1
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Romero AH, Aguilera E, Gotopo L, Cabrera G, Dávila B, Cerecetto H. Optimization of the 2-arylquinazoline-4(3 H)one scaffold for a selective and potent antitrypanosomal agent: modulation of the mechanism of action through chemical functionalization. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:1992-2006. [PMID: 37859724 PMCID: PMC10583831 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00243h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We sought to identify a potent and selective antitrypanosomal agent through modulation of the mechanism of action of a 2-arylquinazoline scaffold as an antitrypanosomal agent via chemical functionalization at the 4-position. We wished to use the: (i) susceptibility of trypanosomatids towards nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS); (ii) capacity of the 4-substituted quinazoline system to act as an antifolate agent. Three quinazolin-based moieties that differed from each other by having at the 4-position key pharmacophores targeting the induction of NO and ROS production were evaluated in vitro against Leishmania infantum and Trypanosoma cruzi parasites and their modes of action were explored. Replacement of an oxygen moiety at the 4-position of the antifolate 2-arylquinazolin-4(3H)one by hydrazinyl and 5-nitrofuryl-hydrazinyl pharmacophores enhanced antitrypanosomatid activity significantly due to promotion of an additional mechanism beyond the antifolate response such as NO or ROS production, respectively. Among the three types of chemical functionalization, the 5-nitrofuryl-hydrazinyl moiety generated the most potent compounds. Compound 3b was a potential candidate thanks to its sub-micromolar response against the promastigotes/amastigotes of L. infantum and epimastigote of T. cruzi, moderate toxicity on macrophages (J774.1), good selectivity index (∼15.1-17.6) and, importantly, non-mutagenic effects. 2-Arylquinazoline could be an attractive platform to design new anti-trypanosomatid agents with the use of key pharmacophores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel H Romero
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Igual 4225 11400 Montevideo Uruguay
| | - Elena Aguilera
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Igual 4225 11400 Montevideo Uruguay
| | - Lourdes Gotopo
- Laboratorio de Síntesis de Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela Los Chaguaramos Caracas 1041-A Venezuela
| | - Gustavo Cabrera
- Laboratorio de Síntesis de Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela Los Chaguaramos Caracas 1041-A Venezuela
| | - Belén Dávila
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Igual 4225 11400 Montevideo Uruguay
| | - Hugo Cerecetto
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Igual 4225 11400 Montevideo Uruguay
- Área de Radiofarmacia, Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Mataojo 42055 11400 Montevideo Uruguay
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2
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Barbosa DCDS, Holanda VN, Ghosh A, Maia RT, da Silva WV, Lima VLDM, da Silva MV, Dos Santos Correia MT, de Figueiredo RCBQ. Leishmanicidal and cytotoxic activity of essential oil from the fruit peel of Myrciaria floribunda (H. West ex Willd.) O. Berg: Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations of its major constituent onto Leishmania enzyme targets. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:13001-13016. [PMID: 34632943 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1978320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected disease characterized by highest morbidity rates worldwide. The available treatment for CL has several limitations including serious side effects and resistance to the treatment. Herein we aimed to evaluate the activity of essential oil from the peel of Myrciaria floribunda fruits (MfEO) on Leishmania amazonensis. The cytotoxic potential of MfEO on host mammalian cells was evaluated by MTT. The in vitro leishmanicidal effects of MfEO were investigated on the promastigote and intracellular amastigote forms. The ultrastructural changes induced by MfEO were evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The molecular docking of the major compounds δ-Cadinene, γ-Cadinene, γ-Muurolene, α-Selinene, α-Muurolene and (E)-Caryophyllene onto the enzymes trypanothione reductase (TreR) and sterol 14-alpha demethylase (C14DM) were performed. Our results showed that MfEO presented moderate cytotoxicity for Vero cells and macrophages. The MfEO inhibited the growth of promastigote and the survival of intracellular amastigotes, in a dose- and time- dependent way. The MfEO presented high selectivity towards amastigote forms, being 44.1 times more toxic for this form than to macrophages. Molecular docking analysis showed that the major compounds of MfEO interact with Leishmania enzymes and that δ-Cadinene (δ-CAD) presented favorable affinity energy values over TreR and C14DM enzymes, when compared with the other major constituents. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies revealed a stable binding of δ-CAD with lowest binding free energy values in MMGBSA assay. Our results suggested that δ-CAD may be a potent inhibitor of TreR and C14DM enzymes. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vanderlan Nogueira Holanda
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Arabinda Ghosh
- Microbiology Division, Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Rafael Trindade Maia
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Sustentável do Semiárido, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Sumé, Paraíba, Brazil
| | | | - Vera Lúcia de Menezes Lima
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Márcia Vanusa da Silva
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
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3
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Campos‐Fernández L, Ortiz‐Muñiz R, Cortés‐Barberena E, Mares‐Sámano S, Garduño‐Juárez R, Soriano‐Correa C. Imidazole and nitroimidazole derivatives as NADH-fumarate reductase inhibitors: Density functional theory studies, homology modeling, and molecular docking. J Comput Chem 2022; 43:1573-1595. [PMID: 35796405 PMCID: PMC9541967 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.26959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. Benznidazole and nifurtimox are drugs used for its therapy; nevertheless, they have collateral effects. NADH-fumarate (FUM) reductase is a potential pharmacological target since it is essential for survival of parasite and is not found in humans. The objectives are to design and characterize the electronic structure of imidazole and nitroimidazole derivatives at DFT-M06-2X level in aqueous solution; also, to model the NADH-FUM reductase and analyze its intermolecular interactions by molecular docking. Quantum-chemical descriptors allowed to select the molecules with the best physicochemical properties and lowest toxicity. A high-quality three-dimensional structure of NADH-FUM reductase was obtained by homology modeling. Water molecules do not have influence in the interaction between FUM and NADH-FUM reductase. The main hydrogen-binding interactions for FUM were identified in NADH, Lys172, and Arg89; while hydrophobic interactions in Phe479, Thr174, Met63. The molecules S3-8, S2-8, and S1-8 could be inhibitors of NADH-FUM reductase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Campos‐Fernández
- Doctorado en Biología ExperimentalUniversidad Autónoma Metropolitana‐IztapalapaMexico CityIztapalapaMexico
- Departamento de Ciencias de la SaludUniversidad Autónoma Metropolitana‐IztapalapaMexico CityIztapalapaMexico
- Unidad de Química Computacional, Facultad de Estudios Superiores ZaragozaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMexico CityIztapalapaMexico
| | - Rocío Ortiz‐Muñiz
- Departamento de Ciencias de la SaludUniversidad Autónoma Metropolitana‐IztapalapaMexico CityIztapalapaMexico
| | - Edith Cortés‐Barberena
- Departamento de Ciencias de la SaludUniversidad Autónoma Metropolitana‐IztapalapaMexico CityIztapalapaMexico
| | - Sergio Mares‐Sámano
- CONACYT–Instituto de Ciencias FísicasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCuernavacaMorelosMexico
| | - Ramón Garduño‐Juárez
- Instituto de Ciencias FísicasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCuernavacaMorelosMexico
| | - Catalina Soriano‐Correa
- Unidad de Química Computacional, Facultad de Estudios Superiores ZaragozaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMexico CityIztapalapaMexico
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4
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Magalhães TBDS, Silva DKC, Teixeira JDS, De Lima JDT, Barbosa-Filho JM, Moreira DRM, Guimarães ET, Soares MBP. A Betulinic Acid Derivative, BA5, Induces G0/G1 Cell Arrest, Apoptosis Like-Death, and Morphological Alterations in Leishmania sp. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:846123. [PMID: 35392556 PMCID: PMC8981292 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.846123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis are endemic diseases caused by different species of intracellular parasites of the genus Leishmania. Due to the high toxicity and drug resistance of current antileishmanial drugs, it is necessary to identify new and more effective drugs. Previously, we investigated the immunomodulatory and anti-Trypanosoma cruzi action of BA5, a derivative of betulinic acid. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro activity of BA5 against different species of Leishmania and their action mechanism. BA5 exhibited low cytotoxicity against macrophages and inhibited the proliferation of promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis (IC50 = 4.5 ± 1.1 μM), Leishmania major (IC50 = 3.0 ± 0.8 μM), Leishmania braziliensis (IC50 = 0.9 ± 1.1 μM) and Leishmania infantum (IC50 = 0.15 ± 0.05 μM). Incubation with BA5 reduced the percentage of Leishmania amazonensis-infected macrophages and the number of intracellular parasites (IC50 = 4.1 ± 0.7 μM). To understand the mechanism of action underlying BA5 antileishmanial activity (incubation at IC50/2, IC50 or 2xIC50 values of the drug), we investigated ultrastructural changes by scanning electron microscopy and evaluated cell cycle, membrane mitochondrial potential, and cell death against promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis by flow cytometry. Promastigotes incubated with BA5 presented membrane blebbing, flagella damage, increased size, and body deformation. Flow cytometry analysis showed that parasite death is mainly caused by apoptosis-like death, arrested cell cycle in G0/G1 phase and did not alter the membrane mitochondrial potential of Leishmania amazonensis. Surprisingly, the combination of BA5 and amphotericin B, an assay used to determine the degree of drug interaction, revealed synergistic effects (CI = 0.15 ± 0.09) on promastigotes forms of Leishmania amazonensis. In conclusion, BA5 compound is an effective and selective antileishmanial agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Barbosa Dos Santos Magalhães
- Laboratório de Histotécnica e Cultura Celular, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade Do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Brazil.,Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Dahara Keyse Carvalho Silva
- Laboratório de Histotécnica e Cultura Celular, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade Do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Brazil.,Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Jessica da Silva Teixeira
- Laboratório de Histotécnica e Cultura Celular, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade Do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Brazil.,Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Juliana Dizaira Teles De Lima
- Laboratório de Histotécnica e Cultura Celular, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade Do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Brazil.,Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil
| | | | - Diogo Rodrigo Magalhães Moreira
- Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Elisalva Teixeira Guimarães
- Laboratório de Histotécnica e Cultura Celular, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade Do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Brazil.,Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Milena Botelho Pereira Soares
- Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil.,Instituto Senai de Inovação Em Sistemas Avançados Em Saúde, SENAI/CIMATEC, Salvador, Brazil
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5
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Britten NS, Butler JA. Ruthenium metallotherapeutics: novel approaches to combatting parasitic infections. Curr Med Chem 2022; 29:5159-5178. [DOI: 10.2174/0929867329666220401105444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Human parasitic infections cause a combined global mortality rate of over one million people per annum and represent some of the most challenging diseases for medical intervention. Current chemotherapeutic strategies often require prolonged treatment, coupled with subsequent drug-induced cytotoxic morbidity to the host, while resistance generation is also a major concern. Metals have been used extensively throughout the history of medicine, with more recent applications as anticancer and antimicrobial agents. Ruthenium metallotherapeutic antiparasitic agents are highly effective at targeting a range of key parasites, including the causative agents of malaria, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, amoebiasis, toxoplasmosis and other orphan diseases, while demonstrating lower cytotoxicity profiles than current treatment strategies. Generally, such compounds also demonstrate activity against multiple cellular target sites within parasites, including inhibition of enzyme function, cell membrane perturbation, and alterations to metabolic pathways, therefore reducing the opportunity for resistance generation. This review provides a comprehensive and subjective analysis of the rapidly developing area of ruthenium metal-based antiparasitic chemotherapeutics, in the context of rational drug design and potential clinical approaches to combatting human parasitic infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole S. Britten
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan A. Butler
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
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6
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Acosta M, Gotopo L, Gamboa N, Rodrigues JR, Henriques GC, Cabrera G, Romero AH. Antimalarial Activity of Highly Coordinative Fused Heterocycles Targeting β -Hematin Crystallization. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:7499-7514. [PMID: 35284702 PMCID: PMC8908514 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c05393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The β-hematin formation is a unique process adopted by Plasmodium sp. to detoxify free heme and represents a validated target to design new effective antimalarials. Most of the β-hematin inhibitors are mainly based on 4-aminoquinolines, but the parasite has developed diverse defense mechanisms against this type of chemical system. Thus, the identification of other molecular chemical entities targeting the β-hematin formation pathway is highly needed to evade resistance mechanisms associated with 4-aminoquinolines. Herein, we showed that the highly coordinative character can be a useful tool for the rational design of antimalarial agents targeting β-hematin crystallization. From a small library consisting of five compound families with recognized antitrypanosomatid activity and coordinative abilities, a group of tetradentate 1,4-disubstituted phthalazin-aryl/heteroarylhydrazinyl derivatives were identified as potential antimalarials. They showed a remarkable curative response against Plasmodium berghei-infected mice with a significant reduction of the parasitemia, which was well correlated with their good inhibitory activities on β-hematin crystallization (IC50 = 5-7 μM). Their in vitro inhibitory and in vivo responses were comparable to those found for a chloroquine reference. The active compounds showed moderate in vitro toxicity against peritoneal macrophages, a low hemolysis response, and a good in silico ADME profile, identifying compound 2f as a promising antimalarial agent for further experiments. Other less coordinative fused heterocycles exhibited moderate inhibitory responses toward β-hematin crystallization and modest efficacy against the in vivo model. The complexation ability of the ligands with iron(III) was experimentally and theoretically determined, finding, in general, a good correlation between the complexation ability of the ligand and the inhibitory activity toward β-hematin crystallization. These findings open new perspectives toward the rational design of antimalarial β-hematin inhibitors based on the coordinative character as an alternative to the conventional β-hematin inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- María
E. Acosta
- Unidad
de Bioquímica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Los Chaguaramos, Caracas 1041-A, Venezuela
| | - Lourdes Gotopo
- Laboratorio
de Síntesis Orgaínica, Escuela de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Los Chaguaramos, Caracas 1041-A, Venezuela
| | - Neira Gamboa
- Unidad
de Bioquímica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Los Chaguaramos, Caracas 1041-A, Venezuela
| | - Juan R. Rodrigues
- Unidad
de Bioquímica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Los Chaguaramos, Caracas 1041-A, Venezuela
| | - Genesis C. Henriques
- Unidad
de Bioquímica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Los Chaguaramos, Caracas 1041-A, Venezuela
| | - Gustavo Cabrera
- Laboratorio
de Síntesis Orgaínica, Escuela de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Los Chaguaramos, Caracas 1041-A, Venezuela
| | - Angel H. Romero
- Caítedra
de Química General, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Los Chaguaramos, Caracas 1041-A, Venezuela
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7
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Examination of multiple Trypanosoma cruzi targets in a new drug discovery approach for Chagas disease. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 58:116577. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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8
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Coro-Bermello J, López-Rodríguez ER, Alfonso-Ramos JE, Alonso D, Ojeda-Carralero GM, Prado GA, Moreno-Castillo E. Identification of novel thiadiazin derivatives as potentially selective inhibitors towards trypanothione reductase from Trypanosoma cruzi by molecular docking using the numerical index poses ratio Pr and the binding mode analysis. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42452-021-04375-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Chagas disease is a serious health problem in Central and South America for which effective treatment is not currently available. This illness is caused by the protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi, a species that relies on a thiol-based metabolism to regulate oxidative stress. Trypanothione reductase enzyme plays a central role in the metabolic pathway of the parasite. In this work, a virtual screening of a library of novel thiadiazine derivatives against trypanothione reductase using molecular docking was performed. Four different series of hybrid ligands having in the structure one or two peptoid moieties (series I and II) or the tetrazole ring (series III and IV) were considered. An ad hoc numerical index called poses ratio was introduced to interpret the results of the docking analysis and to establish relevant structure-interaction relationships. In addition, six binding modes were found for the ligands with the highest populated conformational clusters after applying contact-based analysis. The most regular and relevant were binding modes I and II, found mainly for ligands from series I. A subsequent molecular docking on human glutathione reductase enzyme allowed to assess the possible cytotoxicity of the ligands towards human cells. A selective binding profile was found for ligands with interactions in the Hydrophobic cleft, the spermidine and the Z subsites inside the active site of trypanothione reductase. At the end of the study, new thiadiazine-based compounds were identified as plausible candidates to selectively inhibit the parasitic enzyme.
Graphic abstract
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9
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Zaib S, Khan I. Synthetic and medicinal chemistry of phthalazines: Recent developments, opportunities and challenges. Bioorg Chem 2020; 105:104425. [PMID: 33157344 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Fused diaza-heterocycles constitute the core structure of numerous bioactive natural products and effective therapeutic drugs. Among them, phthalazines have been recognized as remarkable structural leads in medicinal chemistry due to their wide application in pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Accessing such challenging pharmaceutical agents/drug candidates with high chemical complexity through synthetically efficient approaches remains an attractive goal in the contemporary medicinal chemistry and drug discovery arena. In this review, we focus on the recent developments in the synthetic routes towards the generation of phthalazine-based active pharmaceutical ingredients and their biological potential against various targets. The general reaction scope of these innovative and easily accessible strategies was emphasized focusing on the functional group tolerance, substrate and coupling partner compatibility/limitation, the choice of catalyst, and product diversification. These processes were also accompanied by the mechanistic insights where deemed appropriate to demonstrate meaningful information. Moreover, the rapid examination of the structure-activity relationship analyses around the phthalazine core enabled by the pharmacophore replacement/integration revealed the generation of robust, efficient, and more selective compounds with pronounced biological effects. A large variety of in silico methods and ADME profiling tools were also employed to provide a global appraisal of the pharmacokinetics profile of diaza-heterocycles. Thus, the discovery of new structural leads offers the promise of improving treatments for various tropical diseases such as tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, malaria, Chagas disease, among many others including various cancers, atherosclerosis, HIV, inflammatory, and cardiovascular diseases. We hope this review would serve as an informative collection of structurally diverse molecules enabling the generation of mature, high-quality, and innovative routes to support the drug discovery endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumera Zaib
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Imtiaz Khan
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom.
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10
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Romero AH, Sojo F, Arvelo F, Calderón C, Morales A, López SE. Anticancer potential of new 3-nitroaryl-6-(N-methyl)piperazin-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazines targeting voltage-gated K + channel: Copper-catalyzed one-pot synthesis from 4-chloro-1-phthalazinyl-arylhydrazones. Bioorg Chem 2020; 101:104031. [PMID: 32629281 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A series of six 3-aryl-6-(N-methylpiperazin)-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazines were prepared through a facile and efficient one-pot copper-catalyzed procedure from 4-chloro-1-phthalazinyl-arylhydrazones with relatively good yields (62-83%). The one-pot copper-catalytic procedure consists of two simultaneous reactions: (i) a direct intramolecular dehydrogentaive cyclization between ylidenic carbon and adjacent pyrazine nitrogen to form 1,2,4-triazolo ring and, (ii) a direct N-amination on carbon-chlorine bond. Then, an in vitro anticancer evaluation was performed for the synthesized compounds against five selected human cancer cells (A549, MCF-7, SKBr3, PC-3 and HeLa). The nitro-derivatives were significantly more active against cancer strains than against the rest of tested compounds. Specifically, compound 8d was identified as the most promising anticancer agent with significant biological responses and low relative toxicities on human dermis fibroblast. The cytotoxic effect of compound 8d was more significant on PC3, MCF-7 and SKBr3 cancer cells with low-micromolar IC50 value ranging from 0.11 to 0.59 μM, superior to Adriamycin drug. Mechanistic experimental and theoretical studies demonstrated that compounds 8d act as a K+ channel inhibitor in cancer models. Further molecular docking studies suggest that the EGFR Tyrosine Kinase enzyme may be a potential target for the most active 3-aryl-6-(N-methylpiperazin)-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel H Romero
- Cátedra de Química General, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Los Chaguaramos, Caracas 1041-A, Venezuela.
| | - Felipe Sojo
- Fundación Institutos de Estudios Avanzados-IDEA, Área Salud, Venezuela; Laboratorio de Cultivo de Tejidos y Biología de Tumores, Instituto de Biología Experimental-IBE, Facultad de Ciencias-UCV, Bello Monte, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Francisco Arvelo
- Fundación Institutos de Estudios Avanzados-IDEA, Área Salud, Venezuela; Laboratorio de Cultivo de Tejidos y Biología de Tumores, Instituto de Biología Experimental-IBE, Facultad de Ciencias-UCV, Bello Monte, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Christian Calderón
- Laboratorio de Fisiología y Biofísica, Centro de Biología Celular, Instituto de Biología Experimental-IBE, Facultad de Ciencias, UCV, Bello Monte, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Alvaro Morales
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Clínica Santa María, Cevalfes, Valencia, Venezuela
| | - Simón E López
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
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11
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Scotti MT, Monteiro AFM, de Oliveira Viana J, Bezerra Mendonça Junior FJ, Ishiki HM, Tchouboun EN, De Araújo RSA, Scotti L. Recent Theoretical Studies Concerning Important Tropical Infections. Curr Med Chem 2020; 27:795-834. [DOI: 10.2174/0929867326666190711121418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) form a group of diseases that are strongly associated
with poverty, flourish in impoverished environments, and thrive best in tropical areas,
where they tend to present overlap. They comprise several diseases, and the symptoms
vary dramatically from disease to disease, often causing from extreme pain, and untold misery
that anchors populations to poverty, permanent disability, and death. They affect more than 1
billion people worldwide; mostly in poor populations living in tropical and subtropical climates.
In this review, several complementary in silico approaches are presented; including
identification of new therapeutic targets, novel mechanisms of activity, high-throughput
screening of small-molecule libraries, as well as in silico quantitative structure-activity relationship
and recent molecular docking studies. Current and active research against Sleeping
Sickness, American trypanosomiasis, Leishmaniasis and Schistosomiasis infections will hopefully
lead to safer, more effective, less costly and more widely available treatments against
these parasitic forms of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Tullius Scotti
- Postgraduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, Joao Pessoa - PB, Brazil
| | - Alex France Messias Monteiro
- Postgraduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, Joao Pessoa - PB, Brazil
| | - Jéssika de Oliveira Viana
- Postgraduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, Joao Pessoa - PB, Brazil
| | | | - Hamilton M. Ishiki
- University of Western Sao Paulo (Unoeste), Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Rodrigo Santos A. De Araújo
- Laboratory of Synthesis and Drug Delivery, Department of Biological Science, State University of Paraiba, Joao Pessoa, PB, Brazil
| | - Luciana Scotti
- Postgraduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, Joao Pessoa - PB, Brazil
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12
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Romero AH, Rodríguez N, Ramírez OG. Optimization of phthalazin-based aryl/heteroarylhydrazones to design new promising antileishmanicidal agents: synthesis and biological evaluation of 3-aryl-6-piperazin-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4- a]phthalazines. NEW J CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1039/d0nj01206h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
1-Monosubstituted and 1,4-substituted phthalazins based on aryl/heteroarylhydrazinyl have demonstrated attractive antileishmanial profiles against amastigote forms of the Leishmania braziliensis parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel H. Romero
- Cátedra de Química General
- Facultad de Farmacia
- Universidad Central de Venezuela
- Los Chaguaramos
- Caracas 1041-A
| | - Noris Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética
- Instituto de Biomedicina
- Facultad de Medicina
- Universidad Central de Venezuela
- San Luis
| | - Oscar G. Ramírez
- Cátedra de Química General
- Facultad de Farmacia
- Universidad Central de Venezuela
- Los Chaguaramos
- Caracas 1041-A
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13
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Brito CCB, da Silva HVC, Brondani DJ, de Faria AR, Ximenes RM, da Silva IM, de Albuquerque JFC, Castilho MS. Synthesis and biological evaluation of thiazole derivatives as LbSOD inhibitors. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2019; 34:333-342. [PMID: 30734600 PMCID: PMC6327998 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2018.1550752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is considered as one of the major neglected tropical diseases due to its magnitude and wide geographic distribution. Leishmania braziliensis, responsible for cutaneous leishmaniasis, is the most prevalent species in Brazil. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) belongs to the antioxidant pathway of the parasites and human host. Despite the differences between SOD of Leishmania braziliensis and human make this enzyme a promising target for drug development efforts. No medicinal chemistry effort has been made to identify LbSOD inhibitors. Herein, we show that thermal shift assays (TSA) and fluorescent protein-labeled assays (FPLA) can be employed as primary and secondary screens to achieve this goal. Moreover, we show that thiazole derivatives bind to LbSOD with micromolar affinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila C. Bitencourt Brito
- Programa de pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, BA, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Rafael Matos Ximenes
- Departamento de Antibióticos, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | | | | | - Marcelo Santos Castilho
- Programa de pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, BA, Brazil
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
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14
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Targeting pteridine reductase 1 and dihydrofolate reductase: the old is a new trend for leishmaniasis drug discovery. Future Med Chem 2019; 11:2107-2130. [DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2018-0512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is one of the major neglected tropical diseases in the world and it is considered endemic in 88 countries. This disease is transmitted by a Leishmania spp. infected sandfly and it may lead to cutaneous or systemic manifestations. The preconized treatment has low efficacy and there are cases of resistance to some drugs. Therefore, the search for new efficient molecular targets that can lead to the preparation of new drugs must be pursued. This review aims to evaluate both Leishmania enzymes PTR1 and DHFR-TS as potential drug targets, highlight their inhibitors and to discuss critically the use of chemoinformatics to elucidate interactions and propose new molecules against these enzymes.
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15
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Romero AH, Rodríguez N, Oviedo H, Lopez SE. Antileismanial activity, mechanism of action study and molecular docking of 1,4‐bis(substituted benzalhydrazino)phthalazines. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2019; 352:e1800299. [DOI: 10.1002/ardp.201800299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Angel H. Romero
- Cátedra de Química General, Facultad de FarmaciaUniversidad Central de VenezuelaCaracas Venezuela
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería GenéticaInstituto de Biomedicina, Hospital VargasCaracas Venezuela
- Laboratorio de Química Medicinal y Heterociclos, Departamento de QuímicaUniversidad Simón BolívarSartenejas, Baruta Venezuela
| | - Noris Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería GenéticaInstituto de Biomedicina, Hospital VargasCaracas Venezuela
| | - Henry Oviedo
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería GenéticaInstituto de Biomedicina, Hospital VargasCaracas Venezuela
| | - Simón E. Lopez
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of FloridaGainesville Florida
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16
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Romero AH, Rodríguez N, Oviedo H. 2-Aryl-quinazolin-4(3H)-ones as an inhibitor of leishmania folate pathway: In vitro biological evaluation, mechanism studies and molecular docking. Bioorg Chem 2019; 83:145-153. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2018.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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17
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Pastrana Restrepo M, Galeano Jaramillo E, Martínez Martínez A, Robledo Restrepo S. Synthesis and trypanocide activity of chloro-l-tyrosine and bromo-l-tyrosine derivatives. Med Chem Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00044-018-2249-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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18
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Romero AH, López SE, Rodríguez N, Oviedo H. Antileishmanial activity, structure-activity relationship of series of 2-(trifluoromethyl)benzo[b][1,8]naphthyridin-4(1H)-ones. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2018; 351:e1800094. [PMID: 29926967 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.201800094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Trifluoromethyl-substituted quinolones and their analogues have emerged as an interesting platform in the last 6 years to design antiparasite agents. Many of their derivatives have been demonstrated to display excellent efficacy against flagellate parasites such as Plasmodium spp. In order to identify new analogues of trifluoromethyl-substituted quinolones to treat the American cutaneous leishmaniasis, we evaluated the antiproliferative activity of a series of 2-(trifluoromethyl)benzo[b]-[1,8]naphthyridin-4(1H)-ones on the Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania mexicana parasites. The mentioned derivatives have never been evaluated against any parasite strain. In general, an in vitro evaluation on L.(L)mexicana and L.(V)braziliensis showed that L.(L)mexicana was more sensitive to the action of the compounds than L.(V)braziliensis, either in the promastigote or in the amastigote form. Five compounds exhibited moderate efficacy against L.(L)mexicana promastigotes, with IC50 values ranging from 9.65 to 14.76 µM. From the mentioned molecules, three compounds, 1e, 1f, and 1h, showed a discrete response against axenic and intracellular amastigotes, with LD50 values between 19 and 24 µM. Moreover, an in vitro evaluation was performed on an antimony-resistant amastigote strain and a human isolate amastigote strain. These three compounds showed discrete toxicity on peritoneal macrophages; however, their relatively good antiamastigote response compared to the drug glucantime promoted our trifluoromethyl-substituted benzo[b][1,8]naphthyridin-4(1H)-ones as a potential platform to design potent antileishmanial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel H Romero
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética, Instituto de Biomedicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, San Luis, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Simon E López
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Noris Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética, Instituto de Biomedicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, San Luis, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Henry Oviedo
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética, Instituto de Biomedicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, San Luis, Caracas, Venezuela
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