Discovery of novel sesquistilbene indanone analogues as potent anti-inflammatory agents

Design, synthesis and molecular docking of novel D-ring substituted steroidal 4,5-dihydropyrazole thiazole derivatives that act as iNOS/COX-2 inhibitors with potent anti-inflammatory activity against LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells

Inflammation, an important biological protective response to tissue damage or microbial invasion, is considered to be an alarming signal for the progress of varied biological complications. Based on the previous reports in the literature that proved the noticeable efficacy of pyrazole and thiazole scaffold as well as nitrogen heterocyclic based compounds against acute and chronic inflammatory disease, a new set of novel D-ring substituted steroidal 4,5-dihydropyrazole thiazole derivatives were synthesized and evaluated their anti-inflammatory activities in vitro. Preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis was conducted by their inhibitory activities against nitric oxide (NO) release in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells, and the optimal compound 12b [3β-hydroxy-pregn-5-en-17β-yl-5'- (o- chlorophenyl)- 1'-(4''- phenyl -[1'', 3'']- thiazol-2''- yl) - 4',5'-dihydro - 1'H-pyrazol - 3'- yl] exhibited more potent anti-inflammatory activity than the positive control treatment methylprednisolone (MPS), with an IC50 value of 2.59 μM on NO production and low cytotoxicity against RAW 264.7 cells. In further mechanism study, our results showed that compound 12b significantly suppressed the production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and inhibited the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) through blocking NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation and phosphorylation of IκBα. Compound 12b also attenuated LPS-induced activation of c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 phosphorylation in RAW 264.7 cells. Molecular docking study revealed the strong binding affinity of compound 12b to the active site of the COX-2 proteins, which confirmed that compound 12b acted as an anti-inflammatory mediator. These results indicate that steroidal derivatives bearing 4,5-dihydropyrazole thiazole structure might be considered for further research and scaffold optimization in designing anti-inflammatory drugs and compound 12b might be a promising therapeutic anti-inflammatory drug candidate.

Novel trifluoromethyl ketone derivatives as oral cPLA2/COX-2 dual inhibitors for resolution of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis

Thirty-five trifluoromethyl hydrazones and seventeen trifluoromethyl oxime esters were designed and synthesized via molecular hybridization. All the target compounds were initially screened for in vitro anti-inflammatory activity by assessing their inhibitory effect on NO release in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, and the optimal compound was finally identified as 2-(3-Methoxyphenyl)-N'-((6Z,9Z,12Z,15Z)-1,1,1-trifluorohenicosa-6,9,12,15-tetraen-2-ylidene)acetohydrazide (F26, IC50 = 4.55 ± 0.92 μM) with no cytotoxicity. Moreover, F26 potently reduced the production of PGE2 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells compared to indomethacin. The interaction of F26 with COX-2 and cPLA2 was directly verified by the CETSA technique. F26 was found to modulate the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK and NF-κB p65, as well as the protein expression of IκB, cPLA2, COX-2, and iNOS in LPS-stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages. Additionally, F26 was observed to prevent the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 in LPS-stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages by immunofluorescence localization. Therefore, the aforementioned in vitro experiments demonstrated that F26 blocked the p38 MAPK and NF-κB pathways by binding to COX-2 and cPLA2. In the adjuvant-induced arthritis model, F26 demonstrated a significant effect in preventing arthritis symptoms and inflammatory status in rats, exerting an immunomodulatory role by regulating the homeostasis between Th17 and Treg through inhibition of the p38 MAPK/cPLA2/COX-2/PGE2 and NF-κB pathways. Encouragingly, F26 caused less acute ulcerogenicity in rats at a dose of 50 mg/kg compared to indomethacin. Overall, F26 is a promising candidate worthy of further investigation for treating inflammation and associated pain with lesser gastrointestinal irritation, as well as other symptoms in which cPLA2 and COX-2 are implicated in the pathophysiology.

Total synthesis and structural modification of the dibenzylbutane lignan LCA as a potent anti-inflammatory agent against LPS-induced acute lung injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious public health problem associated with high morbidity and mortality. However, few efficacious drugs are clinically available. Inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines is considered to be a promising method for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Herein, the total synthesis of a dibenzylbutane lignan, 9'-O-di-(E)-feruloyl-meso-5,5'-dimethoxysecoisolariciresinol (LCA), was completed. A series of LCA derivatives were designed and synthesized, and their anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated. Derivative 14r significantly inhibited LPS-induced expression of NO and the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in RAW 264.7 cells and inhibited activation of the NF-κB pathway. Compound 14r reduced LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation and ALI in mice. It showed significant protective effects against LPS-induced ALI in mice and significantly reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The ratio of wet weight to dry weight of lung tissue was normalized by compound 14r, which was consistent with suppression of neutrophil infiltration and production of proinflammatory cytokines. Compound 14r reduced the mRNA expression of some proinflammatory cytokines, improved histopathologic changes, and reduced macrophage infiltration in lung tissues. Collectively, these results suggest a new series of LCA derivatives that could be promising anti-inflammatory agents for ALI treatment.

Discovery of novel NSAID hybrids as cPLA2/COX-2 dual inhibitors alleviating rheumatoid arthritis via inhibiting p38 MAPK pathway

A series of NSAIDs hybrid molecules were synthesized and characterized, and their ability to inhibit NO release in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages was evaluated. Most of the compounds showed significant anti-inflammatory activity in vitro, of which (2E,6Z,9Z,12Z,15Z)-1,1,1-trifluorohenicosa-2,6,9,12,15-pentaen-2-yl 2-(4-benzoylphenyl) propanoate (VI-60) was the most optimal (IC50 = 3.85 ± 0.25 μΜ) and had no cytotoxicity. In addition, VI-60 notably reduced the production of PGE2 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells compared to ketoprofen. Futhur more, VI-60 significantly inhibited the expression of iNOS, cPLA2, and COX-2 and the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The binding of VI-60 to cPLA2 and COX-2 was directly verified by the CETSA technique. In vivo studies illustrated that VI-60 exerted an excellent therapeutic effect on adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats by regulating the balance between Th17 and Treg through inhibiting the p38 MAPK/cPLA2/COX-2/PGE2 pathway. Encouragingly, VI-60 showed a lower ulcerative potential in rats at a dose of 50 mg/kg compared to ketoprofen. In conclusion, the hybrid molecules of NSAIDs and trifluoromethyl enols are promising candidates worthy of further investigation for the treatment of inflammation, pain, and other symptoms in which cPLA2 and COX-2 play a role in their etiology.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of ursodeoxycholic acid-cinnamic acid hybrids as potential anti-inflammatory agents by inhibiting Akt/NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways

A series of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)-cinnamic acid hybrids were designed and synthesized. The anti-inflammatory activity of these derivatives was screened through evaluating their inhibitory effects of LPS-induced nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 macrophages. The preliminary structure-activity relationship was concluded. Among them, 2m showed the best inhibitory activity against NO (IC50 = 7.70 μM) with no significant toxicity. Further study revealed that 2m significantly decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and PGE2, down-regulated the expression of iNOS and COX-2. Preliminary mechanism study indicated that the anti-inflammatory activity of 2m was related to the inhibition of the Akt/NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, 2m reduced inflammation by a mouse model of LPS-induced inflammatory disease in vivo. In brief, our findings indicated that 2m might serve as a new lead compound for further development of anti-inflammatory agents.

Diclofenac and eugenol hybrid with enhanced anti-inflammatory activity through activating HO-1 and inhibiting NF-κB pathway in vitro and in vivo

A series of diclofenac hybrid molecules were synthesized and evaluated for their NO-inhibitory ability in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Among them, compound 1 showed the highest NO-inhibitory ability (approximately 66%) and no significant cytotoxicity. Compound 1 exhibited superior NF-κB-inhibitory ability compared to diclofenac through the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway in RAW 264.7. 20 mg/kg compound 1 resulted in remarkable colitis improvement in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mice model by up-regulating HO-1 and down-regulating phosphorylation level of NF-κB p65. Moreover, 50 mg/kg dose of compound 1 showed a lower ulcerogenic potential compared to diclofenac in rats. The diclofenac-eugenol hybrid (compound 1) may serve as a novel anti-inflammatory agent based on its role in inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway and activating HO-1 expression with no toxicity in vitro and in vivo.

Anti-inflammatory ent-cleistanthane-type diterpenoids from Phyllanthus rheophyticus

A bioactivity-guided isolation from the aerial parts of Phyllanthus rheophyticus obtained 17 undescribed ent-cleistanthane-type diterpenoids, namely phyllarheophols A-Q, as well as 12 known analogs. Their structures were characterized by a combination of spectroscopic data interpretation, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and ECD analysis. The anti-inflammatory activities of these compounds were evaluated by measuring their inhibitory effects on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, and their preliminary structure-activity relationships were also discussed. Further study showed that promising compounds phyllarheophol D and phyacioid B significantly suppressed the expressions of cytokines and nitric oxide synthase through the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Synthesis of Lathyrol PROTACs and Evaluation of Their Anti-Inflammatory Activities

Lathyrol is a core scaffold structure of many lathyrane diterpenoids with potent anti-inflammatory activity isolated from Euphorbia lathyrism. It was chosen as a framework to design and synthesize a series of proteolysis targeting chimeras. A total of 15 derivatives were obtained. Compound 13 exhibited inhibitory activity on LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells (IC₅₀ = 5.30 ± 1.23 μM) with low cytotoxicity. Furthermore, compound 13 significantly degraded v-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homologue F (MAFF) protein, a target of lathyrane diterpenoid, concentration- and time-dependently. The mechanism of action of 13 is related to activating the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway. It also inhibited the expression of NF-κB, blocked the nuclear translocation of NF-κB, and activated autophagy in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Based on the results obtained, compound 13 might be a promising anti-inflammatory agent.

Analogues of natural products yaequinolones as potential inflammatory inhibitors: Design, synthesis and biological evaluation

Inflammation is connected with a variety of diseases and there is still a need to develop more effective and safer anti-inflammatory drugs. Herein, we synthesized, resolved, and characterized eight enantiopure isomers of yaequinolone J1 (1), yaequinolone J2 (2), 4'-desmethoxyyaequinolone J1 (3), and 4'-desmethoxyyaequinolone J2 (4). The key synthetic steps were extended and 34 racemic analogues modified at the 4-aryl, the N-position, and the pyran ring were designed and synthesized. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities in RAW 264.7 cells of which 13 compounds showed significant inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production at a concentration of 0.1 μM, which was more potent than that of indomethacin. Furthermore, compounds (-)-3, (-)-4, 5h, and 6g reduced the production of IL-6 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells at a concentration of 50 nM. A preliminary SAR indicated that 3'-Br (5h), 4'-NO₂ (6g) on 4-phenyl and 3-bromobenzyl (7f) on the N-position were the most effective substituents. This is the first report of the anti-inflammatory yaequinolone alkaloids and the present study provided evidence for exploiting this series of highly efficacious derivatives for new anti-inflammatory agents.

Novel quinoline-based derivatives: A new class of PDE4B inhibitors for adjuvant-induced arthritis

A total of 31 quinoline-based derivatives were designed and synthesized to develop novel anti-inflammatory drugs. After the toxicity of synthetic compounds to RAW264.7 cells were evaluated in vitro, their anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by inhibiting lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO production levels in the RAW264.7 cells. Among the derivatives, compound f4 had the best anti-inflammatory activity, which could reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines NO, IL-1β, and TNF-α with corresponding IC₅₀ values of 20.40 ± 0.94, 18.98 ± 0.21 and 23.48 ± 0.46 μM. Western blot showed that f4 could inhibit the expression of LPS-induced inflammatory mediators iNOS and COX-2. Molecular docking showed that f4 could also enter the PDE4B receptor binding pocket, and the cellular thermal shift assay method indicated that the PDE4B protein bound to f4 had increased stability. Meanwhile, the inhibitory effect of this compound on the PDE4B enzyme (IC₅₀ = 0.94 ± 0.36 μM) was comparable to that of the positive drug rolipram (IC₅₀ = 1.04 ± 0.28 μM). Finally, in vivo studies showed that f4 could improve the degree of foot swelling and knee joint pathology in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats and decrease the levels of serum inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1β in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, the development and design of quinoline-based derivatives for anti-inflammatory applications could be considered opportunities and challenges.

Discovery of First-in-Class TAK1-MKK3 Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) Inhibitor for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis through Modulating TNF-α Production

Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) has been demonstrated to be a therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases. However, this biological therapy exhibits some inevitable disadvantages, such as risk of infection. Thus, small-molecule alternatives by targeting TNF-α production signaling pathway are still in demand. Herein, we describe the design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of 3-aryindanone compounds regarding their modulation of TNF-α production. Among them, (R)-STU104 exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity on TNF-α production, which suppressed the TAK1/MKK3/p38/MnK1/MK2/elF4E signal pathways through binding with MKK3 and disrupting the TAK1 phosphorylating MKK3. As a result, (R)-STU104 demonstrated remarkable dose-effect relationships on both acute and chronic mouse UC models. In addition to its good pharmacokinetic (PK) and safety profile, (R)-STU104 showed better anti-UC efficacy in vivo at 10 mg/kg/d than mesalazine at the dose of 50 mg/kg/d. These results suggested that TAK1-MKK3 interaction inhibitors could be potentially utilized for the treatment of UC.

Copper-Catalyzed Chemo-, Regio-, and Stereoselective Multicomponent 1,2,3-Trifunctionalization of Internal Alkynes

Herein, we report the first diaryliodonium salts promoted multicomponent 1,2,3-trifunctionalization of alkynes, where both the acetylenic bond and the adjacent nonactivated propargylic C(sp³)-H bond were functionalized synergistically to generate α-arylated enones with high chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity. A broad spectrum of diaryliodonium salts and internal alkynes could be utilized in this protocol, and a diverse collection of highly substituted and stereochemically defined linear and cyclic complex structures could be elaborated from the enone products.

Design, synthesis, and SAR study of novel 4,5-dihydropyrazole-Thiazole derivatives with anti-inflammatory activities for the treatment of sepsis

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome is a major feature of sepsis which is one of the major causes of death worldwide. It has been reported that 3,5-diaryl-4,5-dihydropyrazole and thiazole derivatives have many biological functions, especially in the aspect of anti-inflammation. According to the strategy of pharmacophore combination, we introduced thiazole moiety into dihydropyrazole skeleton to design and synthesize a novel series of 2-(3,5-diphenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-4-methylthiazole derivatives, and evaluated their anti-inflammatory activities for sepsis treatment. Preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis was conducted by their inhibitory activities against nitric oxide (NO) release in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells, and the optimal compound E26 exhibited more potent anti-inflammatory activity than the positive control treatment indomethacin and dexamethasone. In further mechanism study, our results showed that compound E26 significantly suppressed the production of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), NO and inhibited the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) through blocking MAPKs signaling pathway. In addition, in vivo administration of compound E26 resulted in a significant improvement of LPS-induced sepsis in C57BL/6J mice, with reducing toxicity in multiple organs. Taken together, this study demonstrated the compound E26 could be a promising agent for the treatment of sepsis.

Divergent Construction of Diverse Scaffolds through Catalyst-Controlled C-H Activation Cascades of Quinazolinones and Cyclopropenones

A transition-metal-catalyzed C-H activation cascade strategy to rapidly construct diverse quinazolinone derivatives in a one-pot manner is reported. The catalysts play an important role in the different transformations. Additionally, the procedure is scalable, proceeds with high efficiency and good chemo-/regio-selectivity, and tolerates a range of functional groups.

Novel paeonol derivatives: Design, synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo

Paeonol has been proved to have potential anti-inflammatory activity, but its clinical application is not extensive due to the poor anti-inflammatory activity (14.74% inhibitory activity at 20 μM). In order to discover novel lead compound with high anti-inflammatory activity, series of paeonol derivatives were designed and synthesized, their anti-inflammatory activities were screened in vitro and in vivo. Structure-activity relationships (SARs) have been fully concluded, and finally (E)-N-(4-(2-acetyl-5-methoxyphenoxy)phenyl)-3-(3,4,5-trimet-hoxyphenyl)acrylamide (compound 11a) was found to be the best active compound with low toxicity, which showed 96.32% inhibitory activity at 20 μM and IC₅₀ value of 6.96 μM against LPS-induced over expression of nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Preliminary mechanism studies indicated that it could inhibit the expression of TLR4, resulting in inhibiting of NF-κB and MAPK pathways. Further studies have shown that compound 11a has obvious therapeutic effect against the adjuvant-induced rat arthritis model.

Discovery and evaluation of novel synthetic 5-alkyl-4-oxo-4,5-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxaline-1-carbox-amide derivatives as anti-inflammatory agents

To develop novel anti-inflammatory agents, a series of 5-alkyl-4-oxo-4,5-dihydro-[1, 2, 4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxaline-1-carboxamide derivatives were designed, synthesised, and evaluated for anti-inflammatory effects using RAW264.7 cells. Structures of the synthesised compounds were determined using ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and HRMS. All the compounds were screened for anti-inflammatory activity based on their inhibitory effects against LPS-induced NO release. Among them, 5-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)-4-oxo-4,5-dihydro-[1, 2, 4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxaline-1-carboxamide (6p) showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity and inhibited NO release more potently than the lead compound D1. Further studies revealed that compound 6p reduced the levels of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6, and that its anti-inflammatory activity involves the inhibition of COX-2 and iNOS and downregulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signal pathway. Notably, compound 6p displayed more prominent anti-inflammatory activity than D1 and the positive control ibuprofen in the in vivo acute inflammatory model. Overall, these findings indicate that compound 6p is a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of inflammation.

Design, Synthesis and Investigation of the Potential Anti-Inflammatory Activity of 7-O-Amide Hesperetin Derivatives

To develop new anti-inflammatory agents, a series of 7-O-amide hesperetin derivatives was designed, synthesized and evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity using RAW264.7 cells. All compounds showed inhibitory effect on LPS-induced NO production. Among them, 7-O-(2-(Propylamino)-2-oxoethyl)hesperetin (4d) and 7-O-(2-(Cyclopentylamino)-2-oxoethyl)hesperetin (4k) with hydrophobic side chains exhibited the most potent NO inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 19.32 and 16.63 μM, respectively), showing stronger inhibitory effect on the production of pro- inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) than indomethacin and celecoxib at 10 μM. The structure-activity relationships (SARs) suggested that the 7-O-amide unit was buried in a medium-sized hydrophobic cavity of the bound receptor. Furthermore, compound 4d could also significantly suppress the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase enzymes (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), through the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway.

In vitro and in silico insights into tyrosinase inhibitors with (E)-benzylidene-1-indanone derivatives

Tyrosinase is a key enzyme responsible for melanin biosynthesis and is effective in protecting skin damage caused by ultraviolet radiation. As part of ongoing efforts to discover potent tyrosinase inhibitors, we systematically designed and synthesized thirteen (E)-benzylidene-1-indanone derivatives (BID1–13) and determined their inhibitory activities against tyrosinase. Among the compounds evaluated, BID3 was the most potent inhibitor of mushroom tyrosinase (IC₅₀ = 0.034 µM, monophenolase activity; IC₅₀ = 1.39 µM, diphenolase activity). Kinetic studies revealed that BID3 demonstrated a mixed type of tyrosinase inhibition with K_i value of 2.4 µM using l-DOPA as a substrate. In silico molecular docking simulations demonstrated that BID3 can bind to the catalytic and allosteric sites of tyrosinase to inhibit enzyme activity which confirmed in vitro experimental studies between BID3 and tyrosinase. Furthermore, melanin contents decreased and cellular tyrosinase activity was inhibited after BID3 treatment. These observations revealed that BID3 is a potent tyrosinase inhibitor and potentially could be used as a whitening agent for the treatment of pigmentation-related disorders.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of (1,2,4)triazole[4,3-a]pyridine derivatives as potential therapeutic agents for concanavalin A-induced hepatitis

A series of (1,2,4)triazole[4,3-a]pyridine (TZP) derivatives have been designed and synthesized. Compound 8d was identified as having the most potent inhibitory activity on NO release in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation and inhibition of the migration induced by MCP-1 protein on RAW264.7 macrophages. Based on the screening data, an immunofluorescence assay and a real-time qPCR assay were conducted, indicating that compound 8d suppressed NF-κB p65 translocation and expression of inflammatory genes by concanavalin A (Con A)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. More importantly, 8d also exhibited potent efficacy, alleviating Con A-induced hepatitis by downregulating the levels of plasma alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and inflammatory infiltration in a mouse autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) model. In addition, the flow cytometry (FCM) data showed that compound 8d inhibited the accumulation of MDSCs in the liver of Con A-induced mice. These findings raise the possibility that compound 8d might serve as a potential agent for the treatment of AIH.

New pentadienone oxime ester derivatives: synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity

To develop novel anti-inflammatory agents, a series of new pentadienone oxime ester compounds were designed and synthesized. The structures were determined by IR, 1H NMR, 13 C NMR, and HRMS. All compounds have been screened for their anti-inflammatory activity by evaluating their inhibition against LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) release in RAW 264.7 cell. Among them, compound 5j was found to be one of the most potent compounds in inhibiting NO and IL-6 (IC50 values were 6.66 µM and 5.07 µM, respectively). Preliminary mechanism studies show that title compound 5j could significantly suppress expressions of nitric oxide synthase, COX-2, and NO, IL-6 through Toll-like receptor 4/mitogen-activated protein kinases/NF-κB signalling pathway. These data support further studies to assess rational design of more efficient pentadienone oxime ester derivatives with anti-inflammatory activity in the future.

Stereoarrayed 2,3-Disubstituted 1-Indanols via Ruthenium(II)-Catalyzed Dynamic Kinetic Resolution-Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation

Activated racemic 2,3-disubstituted 1-indanones 1 possessing two stereolabile centers were stereoselectively reduced to the corresponding chiral 2,3-disubstituted-1-indanols 2 by ruthenium(II)-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution-asymmetric transfer hydrogenation. In particular, this route offers a practical access to a new class of conformationally rigid enantiopure 1,4-diols 2k-m having four contiguous chiral centers. Transformation of ent-2k into a Pallidol analogue via a highly diastereo- and regioselective Friedel-Crafts benzylation of o-chloroanisole is presented.

Design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of 2-benzylidene-1-indanone derivatives as anti-inflammatory agents for treatment of acute lung injury

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to design and synthesize novel 2-benzylidene-1-indanone derivatives for treatment of acute lung injury.

Methods

A series of 39 novel 2-benzylidene-indanone structural derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine primary macrophages.

Results

Most of the obtained compounds effectively inhibited the LPS-induced expression of IL-6 and TNF-α. The most active compound, 8f, was found to significantly reduce LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation, as reflected by reductions in the concentration of total protein, inflammatory cell count, as well as the lung wet/dry ratio in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Furthermore, 8f effectively inhibited mRNA expression of several inflammatory cytokines after LPS challenge in vitro and in vivo. Administration of 8f also blocked LPS-induced activation of the proinflammatory NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway.

Conclusion

The simple synthetic preparation and biological properties of these derivatives make these 2-benzylidene-indanone scaffolds promising new entities for the development of anti-inflammatory therapeutics for the treatment of acute lung injury.

Resveratrol-based cinnamic ester hybrids: synthesis, characterization, and anti-inflammatory activity

Twenty-three novel resveratrol-based cinnamic ester hybrids were designed and synthesized. All the compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity using RAW264.7 cells. Among them, compound D15 was found to be the most potent one in inhibiting NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The further study indicated that compound D15 could suppress expression of proteins iNOS, COX-2, p-p65, and p-IκB LPS-induced. Immunofluorescence further revealed compound D15 could reduce activation p65 in nuclei. All the results indicated that the anti-inflammatory activity of title compound may partly due to its inhibitory effect on the NF-κB signaling pathway.

E-Z isomerization in Suzuki cross-couplings of haloenones: ligand effects and evidence for a separate catalytic cycle

Suzuki cross-coupling of haloalkenes is generally assumed to occur with retention of the alkene stereochemistry. While studying Suzuki cross-couplings on E-1,2-dichlorovinyl phenyl ketone, we were surprised to observe extensive isomerization. More surprisingly, the ligand employed strongly influenced the degree of isomerization: DPEphos and Xantphos led to 96% isomerized cross-coupled product whereas reactions in the absence of a phosphine ligand, or reactions employing t-BuXantphos, gave 94% retention of stereochemistry. While E-Z isomerization in Pd-catalyzed vinylic couplings has previously been attributed to events within the cross-coupling catalytic cycle, we present experimental and computational evidence for a separate Pd-catalyzed isomerization process in these reactions.

Novel anti-inflammatory agents targeting CXCR4: Design, synthesis, biological evaluation and preliminary pharmacokinetic study

CXCR4 plays a crucial role in the inflammatory disease process, providing an attractive means for drug targeting. A series of novel amide-sulfamide derivatives were designed, synthesized and comprehensively evaluated. This new scaffold exhibited much more potent CXCR4 inhibitory activity, with more than 70% of the compounds showed notably better binding affinity than the reference drug AMD3100 in the binding assay. Additionally, in the Matrigel invasion assay, most of our compounds significantly blocked the tumor cell invasion, demonstrating superior efficacy compared to AMD3100. Furthermore, compound IIj blocked mice ear inflammation by 75% and attenuated ear edema and damage substantially in an in vivo model of inflammation. Western blot analyses revealed that CXCR4 modulator IIj significantly blocked CXCR4/CXCL12-mediated phosphorylation of Akt. Moreover, compound IIj had no observable cytotoxicity and displayed a favourable plasma stability in our preliminary pharmacokinetic study. The preliminary structure-activity relationships were also summarized. In short, this novel amide-sulfamide scaffold exhibited potent CXCR4 inhibitory activity both in vitro and in vivo. These results also confirmed that developing modulators targeting CXCR4 provides an exciting avenue for treatment of inflammation.

Synthesis and anti-inflammatory evaluation of N-sulfonyl anthranilic acids via Ir(III)-catalyzed C-H amidation of benzoic acids

The iridium(III)-catalyzed ortho-C-H amidation of benzoic acids with sulfonyl azides is described. These transformations allow the facile generation of N-sulfonyl anthranilic acids, which are known as crucial scaffolds found in biologically active molecules. In addition, all synthetic products were evaluated for in vitro anti-inflammatory activity against interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. Notably, compounds 4c and 4d, generated from p-OMe- and p-Br-sulfonyl azides, were found to display potent anti-inflammatory property stronger than that of well-known NSAIDs ibuprofen.