New insights on repellent recognition by Anopheles gambiae odorant-binding protein 1.

It is generally recognized that insect odorant binding proteins (OBPs) mediate the solubilisation and transport of hydrophobic odorant molecules and contribute to the sensitivity of the insect olfactory system. However, the exact mechanism by which OBPs deliver odorants to olfactory receptors and their role, if any, as selectivity filters for specific odorants, are still a matter of debate. In the case of Anopheles gambiae, recent studies indicate that ligand discrimination is effected through the formation of heterodimers such as AgamOBP1 and AgamOBP4 (odorant binding proteins 1 and 4 from Anopheles gambiae). Furthermore, AgamOBPs have been reported to be promiscuous in binding more than one ligand simultaneously and repellents such as DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-toluamide) and 6-MH (6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one) interact directly with mosquito OBPs and/or compete for the binding of attractive odorants thus disrupting OBP heterodimerisation. In this paper, we propose mechanisms of action of DEET and 6-MH. We also predict that ligand binding can occur in several locations of AgamOBP1 with partial occupancies and propose structural features appropriate for repellent pharmacophores.

N-Acyl and N-sulfonyloxazolidine-2,4-diones are pseudo-irreversible inhibitors of serine proteases.

The synthesis, inhibitory activity and mode of action of oxazolidine-2,4-diones against porcine pancreatic elastase, here used as a model for human neutrophil elastase, are reported. The nature of N-substitution at the oxazolidine-2,4-dione scaffold has large effect on the inhibitory potency against elastase. N-Acyl and N-sulfonyloxazolidine-2,4-diones emerged as potent pseudo-irreversible inhibitors, displaying high second-order rate constants for PPE inactivation. The title compounds were also shown to be potent inhibitors of human neutrophil elastase (HNE) and proteinase-3, and weak inhibitors of human cathepsin G. The results herein presented show that the oxazolidine-2,4-diones represent a new promising class of serine protease inhibitors.

A carbamate-based approach to primaquine prodrugs: antimalarial activity, chemical stability and enzymatic activation.

O-Alkyl and O-aryl carbamate derivatives of the antimalarial drug primaquine were synthesised as potential prodrugs that prevent oxidative deamination to the inactive metabolite carboxyprimaquine. Both O-alkyl and O-aryl carbamates undergo hydrolysis in alkaline and pH 7.4 phosphate buffers to the parent drug, with O-aryl carbamates being ca. 10(6)-10(10) more reactive than their O-alkyl counterparts. In human plasma O-alkyl carbamates were stable, whereas in contrast their O-aryl counterparts rapidly released the corresponding phenol product, with primaquine being released only slowly over longer incubation periods. Activation of the O-aryl carbamates in human plasma appears to be catalysed by butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), which leads to carbamoylation of the catalytic serine of the enzyme followed by subsequent slow enzyme reactivation and release of parent drug. Most of the O-aryl and O-alkyl carbamates are activated in rat liver homogenates with half-lives ranging from 9 to 15 h, while the 4-nitrophenyl carbamate was hydrolysed too rapidly to determine an accurate rate constant. Antimalarial activity was studied using a model consisting of Plasmodium berghei, Balb C mice and Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. When compared to controls, ethyl and n-hexyl carbamates were able to significantly reduce the percentage of infected mosquitos as well as the mean number of oocysts per infected mosquito, thus indicating that O-alkyl carbamates of primaquine have the potential to be developed as transmission-blocking antimalarial agents.

Synthesis, stability, biochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of a new potent and selective 4-oxo-ß-lactam inhibitor of human leukocyte elastase.

The 4-oxo-ß-lactams (azetidine-2,4-diones) are potent acylating agents of the human leukocyte elastase (HLE), a neutrophil serine protease that plays a key role in several inflammatory diseases. A novel 4-oxo-ß-lactam containing a N-(4-(phenylsulphonylmethyl)phenyl) group, 3, was designed as a potential mechanism-based inhibitor capable of undergoing elimination of phenylsulphinate upon Ser-195 acylation. Compound 3 was found to be a potent slow-tight binding inhibitor of HLE, presenting a remarkable second-order rate constant of 1.46 x 106 M⁻¹s⁻¹ and displaying selectivity over the proteinase 3 and cathepsin G. However, liberation of phenylsulphinate was not observed in the hydrolysis of 3 in both pH 7.4 phosphate buffer and human plasma. The C(max) values of 1207 µg/total blood, 179 µg/g spleen and 106 µg/g lung were determined by HPLC, following a single 30 mg/kg dose of 3 given intraperitoneally to NMRI mice, suggesting that the inhibitor distributes well into tissues. Although being a powerful selective inhibitor of HLE, 4-oxo-ß-lactam 3 has a limited stability, being susceptible to off-target reactions (plasma and liver enzymes).

4-Oxo-beta-lactams (azetidine-2,4-diones) are potent and selective inhibitors of human leukocyte elastase.

Human leukocyte elastase (HLE) is a serine protease stored in and secreted from neutrophils that plays a determinant role in the pathogenesis of several lung diseases. 4-Oxo-beta-lactams, previously reported as acylating agents of porcine pancreatic elastase, were found to be selective and potent inhibitors of HLE. Structure-activity relationship analysis showed that inhibitory activity is very sensitive to the nature of C-3 substituents, with small alkyl substituents such as a gem-diethyl group improving the inhibitory potency when compared to gem-methyl benzyl or ethyl benzyl counterparts. 4-Oxo-beta-lactams containing a heteroarylthiomethyl group on the para position of an N(1)-aryl moiety afforded highly potent and selective inhibition of HLE, even at a very low inhibitor to enzyme ratio, as shown by the k(on) value of 3.24 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) for 6f. The corresponding ortho isomers were 40- to 90-fold less potent.

Reaction of naphthoquinones with substituted nitromethanes. Facile synthesis and antifungal activity of naphtho[2,3-d]isoxazole-4,9-diones.

We report here a simple entry into naphtho[2,3-d]isoxazole-4,9-dione system containing a EWG in position 3 using the readily available 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinone and nitromethyl derivatives in the presence of base. Antifungal activity of synthesised naphthoquinones was evaluated against ATCC and PYCC reference strains of Candida. The results suggest that the naphtho[2,3-d]isoxazole-4,9-dione scaffold has the potential to be developed into novel and safe therapeutic antifungal agents.

The characterisation of flavone-DNA isoform interactions as a basis for anticancer drug development.

BACKGROUND: The interactions of small molecules with nucleic acids are of considerable interest for the design of novel anticancer compounds. The physical properties and sequence specificity observed in the interactions between a group of flavonoids with proven antitumour activity and various nucleic acid structures are summarised. MATERIALS AND METHODS: UV and fluorescence spectroscopy, together with competition dialysis, were used to assess the affinity of the drugs for the nucleic acid structures in the presence or absence of different metal ions. The effect of these compounds on breast and leukaemia cancer cell lines was evaluated using MTS and COMET assays and flow cytometry. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The flavonoids studied are weak duplex DNA-binding ligands and the binding of flavonoids to DNA is affected by metal ions. Baicalein and quercetin display stronger affinity for triplex and quadruplex than for double-stranded DNA and offer interesting scaffolds for the design of novel, high order DNA-binding agents.

Structure-activity studies of the binding of the flavonoid scaffold to DNA.

BACKGROUND: Flavonoids have been shown to have a wide variety of biological activities and proven to be good scaffolds for the design of DNA-binding agents as anticancer therapeutics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In structure-activity relationship studies, flavonoid derivatives were designed and synthesised through various organic synthesis protocols, resulting in novel or previously described molecules. These were studied by UV-Vis absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy as well as competition dialysis for their binding to DNA isoforms. Their cytotoxic potential was assessed using MTS assays on MCF-7 breast cancer and CCRFCEM leukaemia cell lines. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Introduction of moieties such as chloride, nitrogen, acetoxy and methoxy groups did not help to improve binding affinity, but introduction of tertiary amines improved the binding 1,000-fold due to an improved interaction of the compound with the nucleic acid; replacement of oxygen by sulphur increased the binding 7-fold, possibly because sulphur being less electronegative than oxygen would allow the electrons of the molecule to interact more strongly with the nucleic acid. Inhibition of growth by 50% (IG(50)) values were moderate in breast and leukaemia cancer cell lines possibly due to the flavonoids interacting with other cellular components besides the nucleic acids.

Dopamine- and tyramine-based derivatives of triazenes: activation by tyrosinase and implications for prodrug design.

A range of triazene derivatives were synthesized and investigated as prodrug candidates for melanocyte-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (MDEPT). The prodrugs contained a tyramine or dopamine promoiety required for tyrosinase activation and this was joined via a urea functional group to the cytotoxic triazene. The stability of each of the prodrugs in phosphate buffer, human plasma and in mushroom tyrosinase is discussed. The identification of the main peak formed after the tyrosinase reaction was attempted by LC-MS and the conversion of prodrug to the quinone was confirmed.

Towards an efficient prodrug of the alkylating metabolite monomethyltriazene: synthesis and stability of N-acylamino acid derivatives of triazenes.

A series of 3-[alpha-(acylamino)acyl]-1-aryl-3-methyltriazenes 6a-l, potential cytotoxic triazene prodrugs, were synthesised by coupling 1-aryl-3-methyltriazenes to N-acylamino acids. Their hydrolysis was studied in isotonic pH 7.4 phosphate buffer and in human plasma, while hydrolysis of the derivative 6a was studied in more depth across a range of pH values. Prodrugs 6a-l hydrolyse by cleavage of the triazene acyl group to afford the corresponding monomethyltriazenes. Studies in human plasma demonstrate that acylation of the alpha-amino group of the amino acid carrier is an effective means of reducing the chemical reactivity of the alpha-aminoacyl derivatives while retaining a rapid rate of enzymatic hydrolysis. These derivatives displayed logP values that suggest they should be well absorbed through biological membranes.

Unanticipated acyloxymethylation of sumatriptan indole nitrogen atom and its implications in prodrug design.

Sumatriptan is a potent and selective 5-HT(1B) and 5-HT(1D )agonist used in the symptomatic treatment of migraine; it shows poor oral bioavailability ascribed, in part, to its low lipophilicity. In an attempt to develop acyloxymethyl prodrugs of sumatriptan suitable for oral administration, we carried out the reaction of sumatriptan with chloromethyl esters. To our surprise, acyloxymethylation occurred preferentially at the indole nitrogen rather than at sulfonamide nitrogen, reflecting a difference either in product stability or in the nucleophilicities of the indole and sulfonamide anions. The hydrolysis of the corresponding N(1)-acyloxymethyl derivatives was studied in aqueous buffers and in human plasma, by HPLC. N(1)-Acyloxymethyl derivatives of sumatriptan are rapidly hydrolysed to the chemically stable N(1)-hydroxymethylsumatriptan at pH 1-13. Slow formation of the parent drug was observed only at high pH values. Hydrolysis of sumatriptan derivatives is slower in human plasma than in phosphate buffer and also generates N(1)-hydroxymethylsumatriptan rather than the parent drug. These results indicate that N(1)-acyloxymethyl derivatives of sumatriptan cannot be considered as true prodrugs of sumatriptan.

Azetidine-2,4-diones (4-oxo-beta-lactams) as scaffolds for designing elastase inhibitors.

A new class of inhibitors 4-oxo-beta-lactams (azetidine-2,4-diones), containing the required structural elements for molecular recognition, inhibit porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) but show a dramatically lower reactivity toward hydroxide compared with the analogous inhibitors 3-oxo-beta-sultams. Inhibition is the result of acylation of the active site serine and electron-withdrawing substituents at the N-(4-aryl) position in 3,3-diethyl- N-aryl derivatives increasing the rate of enzyme acylation and generating a Hammett rho-value of 0.65. Compared with a rho-value of 0.96 for the rates of alkaline hydrolysis of the same series, this is indicative of an earlier transition state for the enzyme-catalyzed reaction. Docking studies indicate favorable noncovalent interactions of the inhibitor with the enzyme. Compound 2i, the most potent inhibitor against PPE, emerged as a very potent HLE inhibitor, with a second-order rate for enzyme inactivation of approximately 5 x 10 (5) M (-1) s (-1).

The efficiency of C-4 substituents in activating the beta-lactam scaffold towards serine proteases and hydroxide ion.

The presence of a leaving group at C-4 of monobactams is usually considered to be a requirement for mechanism-based inhibition of human leukocyte elastase by these acylating agents. We report that second-order rate constants for the alkaline hydrolysis and elastase inactivation by N-carbamoyl monobactams are independent of the pKa of the leaving group at C-4. Indeed, the effect exerted by these substituents is purely inductive: electron-withdrawing substituents at C-4 of N-carbamoyl-3,3-diethylmonobactams increase the rate of alkaline hydrolysis and elastase inactivation, with Hammett pI values of 3.4 and 2.5, respectively, which indicate the development of a negative charge in the transition-states. The difference in magnitude between these pI values is consistent with an earlier transition-state for the enzymatic reaction when compared with that for the chemical process. These results suggest that the rate-limiting step in elastase inactivation is the formation of the tetrahedral intermediate, and that beta-lactam ring-opening is not concerted with the departure of a leaving group from C-4. Monobactam sulfones emerged as potent elastase inhibitors even when the ethyl groups at C-3, required for interaction with the primary recognition site, are absent. For one such compound, a 1 : 1 enzyme-inhibitor complex involving porcine pancreatic elastase has been examined by X-ray crystallography and shown to result from serine acylation and sulfinate departure from the beta-lactam C-4.

The 1,4-naphthoquinone scaffold in the design of cysteine protease inhibitors.

A series of 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives diversely substituted at C-2, C-3, C-5 and C-8, prepared by reaction of amines, amino acids and alcohols with commercial 1,4-naphthoquinones, has been evaluated against papain and bovine spleen cathepsin B. These 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives were found to be irreversible inhibitors for both cysteine proteases, with second-order rate constants, k(2), ranging from 0.67 to 35.4M(-1)s(-1) for papain, and from 0.54 to 8.03M(-1)s(-1) for cathepsin B. Some derivatives display a hyperbolic dependence of the first-order inactivation rate constant, k(obs), with the inhibitor concentration, indicative of a specific interaction process between enzyme and inhibitor. The chemical reactivity of the compounds towards cysteine as a model thiol is dependent on the naphthoquinone LUMO energy, whereas papain inactivation is not. The 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives are inactive against the serine protease, porcine pancreatic elastase.

Crystallization and preliminary diffraction studies of porcine pancreatic elastase in complex with a novel inhibitor.

Porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) was crystallized in complex with a novel inhibitor at pH 5 and X-ray diffraction data were collected at a synchrotron source to 1.66 A. Crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit cell parameters a = 50.25 A, b = 57.94 A and c = 74.69 A. PPE is often used as model for drug target, due to its structural homology with the important therapeutic target human leukocyte elastase (HLE). Elastase is a serine protease that belongs to the chymotrypsin family, which has the ability to degrade elastin, an important component in connective tissues. Excessive elastin proteolysis leads to a number of pathological diseases.

Aminocarbonyloxymethyl ester prodrugs of flufenamic acid and diclofenac: suppressing the rearrangement pathway in aqueous media.

Aminocarbonyloxymethyl ester prodrugs are known to undergo rearrangement in aqueous solutions to form the corresponding N-acylamine side product via an O-->N intramolecular acyl transfer from the carbamate conjugate base. Novel aminocarbonyloxymethyl esters of diclofenac and flufenamic acid containing amino acid amide carriers were synthesized and evaluated as potential prodrugs displaying less ability to undergo rearrangement. These compounds were prepared in reasonable yield by a four-step synthetic method that uses the appropriate N-Boc-protected amino acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester and secondary amine and chloromethyl chloroformate as key reactants. Their reactivity in pH 7.4 buffer and 80% human plasma at 37 degrees C was assessed by RP-HPLC. The aminocarbonyloxymethyl esters containing a secondary carbamate group derived from amino acids such as glycine or phenylalanine were hydrolyzed quantitatively to the parent drug both in non-enzymatic and enzymatic conditions, with no rearrangement product being detected. The oral bioavailability in rats was determined for selected diclofenac derivatives. These derivatives displayed a bioavailability of 25 to 68% relative to that of diclofenac, probably due to their poor aqueous solubility and lipophilicity. These results suggest that further optimization of aminocarbonyloxymethyl esters as potential prodrugs for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs require the use of amino acid carriers with ionizable groups to improve aqueous solubility.

Dipeptide vinyl sultams: synthesis via the Wittig-Horner reaction and activity against papain, falcipain-2 and Plasmodium falciparum.

The synthesis of phosphonate derivatives of N-phenyl- and N-benzyl-gamma- and delta-sultams, and their application in the Wittig-Horner reaction with N-Boc-L-phenylalanine aldehyde to afford E- and Z-isomers, are described. These compounds were further processed to provide five dipeptide vinyl sultams, which were found to be inactive against papain at concentrations up to 50 microM. In contrast, vinyl sultams demonstrated weak activity against recombinant falcipain-2 and Plasmodium falciparum W2.

The Bsmoc group as a novel scaffold for the design of irreversible inhibitors of cysteine proteases.

Carbamate and ester derivatives of the 1,1-dioxobenzo[b]thiophen-2-ylmethyloxycarbonyl (Bsmoc) scaffold react readily with thiols via a Michael addition at rates not significantly affected by the nature of the carboxylic or carbamic acid leaving group. These Michael acceptors are irreversible inhibitors of the cysteine proteases papain and human liver cathepsin B, displaying first-order kinetics with respect to inhibitor concentration. In contrast, none of the Bsmoc derivatives inhibited porcine pancreatic elastase, a serine protease.

Design, synthesis, and enzymatic evaluation of N1-acyloxyalkyl- and N1-oxazolidin-2,4-dion-5-yl-substituted beta-lactams as novel inhibitors of human leukocyte elastase.

Human leukocyte elastase (HLE) is a serine protease that very efficiently degrades various tissue matrix proteins such as elastin. The imbalance between HLE and its endogenous inhibitors leads to excessive elastin proteolysis and is considered to be responsible for the onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A novel series of C-3-, C-4-, and N-1-substituted azetidin-2-ones were prepared as potential mechanism-based inhibitors of HLE to restore the protease/antiprotease imbalance. N-Acyloxyalkylazetidin-2-ones, 4, and their carbamate counterparts, 5, are weak HLE inhibitors, being 5 times less active than their bicyclic oxazolidin-2,4-dione-substituted analogues, 6, containing an electron-withdrawing substituent at C-4. Compounds 6 containing a C-4 substituent exist as two diastereomeric pairs of enantiomers, each pair presenting similar inhibitory activity against HLE. Comparative docking experiments with the C-4-substituted oxazolidin-2,4-dione inhibitors 6 suggest that only the 4R,5'S and 4S,5'S diastereomers consistently interact with the beta-lactam carbonyl carbon atom accessible to the serine hydroxyl oxygen.

Imidazolidin-4-one derivatives of primaquine as novel transmission-blocking antimalarials.

Imidazolidin-4-one derivatives of primaquine were synthesized as potential double prodrugs of the parent drug. The title compounds inhibit the development of the sporogonic cycle of Plasmodium berghei, affecting the appearance of oocysts in the midguts of the mosquitoes. The imidazolidin-4-ones are very stable, both in human plasma and in pH 7.4 buffer, indicating that they are active per se. Thus, imidazolidin-4-ones derived from 8-aminoquinolines represent a new entry in antimalarial structure-activity relationships.