Nucleophilic Reactivation of Sarin-Inhibited Acetylcholinesterase: A Molecular Modeling Study

Novel uncharged triazole salicylaldoxime derivatives as potential acetylcholinesterase reactivators: comprehensive computational study, synthesis and in vitro evaluation

The present study aims to design and synthesise novel uncharged aldoximes and explore their reactivation abilities, structures, descriptors, and mechanisms of action, as well as assessing the interactions and stabilities in the active site of paraoxon-inhibited acetylcholinesterase enzyme using computational studies and in vitro assay. The comprehensive computational studies including quantum chemical, molecular dynamics simulations and molecular docking were conducted on paraoxon-inhibited human acetylcholinesterase to investigate the reactivation ability of the novel aldoximes and compare them with pralidoxime as a reactivator model molecule.

Toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and effectiveness of the ortho-chlorinated bispyridinium oxime, K870

Oxime reactivators are causal antidotes for organophosphate intoxication. Herein, the toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and reactivation effectiveness of o-chlorinated bispyridinium oxime K870 are reported. Oxime K870 was found to have a safe profile at a dose of 30 mg/kg in rats. It exhibited rapid absorption and renal clearance similar to those of other charged oximes after intramuscular administration. Its isoxazole-pyridinium degradation product was identified in vivo. Although it showed some improvement in brain targeting, it was nevertheless rapidly effluxed from the central nervous system. Its reactivation effectiveness was evaluated in rats and mice intoxicated with sarin, tabun, VX, and paraoxon and compared with pralidoxime and asoxime. K870 was found to be less effective in reversing tabun poisoning compared to its parent unchlorinated oxime K203. However, K870 efficiently reactivated blood acetylcholinesterase for all tested organophosphates in rats. In addition, K870 significantly protected against intoxication by all tested organophosphates in mice. For these reasons, oxime K870 seems to have a broader reactivation spectrum against multiple organophosphates. It seems important to properly modulate the oximate forming properties (pK_a) to obtain more versatile oxime reactivators.

Review about Structure and Evaluation of Reactivators of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibited with Neurotoxic Organophosphorus Compounds

BACKGROUND

Neurotoxic chemical warfare agents can be classified as some of the most dangerous chemicals for humanity. The most effective of those agents are the Organophosphates (OPs) capable of restricting the enzyme Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which in turn, controls the nerve impulse transmission. When AChE is inhibited by OPs, its reactivation can be usually performed through cationic oximes. However, until today, it has not been developed one universal defense agent, with complete effective reactivation activity for AChE inhibited by any of the many types of existing neurotoxic OPs. For this reason, before treating people intoxicated by an OP, it is necessary to determine the neurotoxic compound that was used for contamination, in order to select the most effective oxime. Unfortunately, this task usually requires a relatively long time, raising the possibility of death. Cationic oximes also display a limited capacity of permeating the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB). This fact compromises their capacity to reactivating AChE inside the nervous system.

METHODS

We performed a comprehensive search on the data about OPs available on the scientific literature today in order to cover all the main drawbacks still faced in the research for the development of effective antidotes against those compounds.

RESULTS

Therefore, this review about neurotoxic OPs and the reactivation of AChE, provides insights for the new agents' development. The most expected defense agent is a molecule without toxicity and effective to reactivate AChE inhibited by all neurotoxic OPs.

CONCLUSION

To develop these new agents, the application of diverse scientific areas of research, especially theoretical procedures as computational science (computer simulation, docking and dynamics), organic synthesis, spectroscopic methodologies, biology, biochemical and biophysical information, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, is necessary.

Reactivation of VX-Inhibited Human Acetylcholinesterase by Deprotonated Pralidoxime. A Complementary Quantum Mechanical Study

In the present work, we performed a complementary quantum mechanical (QM) study to describe the mechanism by which deprotonated pralidoxime (2-PAM) could reactivate human (Homo sapiens sapiens) acetylcholinesterase (HssAChE) inhibited by the nerve agent VX. Such a reaction is proposed to occur in subsequent addition-elimination steps, starting with a nucleophile bimolecular substitution (S_N2) mechanism through the formation of a trigonal bipyramidal transition state (TS). A near attack conformation (NAC), obtained in a former study using molecular mechanics (MM) calculations, was taken as a starting point for this project, where we described the possible formation of the TS. Together, this combined QM/MM study on AChE reactivation shows the feasibility of the reactivation occurring via attack of the deprotonated form of 2-PAM against the Ser203-VX adduct of HssAChE.

Molecular modeling studies on the interactions of 7-methoxytacrine-4-pyridinealdoxime, 4-PA, 2-PAM, and obidoxime with VX-inhibited human acetylcholinesterase: a near attack conformation approach

7-methoxytacrine-4-pyridinealdoxime (7-MEOTA-4-PA, named hybrid 5C) is a compound formerly synthesized and evaluated in vitro, together with 4-pyridine aldoxime (4-PA) and commercial reactivators of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). This compound was designed with the purpose of being a prophylactic reactivator, capable of interacting with different subdomains of the active site of AChE. To investigate these interactions, theoretical results from docking were first compared with experimental data of hybrid 5C, 4-PA, and two commercial oximes, on the reactivation of human AChE (HssAChE) inhibited by VX. Then, further docking studies, molecular dynamics simulations, and molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area calculations, were carried out to investigate reactivation performances, considering the near attack conformation (NAC) approach, prior to the nucleophilic substitution mechanism. Our results helped to elucidate the interactions of such molecules with the different subdomains of the active site of HssAChE. Additionally, NAC poses of each oxime were suggested for further theoretical studies on the reactivation reaction.

A new guanylhydrazone derivative as a potential acetylcholinesterase inhibitor for Alzheimer's disease: synthesis, molecular docking, biological evaluation and kinetic studies by nuclear magnetic resonance

Molecular docking, in silico studies and NMR show that the new guanylhydrazone is a promising compound for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

SAR study to find optimal cholinesterase reactivator against organophosphorous nerve agents and pesticides

Irreversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) by organophosphates leads to many failures in living organism and ultimately in death. Organophosphorus compounds developed as nerve agents such as tabun, sarin, soman, VX and others belong to the most toxic chemical warfare agents and are one of the biggest threats to the modern civilization. Moreover, misuse of nerve agents together with organophosphorus pesticides (e.g. malathion, paraoxon, chlorpyrifos, etc.) which are annually implicated in millions of intoxications and hundreds of thousand deaths reminds us of insufficient protection against these compounds. Basic treatments for these intoxications are based on immediate administration of atropine and acetylcholinesterase reactivators which are currently represented by mono- or bis-pyridinium aldoximes. However, these antidotes are not sufficient to ensure 100 % treatment efficacy even they are administered immediately after intoxication, and in general, they possess several drawbacks. Herein, we have reviewed new efforts leading to the development of novel reactivators and proposition of new promising strategies to design novel and effective antidotes. Structure-activity relationships and biological activities of recently proposed acetylcholinesterase reactivators are discussed and summarized. Among further modifications of known oximes, the main attention has been paid to dual binding site ligands of AChE as the current mainstream strategy. We have also discussed new chemical entities as potential replacement of oxime functional group.

Mechanistic studies of new oximes reactivators of human butyryl cholinesterase inhibited by cyclosarin and sarin

Butyryl cholinesterase (BChE) has been seen as a key enzyme in the search for new strategies in the treatment of poisoning by organophosphates (OPs), since human BChE (HssBChE), complexed with the appropriate oxime, can be a suitable scavenger and deactivator for OPs in the blood stream. However, the efficacy of HssBChE is limited by its strict stoichiometric scavenging, slow reactivation, and propensity for aging. The improvement of the reactivation rate by new and more efficient oximes could contribute to mitigate this problem and increase the HssBChE efficiency as scavenger. Several oximes have been synthesized and tested with this goal, some with promising results, but the mechanistic aspects of the reactivation reaction are not fully understood yet. In order to better investigate this mechanism, docking and mixed quantum and molecular mechanics combined with principal components analysis were performed here to evaluate the capacity of reactivation and determine the preferred route for the reactivation reaction of two new oximes on HssBChE inhibited by the neurotoxic agents cyclosarin and sarin. Plots of potential energies were calculated and all the transition states of the reactional mechanism were determined. Our results showed a good correlation with experimental data and pointed to the most efficient oxime with both OPs. The protocol used could be a suitable tool for a preliminary evaluation of the HssBChE reactivation rates by new oximes.

Can hydroxylamine be a more potent nucleophile for the reactivation of tabun-inhibited AChE than prototype oxime drugs? An answer derived from quantum chemical and steered molecular dynamics studies

Organophosphorus nerve agents are highly toxic compounds which strongly inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the blood and in the central nervous system (CNS). Tabun is one of the highly toxic organophosphorus (OP) compounds and is resistant to many oxime drugs formulated for the reactivation of AChE. The reactivation mechanism of tabun-conjugated AChE with various drugs has been examined with density functional theory and ab initio quantum chemical calculations. The presence of a lone-pair located on the amidic group resists the nucleophilic attack at the phosphorus center of the tabun-conjugated AChE. We have shown that the newly designed drug candidate N-(pyridin-2-yl)hydroxylamine, at the MP2/6-31+G*//M05-2X/6-31G* level in the aqueous phase with the polarizable continuum solvation model (PCM), is more effective in reactivating the tabun-conjugated AChE than typical oxime drugs. The rate determining activation barrier with N-(pyridin-2-yl)hydroxylamine was found to be ∼1.7 kcal mol(-1), which is 7.2 kcal mol(-1) lower than the charged oxime trimedoxime (one of the most efficient reactivators in tabun poisonings). The greater nucleophilicity index (ω(-)) and higher CHelpG charge of pyridinylhydroxylamine compared to TMB4 support this observation. Furthermore, we have also examined the reactivation process of tabun-inhibited AChE with some other bis-quaternary oxime drug candidates such as methoxime (MMB4) and obidoxime. The docking analysis suggests that charged bis-quaternary pyridinium oximes have greater binding affinity inside the active-site gorge of AChE compared to the neutral pyridinylhydroxylamine. The peripheral ligand attached to the neutral pyridinylhydroxylamine enhanced the binding with the aromatic residues in the active-site gorge of AChE through effective π-π interactions. Steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations have also been performed with the charged oxime (TMB4) and the neutral hydroxylamine. From protein-drug interaction parameters (rupture force profiles, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions), geometry and the orientation of the drug candidates, the hydroxylamine is suggested to orchestrate the reactivation process better than TMB4. Furthermore, the calculated log P values show the effective penetration of the neutral drug candidate through the blood-brain barrier. The toxicity measurements and the IC50 values (a measure of the intrinsic affinity toward AChE) suggest that the pyridinylhydroxylamine compound could have similar toxic behavior compared to the prototype oxime antidotes used for reactivation purposes. The newly designed pyridinylhydroxylamine drug candidate can be an effective antidote both kinetically and structurally to reactivate the tabun-inhibited enzyme.

Developing acetylcholinesterase-based inhibition assay by modulated synthesis of silver nanoparticles: applications for sensing of organophosphorus pesticides

A novel and highly sensitive probe for the detection of organophosphorus compounds (OPs) using acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and acetylthiocholine (ATCh) during the modulated synthesis of silver nanoparticles.

In silico studies in probing the role of kinetic and structural effects of different drugs for the reactivation of tabun-inhibited AChE

We have examined the reactivation mechanism of the tabun-conjugated AChE with various drugs using density functional theory (DFT) and post-Hartree-Fock methods. The electronic environments and structural features of neutral oximes (deazapralidoxime and 3-hydroxy-2-pyridinealdoxime) and charged monopyridinium oxime (2-PAM) and bispyridinium oxime (Ortho-7) are different, hence their efficacy varies towards the reactivation process of tabun-conjugated AChE. The calculated potential energy surfaces suggest that a monopyridinium reactivator is less favorable for the reactivation of tabun-inhibited AChE compared to a bis-quaternary reactivator, which substantiates the experimental study. The rate determining barrier with neutral oximes was found to be ∼2.5 kcal/mol, which was ∼5.0 kcal/mol lower than charged oxime drugs such as Ortho-7. The structural analysis of the calculated geometries suggest that the charged oximes form strong O^…H and N^…H hydrogen bonding and C-H^…π non-bonding interaction with the tabun-inhibited enzyme to stabilize the reactant complex compared to separated reactants, which influences the activation barrier. The ability of neutral drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier was also found to be superior to charged antidotes, which corroborates the available experimental observations. The calculated activation barriers support the superiority of neutral oximes for the activation of tabun-inhibited AChE compared to charged oximes. However, they lack effective interactions with their peripheral sites. Docking studies revealed that the poor binding affinity of simple neutral oxime drugs such as 3-hydroxy-2-pyridinealdoxime inside the active-site gorge of AChE was significantly augmented with the addition of neutral peripheral units compared to conventional charged peripheral sites. The newly designed oxime drug 2 appears to be an attractive candidate as efficient antidote to kinetically and structurally reactivate the tabun-inhibited enzyme.

Design, evaluation and structure-activity relationship studies of the AChE reactivators against organophosphorus pesticides

Organophosphate pesticides (OPPs; e.g. chlorpyrifos, diazinon, paraoxon) are a wide and heterogeneous group of organophosphorus compounds. Their biological activity of inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) or butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) ranks them as life endangering agents. The necessary treatment after OPP exposure involves the use of parasympatolytics (e.g. atropine), oxime reactivators (e.g. obidoxime), and anticonvulsive drugs (e.g. diazepam). Therefore, the reactivators of AChE are essential compounds in the treatment of OPP intoxications. Commercial AChE reactivators (e.g. pralidoxime, HI-6, obidoxime, trimedoxime, methoxime) were originally developed for other members of the organophosphate family, such as nerve agents (e.g. sarin, soman, tabun, VX). Pralidoxime, HI-6, and methoxime were found to be weak reactivators of OPP-inhibited AChE. Obidoxime and trimedoxime showed satisfactory reactivation against various OPPs with minor toxicity issues. During the last two decades, the treatment of OPP exposure has become more widely discussed because of growing agricultural production, industrialization, and harmful social issues (e.g. suicides). In this review is the summarized design, evaluation, and structure-activity relationship studies of recently produced AChE reactivators. Since pralidoxime, over 300 oximes have been produced or tested against OPP poisoning, and several novel compounds show very promising abilities as comparable (or higher) to commercial oximes. Some of these are highlighted for their further testing of OPP exposure and, additionally, the main structure-activity relationship of AChE reactivators against OPP is discussed.