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Pennisi R, Gentile D, Rescifina A, Napoli E, Trischitta P, Piperno A, Sciortino MT. An Integrated In Silico and In Vitro Approach for the Identification of Natural Products Active against SARS-CoV-2. Biomolecules 2023; 14:43. [PMID: 38254643 PMCID: PMC10813393 DOI: 10.3390/biom14010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has provoked a global health crisis due to the absence of a specific therapeutic agent. 3CLpro (also known as the main protease or Mpro) and PLpro are chymotrypsin-like proteases encoded by the SARS-CoV-2 genome, and play essential roles during the virus lifecycle. Therefore, they are recognized as a prospective therapeutic target in drug discovery against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, this work aims to collectively present potential natural 3CLpro and PLpro inhibitors by in silico simulations and in vitro entry pseudotype-entry models. We screened luteolin-7-O-glucuronide (L7OG), cynarin (CY), folic acid (FA), and rosmarinic acid (RA) molecules against PLpro and 3CLpro through a luminogenic substrate assay. We only reported moderate inhibitory activity on the recombinant 3CLpro and PLpro by L7OG and FA. Afterward, the entry inhibitory activity of L7OG and FA was tested in cell lines transduced with the two different SARS-CoV-2 pseudotypes harboring alpha (α) and omicron (o) spike (S) protein. The results showed that both compounds have a consistent inhibitory activity on the entry for both variants. However, L7OG showed a greater degree of entry inhibition against α-SARS-CoV-2. Molecular modeling studies were used to determine the inhibitory mechanism of the candidate molecules by focusing on their interactions with residues recognized by the protease active site and receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike SARS-CoV-2. This work allowed us to identify the binding sites of FA and L7OG within the RBD domain in the alpha and omicron variants, demonstrating how FA is active in both variants. We have confidence that future in vivo studies testing the safety and effectiveness of these natural compounds are warranted, given that they are effective against a variant of concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosamaria Pennisi
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (P.T.); (A.P.); (M.T.S.)
| | - Davide Gentile
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “G. Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy;
| | - Edoardo Napoli
- Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 95126 Catania, Italy;
| | - Paola Trischitta
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (P.T.); (A.P.); (M.T.S.)
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Anna Piperno
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (P.T.); (A.P.); (M.T.S.)
| | - Maria Teresa Sciortino
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (P.T.); (A.P.); (M.T.S.)
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2
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Winkelman MJ, Szabo A, Frecska E. The potential of psychedelics for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 76:3-16. [PMID: 37451163 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a currently incurable but increasingly prevalent fatal and progressive neurodegenerative disease, demanding consideration of therapeutically relevant natural products and their synthetic analogues. This paper reviews evidence for effectiveness of natural and synthetic psychedelics in the treatment of AD causes and symptoms. The plastogenic effects of serotonergic psychedelics illustrate that they have efficacy for addressing multiple facets of AD pathology. We review findings illustrating neuroplasticity mechanisms of classic (serotonergic) and non-classic psychedelics that indicate their potential as treatments for AD and related dementias. Classic psychedelics modulate glutamatergic neurotransmission and stimulate synaptic and network remodeling that facilitates synaptic, structural and behavioral plasticity. Up-regulation of neurotrophic factors enable psychedelics to promote neuronal survival and glutamate-driven neuroplasticity. Muscimol modulation of GABAAR reduces Aβ-induced neurotoxicity and psychedelic Sig-1R agonists provide protective roles in Aβ toxicity. Classic psychedelics also activate mTOR intracellular effector pathways in brain regions that show atrophy in AD. The potential of psychedelics to treat AD involves their ability to induce structural and functional neural plasticity in brain circuits and slow or reverse brain atrophy. Psychedelics stimulate neurotrophic pathways, increase neurogenesis and produce long-lasting neural changes through rewiring pathological neurocircuitry. Psychedelic effects on 5-HT receptor target genes and induction of synaptic, structural, and functional changes in neurons and networks enable them to promote and enhance brain functional connectivity and address diverse mechanisms underlying degenerative neurological disorders. These findings provide a rationale for immediate investigation of psychedelics as treatments for AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael James Winkelman
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Attila Szabo
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Ede Frecska
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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Szczepańska K, Podlewska S, Dichiara M, Gentile D, Patamia V, Rosier N, Mönnich D, Ruiz Cantero MC, Karcz T, Łażewska D, Siwek A, Pockes S, Cobos EJ, Marrazzo A, Stark H, Rescifina A, Bojarski AJ, Amata E, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Structural and Molecular Insight into Piperazine and Piperidine Derivatives as Histamine H 3 and Sigma-1 Receptor Antagonists with Promising Antinociceptive Properties. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:1-15. [PMID: 34908391 PMCID: PMC8739840 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In an attempt to extend recent studies showing that some clinically evaluated histamine H3 receptor (H3R) antagonists possess nanomolar affinity at sigma-1 receptors (σ1R), we selected 20 representative structures among our previously reported H3R ligands to investigate their affinity at σRs. Most of the tested compounds interact with both sigma receptors to different degrees. However, only six of them showed higher affinity toward σ1R than σ2R with the highest binding preference to σ1R for compounds 5, 11, and 12. Moreover, all these ligands share a common structural feature: the piperidine moiety as the fundamental part of the molecule. It is most likely a critical structural element for dual H3/σ1 receptor activity as can be seen by comparing the data for compounds 4 and 5 (hH3R Ki = 3.17 and 7.70 nM, σ1R Ki = 1531 and 3.64 nM, respectively), where piperidine is replaced by piperazine. We identified the putative protein-ligand interactions responsible for their high affinity using molecular modeling techniques and selected compounds 5 and 11 as lead structures for further evaluation. Interestingly, both ligands turned out to be high-affinity histamine H3 and σ1 receptor antagonists with negligible affinity at the other histamine receptor subtypes and promising antinociceptive activity in vivo. Considering that many literature data clearly indicate high preclinical efficacy of individual selective σ1 or H3R ligands in various pain models, our research might be a breakthrough in the search for novel, dual-acting compounds that can improve existing pain therapies. Determining whether such ligands are more effective than single-selective drugs will be the subject of our future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Szczepańska
- Department
of Technology and Biotechnology of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, Kraków 30-688, Poland
- Maj
Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy
of Sciences, Smętna 12, Kraków 31-343, Poland
| | - Sabina Podlewska
- Department
of Technology and Biotechnology of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, Kraków 30-688, Poland
- Maj
Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy
of Sciences, Smętna 12, Kraków 31-343, Poland
| | - Maria Dichiara
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Davide Gentile
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Patamia
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Niklas Rosier
- Institute
of Pharmacy, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Denise Mönnich
- Institute
of Pharmacy, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Ma Carmen Ruiz Cantero
- Department
of Pharmacology and Neurosciences Institute (Biomedical Research Center)
and Biosanitary Research Institute ibs.GRANADA, University of Granada, Avenida de la Investigación 11, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Tadeusz Karcz
- Department
of Technology and Biotechnology of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, Kraków 30-688, Poland
| | - Dorota Łażewska
- Department
of Technology and Biotechnology of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, Kraków 30-688, Poland
| | - Agata Siwek
- Department
of Pharmacobiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, Kraków 30-688, Poland
| | - Steffen Pockes
- Institute
of Pharmacy, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Enrique J. Cobos
- Department
of Pharmacology and Neurosciences Institute (Biomedical Research Center)
and Biosanitary Research Institute ibs.GRANADA, University of Granada, Avenida de la Investigación 11, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Agostino Marrazzo
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Holger Stark
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitaetsstr. 1, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Andrzej J. Bojarski
- Maj
Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy
of Sciences, Smętna 12, Kraków 31-343, Poland
| | - Emanuele Amata
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Katarzyna Kieć-Kononowicz
- Department
of Technology and Biotechnology of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, Kraków 30-688, Poland
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4
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Fallica A, Barbaraci C, Amata E, Pasquinucci L, Turnaturi R, Dichiara M, Intagliata S, Gariboldi MB, Marras E, Orlandi VT, Ferroni C, Martini C, Rescifina A, Gentile D, Varchi G, Marrazzo A. Nitric Oxide Photo-Donor Hybrids of Ciprofloxacin and Norfloxacin: A Shift in Activity from Antimicrobial to Anticancer Agents. J Med Chem 2021; 64:11597-11613. [PMID: 34319100 PMCID: PMC8389907 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The potential anticancer effect of fluoroquinolone antibiotics has been recently unveiled and related to their ability to interfere with DNA topoisomerase II. We herein envisioned the design and synthesis of novel Ciprofloxacin and Norfloxacin nitric oxide (NO) photo-donor hybrids to explore the potential synergistic antitumor effect exerted by the fluoroquinolone scaffold and NO eventually produced upon light irradiation. Anticancer activity, evaluated on a panel of tumor cell lines, showed encouraging results with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. Some compounds displayed intense antiproliferative activity on triple-negative and doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cell lines, paving the way for their potential use to treat aggressive, refractory and multidrug-resistant breast cancer. No significant additive effect was observed on PC3 and DU145 cells following NO release. Conversely, antimicrobial photodynamic experiments on both Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms displayed a significant killing rate in Staphylococcus aureus, accounting for their potential effectiveness as selective antimicrobial photosensitizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino
Nicolò Fallica
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Carla Barbaraci
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Emanuele Amata
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Lorella Pasquinucci
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Rita Turnaturi
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Dichiara
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Intagliata
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Marzia Bruna Gariboldi
- Department
of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (DBSV), University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Emanuela Marras
- Department
of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (DBSV), University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Viviana Teresa Orlandi
- Department
of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (DBSV), University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Claudia Ferroni
- Institute
for the Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity − ISOF, Via Piero Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Cecilia Martini
- Institute
for the Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity − ISOF, Via Piero Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Davide Gentile
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Greta Varchi
- Institute
for the Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity − ISOF, Via Piero Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Agostino Marrazzo
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
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5
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Underwood MS, Bright SJ, Les Lancaster B. A narrative review of the pharmacological, cultural and psychological literature on ibogaine. JOURNAL OF PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES 2021. [DOI: 10.1556/2054.2021.00152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIbogaine is a psychoactive alkaloid contained in the West African plant Tabernanthe iboga. Although preliminary, evidence suggests that ibogaine could be effective in the treatment of certain substance use disorders, specifically opioid use disorder. This narrative review concentrated on the pharmacological, cultural and psychological aspects of ibogaine that contribute to its reputed effectiveness with a specific focus on the ibogaine state of consciousness. Although the exact pharmacological mechanisms for ibogaine are still speculative, the literature highlighted its role as an NMDA antagonist in the effective treatment of substance use disorders. The cultural aspects associated with the use of ibogaine pose questions around the worldview of participants as experienced in the traditional and western contexts, which future research should clarify. From a psychological perspective, the theory that the ibogaine state of consciousness resembles REM sleep is questionable due to evidence that indicated ibogaine supressed REM sleep, and contradictory evidence in relation to learning and memory. The suggested classification of the ibogaine experience as oneirophrenic also seems inadequate as it only describes the first phase of the ibogaine experience. The ibogaine experience does however present characteristics consistent with holotropic states of consciousness, and future research could focus on exploring and potentially classifying the state of consciousness induced by ibogaine as holotropic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martie S. Underwood
- 1Professional Development Foundation and Canterbury Christ Church University, 58 Bass Coves, The Coves, R512 Provincial Road, Broederstroom, Hartbeespoort, 0240, South Africa
| | - Stephen J. Bright
- 2School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondlaup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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Pseudo-Dipeptide Bearing α,α-Difluoromethyl Ketone Moiety as Electrophilic Warhead with Activity against Coronaviruses. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031398. [PMID: 33573283 PMCID: PMC7866854 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The synthesis of α-fluorinated methyl ketones has always been challenging. New methods based on the homologation chemistry via nucleophilic halocarbenoid transfer, carried out recently in our labs, allowed us to design and synthesize a target-directed dipeptidyl α,α-difluoromethyl ketone (DFMK) 8 as a potential antiviral agent with activity against human coronaviruses. The ability of the newly synthesized compound to inhibit viral replication was evaluated by a viral cytopathic effect (CPE)-based assay performed on MCR5 cells infected with one of the four human coronaviruses associated with respiratory distress, i.e., hCoV-229E, showing antiproliferative activity in the micromolar range (EC50 = 12.9 ± 1.22 µM), with a very low cytotoxicity profile (CC50 = 170 ± 3.79 µM, 307 ± 11.63 µM, and 174 ± 7.6 µM for A549, human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HELFs), and MRC5 cells, respectively). Docking and molecular dynamics simulations studies indicated that 8 efficaciously binds to the intended target hCoV-229E main protease (Mpro). Moreover, due to the high similarity between hCoV-229E Mpro and SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, we also performed the in silico analysis towards the second target, which showed results comparable to those obtained for hCoV-229E Mpro and promising in terms of energy of binding and docking pose.
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7
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Amata E, Dichiara M, Gentile D, Marrazzo A, Turnaturi R, Arena E, La Mantia A, Tomasello BR, Acquaviva R, Di Giacomo C, Rescifina A, Prezzavento O. Sigma Receptor Ligands Carrying a Nitric Oxide Donor Nitrate Moiety: Synthesis, In Silico, and Biological Evaluation. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:889-894. [PMID: 32435401 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the development of molecular hybrids in which a nitrate group serving as nitric oxide (NO) donor is covalently joined to σ receptor ligands to give candidates for double-targeted cancer therapy. The compounds have been evaluated in radioligand binding assay at both σ receptors and selected compounds tested for NO release. Compounds 9, 15, 18, 19, and 21 were subjected to MTT test. Compound 15 produced a significant reduction of MCF-7 and Caco-2 cellular viability with comparable IC50 as doxorubicin, being also not toxic for fibroblast HFF-1 cells. Compound 15 has shown a σ1 receptor antagonist/σ2 receptor agonist profile. Two derivatives of compound 15 lacking the nitrate group did not induce a reduction of MCF-7 cellular viability, suggesting a potential synergistic effect between the σ receptors and the NO-mediated events. Overall, the combination of NO donor and σ receptors ligands provided compounds with beneficial effects for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Amata
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Dichiara
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Davide Gentile
- Department of Drug Sciences, Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Agostino Marrazzo
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Rita Turnaturi
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Emanuela Arena
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Alfonsina La Mantia
- Department of Drug Sciences, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Barbara Rita Tomasello
- Department of Drug Sciences, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Rosaria Acquaviva
- Department of Drug Sciences, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Claudia Di Giacomo
- Department of Drug Sciences, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department of Drug Sciences, Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Orazio Prezzavento
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
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8
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Romeo G, Salerno L, Pittalà V, Candido M, Intagliata S, Amata E, Salmona M, Cagnotto A, Rescifina A, Floresta G, Modica MN. [1]Benzothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivatives as ligands for the serotonergic 5-HT7 receptor. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 183:111690. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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9
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Romeo G, Prezzavento O, Intagliata S, Pittalà V, Modica MN, Marrazzo A, Turnaturi R, Parenti C, Chiechio S, Arena E, Campisi A, Sposito G, Salerno L. Synthesis, in vitro and in vivo characterization of new benzoxazole and benzothiazole-based sigma receptor ligands. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 174:226-235. [PMID: 31042618 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.04.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A new set of 5-chlorobenzoxazole- and 5-chlorobenzothiazole-based derivatives containing the azepane ring as a basic moiety was designed, synthesized and evaluated through binding assays to measure their affinity and selectivity towards σ1 and σ2 receptors. Compounds 19, 22 and 24, with a four units spacer between the bicyclic scaffold and the azepane ring, showed nanomolar affinity towards both receptor subtype and the best Ki values (Ki σ1 = 1.27, 2.30, and 0.78 and Ki σ2 = 7.9, 3.8, and 7.61 nM, respectively). Evaluation of cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in MCF-7 human cancer cells was useful to assess σ2 receptor activity, while an in vivo mice model of inflammatory pain allowed to analyze σ1 receptor pharmacological properties. In vitro and in vivo results suggested that compound 19 is a σ1/σ2 agonist, compound 24 a σ1 antagonist/σ2 agonist, whereas compound 22 might act as σ1 antagonist/σ2 partial agonist. Due to their pharmacological profile, a potential therapeutic application in cancer of aforesaid novel σ1/σ2 receptor ligands, especially 22 and 24, is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Romeo
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Orazio Prezzavento
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy.
| | - Sebastiano Intagliata
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy.
| | - Valeria Pittalà
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Maria N Modica
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Agostino Marrazzo
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Rita Turnaturi
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Carmela Parenti
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Santina Chiechio
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy; Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | - Emanuela Arena
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Agata Campisi
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Giovanni Sposito
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Loredana Salerno
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
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