Synthesis of 3-nitrosoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives as potential antiretroviral agents.

Ten 2-aryl or heteroaryl-3-nitrosoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives were synthesised as potential antiretroviral agents. The new compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, 1H NMR, and by crystallography for (14). The compounds were devoid of any activity against HIV-1 or HIV-2.

Design, synthesis and antiproliferative activity of tripentones: a new series of antitubulin agents.

Structure-activity relationship studies of a new series of tripentones (thieno[2,3-b]pyrrolizin-8-ones), led us to prepare several derivatives with antiproliferative activities. The most promising 3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)thieno[2,3-b]pyrrolizin-8-one 20 (leukemia L1210, IC(50)=15 nM) was shown to be a potent inhibitor of tubulin polymerization.

3-Benzamido, ureido and thioureidoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives as potential antiviral agents.

This work reports the synthesis and the antiviral activities of 3-benzamido, 3-phenylureido and 3-phenylthioureido derivatives in the imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine series. The structure was proven by NMR spectroscopy. The synthesized compounds were evaluated against a large number of viruses. The 3-phenylthioureido derivative 7 showed moderate activity against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in vitro. The crystallographic data for 8 are also reported and explain the absence of activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Reactivity of 3-iodoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines using a Suzuki-type cross-coupling reaction.

The influence of base and solvent in Suzuki cross-coupling reaction on various 2-substituted-3-iodoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines was reported. The reactivity was largely influenced by nature of the substituent. Optimized yields and shortened times of reaction were obtained using strong bases in DME.

Synthesis of diaryl-substituted imidazo[l,2-a]pyridines designed as potential aromatase inhibitors.

From a pharmacophore model of bicyclic heterocycles as aromatase inhibitors we have designed three series of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives. The synthesis and the spectroscopy determination of various compounds are reported. The crystal data of one of these compounds (10b) was obtained. The aromatase inhibition potency was evaluated in vitro and no activity was found.

New aromatase inhibitors. Synthesis and biological activity of aryl-substituted pyrrolizine and indolizine derivatives.

We report herein the design and the synthesis of some aryl-substituted pyrrolizine and indolizine derivatives, on the basis of a hypothetical pharmacophore structure designed to fit the catalytic site of the human cytochrome P450 aromatase. The in vitro biological evaluation of these compounds allowed us to point out two new potent non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors, MR 20494 and MR 20492, with IC50 values in the range of 0.1 microM.

MR 20492 and MR 20494: two indolizinone derivatives that strongly inhibit human aromatase.

In this study, we describe the synthesis of a new family of indolizinone derivatives designed to fit an extrahydrophobic pocket within the active site of aromatase and to strongly inhibit human aromatase. This could help improve the specificity of the inhibitors. Equine aromatase, very well characterized biochemically, is used as a comparative model. Indeed, in a previous comparison between both human and equine aromatases, we described the importance of the interaction between the inhibitor and this pocket for the indane derivative MR 20814. MR 20492 and MR 20494 are more potent inhibitors of human aromatase (Ki/Km: 1.0+/-0.3 and 0.5+/-0.3, respectively). The Ki/Km for MR 20494 is slightly higher than that obtained for fadrozole (0.1+/-0.0) and Ki/Km for both indolizinone derivatives are lower than those obtained for 4-hydroxyandrostenedione (1.9+/-0.8) and MR 20814 (8.1+/-.7). These new compounds are not enzyme inactivators. Moreover, as indicated by the higher Ki/Km values obtained with equine enzyme (9.0+/-0.6 and 6.1+/-1.6 for MR 20492 and MR 20494, respectively), both human and equine aromatase active sites appear to be structurally different. Difference absorption spectra study (350-500 nm) revealed that MR20492 and MR20494 were characterized by a combination of type-I and -II spectra with both enzymes. This result could be due to the isomerization of the molecule in polar solvent (Z and E forms). The evaluation of these new molecules, as well as 4-hydroxyandrostenedione and fadrozole, on aromatase activity in transfected 293 cell cultures evidenced a strong inhibition (IC50: 0.20+/-0.03 microM, 0.20+/-0.02 microM and 0.50+/-0.40 microM for MR 20494, fadrozole and 4-OHA, respectively) except for MR 20492 (3.9+/-0.9 microM) and MR 20814 (10.5+/-0.6 microM). These results proved that these molecules formed part of a promising family of potent inhibitors and that they penetrate 293 cells, without evidencing any cytotoxicity in Hela cells with MTT assay. This is thus encouraging for the development of new drugs for the treatment of estrogen-dependent cancers, these molecules also constitute new tools for understanding the aromatase active site.

Design and synthesis of a new type of non steroidal human aromatase inhibitors.

The structure-activity relationship study of one of recently described aromatase inhibitors, compound 1 (MR20814), allowed us to design some related derivatives as potential new inhibitors. Among those we synthesized, chlorophenylpyridylmethylenetetrahydroindolizinone 5 (MR20492) exhibited in vitro a ten-fold higher inhibition of the enzyme (IC50 = 0.2 +/- 0.0 microM and Ki = 10.3 +/- 3.3 nM).