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Linciano P, Pozzi C, Tassone G, Landi G, Mangani S, Santucci M, Luciani R, Ferrari S, Santarem N, Tagliazucchi L, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Tonelli M, Tondi D, Bertarini L, Gul S, Witt G, Moraes CB, Costantino L, Costi MP. The discovery of aryl-2-nitroethyl triamino pyrimidines as anti-Trypanosoma brucei agents. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 264:115946. [PMID: 38043491 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115946] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) is a catalytic protein belonging to the folate metabolic pathway in Trypanosmatidic parasites. PTR1 is a known target for the medicinal chemistry development of antiparasitic agents against Trypanosomiasis and Leishmaniasis. In previous studies, new nitro derivatives were elaborated as PTR1 inhibitors. The compounds showing a diamino-pyrimidine core structure were previously developed but they showed limited efficacy. Therefore, a new class of phenyl-, heteroaryl- and benzyloxy-nitro derivatives based on the 2-nitroethyl-2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine scaffold were designed and tested. The compounds were assayed for their ability to inhibit T. brucei and L. major PTR1 enzymes and for their antiparasitic activity towards T. brucei and L. infantum parasites. To understand the structure-activity relationships of the compounds against TbPTR1, the X-ray crystallographic structure of the 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine (TAP) was obtained and molecular modelling studies were performed. As a next step, only the most effective compounds against T. brucei were then tested against the amastigote cellular stage of T. cruzi, searching for a broad-spectrum antiprotozoal agent. An early ADME-Tox profile evaluation was performed. The early toxicity profile of this class of compounds was investigated by measuring their inhibition of hERG and five cytochrome P450 isoforms (CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4), cytotoxicity towards A549 cells and mitochondrial toxicity. Pharmacokinetic studies (SNAP-PK) were performed on selected compounds using hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrins (50 % w/v) to preliminarily study their plasma concentration when administered per os at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Compound 1p, showed the best pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, can be considered a good candidate for further bioavailability and efficacy studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Linciano
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Cecilia Pozzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy; Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugual
| | - Giusy Tassone
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Giacomo Landi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Stefano Mangani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Matteo Santucci
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Rosaria Luciani
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Stefania Ferrari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Nuno Santarem
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugual; Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge ViterboFerreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Lorenzo Tagliazucchi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy; Clinical and Experimental Medicine (CEM) PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 278, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugual; Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge ViterboFerreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Michele Tonelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, 3, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Donatella Tondi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Laura Bertarini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Sheraz Gul
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Hamburg, Germany; Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune-Mediated Diseases CIMD, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gesa Witt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Hamburg, Germany; Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune-Mediated Diseases CIMD, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carolina B Moraes
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), 13083-100, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Luca Costantino
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Costi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy.
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