Synthesis and evaluation of peptidic thrombin inhibitors bearing acid-stable sulfotyrosine analogues.

Tyrosine sulfation is an important post-translational modification of peptides and proteins which underpins and modulates many protein-protein interactions. In order to overcome the inherent instability of the native modification, we report the synthesis of two sulfonate analogues and their incorporation into two thrombin-inhibiting sulfopeptides. The effective mimicry of these sulfonate analogues for native sulfotyrosine was validated in the context of their thrombin inhibitory activity and binding mode, as determined by X-ray crystallography.

Formulation and Characterization of Antithrombin Perfluorocarbon Nanoparticles.

Thrombin, a major protein involved in the clotting cascade by the conversion of inactive fibrinogen to fibrin, plays a crucial role in the development of thrombosis. Antithrombin nanoparticles enable site-specific anticoagulation without increasing bleeding risk. Here we outline the process of making and the characterization of bivalirudin and D-phenylalanyl-L-prolyl-L-arginyl-chloromethyl ketone (PPACK) nanoparticles. Additionally, the characterization of these nanoparticles, including particle size, zeta potential, and quantification of PPACK/bivalirudin loading, is also described.

Protein-Induced Change in Ligand Protonation during Trypsin and Thrombin Binding: Hint on Differences in Selectivity Determinants of Both Proteins?

Trypsin and thrombin, structurally similar serine proteases, recognize different substrates; thrombin cleaves after Arg, whereas trypsin cleaves after Lys/Arg. Both recognize basic substrate headgroups via Asp189 at the bottom of the S1 pocket. By crystallography and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), we studied a series of d-Phe/d-DiPhe-Pro-(amino)pyridines. Identical ligand pairs show the same binding poses. Surprisingly, one ligand binds to trypsin in protonated state and to thrombin in unprotonated state at P1 along with differences in the residual solvation pattern. While trypsin binding is mediated by an ordered water molecule, in thrombin, water is scattered over three hydration sites. Although having highly similar S1 pockets, our results suggest different electrostatic properties of Asp189 possibly contributing to the selectivity determinant. Thrombin binds a specific Na+ ion next to Asp189, which is absent in trypsin. The electrostatic properties across the S1 pocket are further attenuated by charged Glu192 at the rim of S1 in thrombin, which is replaced by uncharged Gln192 in trypsin.

Mechanism and inhibition kinetics of peptide P13 as thrombin inhibitor.

Excessive coagulation can easily lead to arterial and venous thrombosis, which is the main reason for the evolution of myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accidents. As a key coagulation factor for the coagulation pathway, thrombin has become a remarkable target for the control of thrombosis. The synthesized peptide P13 with amino acid sequence of N-RGDAGFAGDDAPR was expected to be an inhibitor with higher antithrombotic activity. The results showed that the IC50 (50% inhibition of thrombin activity) of the peptide P13 was determined by colorimetric method to be 115 µM. And enzyme kinetic experiments showed that P13 was a competitive inhibitor of thrombin with Ki = 106 µM. Fluorescence spectra and three-dimensional fluorescence showed that P13 could alter the secondary structure of thrombin and the microenvironment of certain chromogenic amino acids. P13 can spontaneously bind with thrombin exosite 1 in the form of 1:1 mainly through hydrogen bonding and van der Waals force. And the optimal docking mode of P13 and thrombin was revealed by molecular docking with "-CDOCKER_Energy" of 178.679 kcal mol-1. This study revealed P13 may become a potential anticoagulant drug widely used after further studies in preclinical and clinical trials.

Selective Inhibition of PAR4 (Protease-Activated Receptor 4)-Mediated Platelet Activation by a Synthetic Nonanticoagulant Heparin Analog.

Objective- PAR4 (protease-activated receptor 4), one of the thrombin receptors in human platelets, has emerged as a promising target for the treatment of arterial thrombotic disease. Previous studies implied that thrombin exosite II, known as a binding site for heparin, may be involved in thrombin-induced PAR4 activation. In the present study, a heparin octasaccharide analog containing the thrombin exosite II-binding domain of heparin was chemically synthesized and investigated for anti-PAR4 effect. Approach and Results- PAR4-mediated platelet aggregation was examined using either thrombin in the presence of a PAR1 antagonist or γ-thrombin, which selectively activates PAR4. SCH-28 specifically inhibits PAR4-mediated platelet aggregation, as well as the signaling events downstream of PAR4 in response to thrombin. Moreover, SCH-28 prevents thrombin-induced ß-arrestin recruitment to PAR4 but not PAR1 in Chinese Hamster Ovary-K1 cells using a commercial enzymatic complementation assay. Compared with heparin, SCH-28 is more potent in inhibiting PAR4-mediated platelet aggregation but has no significant anticoagulant activity. In an in vitro thrombosis model, SCH-28 reduces thrombus formation under whole blood arterial flow conditions. Conclusions- SCH-28, a synthetic small-molecular and nonanticoagulant heparin analog, inhibits thrombin-induced PAR4 activation by interfering with thrombin exosite II, a mechanism of action distinct from other PAR4 inhibitors that target the receptor. The characteristics of SCH-28 provide a new strategy for targeting PAR4 with the potential for the treatment of arterial thrombosis.

Scaffold Hopping Strategy for the Design, Synthesis and Biological Activity Evaluation of Novel Hexacyclic Scutellarein Derivatives with a 1,3-Oxazine Ring Fused at A-ring.

BACKGROUND: Discovery of novel agents with anticoagulant and antioxidant activity is very important to treat cerebrovascular disease. Lead compound LR3d discovered in our laboratory exhibited stronger anticoagulant ability and good antioxidant activity, compared with scutellarein (2), which is the major in vivo active metabolite of the natural product scutellarin (1). OBJECTIVE: Design and synthesis novel scutellarein derivatives with improved anticoagulant and antioxidant activity. METHODS: By utilizing a scaffold hopping strategy on LR3d, we describe the design and synthesis of a series of novel hexacyclic scutellarein derivatives 4 with a 1,3-oxazine ring fused at positions 7 and 8 in A ring. The thrombin inhibitory activities of all these new compounds were studied by the analysis of thrombin time (TT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and fibrinogen (FIB). The antioxidant abilities of these analogs were evaluated by using 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) method through 1,1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl (DPPH) assay. RESULTS: Nine new hexacyclic scutellarein derivatives with a 1,3-oxazine ring fused at A-ring were synthesized, the results of the biological activity evaluation showed that compound 4e exhibited stronger anticoagulant and antioxidant ability compared to LR3d. CONCLUSION: 4e could be used for further development to treat ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

Synthesis and Thrombin, Factor Xa and U46619 Inhibitory Effects of Non-Amidino and Amidino N²-Thiophenecarbonyl- and N²-Tosylanthranilamides.

Thrombin (factor IIa) and factor Xa (FXa) are key enzymes at the junction of the intrinsic and extrinsic coagulation pathways and are the most attractive pharmacological targets for the development of novel anticoagulants. Twenty non-amidino N²-thiophencarbonyl- and N²-tosyl anthranilamides 1-20 and six amidino N²-thiophencarbonyl- and N²-tosylanthranilamides 21-26 were synthesized to evaluate their activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT) using human plasma at a concentration of 30 µg/mL in vitro. As a result, compounds 5, 9, and 21-23 were selected to study the further antithrombotic activity. The anticoagulant properties of 5, 9, and 21-23 significantly exhibited a concentration-dependent prolongation of in vitro PT and aPTT, in vivo bleeding time, and ex vivo clotting time. These compounds concentration-dependently inhibited the activities of thrombin and FXa and inhibited the generation of thrombin and FXa in human endothelial cells. In addition, data showed that 5, 9, and 21-23 significantly inhibited thrombin catalyzed fibrin polymerization and mouse platelet aggregation and inhibited platelet aggregation induced by U46619 in vitro and ex vivo. Among the derivatives evaluated, N-(3'-amidinophenyl)-2-((thiophen-2''-yl)carbonylamino)benzamide (21) was the most active compound.

An efficient anticoagulant candidate: Characterization, synthesis and in vivo study of a fondaparinux analogue Rrt1.17.

Fondaparinux, a synthetic pentasaccharide anticoagulant based on heparin antithrombin-binding domain, is derived from a chemical synthesis with more than 50 steps. Herein, we identified nine analogues separated from commercially available crude fondaparinux sodium, and tested their anticoagulant activity in vitro. Based on the activity results, the most active derivative Rrt1.17 was chemically synthesized. Biological properties in vitro and in vivo indicated that the well-defined derivative Rrt1.17 was a more efficient anticoagulant candidate compared with fondaparinux.

Novel dabigatran derivatives with a fluorine atom at the C-2 position of the terminal benzene ring: Design, synthesis and anticoagulant activity evaluation.

This manuscript describes the preparation of dabigatran derivatives and their inhibitory potentials toward human thrombin. Among the tested compounds, 7c, 7k, 7m and 7o, with IC50 values of 1.54, 0.84, 1.18 and 1.42 nM, exhibited comparable inhibitory activity to dabigatran (IC50 = 1.20 nM). The in vivo anti-thrombotic activity of compounds 7c and 7o in SD rats was studied. Results showed that intravenously administering the two compounds significantly inhibited the growth of thrombus with an inhibition rate of (84.24 ± 1.53)% and (84.57 ± 0.45)%, which were comparable to that of dabigatran (85.07 ± 0.61)%. Furthermore, the docking simulation of active compounds (7k and 7m) provided a potential binding model. Results indicated that these compounds could be further investigated to determine their anticoagulant activities.

Molecular design, synthesis and anticoagulant activity evaluation of fluorinated dabigatran analogues.

In the present study, a series of unreported fluorinated dabigatran analogues, which were based on the structural scaffold of dabigatran, were designed by computer-aided simulation. Fifteen fluorinated dabigatran analogues were screened and synthesized. All target compounds were characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, (19)F NMR and HRMS. According to the preliminary screening results of inhibition ratio, eleven analogues (inhibition ratio >90%) were evaluated for antithrombin activity in vitro (IC50). The test results expressed that all the analogues showed effective inhibitory activities against thrombin. Especially, compounds 8f, 8k and 8o, with IC50 values of 1.81, 3.21 and 2.16nM, respectively, showed remarkable anticoagulant activities which were in the range of reference drug dabigatran (IC50=1.23nM). Moreover, compounds 8k and 8o were developed to investigate their anticoagulant activities in vivo. In those part, compound 8o exhibited a fairly strong inhibitory action for arteriovenous thrombosis with inhibition ratio of 84.66%, which was comparable with that of dabigatran (85.07%). Docking simulations demonstrated that these compounds could act as candidates for further development of novel anticoagulant drugs.

Thrombin-Inhibiting Anticoagulant Liposomes: Development and Characterization.

Many peptides and peptidomimetic drugs suffer from rapid clearance in vivo; this can be reduced by increasing their size through oligomerization or covalent conjugation with polymers. As proof of principle, an alternative strategy for drug oligomerization is described, in which peptidomimetic thrombin inhibitors are incorporated into the liposome surface. For this purpose, the inhibitor moieties were covalently coupled to a palmitic acid residue through a short bifunctionalized ethylene glycol spacer. These molecules were directly added to the lipid mixture used for liposome preparation. The obtained liposomes possess strong thrombin inhibitory potency in enzyme kinetic measurements and anticoagulant activity in plasma. Their strong potency and positive ζ potential indicate that large amounts of the benzamidine-derived inhibitors are located on the surface of the liposomes. This concept should be applicable to other drug molecules that suffer from rapid elimination and allow covalent modification with a suitable fatty acid residue.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Dabigatran Etexilate Mimics, a Novel Class of Thrombin Inhibitors.

Human α-thrombin is a particularly promising target for anticoagulant therapy, and identification of oral small-molecular inhibitors of thrombin remains a research focus. On the basis of the X-ray crystal structure of human α-thrombin and its inhibitor dabigatran, we designed and synthesized a series of dabigatran etexilate mimics containing a novel tricyclic fused scaffold. The biological evaluations reveal that all of the compounds possess moderate activity of antiplatelet aggregation induced by thrombin in vitro. Moreover, compound I-8, which contains 2-hydroxymethyl-3,5,6-trimethylpyrazine (HTMP), a cleavable moiety with antiplatelet activity, shows the best anticoagulant effect among the tested compounds in vivo. Those synthesized compounds that have better in vitro activity were subjected to bleeding complication tests, and the results demonstrate that the novel compounds are less likely to have bleeding risk than dabigatran etexilate.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Some New 2,5-Substituted 1-Ethyl-1H-benzoimidazole Fluorinated Derivatives as Direct Thrombin Inhibitors.

A new series of fluorinated 2,5-substituted 1-ethyl-1H-benzimidazole derivatives were synthesized from starting compounds 3a-i, which were prepared from acrylic acid ethyl ester and the appropriate amines using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid as a catalyst. A total of 9 novel derivatives were synthesized through 9 steps. All of them were evaluated for thrombin inhibition activity in vitro for the first time. We have altered their structures using different substituents on the amines to assess their structure-activity relationships as direct thrombin inhibitors. All the compounds were effective thrombin inhibitors, with IC50 values ranging from 3.39 to 23.30 nM. Among the compounds synthesized, compounds 14a, 14b, 14d, 14e, and 14h exhibited greater anticoagulant activity than argatroban (IC50 = 9.36 nM). Furthermore, compound 14h synthesized starting with 2-amino-pyridine was the most potent thrombin inhibitor with an IC50 value of 3.39 nM. Molecular modeling studies were performed to determine the probable interactions of the most potent compounds 14a, 14e, and 14h with their protein receptor (PDB ID: 1KTS). Docking data show that the active compounds inhibit thrombin in a similar mode to that of the potent anticoagulant dabigatran.

Design, synthesis, and anti-thrombotic evaluation of some novel fluorinated thrombin inhibitor derivatives.

Computer-aided simulation was used to design and synthesize nine novel fluorinated thrombin inhibitor derivatives. These compounds were confirmed by spectral analyses ((1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and FT-ICR-MS). Their inhibitory activities against thrombin enzyme were evaluated by chromogenic assay. All the derivatives demonstrated thrombin inhibitory activity in vitro. Five of these compounds exerted more potent effects against thrombin enzyme compared with the reference drug argatroban. Compound 3-(2-(((4-carbamimidoylphenyl)amino)methyl)-1-ethyl-N-(2-fluoro-phenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-5-carboxamido)propanoic acid (IC50 = 3.52 ± 0.32 nmol/L) was a more potent inhibitor of thrombosis than argatroban (IC50 = 9.46 ± 0.92 nmol/L).

Design, synthesis and structural exploration of novel fluorinated dabigatran derivatives as direct thrombin inhibitors.

Twenty-one fluorinated dabigatran derivatives were designed based on the bioisosteric principle. All derivatives were synthesised and evaluated for their thrombin inhibitory activity in vitro. Among these compounds, 14h, 14m, 14s and 14t were potent and the activity was in the range of reference drug, dabigatran. Three structural changes were introduced in these 21 compounds to elucidate the structure-activity relationship of the drugs. In addition, prodrugs of compounds 14h and 14s were developed to investigate their anticoagulant activities in vivo. In these experiments, compound 16 showed a fairly strong inhibitory effect on thrombin-induced platelet aggregation, and demonstrated potent activity for inhibiting arteriovenous thrombosis with an inhibition rate of (73 ± 6) %, which was comparable to that of dabigatran etexilate (76 ± 2) %. Moreover, molecular docking studies were performed to understand the binding interactions of active compounds 14h, 14s and 14t with thrombin protein (PDB ID:1KTS). Contour maps obtained from the 3D-QSAR model are meaningful in designing more active molecules to act as direct inhibitors of thrombin.

Design, synthesis, conformational analysis and application of indolizidin-2-one dipeptide mimics.

Growth in the field of peptide mimicry over the past few decades has resulted in the synthesis of many new compounds and the investigation of novel pharmacological agents. Azabicyclo[X.Y.0]alkanone amino acids are among the attractive classes of constrained mimics, because they can create rigid peptide structures for probing the conformation and roles of natural motifs in recognition events important for biological activity. Herein, we review the last ten years of the synthesis, conformational analysis and activity of analogs of the azabicyclo[4.3.0]alkan-2-one amino acid subclass, so-called indolizidin-2-one amino acids, with particular attention on their employment as inputs for biological applications.

Outstanding effects on antithrombin activity of modified TBA diastereomers containing an optically pure acyclic nucleotide analogue.

Herein, we report optically pure modified acyclic nucleosides as ideal probes for aptamer modification. These new monomers offer unique advantages in exploring the role played in thrombin inhibition by a single residue modification at key positions of the TBA structure.

Construction and characterization of novel hirulog variants with antithrombin and antiplatelet activities.

The RGD sequence was used to design potent hirudin isoform 3 mimetic peptides with both antithrombin activity and antiplatelet aggregation activity. The RGD and proline were inserted between the catalytic active binding domain (D-Phe-Pro-Arg-Pro) on the N-terminus and the anion-binding exosite binding domain (QGDFEPIPEDAYDE) on the Cterminus. Thrombin titration assay and ATP-induced platelet aggregation test revealed that the peptide with the linker RGDWP or RGDGP possessed potent antithrombin and antiplatelet activities, while other peptides without the Pro residue in the linker only showed antithrombin activity. Similar results were obtained in the RGD-containing hirulog-1 variants. Our study indicates that the inserted Pro residue facilitates the exposure of RGD and the binding of the peptide to glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GPIIb/IIIa). The strategy of combining the RGD sequence and the Pro residue may be used for future designs of bifunctional antithrombotic agents.

Synthesis of ximelagatran, melagatran, hydroxymelagatran, and ethylmelagatran in H-3 labeled form.

In support of a study designed to better understand the liver toxicity of ximelagatran, ximelagatran, and melagatran, hydroxymelagatran and ethylmelagatran were prepared in tritium labeled form. Incorporation of tritium was achieved by hydrogen isotope exchange using Crabtree's catalyst and later with N-heterocyclic containing Ir catalyst. The tritiated product was then converted into the four target compounds to afford them in high purity and specific activity.

Interactions of heparin and a covalently-linked antithrombin-heparin complex with components of the fibrinolytic system.

Unfractionated heparin (UFH) is used as an adjunct during thrombolytic therapy. However, its use is associated with limitations, such as the inability to inhibit surface bound coagulation factors. We have developed a covalent conjugate of antithrombin (AT) and heparin (ATH) with superior anticoagulant properties compared with UFH. Advantages of ATH include enhanced inhibition of surface-bound coagulation enzymes and the ability to reduce the overall size and mass of clots in vivo. The interactions of UFH or ATH with the components of the fibrinolytic pathway are not well understood. Our study utilised discontinuous second order rate constant (k2) assays to compare the rates of inhibition of free and fibrin-associated plasmin by AT+UFH vs ATH. Additionally, we evaluated the effects of AT+UFH and ATH on plasmin generation in the presence of fibrin. The k2 values for inhibition of plasmin were 5.74 ± 0.28 x 106 M⁻¹ min⁻¹ and 6.39 ± 0.59 x 106 M⁻¹ min⁻¹ for AT+UFH and ATH, respectively. In the presence of fibrin, the k2 values decreased to 1.45 ± 0.10 x 106 M⁻¹ min⁻¹ and 3.07 ± 0.19 x 106 M⁻¹ min⁻¹ for AT+UFH and ATH, respectively. Therefore, protection of plasmin by fibrin was observed for both inhibitors; however, ATH demonstrated superior inhibition of fibrin-associated plasmin. Rates of plasmin generation were also decreased by both inhibitors, with ATH causing the greatest reduction (approx. 38-fold). Nonetheless, rates of plasmin inhibition were 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than for thrombin, and in a plasma-based clot lysis assay ATH significantly inhibited clot formation but had little impact on clot lysis. Cumulatively, these data may indicate that, relative to coagulant enzymes, the fibrinolytic system is spared from inhibition by both AT+UFH and ATH, limiting reduction in fibrinolytic potential during anticoagulant therapy.