Getting new bronchodilator compounds from molecular topology

Elucidation of the mechanisms governing the thermal diastereomerization of bioactive chiral 1,3,4-thiadiazoline spiro-cyclohexyl derivatives towards their anancomeric stereoisomers

Synthesis of bioactive 1,3,4-thiadiazoline-spiro-cyclohexyl-alkyl-substituted diastereomers by effective switching between kinetic and thermodynamic control.

Molecular topology - dissimilar similarities

The present paper depicts the role of molecular topology in the study of similarity-dissimilarity between molecular structures. It proves that molecular topology represents a very useful tool for getting common patterns of pharmacological activity and hence an efficient approach for the search of novel lead drugs.

Novel potential agents for ulcerative colitis by molecular topology: suppression of IL-6 production in Caco-2 and RAW 264.7 cell lines

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an immune-mediated chronic and relapsing intestinal inflammatory disease. Interleukin (IL)-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, plays a key role in the uncontrolled intestinal inflammatory process, which is a main characteristic of UC. In this work, a quantitative structure-activity relationship model based on molecular topology (MT) has been built up to predict the IL-6 mediated anti-UC activity. After an external validation of the model, a virtual screening of the MicroSource Pure Natural Products Collection and Sigma-Aldrich databases was carried out looking for potential new active compounds. From the entire set of compounds labeled as active by the model, four of them, namely alizarin-3-methylimino-N,N-diacetic acid (AMA), Calcein, (+)-dibenzyl-L-tartrate (DLT), and Ro 41-0960, were tested in vitro by determination of IL-6 production in two cell lines (RAW 264.7 and Caco-2). The results demonstrate that three of them were able to significantly reduce IL-6 levels in both cell lines and particularly one, namely Ro 41-0960. These results confirm MT's efficacy as a tool for the selection of compounds potentially active in UC.

Topological virtual screening: a way to find new compounds active in ulcerative colitis by inhibiting NF-κB

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) is a transcription factor that plays a key role in regulating expression of multiple inflammatory and immune genes. In this study, a Topological Virtual Screening study has been carried out to achieve a model capable of finding new compounds active in ulcerative colitis by inhibiting NF-κB. Different topological indices were used as structural descriptors, and their relation to biological activity was determined using linear discriminant analysis. A topological model consisting of two discriminant functions was built up. The first function focused in the discrimination between NF-κB active and inactive compounds, and the second one in distinguishing between compounds active and inactive on ulcerative colitis. The model was then applied sequentially to a large database of compounds with unknown activity. Twenty-eight of such compounds were predicted to be active and selected for in vitro and in vivo testing.

A facile regioselective synthesis of novel spiro-thioxanthene and spiro-xanthene-9',2-[1,3,4]thiadiazole derivatives as potential analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile imines to 9H-thioxanthone-9-thione and 9H-xanthone-9-thione afforded novel spiro-thioxanthene-9',2-[1,3,4]thiadiazoles 6a-g and spiro-xanthene-9',2-[1,3,4]thiadiazoles 7a-g in good yields. Some of the newly synthesized compounds were tested for anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities comparable to ibuprofen. Compounds 6a,d,e and 7a,d,e showed significant activity compared to standard drug. The toxicity studies revealed that neither death nor other behavioral or toxicological changes were observed on rats up to a dose as high as 200 mg/kg.