ABSTRACT
So far, there is still no specific drug against COVID-19. Taking compound 1 with anti-EBOV activity as the lead, fifty-four 12N-substituted aloperine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities using pseudotyped virus model. Among them, 8a exhibited the most potential effects against both pseudotyped and authentic SARS-CoV-2, as well as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, indicating a broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus profile. The mechanism study disclosed that 8a might block a late stage of viral entry, mainly via inhibiting host cathepsin B activity rather than directly targeting cathepsin B protein. Also, 8a could significantly reduce the release of multiple inflammatory cytokines in a time- and dose-dependent manner, such as IL-6, IL-1ß, IL-8 and MCP-1, the major contributors to cytokine storm. Therefore, 8a is a promising agent with the advantages of broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus and anti-cytokine effects, thus worthy of further investigation.
Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Piperidines/pharmacology , Quinolizidines/pharmacology , SARS-CoV-2/drug effects , Virus Internalization/drug effects , Animals , Antiviral Agents/chemical synthesis , Antiviral Agents/pharmacokinetics , Antiviral Agents/toxicity , Cathepsin B/antagonists & inhibitors , Chlorocebus aethiops , Cytokines/metabolism , HEK293 Cells , Humans , Male , Mice , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Molecular Structure , Piperidines/chemical synthesis , Piperidines/pharmacokinetics , Piperidines/toxicity , Quinolizidines/chemical synthesis , Quinolizidines/pharmacokinetics , Quinolizidines/toxicity , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Structure-Activity Relationship , Vero CellsABSTRACT
Nowadays, over 200 countries face a wellbeing emergency because of epidemiological disease COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It will cause a very high effect on the world's economy and the worldwide health sector. The present work is an investigation of the newly synthesized 4-benzyl-1-(2,4,6-trimethyl-benzyl)-piperidine (M1BZP) molecule's inhibitory potential against important protein targets of SARS-CoV-2 using computational approaches. M1BZP crystallizes in monoclinic type with P1211 space group. For the title compound M1BZP, spectroscopic characterization like 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FTIR, were carried out. The geometry of the compound had been optimized by the DFT method and its results were compared with the X-ray diffraction data. The calculated energies for the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and the Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) showed the stability and reactivity of the title compound. Intermolecular interactions in the crystal network were determined using Hirshfeld surface analyses. The molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) picture was drawn using the same level of theory to visualize the chemical reactivity and charge distribution on the molecule. Molecular docking study performed for the synthesized compound revealed an efficient interaction with the COVID-19 protease and resulted in good activities. We hope the present study would help workers in the field to develop potential vaccines and therapeutics against the novel coronavirus. Virtual ADME studies were carried out as well and a relationship between biological, electronic, and physicochemical qualifications of the target compound was determined. Toxicity prediction by computational technique for the title compound was also carried out.
Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents/metabolism , Piperidines/chemistry , SARS-CoV-2/metabolism , Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/antagonists & inhibitors , Adenosine Monophosphate/analogs & derivatives , Adenosine Monophosphate/chemistry , Adenosine Monophosphate/metabolism , Alanine/analogs & derivatives , Alanine/chemistry , Alanine/metabolism , Antiviral Agents/chemical synthesis , Antiviral Agents/chemistry , Binding Sites , COVID-19/pathology , COVID-19/virology , Crystallography, X-Ray , Density Functional Theory , Half-Life , Humans , Molecular Conformation , Molecular Docking Simulation , Piperidines/chemical synthesis , Piperidines/metabolism , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/metabolism , Viral Matrix Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors , Viral Matrix Proteins/metabolismABSTRACT
Ifenprodil (1) is a potent GluN2B-selective N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist that is used as a cerebral vasodilator and has been examined in clinical trials for the treatment of drug addiction, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and COVID-19. To correlate biological data with configuration, all four ifenprodil stereoisomers were prepared by diastereoselective reduction and subsequent separation of enantiomers by chiral HPLC. The absolute configuration of ifenprodil stereoisomers was determined by X-ray crystal structure analysis of (1R,2S)-1a and (1S,2S)-1d. GluN2B affinity, ion channel inhibitory activity, and selectivity over α, σ, and 5-HT receptors were evaluated. (1R,2R)-Ifenprodil ((1R,2R)-1c) showed the highest affinity toward GluN2B-NMDA receptors (Ki = 5.8 nM) and high inhibition of ion flux in two-electrode voltage clamp experiments (IC50 = 223 nM). Whereas the configuration did not influence considerably the GluN2B-NMDA receptor binding, (1R)-configuration is crucial for elevated inhibitory activity. (1R,2R)-Configured ifenprodil (1R,2R)-1c exhibited high selectivity for GluN2B-NMDA receptors over adrenergic, serotonergic, and σ1 receptors.