Synthesis and molecular docking studies of new aryl imeglimin derivatives as a potent antidiabetic agent in a diabetic zebrafish model

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a persistent, progressive, and multifaceted disease characterized by elevated blood glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with a relative deficit in insulin mainly due to beta cell dysfunction and peripheral insulin resistance. Metformin has been widely prescribed as a primary treatment option to address this condition. On the other hand, an emerging glucose-reducing agent known as imeglimin has garnered attention due to its similarity to metformin in terms of chemical structure. In this study, an innovative series of imeglimin derivatives, labeled 3(a-j), were synthesized through a one-step reaction involving an aldehyde and metformin. The chemical structures of these derivatives were thoroughly characterized using ESI-MS, 1H, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. In vivo tests on a zebrafish diabetic model were used to evaluate the efficacy of the synthesized compounds. All compounds 3(a-j) showed significant antidiabetic effects. It is worth mentioning that compounds 3b (FBS = 72.3 ± 7.2 mg/dL) and 3g (FBS = 72.7 ± 4.3 mg/dL) have antidiabetic effects comparable to those of the standard drugs metformin (FBS = 74.0 ± 5.1 mg/dL) and imeglimin (82.3 ± 5.2 mg/dL). In addition, a docking study was performed to predict the possible interactions between the synthesized compounds and both SIRT1 and GSK-3β targets. The docking results were in good agreement with the experimental assay results.

Unraveling the impact of the p.R107L mutation on the structure and function of human αB-Crystallin: Implications for cataract formation

To date, several pathogenic mutations have been identified in the primary structure of human α-Crystallin, frequently involving the substitution of arginine with a different amino acid. These mutations can lead to the incidence of cataracts and myopathy. Recently, an important cataract-associated mutation has been reported in the functional α-Crystallin domain (ACD) of human αB-Crystallin protein, where arginine 107 (R107) is replaced by a leucine. In this study, we investigated the structure, chaperone function, stability, oligomerization, and amyloidogenic properties of the p.R107L human αB-Crystallin using a number of different techniques. Our results suggest that the p.R107L mutation can cause significant changes in the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures of αB-Crystallin. This cataractogenic mutation led to the formation of protein oligomers with larger sizes than the wild-type protein and reduced the chemical and thermal stability of the mutant chaperone. Both fluorescence and microscopic assessments indicated that this mutation significantly altered the amyloidogenic properties of human αB-Crystallin. Furthermore, the mutant protein indicated an attenuated in vitro chaperone activity. The molecular dynamics (MD) simulation confirmed the experimental results and indicated that p.R107L mutation could alter the proper conformation of human αB-Crystallin dimers. In summary, our results indicated that the p.R107L mutation could promote the formation of larger oligomers, diminish the stability and chaperone activity of human αB-Crystallin, and these changes, in turn, can play a crucial role in the development of cataract disorder.

Isoindolin-1-ones Fused to Barbiturates: From Design and Molecular Docking to Synthesis and Urease Inhibitory Evaluation

Helicobacter pylori-induced ulcers and gastric cancer have been one of the main obstacles that the human community has ever struggled with, especially in recent decades. Several different attempts have been made to eradicate this group. One of the most widely used attempts is to inhibit the critical enzyme that facilitates its survival, the urease enzyme. Therefore, in this study, isoindolin-1-ones fused to barbiturates were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro urease inhibitory activity as novel inhibitors for the urease enzyme. The synthesis route consisted of two steps. These steps increased the yield rate and decreased the percentage of byproducts while approaching green chemistry using ethanol and water as green solvents and microwave irradiation instead of conventional methods. In vitro urease inhibitory results indicated that all the compounds had higher inhibitory activity than the standard inhibitor, thiourea, and compound 5b proved to be the most potent inhibitor (IC₅₀ = 0.82 ± 0.03 μM). A molecular docking study was performed to understand the interaction between compounds 5a-n and Jack bean urease enzyme. The results of the molecular docking study were also in harmony with the in vitro results, which are discussed in detail later in this study.