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Murta SMF, Lemos Santana PA, Jacques Dit Lapierre TJW, Penteado AB, El Hajje M, Navarro Vinha TC, Liarte DB, de Souza ML, Goulart Trossini GH, de Oliveira Rezende Júnior C, de Oliveira RB, Ferreira RS. New drug discovery strategies for the treatment of benznidazole-resistance in Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:741-753. [PMID: 38715393 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2024.2349155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Benznidazole, the drug of choice for treating Chagas Disease (CD), has significant limitations, such as poor cure efficacy, mainly in the chronic phase of CD, association with side effects, and parasite resistance. Understanding parasite resistance to benznidazole is crucial for developing new drugs to treat CD. AREAS COVERED Here, the authors review the current understanding of the molecular basis of benznidazole resistance. Furthermore, they discuss the state-of-the-art methods and critical outcomes employed to evaluate the efficacy of potential drugs against T. cruzi, aiming to select better compounds likely to succeed in the clinic. Finally, the authors describe the different strategies employed to overcome resistance to benznidazole and find effective new treatments for CD. EXPERT OPINION Resistance to benznidazole is a complex phenomenon that occurs naturally among T. cruzi strains. The combination of compounds that inhibit different metabolic pathways of the parasite is an important strategy for developing a new chemotherapeutic protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta
- Grupo de Genômica Funcional de Parasitos - Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Pedro Augusto Lemos Santana
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - André Berndt Penteado
- Departamento de Farmacia, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marissa El Hajje
- Departamento de Farmacia, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Mariana Laureano de Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | - Renata Barbosa de Oliveira
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Silva RC, De Freitas A, Vicente B, Midlej V, Dos Santos MS. Exploring novel pyrazole-nitroimidazole hybrids: Synthesis and antiprotozoal activity against the human pathogen trichomonas vaginalis. Bioorg Med Chem 2024; 102:117679. [PMID: 38461555 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Trichomoniasis, a prevalent sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, has gained increased significance globally. Its relevance has grown in recent years due to its association with a heightened risk of acquiring and transmitting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other STIs. In addition, many publications have revealed a potential link between trichomoniasis and certain cancers. Metronidazole (MTZ), a nitroimidazole compound developed over 50 years ago, remains the first-choice drug for treatment. However, reports of genotoxicity and side effects underscore the necessity for new compounds to address this pressing global health concern. In this study, we synthesized ten pyrazole-nitroimidazoles 1(a-j) and 4-nitro-1-(hydroxyethyl)-1H-imidazole 2, an analog of metronidazole (MTZ), and assessed their trichomonacidal and cytotoxic effects. All compounds 1(a-j) and 2 exhibited IC50 values ≤ 20 μM and ≤ 41 μM, after 24 h and 48 h, respectively. Compounds 1d (IC50 5.3 μM), 1e (IC50 4.8 μM), and 1i (IC50 5.2 μM) exhibited potencies equivalent to MTZ (IC50 4.9 μM), the reference drug, after 24 h. Notably, compound 1i showed high anti-trichomonas activity after 24 h (IC50 5.2 μM) and 48 h (IC50 2.1 μM). Additionally, all compounds demonstrated either non-cytotoxic to HeLa cells (CC50 > 100 μM) or low cytotoxicity (CC50 between 69 and 100 μM). These findings suggest that pyrazole-nitroimidazole derivatives represent a promising heterocyclic system, serving as a potential lead for further optimization in trichomoniasis chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Corrêa Silva
- Laboratório de Síntese de Sistemas Heterocíclicos (LaSSH), Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Federal University of Itajubá, 1303 BPS Avenue, Pinheirinho, Itajubá-MG, 37500-903, Brazil
| | - Anna De Freitas
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural (LBE), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, 4365 Brasil Avenue, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro-RJ, 21040-900, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Parasitária, Oswaldo Cruz Institute- Fiocruz, Brazil
| | - Bruno Vicente
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural (LBE), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, 4365 Brasil Avenue, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro-RJ, 21040-900, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Oswaldo Cruz Institute-Fiocruz, Brazil
| | - Victor Midlej
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural (LBE), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, 4365 Brasil Avenue, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro-RJ, 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Maurício Silva Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Síntese de Sistemas Heterocíclicos (LaSSH), Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Federal University of Itajubá, 1303 BPS Avenue, Pinheirinho, Itajubá-MG, 37500-903, Brazil.
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Andrade VHBD, M Rodrigues EY, Dias NAF, Ferreira GFC, Carvalho DBD, das Neves AR, Coronel PMV, Yonekawa MKA, Parisotto EB, Santos EAD, Souza AS, Paredes-Gamero EJ, de Sousa KS, Souza LLD, Resstel LBM, Baroni ACM, Lagatta DC. Neuroprotective Profile of Triazole Grandisin Analogue against Amyloid-Beta Oligomer-Induced Cognitive Impairment. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:4298-4310. [PMID: 38048522 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by accumulation of amyloid-β oligomers (AβO) in the brain, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and cognitive decline. Grandisin, a tetrahydrofuran neolignan, exhibits relevant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Interestingly, grandisin-based compounds were shown to prevent AβO-induced neuronal death in vitro. However, no study has assessed the effect of these compounds on the AD animal model. This study focuses on a triazole grandisin analogue (TGA) synthesized using simplification and bioisosteric drug design, which resulted in improved potency and solubility compared with the parent compound. This study aimed to investigate the possible in vivo effects of TGA against AβO-induced AD. Male C57/Bl6 mice underwent stereotaxic intracerebroventricular AβO (90 μM) or vehicle injections. 24 h after surgery, animals received intraperitoneal treatment with TGA (1 mg/kg) or vehicle, administered on a 14 day schedule. One day after treatment completion, a novel object recognition task (NORT) was performed. Memantine (10 mg/kg) was administered as a positive control. NORT retention sessions were performed on days 8 and 16 after AβO injection. Immediately after retention sessions, animals were euthanized for cortex and hippocampus collection. Specimens were subjected to oxidative stress and cytokine analyses. TGA reduced the level of cortex/hippocampus lipoperoxidation and prevented cognitive impairment in AβO-injected mice. Additionally, TGA reduced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels in the hippocampus. By contrast, memantine failed to prevent cortex/hippocampus lipid peroxidation, recognition memory decline, and AβO-induced increases in TNF and IFN-γ levels in the hippocampus. Thus, memantine was unable to avoid the AβO-induced persistent cognitive impairment. The results showed that TGA may prevent memory impairment by exerting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in AβO-injected mice. Moreover, TGA exhibited a persistent neuroprotective effect compared to memantine, reflecting an innovative profile of this promising agent against neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor H B de Andrade
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition School, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Erick Y M Rodrigues
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition School, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Nayara A F Dias
- School of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Gabriela F C Ferreira
- School of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Diego B de Carvalho
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition School, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Amarith R das Neves
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition School, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Paola M V Coronel
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition School, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Murilo K A Yonekawa
- Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (INBIO-UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Eduardo B Parisotto
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition School, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Edson A Dos Santos
- Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (INBIO-UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Albert S Souza
- Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (INBIO-UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Edgar J Paredes-Gamero
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition School, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Kamylla S de Sousa
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition School, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Letícia L de Souza
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition School, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Leonardo B M Resstel
- School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Adriano C M Baroni
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition School, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
| | - Davi C Lagatta
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition School, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79051-470, Brazil
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