories such as celecoxib, a potent anti-inflammatory, the antipsychotic CDPPB, the anti-obesity drug rimonabant, difenamizole, an analgesic, betazole, a H2-receptor agonist and the antidepressant agent fezolamide have proved the pharmacological potential of the pyrazole moiety. Owing to this diversity in the biological field, this nucleus has attracted the attention of many researchers to study its skeleton chemically and biologically. This review highlights the different synthesis methods and the pharmacological properties of pyrazole derivatives. Studies on the synthesis and biological activity of pyrazole derivatives developed by many scientists around the globe are reported.

An Efficient One-Pot, Four-Component Synthesis of Pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines Catalyzed by Tetrapropylammonium Bromide (TPAB) in Water

A novel and one-pot pseudo-four-component reaction between a series of arylglyoxals, malononitrile, 3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-amine, and acetone in the presence of tetrapropylammonium bromide (TPAB) has been developed to synthesize a series of new substituted pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines, using water as an environmentally friendly solvent, in high to excellent yields.

Multicomponent Dipolar Cycloaddition Strategy: Combinatorial Synthesis of Novel Spiro-Tethered Pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline Hybrid Heterocycles

The stereoselective syntheses of a library of novel spiro-tethered pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline-pyrrolidine/pyrrolothiazole/indolizine-oxindole/acenaphthene hybrid heterocycles have been achieved through the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides generated in situ from α-amino acids and 1,2-diketones to dipolarophiles derived from pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline derivatives.

Pyranopyrazolotacrines as nonneurotoxic, Aβ-anti-aggregating and neuroprotective agents for Alzheimer's disease

AIM

Due to the complex nature of Alzheimer's disease, there is a renewed search for multipotent, nonhepatotoxic tacrines.

RESULTS

This paper describes the synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation of eight new racemic 3-methyl-4-aryl-2,4,6,7,8,9-hexahydropyrazolo[4',3':5,6]pyrano[2,3-b]quinolin-5-amines (pyranopyrazolotacrines, PPT) as nonhepatotoxic multipotent tacrine analogs. Among these compounds, PPT4 is the less hepatotoxic in the cell viability assay on HepG2 cells, showing a good neuroprotective effect in the decreased cortical neuron viability induced by oligomycin A/rotenone analysis. PPT4 is a selective and good, noncompetitive EeAChE inhibitor, able to completely inhibit the Aβ1-40 aggregation induced by acetylcholinesterase.

CONCLUSION

A new family of nonhepatotoxic showing selective acetylcholinesterase inhibition, permeable tacrine analogs have been discovered for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Novel Pyrazolo[3,4-g][1,8]naphthyridin-5-amine with Potential Antifungal and Antitumor Activity

The microwave assisted reaction between heterocyclic o-aminonitriles 1 and cyclic ketones 2 catalyzed by zinc chloride led to new series of pyrazolo[3,4-b][1,8]naphthyridin-5-amines 3 in good yields. This procedure provides several advantages such as being environmentally friendly, high yields, simple work-up procedure, broad scope of applicability and the protocol provides an alternative for the synthesis of pyrazolonaphthyridines. The whole series showed antifungal activities against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans standardized strains, being compounds with a 4-p-tolyl substituent of the naphthyridin scheleton (3a, 3d and 3g), the most active ones mainly against C. albicans, which appear to be related to their comparative hydrophobicity. Among them, 3d, containing a cyclohexyl fused ring, showed the best activity. The anti-Candida activity was corroborated by testing the three most active compounds against clinical isolates of albicans and non-albicans Candida strains. These compounds were also screened by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) for their ability to inhibit 60 different human tumor cell lines. Compounds 3a and 3e showed remarkable antitumor activity against cancer cell lines, with the most important GI₅₀ values ranging from 0.62 to 2.18 μM.

Efficient synthesis and evaluation of antitumor activities of novel functionalized 1,8-naphthyridine derivatives

An efficient synthesis of novel functionalized 1,8-naphthyridine and chromeno[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives via cascade reaction of 2-chloroquinoline-3-carbaldehyde and enaminones or cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds was developed. All of the 1,8-naphthyridine derivatives synthesized were evaluated for their antiproliferative properties in vitro against cancer cells and several compounds were found to have high activities.

Isoxazolotacrines as non-toxic and selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer's disease

Background: Owing to the complex nature of Alzheimer's disease, there is a renewed and growing search for multitarget non-toxic tacrines as simple, easily available drugs in order to stop the progress and development of the disease. Results: This paper describes our preliminary results on the synthesis, in vitro biochemical evaluation and molecular modeling of isoxazolotacrines as potential drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Novel 3-phenyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-b]quinolin-4-amine (OC41) is a promising, 31% less toxic than tacrine in HepG2 cells, and selective reversible human butyrylcholinesterase inhibitor (IC50 = 5.08 ± 1.12 µM), also showing good drug-like properties according to the absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, Toxicity  analysis. Conclusion: A new family of non-hepatotoxic permeable tacrine analogs, showing selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibition, have been discovered for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Regioselective construction of 1,3-diazaheterocycle fused [1,2-a][1,8]naphthyridine derivatives via cascade reaction of quinolines with heterocyclic ketene aminals: a joint experimental-computational approach

A one-step, transition-metal-free protocol, involving facile post-treatment, for the regioselective synthesis of 1,3-diazaheterocycle fused [1,2-a][1,8]naphthyridine derivatives (3) from 2-chloroquinoline-3-carbaldehydes (ClQuAlds) (1) and heterocyclic ketene aminals (HKAs) (2) was developed via a joint experimental-computational approach. The computational prediction of the reactivity of two series of synthons was applied in the process of optimizing the reaction conditions, which relied on density functional theory (DFT) calculations together with concepts of frontier molecular orbital (FMO) theory and quantitative structure-reactivity relationship (QSRR) presumptions. The combined results enabled the proposal of a pre-synthetic prediction of global reactivity. The fully consistent results of the synthetic experiments with the in silico evaluation confirmed the rationality, effectiveness, and practicability of the new strategy. Notably, the joint method is not limited to the laboratory, but has applications ranging from routine to industry. This approach is likely to yield numerous insights to accelerate HKA-related synthetic chemistry that can be extended to numerous heterocycles. It thus opens up a novel entry towards rapidly investigating the reactivity of novel synthons with unique properties, a further step towards exploiting cascade reactions by avoiding the futile waste of time and resources.

Combinatorial synthesis of fused tetracyclic heterocycles containing [1,6]naphthyridine derivatives under catalyst free conditions

A three-component reaction between an aromatic aldehyde, an amine, and tert-butyl 2,4-dioxopiperidine-1-carboxylate in EtOH at refluxing temperature gave fused tetracyclic heterocycles in high yields. The amines include 1H-indazol-5-amine, 1H-indazol-6-amine, 1H-indol-5-amine, and 1H-benzo[d]imidazol-5-amine, giving 11-aryl-3H-indazolo[5,4-b][1,6] naphthyridine, 11-aryl-1H-indazolo[6,7-b][1,6]naphthyridine, 11-aryl-3H-indolo[5,4-b][1,6]naph-thyridine, and 11-aryl-3H-imidazo[4',5':3,4]benzo[1,2-b][1,6]naphthyridine derivatives, respectively.

Synthesis, pharmacological assessment, and molecular modeling of acetylcholinesterase/butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors: effect against amyloid-β-induced neurotoxicity

The synthesis, molecular modeling, and pharmacological analysis of phenoxyalkylamino-4-phenylnicotinates (2-7), phenoxyalkoxybenzylidenemalononitriles (12, 13), pyridonepezils (14-18), and quinolinodonepezils (19-21) are described. Pyridonepezils 15-18 were found to be selective and moderately potent regarding the inhibition of hAChE, whereas quinolinodonepezils 19-21 were found to be poor inhibitors of hAChE. The most potent and selective hAChE inhibitor was ethyl 6-(4-(1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)butylamino)-5-cyano-2-methyl-4-phenylnicotinate (18) [IC(50) (hAChE) = 0.25 ± 0.02 μM]. Pyridonepezils 15-18 and quinolinodonepezils 20-21 are more potent selective inhibitors of EeAChE than hAChE. The most potent and selective EeAChE inhibitor was ethyl 6-(2-(1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)ethylamino)-5-cyano-2-methyl-4-phenylnicotinate (16) [IC(50) (EeAChE) = 0.0167 ± 0.0002 μM], which exhibits the same inhibitory potency as donepezil against hAChE. Compounds 2, 7, 13, 17, 18, 35, and 36 significantly prevented the decrease in cell viability caused by Aβ(1-42). All compounds were effective in preventing the enhancement of AChE activity induced by Aβ(1-42). Compounds 2-7 caused a significant reduction whereas pyridonepezils 17 and 18, and compound 16 also showed some activity. The pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinolines 36 and 38 also prevented the upregulation of AChE induced by Aβ(1-42). Compounds 2, 7, 12, 13, 17, 18, and 36 may act as antagonists of voltage sensitive calcium channels, since they significantly prevented the Ca(2+) influx evoked by KCl depolarization. Docking studies show that compounds 16 and 18 adopted different orientations and conformations inside the active-site gorges of hAChE and hBuChE. The structural and energetic features of the 16-AChE and 18-AChE complexes compared to the 16-BuChE and 18-BuChE complexes account for a higher affinity of the ligand toward AChE. The present data indicate that compounds 2, 7, 17, 18, and 36 may represent attractive multipotent molecules for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

The 3D-QSAR study of 110 diverse, dual binding, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors based on alignment independent descriptors (GRIND-2). The effects of conformation on predictive power and interpretability of the models

The 3D-QSAR analysis based on alignment independent descriptors (GRIND-2) was performed on the set of 110 structurally diverse, dual binding AChE reversible inhibitors. Three separate models were built, based on different conformations, generated following next criteria: (i) minimum energy conformations, (ii) conformation most similar to the co-crystalized ligand conformation, and (iii) docked conformation. We found that regardless on conformation used, all the three models had good statistic and predictivity. The models revealed the importance of protonated pyridine nitrogen of tacrine moiety for anti AChE activity, and recognized HBA and HBD interactions as highly important for the potency. This was revealed by the variables associated with protonated pyridinium nitrogen, and the two amino groups of the linker. MIFs calculated with the N1 (pyridinium nitrogen) and the DRY GRID probes in the AChE active site enabled us to establish the relationship between amino acid residues within AChE active site and the variables having high impact on models. External predictive power of the models was tested on the set of 40 AChE reversible inhibitors, most of them structurally different from the training set. Some of those compounds were tested on the different enzyme source. We found that external predictivity was highly sensitive on conformations used. Model based on docked conformations had superior predictive ability, emphasizing the need for the employment of conformations built by taking into account geometrical restrictions of AChE active site gorge.