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Crocetti L, Khlebnikov AI, Guerrini G, Schepetkin IA, Melani F, Giovannoni MP, Quinn MT. Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Pyrazolo[1,5- a]quinazolines. Molecules 2024; 29:2421. [PMID: 38893295 PMCID: PMC11173647 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112421] [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: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic inflammation contributes to a number of diseases. Therefore, control of the inflammatory response is an important therapeutic goal. To identify novel anti-inflammatory compounds, we synthesized and screened a library of 80 pyrazolo[1,5-a]quinazoline compounds and related derivatives. Screening of these compounds for their ability to inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) transcriptional activity in human THP-1Blue monocytic cells identified 13 compounds with anti-inflammatory activity (IC50 < 50 µM) in a cell-based test system, with two of the most potent being compounds 13i (5-[(4-sulfamoylbenzyl)oxy]pyrazolo[1,5-a]quinazoline-3-carboxamide) and 16 (5-[(4-(methylsulfinyl)benzyloxy]pyrazolo[1,5-a]quinazoline-3-carboxamide). Pharmacophore mapping of potential targets predicted that 13i and 16 may be ligands for three mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2), p38α, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3). Indeed, molecular modeling supported that these compounds could effectively bind to ERK2, p38α, and JNK3, with the highest complementarity to JNK3. The key residues of JNK3 important for this binding were identified. Moreover, compounds 13i and 16 exhibited micromolar binding affinities for JNK1, JNK2, and JNK3. Thus, our results demonstrate the potential for developing lead anti-inflammatory drugs based on the pyrazolo[1,5-a]quinazoline and related scaffolds that are targeted toward MAPKs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Crocetti
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Psicologia, Area del Farmaco e Salute del Bambino (NEUROFARBA), Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section, University of Florence, Via Ugo Schiff 6, 50019 Florence, Italy; (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.G.)
| | - Andrei I. Khlebnikov
- Kizhner Research Center, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk 634050, Russia;
| | - Gabriella Guerrini
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Psicologia, Area del Farmaco e Salute del Bambino (NEUROFARBA), Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section, University of Florence, Via Ugo Schiff 6, 50019 Florence, Italy; (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.G.)
| | - Igor A. Schepetkin
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA;
| | - Fabrizio Melani
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Psicologia, Area del Farmaco e Salute del Bambino (NEUROFARBA), Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section, University of Florence, Via Ugo Schiff 6, 50019 Florence, Italy; (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.G.)
| | - Maria Paola Giovannoni
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Psicologia, Area del Farmaco e Salute del Bambino (NEUROFARBA), Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section, University of Florence, Via Ugo Schiff 6, 50019 Florence, Italy; (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.G.)
| | - Mark T. Quinn
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA;
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Ivan BC, Barbuceanu SF, Hotnog CM, Olaru OT, Anghel AI, Ancuceanu RV, Mihaila MA, Brasoveanu LI, Shova S, Draghici C, Nitulescu GM, Dumitrascu F. Synthesis, Characterization and Cytotoxic Evaluation of New Pyrrolo[1,2- b]pyridazines Obtained via Mesoionic Oxazolo-Pyridazinones. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11642. [PMID: 37511401 PMCID: PMC10380841 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411642] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
New pyrrolo[1,2-b]pyridazines were synthesized by 3 + 2 cycloaddition reaction between mesoionic oxazolo-pyridazinones and methyl/ethyl propiolate. The mesoionic compounds were generated in situ by action of acetic anhydride on 3(2H)pyridazinone acids obtained from corresponding esters by alkaline hydrolysis followed by acidification. The structures of the compounds were confirmed by elemental analyses and IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and X-ray diffraction data. The regioselectivity of cycloaddition was evidenced by NMR spectroscopy and confirmed by X-ray analysis. The compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity on plant cells (Triticum aestivum L.) and crustacean animal cells (Artemia franciscana Kellogg and Daphnia magna Straus). The results indicated that the tested compounds exhibited low toxicity on the plant cell (IC50 values higher than 200 µM), while on Artemia nauplii no lethality was observed. Daphnia magna assay showed that pyrrolo[1,2-b]pyridazines 5a and 5c could exhibit toxic effects, whereas, for the other compounds, toxicity was low to moderate. Also, the cytotoxic effects of the compounds were tested on three human adenocarcinoma-derived adherent cell lines (colon LoVo, ovary SK-OV-3, breast MCF-7). The in vitro compound-mediated cytotoxicity assays, performed by the MTS technique, demonstrated dose- and time-dependent cytotoxic activity for several compounds, the highest anti-tumor activity being observed for 5a, 2c, and 5f, especially against colon cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice-Cristina Ivan
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Stefania-Felicia Barbuceanu
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Camelia Mia Hotnog
- Center of Immunology, "Stefan S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology, Romanian Academy, 285 Mihai Bravu Ave., 030304 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Octavian Tudorel Olaru
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Cell Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Adriana Iuliana Anghel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Cell Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Robert Viorel Ancuceanu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Cell Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mirela Antonela Mihaila
- Center of Immunology, "Stefan S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology, Romanian Academy, 285 Mihai Bravu Ave., 030304 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Lorelei Irina Brasoveanu
- Center of Immunology, "Stefan S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology, Romanian Academy, 285 Mihai Bravu Ave., 030304 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Sergiu Shova
- Laboratory of Inorganic Polymers, "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Aleea Grigore Ghica Voda, 41A, 700487 Iasi, Romania
- Laboratory of Advanced Materials in Biofarmaceutics and Technics, Moldova State University, 2009 Chişinău, Moldova
| | - Constantin Draghici
- "Costin D. Nenitescu" Institute of Organic and Supramolecular Chemistry, Romanian Academy, 202B Splaiul Independenței, 060023 Bucharest, Romania
| | - George Mihai Nitulescu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florea Dumitrascu
- "Costin D. Nenitescu" Institute of Organic and Supramolecular Chemistry, Romanian Academy, 202B Splaiul Independenței, 060023 Bucharest, Romania
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Dahlgren C, Lind S, Mårtensson J, Björkman L, Wu Y, Sundqvist M, Forsman H. G
protein coupled pattern recognition receptors expressed in neutrophils
: Recognition, activation/modulation, signaling and receptor regulated functions. Immunol Rev 2022; 314:69-92. [PMID: 36285739 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Neutrophils, the most abundant white blood cell in human blood, express receptors that recognize damage/microbial associated pattern molecules of importance for cell recruitment to sites of inflammation. Many of these receptors belong to the family of G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). These receptor-proteins span the plasma membrane in expressing cells seven times and the down-stream signaling rely in most cases on an activation of heterotrimeric G proteins. The GPCRs expressed in neutrophils recognize a number of structurally diverse ligands (activating agonists, allosteric modulators, and inhibiting antagonists) and share significant sequence homologies. Studies of receptor structure and function have during the last 40 years generated important information on GPCR biology in general; this knowledge aids in the overall understanding of general pharmacological principles, governing regulation of neutrophil function and inflammatory processes, including novel leukocyte receptor activities related to ligand recognition, biased/functional selective signaling, allosteric modulation, desensitization, and reactivation mechanisms as well as communication (receptor transactivation/cross-talk) between GPCRs. This review summarizes the recent discoveries and pharmacological hallmarks with focus on some of the neutrophil expressed pattern recognition GPCRs. In addition, unmet challenges, including recognition by the receptors of diverse ligands and how biased signaling mediate different biological effects are described/discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claes Dahlgren
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research University of Göteborg. Göteborg Sweden
| | - Simon Lind
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research University of Göteborg. Göteborg Sweden
| | - Jonas Mårtensson
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research University of Göteborg. Göteborg Sweden
| | - Lena Björkman
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research University of Göteborg. Göteborg Sweden
| | - Yanling Wu
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research University of Göteborg. Göteborg Sweden
| | - Martina Sundqvist
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research University of Göteborg. Göteborg Sweden
| | - Huamei Forsman
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research University of Göteborg. Göteborg Sweden
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