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Chao W, Qiu L, Gao L, Feng J, Liu Y, Yan L, Jiang Y, Lv Q. Antifungal Tetrahydrocarbazole Compound CAR-8 Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Candida albicans. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:2705-2716. [PMID: 38989983 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00069] [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: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
The development of new effective antifungal agents is essential to combat fungal infections. Tetrahydrocarbazole has been exploited as a promising skeleton against various pathogenic microorganisms and is used to search for novel active antifungal compounds. In this study, a library composed of small tetrahydrocarbazole compounds was screened, and a potent antifungal agent, CAR-8, was identified with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 2-4 μg/mL against Candida albicans. CAR-8 showed strong fungicidal activities and killed almost all C. albicans within 3 h at a concentration of 16 μg/mL. At concentrations of 2 and 8 μg/mL, CAR-8 significantly inhibited the formation of hyphae and biofilms. Moreover, CAR-8 at 10 and 20 mg/kg reduced the fungal load and improved the survival in the C. albicans infection model in the invertebrate Galleria mellonella. Transcriptome analysis revealed significant changes in the expression of genes associated with protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), ER-associated degradation, and unfolded protein response (UPR), which suggested that CAR-8 treatment induced ER stress. Moreover, CAR-8 treatment resulted in various phenotypes similar to tunicamycin, a classical ER stress inducer. These included nonconventional splicing of HAC1 mRNA, the fragmented morphology of ER, the distribution changes of GFP-Snc1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and cell apoptosis probably caused by ER stress. More importantly, the disruption of IRE1 or HAC1 increased the sensitivity of C. albicans to CAR-8, confirming that the UPR signaling pathway was critical for CAR-8 resistance. Overall, our study identifies a potent ER stress-induced antifungal compound that will help the discovery of new antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Chao
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Lijuan Qiu
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Lu Gao
- Department of Pharmacology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Jia Feng
- Department of Pharmacology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Yu Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Lan Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yuanying Jiang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Quanzhen Lv
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
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2
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Ni T, Hao Y, Ding Z, Chi X, Xie F, Wang R, Bao J, Yan L, Li L, Wang T, Zhang D, Jiang Y. Discovery of a Novel Potent Tetrazole Antifungal Candidate with High Selectivity and Broad Spectrum. J Med Chem 2024; 67:6238-6252. [PMID: 38598688 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Thirty-one novel albaconazole derivatives were designed and synthesized based on our previous work. All compounds exhibited potent in vitro antifungal activities against seven pathogenic fungi. Among them, tetrazole compound D2 was the most potent antifungal with MIC values of <0.008, <0.008, and 2 μg/mL against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus, respectively, the three most common and critical priority pathogenic fungi. In addition, compound D2 also exhibited potent activity against fluconazole-resistant C. auris isolates. Notably, compound D2 showed a lower inhibitory activity in vitro against human CYP450 enzymes as well as a lower inhibitory effect on the hERG K+ channel, indicating a low risk of drug-drug interactions and QT prolongation. Moreover, with improved pharmacokinetic profiles, compound D2 showed better in vivo efficacy than albaconazole at reducing fungal burden and extending the survival of C. albicans-infected mice. Taken together, compound D2 will be further investigated as a promising candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingjunhong Ni
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road ,Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yumeng Hao
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zichao Ding
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
- Department of Pharmacy, 927th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, 3 Yushui Road ,Puer 665000, China
| | - Xiaochen Chi
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Fei Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ruina Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Junhe Bao
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Lan Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Liping Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road ,Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Ting Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Dazhi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road ,Shanghai 200092, China
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yuanying Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road ,Shanghai 200092, China
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3
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Ni T, Chi X, Wu H, Xie F, Bao J, Wang J, Ji Z, Li L, Wang X, Yan L, Hao Y, Zhang D, Jiang Y. Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel deferasirox derivatives with high antifungal potency in vitro and in vivo. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 264:116026. [PMID: 38070429 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.116026] [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: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Here we designed and synthesized 58 deferasirox derivatives with the aim of discovering novel antifungal agents. Most compounds exhibited moderate to excellent in vitro antifungal activities against Cryptococcus neoformans H99 with MIC values ranging from 0.25 μg/mL to 16 μg/mL, including ten compounds with MIC values less than 1 μg/mL that were further screened against an additional six pathogenic fungi. This class of compounds showed high potency against Candida glabrata with MIC values ranging from <0.125 μg/mL to 1 μg/mL. We identified that compound 54 has high potency against 14 strains of Candida glabrata spp. and Cryptococcus spp. with MIC values ranging from <0.125 μg/mL to 1 μg/mL. In addition, compound 54 significantly reduced the CFU in a mouse model of disseminated infection with Cryptococcus neoformans H99 at a dose of 10 mg/kg, which is comparable to FLC. Further investigations on compound 54 are currently in progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingjunhong Ni
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xiaochen Chi
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China; School of Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, No.110016, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Fei Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No.325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, No.200433, China
| | - Junhe Bao
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No.325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, No.200433, China
| | - Jiayin Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No.325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, No.200433, China; School of Pharmacy, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Fuzhou, 350112, China
| | - Zhe Ji
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Liping Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- The 967th Hospital of The Joint Logistic Support Force of PLA, Dalian, 116000, Liaoning, China
| | - Lan Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No.325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, No.200433, China
| | - Yumeng Hao
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No.325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, No.200433, China.
| | - Dazhi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China; School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No.325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, No.200433, China.
| | - Yuanying Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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4
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Chi X, Zhang H, Wu H, Li X, Li L, Jiang Y, Ni T. Discovery of Novel Tetrazoles Featuring a Pyrazole Moiety as Potent and Highly Selective Antifungal Agents. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:17103-17115. [PMID: 37214706 PMCID: PMC10193422 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In pursuit of developing novel azole antifungals with potent activity and high selectivity, a series of (2R,3S)-3-(substituted-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1-(1H-tetrazol-1-yl)butan-2-ol derivatives were designed and synthesized based on our previous work. All compounds exhibited excellent in vitro antifungal activities against Candida spp. and Cryptococcus neoformans H99 with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from <0.008 to 4 μg/mL, with some even showing moderate activity against Aspergillus fumigatus 7544. The most active compounds (8, 11, 15, 24, and 25) displayed outstanding antifungal activity against six fluconazole-resistant C. auris clinical isolates and showed a potent inhibitory effect on biofilm formation of C. albicans SC5314 and C. neoformans H99. In addition, compounds 11 and 15 showed no inhibition of human CYP1A2 and low inhibitory activity against CYP3A4, indicating minimal risk of drug-drug interactions. Taken together, these promising tetrazoles with high in vitro potency and good safety profiles warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Chi
- Department
of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
- School
of Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical
University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Haonan Zhang
- Department
of General Surgery, General Hospital of
Ningxia Medical University, No. 688 Shengli Street, Yinchuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 750004, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department
of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xianru Li
- Department
of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine
& Health Sciences, No.258 Tianxiong Road, Shanghai 201318, China
| | - Liping Li
- Department
of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yuanying Jiang
- Department
of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Tingjunhong Ni
- Department
of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
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5
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Chi X, Xie F, Li L, Hao Y, Wu H, Li X, Xia G, Yan L, Zhang D, Jiang Y, Ni T. Discovery of novel triazoles containing benzyloxy phenyl isoxazole side chain with potent and broad-spectrum antifungal activity. Bioorg Chem 2023; 137:106572. [PMID: 37156136 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
As a continuation study, 29 novel triazoles containing benzyloxy phenyl isoxazole side chain were designed and synthesized based on our previous work. The majority of the compounds exhibited high potency in vitro antifungal activities against eight pathogenic fungi. The most active compounds 13, 20 and 27 displayed outstanding antifungal activity with MIC values ranging from <0.008 µg/mL to 1 µg/mL, and showed potent activity against six drug-resistant Candida auris isolates. Growth curve assays further confirmed the high potency of these compounds. Moreover, compounds 13, 20 and 27 showed a potent inhibitory activity on biofilm formation of C. albicans SC5314 and C. neoformans H99. Notably, compound 13 showed no inhibition of human CYP1A2 and low inhibitory activity against CYP2D6 and CYP3A4, suggesting a low risk of drug-drug interactions. With high potency in vitro and in vivo and good safety profiles, compound 13 will be further investigated as a promising candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Chi
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; School of Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Fei Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Liping Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yumeng Hao
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xianru Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 258 Tianxiong Road, Shanghai 201318, China
| | - Guangxin Xia
- Central Research Institute, Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co., Ltd., No. 898 Halei Road, Zhangjiang Hi-tech Park, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Lan Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Dazhi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Yuanying Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Tingjunhong Ni
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.
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6
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Pang C, Chen J, Liu S, Cao Y, Miao H. In vitro antifungal activity of Shikonin against Candida albicans by inducing cellular apoptosis and necrosis. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:1079-1087. [PMID: 36385666 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-08093-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our previous studies showed that Shikonin (SK) had a strong anti-Candida albican (C. albicans) activity, especially against some fluconazole-resistant strains, which is probably due to the oxidative damage of SK to C. albicans. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, we expanded the antifungal spectrum and evaluate the toxicity of SK. The results indicated that SK also exhibited potent invitro antifungal activities against other pathogenic fungi such as other Candida, Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, and Dermatophytes, but did not display apparent toxicity to the mammalian cells, suggesting that SK is safe to be a potential antifungal drug. Furtherly, we analyze the exact mechanism of SK against C. albicans. We found that SK could induce a series of apoptosis characteristics, including phosphatidylserine externalization, chromatin condensation and fragmentation, decreased cytochrome c oxidase activity as well as caspase activation. CONCLUSIONS In summary, this study highlighted the antifungal activity and mechanism of SK against C. albicans, providing a potential therapeutic strategy for C. albicans infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Pang
- School of Basic Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, China
| | - Jianshuang Chen
- School of Basic Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, China
| | - Shuangyan Liu
- School of Basic Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, China
| | - Yingying Cao
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Hao Miao
- School of Basic Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, China.
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7
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Ni T, Chi X, Xie F, Li L, Wu H, Hao Y, Wang X, Zhang D, Jiang Y. Design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel tetrazoles featuring isoxazole moiety as highly selective antifungal agents. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 246:115007. [PMID: 36502579 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.115007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In an effort to develop novel azole antifungals with potent activity and high selectivity, a series of (2R,3R)-3-((3-substitutied-phenyl-isoxazol-5-yl)methoxy)-2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1-(1H-tetrazol-1-yl)butan-2-ol derivatives were designed and synthesized based on our previously work. All compounds exhibited moderate to excellent in vitro antifungal activities against Candida albicans SC5314 and Cryptococcus neoformans H99, but inactive against Aspergillus fumigatus 7544. Among them, the most active compound 10h displayed outstanding antifungal activity against fluconazole-resistant C. albicans 103, C. glabrata 537 and C. auris 922 with MIC values of ≤0.008 μg/mL. In addition, compound 10h was superior to FLC in inhibiting the filamentation of FLC-resistant C. albicans 103. Notably, compound 10h showed no inhibition of human CYP3A4 with IC50 values of >100 μM, low cytotoxicity at 32 μg/mL and low hERG inhibition with IC50 values of 6.22 μM, suggesting a low risk of drug-drug interactions and good safety profiles. Furthermore, compound 10h exhibited excellent PK profiles and showed remarkable in vivo efficacy in a mouse model of C. albicans and C. neoformans infection. Taken together, compound 10h will be further investigated as a promising lead antifungal agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingjunhong Ni
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xiaochen Chi
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Fei Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No.325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Liping Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yumeng Hao
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No.325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016, China; The 967th Hospital of The Joint Logistic Support Force of PLA, Dalian, 116000, Liaoning, China.
| | - Dazhi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China; School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No.325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Yuanying Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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8
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Ni T, Xie F, Hao Y, Li L, Zhu S, Wu H, Chi X, Yan L, Jiang Y, Zhang D. Discovery of Novel Orally Bioavailable Triazoles with Potent and Broad-Spectrum Antifungal Activity In Vitro and In Vivo. J Med Chem 2022; 65:16665-16678. [PMID: 36512715 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In our continuing efforts to discover novel triazoles with improved antifungal activity in vitro and in vivo, a series of 41 novel compounds containing 1,2,3-triazole side chains were designed and synthesized via a click reaction based on our previous work. Most of the compounds showed moderate to excellent broad-spectrum antifungal activity in vitro. Among them, the most promising compound 9A16 displayed excellent antifungal and anti-drug-resistant fungal ability (MIC80 = 0.0156-8 μg/mL). In addition, compound 9A16 showed powerful in vivo efficacy on mice systematically infected with Candida albicans SC5314, Cryptococcus neoformans H99, fluconazole-resistant C. albicans 100, and Aspergillus fumigatus 7544. Moreover, compared to fluconazole, compound 9A16 showed better in vitro anti-biofilm activity and was more difficult to induce drug resistance in a 1 month induction of resistance assay in C. albicans. With favorable pharmacokinetics, an acceptable safety profile, and high potency in vitro and in vivo, compound 9A16 is currently under preclinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingjunhong Ni
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.,School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Fei Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yumeng Hao
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Liping Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Shuo Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiaochen Chi
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Lan Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yuanying Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Dazhi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.,School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
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9
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Xie F, Hao Y, Bao J, Liu J, Liu Y, Wang R, Chi X, Chai X, Wang T, Yu S, Jin Y, Yan L, Zhang D, Ni T. Design, synthesis, and in vitro evaluation of novel antifungal triazoles containing substituted 1,2,3-triazole-methoxyl side chains. Bioorg Chem 2022; 129:106216. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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10
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Ruma YN, Keniya MV, Monk BC. Exploring Cryptococcus neoformans CYP51 and Its Cognate Reductase as a Drug Target. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8121256. [PMID: 36547589 PMCID: PMC9785471 DOI: 10.3390/jof8121256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus remains a leading cause of invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised people. Resistance to azole drugs has imposed a further challenge to the effective treatment of such infections. In this study, the functional expression of full-length hexahistidine-tagged Cryptococcus neoformans CYP51 (CnCYP51-6×His), with or without its cognate hexahistidine-tagged NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CnCPR-6×His), in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae host system has been used to characterise these enzymes. The heterologous expression of CnCYP51-6×His complemented deletion of the host CYP51 and conferred increased susceptibility to both short-tailed and long-tailed azole drugs. In addition, co-expression of CnCPR-6×His decreased susceptibility 2- to 4-fold for short-tailed but not long-tailed azoles. Type 2 binding of azoles to CnCYP51-6×His and assay of NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase activity confirmed that the heterologously expressed CnCYP51 and CnCPR are functional. The constructs have potential as screening tools and use in structure-directed antifungal discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmeen N. Ruma
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Mikhail V. Keniya
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
| | - Brian C. Monk
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- Correspondence:
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11
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Li L, Wu H, Zhu S, Ji Z, Chi X, Xie F, Hao Y, Lu H, Yang F, Yan L, Zhang D, Jiang Y, Ni T. Discovery of Novel 7-Hydroxy-5-oxo-4,5-dihydrothieno[3,2- b]pyridine-6-carboxamide Derivatives with Potent and Selective Antifungal Activity against Cryptococcus Species. J Med Chem 2022; 65:11257-11269. [PMID: 35922963 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii can cause fatal invasive infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. However, few antifungal drugs are available to help treat cryptococcosis. In this study, by compound library screening, we presented the first report of hit compound P163-0892, which had potent in vitro and in vivo antifungal activity against Cryptococcus spp. In vitro tests showed that P163-0892 was not cytotoxic and had highly selective and strong antifungal activities against Cryptococcus spp. with MIC values less than 1 μg/mL. Synergism of P163-0892 and fluconazole was also observed in vitro. The in vivo antifungal efficacy of P163-0892 was assessed in a wax moth larval fungal infection model, and treatment with 10 mg/kg P163-0892 caused a significant reduction in fungal burden and significant extension of the survival time. Taken together, our data indicate that the hit compound P163-0892 warrants further investigation as a novel anti-Cryptococcus agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Shuo Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhe Ji
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiaochen Chi
- Department of Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Navy Medical University, PLA, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China.,School of Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Fei Xie
- Department of Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Navy Medical University, PLA, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yumeng Hao
- Department of Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Navy Medical University, PLA, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Hui Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Feng Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Lan Yan
- Center for New Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Navy Medical University, PLA, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Dazhi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.,Department of Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Navy Medical University, PLA, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yuanying Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Tingjunhong Ni
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
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12
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Zhang Y, Li Q, Chao W, Qin Y, Chen J, Wang Y, Liu R, Lv Q, Wang J. Design, Synthesis and Antifungal Evaluation of Novel Pyrylium Salt In Vitro and In Vivo. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27144450. [PMID: 35889323 PMCID: PMC9315806 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27144450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, discovering new skeleton antifungal drugs is the direct way to address clinical fungal infections. Pyrylium salt SM21 was screened from a library containing 50,240 small molecules. Several studies about the antifungal activity and mechanism of SM21 have been reported, but the structure–activity relationship of pyrylium salts was not clear. To explore the chemical space of antifungal pyrylium salt SM21, a series of pyrylium salt derivatives were designed and synthesized. Their antifungal activity and structure-activity relationships (SAR) were investigated. Compared with SM21, most of the synthesized compounds exhibited equivalent or improved antifungal activities against Candida albicans in vitro. The synthesized compounds, such as XY10, XY13, XY14, XY16 and XY17 exhibited comparable antifungal activities against C. albicans with MIC values ranging from 0.47 to 1.0 μM. Fortunately, a compound numbered XY12 showed stronger antifungal activities and lower cytotoxicity was obtained. The MIC of compound XY12 against C. albicans was 0.24 μM, and the cytotoxicity decreased 20-fold as compared to SM21. In addition, XY12 was effective against fluconazole-resistant C. albicans and other pathogenic Candida species. More importantly, XY12 could significantly increase the survival rate of mice with a systemic C. albicans infection, which suggested the good antifungal activities of XY12 in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicated that structural modification of pyrylium salts could lead to the discovery of new antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (J.C.); (Y.W.)
| | - Qiuhao Li
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (J.C.); (Y.W.)
| | - Wen Chao
- Experimental Teaching Center of Basic Medicine College, Navel Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China;
| | - Yulin Qin
- Fudan University Minhang Hospital, Shanghai 201199, China;
| | - Jiayan Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (J.C.); (Y.W.)
| | - Yingwen Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (J.C.); (Y.W.)
| | - Runhui Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (J.C.); (Y.W.)
- Correspondence: (R.L.); (Q.L.); (J.W.)
| | - Quanzhen Lv
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (J.C.); (Y.W.)
- Correspondence: (R.L.); (Q.L.); (J.W.)
| | - Jinxin Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (J.C.); (Y.W.)
- Correspondence: (R.L.); (Q.L.); (J.W.)
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13
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Zhao Z, Li X, Cui Z, Tong T, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Yang X, Keerthiga R, Fu C, Fu A. Synthesis of Hemiprotonic Phenanthroline-Phenanthroline + Compounds with both Antitumor and Antimicrobial Activity. J Med Chem 2022; 65:2532-2547. [PMID: 35073076 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Currently, cancer patients with microbial infection are a severe challenge in clinical treatment. To address the problem, we synthesized hemiprotonic compounds based on the unique structure of hemiprotonic nucleotide base pairs in a DNA i-motif. These compounds were produced from phenanthroline (ph) dimerization with phenanthroline as a proton receptor and ammonium as a donor. The biological activity shows that the compounds have a selective antitumor effect through inducing cell apoptosis. The molecular mechanism could be related to specific inhibition of transcription factor PLAGL2 of tumor cells, assessed by transcriptomic analysis. Moreover, results show that the hemiprotonic ph-ph+ has broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activities, and drug-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, are sensitive to the compound. In animal models of liver cancer with fungal infection, the ph-ph+ retards proliferation of hepatoma cells in tumor-bearing mice and remedies pneumonia and encephalitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. The study provides a novel therapeutic candidate for cancer patients accompanied by infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zizhen Zhao
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xiaorong Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Zhihong Cui
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Tingting Tong
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Yuping Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xiaoxi Yang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Rajendiran Keerthiga
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Chen Fu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Ailing Fu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
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14
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Lv QZ, Ni TJH, Li LP, Li T, Zhang DZ, Jiang YY. A New Antifungal Agent (4-phenyl-1, 3-thiazol-2-yl) Hydrazine Induces Oxidative Damage in Candida albicans. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:578956. [PMID: 33117733 PMCID: PMC7575736 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.578956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A gradual rise in immunocompromised patients over past years has led to the increasing incidence of invasive fungal infections. Development of effective fungicides can not only provide new means for clinical treatment, but also reduce the occurrence of fungal resistance. We identified a new antifungal agent (4-phenyl-1, 3-thiazol-2-yl), hydrazine (numbered as 31C) which showed high-efficiency, broad-spectrum and specific activities. The minimum inhibitory concentration of 31C against pathogenic fungi was between 0.0625-4 μg/ml in vitro, while 31C had no obvious cytotoxicity to human umbilical vein endothelial cells with the concentration of 4 μg/ml. In addition, 31C of 0.5 μg/ml could exhibit significant fungicidal activity and inhibit the biofilm formation of C. albicans. In vivo fungal infection model showed that 31C of 10 mg/kg significantly increased the survival rate of Galleria mellonella. Further study revealed that 31C-treatment increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in C. albicans and elevated the expression of some genes related to anti-oxidative stress response, including CAP1, CTA1, TRR1, and SODs. Consistently, 31C-induced high levels of intracellular ROS resulted in considerable DNA damage, which played a critical role in antifungal-induced cellular death. The addition of ROS scavengers, such as glutathione (GSH), N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) or oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC), dramatically reduced the antifungal activities of 31C and rescued the 31C-induced filamentation defect. Collectively, these results showed that 31C exhibited strong antifungal activity and induced obvious oxidative damage, which indicated that compounds with a structure similar to 31C may provide new sight for antifungal drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan-Zhen Lv
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting-Jun-Hong Ni
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-Ping Li
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tian Li
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Da-Zhi Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan-Ying Jiang
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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