New anti-SARS-CoV-2 aminoadamantane compounds as antiviral candidates for the treatment of COVID-19

Here, the antiviral activity of aminoadamantane derivatives were evaluated against SARS-CoV-2. The compounds exhibited low cytotoxicity to Vero, HEK293 and CALU-3 cells up to a concentration of 1,000 µM. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) of aminoadamantane was 39.71 µM in Vero CCL-81 cells and the derivatives showed significantly lower IC50 values, especially for compounds 3F4 (0.32 µM), 3F5 (0.44 µM) and 3E10 (1.28 µM). Additionally, derivatives 3F5 and 3E10 statistically reduced the fluorescence intensity of SARS-CoV-2 protein S from Vero cells at 10 µM. Transmission microscopy confirmed the antiviral activity of the compounds, which reduced cytopathic effects induced by the virus, such as vacuolization, cytoplasmic projections, and the presence of myelin figures derived from cellular activation in the face of infection. Additionally, it was possible to observe a reduction of viral particles adhered to the cell membrane and inside several viral factories, especially after treatment with 3F4. Moreover, although docking analysis showed favorable interactions in the catalytic site of Cathepsin L, the enzymatic activity of this enzyme was not inhibited significantly in vitro. The new derivatives displayed lower predicted toxicities than aminoadamantane, which was observed for either rat or mouse models. Lastly, in vivo antiviral assays of aminoadamantane derivatives in BALB/cJ mice after challenge with the mouse-adapted strain of SARS-CoV-2, corroborated the robust antiviral activity of 3F4 derivative, which was higher than aminoadamantane and its other derivatives. Therefore, aminoadamantane derivatives show potential broad-spectrum antiviral activity, which may contribute to COVID-19 treatment in the face of emerging and re-emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

The boundary lipid around DMPC-spanning influenza A M2 transmembrane domain channels: Its structure and potential for drug accommodation

We have investigated the perturbation of influenza A M2TM in DMPC bilayers. We have shown that (a) DSC and SAXS detect changes in membrane organization caused by small changes (micromolar) in M2TM or aminoadamantane concentration and aminoadamantane structure, by comparison of amantadine and spiro[pyrrolidine-2,2'-adamantane] (AK13), (b) that WAXS and MD can suggest details of ligand topology. DSC and SAXS show that at a low M2TM micromolar concentration in DPMC bilayers, two lipid domains are observed, which likely correspond to M2TM boundary lipids and bulk-like lipids. At higher M2TM concentrations, one domain only is identified, which constitutes essentially all of the lipid molecules behaving as boundary lipids. According to SAXS, WAXS, and DSC in the absence of M2TM, both aminoadamantane drugs exert a similar perturbing effect on the bilayer at low concentrations. At the same concentrations of the drug when M2TM is present, amantadine and, to a lesser extent, AK13 cause, according to WAXS, a significant disordering of chain-stacking, which also leads to the formation of two lipid domains. This effect is likely due, according to MD simulations, to the preference of the more lipophilic AK13 to locate closer to the lateral surfaces of M2TM when compared to amantadine, which forms stronger ionic interactions with phosphate groups. The preference of AK13 to concentrate inside the lipid bilayer close to the exterior of the hydrophobic M2TM helices may contribute to its higher binding affinity compared to amantadine.