Novel nalidixic acid derivatives targeting topoisomerase II enzyme; Design, synthesis, anticancer activity and effect on cell cycle profile.

AIM: Design and synthesis of novel nalidixic acid derivatives of potent anticancer and topoisomerase II inhibitory activities were our major aim. MATERIALS & METHODS: All the newly synthesized nalidixic acid derivatives were submitted to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, USA and were accepted for single dose screening. Further investigation via IC50 determination of the most potent compound 6a against K-562 and SR leukemia cell lines. Finally, the topoisomerase II inhibitory activity, the cell cycle analysis and molecular docking of 6a were performed in order to identify the possible mechanism of the anticancer activity. RESULTS: Compound 6a showed interesting selectivity against leukemia especially K-562 and SR subpanels with IC50 35.29 µM and 13.85 µM respectively. Moreover, compound 6a revealed potent topoisomerase IIα and topoisomerase IIß inhibitory activity compared with known topoisomerase inhibitors such as doxorubicin and topotecan with IC50 1.30 µM and 0.017 µM respectively. Cell cycle analysis indicated that compound 6a induced cell cycle arrest at G2-M phase leading to inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis. Molecular modeling demonstrated that the potent topoisomerase inhibitory activity of 6a was due to the interaction with the topoisomerase II enzyme through coordinate bonding with the magnesium ion Mg2+, hydrogen bonding with Asp 545 and arene cation interaction with His 759.

New Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors, Nalidixic Acid Linked to Isatin Schiff Bases via Certain l-Amino Acid Bridges.

A series of new Schiff bases were synthesized by condensation of isatins with the nalidixic acid-l-amino acid hydrazides. Prior to hydrazide formation, a peptide linkage has been prepared via coupling of nalidixic acid with appropriate l-amino acid methyl esters to yield 3a-c. The chemical structures of the new Schiff bases (5b and 5d-h) were confirmed by means of IR, NMR, mass spectroscopic, and elemental analyses. The anti-inflammatory activity of these Schiff bases was evaluated via measurement of the expressed inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells model. The Schiff bases exhibited significant dual inhibitory effect against the induction of the pro-inflammatory iNOS and COX-2 proteins with variable potencies. However, they strongly down-regulated the iNOS expression to the level of 16.5% ± 7.4%-42.2% ± 19.6% compared to the effect on COX-2 expression (<56.4% ± 3.1% inhibition) at the same concentration (10 µM). The higher iNOS inhibition activity of the tested Schiff bases, relative to that of COX-2, seems to be a reflection of the combined suppressive effects exerted by their nalidixic acid, isatins (4a-c), and l-amino acid moieties against iNOS expression. These synthesized nalidixic acid-l-amino acid-isatin conjugates can be regarded as a novel class of anti-inflammatory antibacterial agents.

Re-engineering nalidixic acid's chemical scaffold: A step towards the development of novel anti-tubercular and anti-bacterial leads for resistant pathogens.

Occurrence of antibacterial and antimycobacterial resistance stimulated a thrust to discover new drugs for infectious diseases. Herein we report the work on re-engineering nalidixic acid's chemical scaffold for newer leads. Stepwise clubbing of quinoxaline, 1,2,4-triazole/1,3,4-oxadiazole with nalidixic acid yielded better compounds. Compounds were screened against ciprofloxacin resistant bacteria and Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv species. Results were obtained as minimum inhibitory concentration, it was evident that molecule with quinoxaline linked azide as side chain served as antitubercular lead (<6.25 µg/ml) whilst molecule with oxadiazole or triazole linked quinoxaline side chain served as anti-bacterial lead. Few compounds were significantly active against Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris with MIC less than 0.06 µg/ml and relatively potent than ciprofloxacin. No true compound was potentially active against Salmonella species as compared to amoxicillin.

Synthesis of novel nalidixic acid-based 1,3,4-thiadiazole and 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as potent antibacterial agents.

Novel nalidixic acid-based 1,3,4-thia(oxa)diazoles, their thio ethers, sulfones, bis mercapto, and Mannich bases were synthesized and characterized by Infrared spectra, (1) H NMR, (13) C NMR, and elemental analysis. These compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against two Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria. The preliminary bioassay showed that most of the compounds had better antibacterial activity than the parent compounds, 1,3,4-thia(oxa)diazoles, at the dosage 50µg/mL toward five test bacteria. Four Mannich bases of nalidixic acid-based 1,3,4-thiadiazole exhibited maximum antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with minimum inhibitory concentration in the range of 6.25-125µg/mL.

Molecular drug-organiser: synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of penicillin V and/or nalidixic acid calixarene-based podands.

Two well-known antibiotic heterocycles, the 'quinolone' nalidixic acid and the ß-lactam penicillin V, active at different levels of the bacterial growth process, have been attached via an ether-ester junction to the p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene lower rim, in alternate position. The resulting hydrophobic molecular drug-organisers were fully characterized, and evaluated over two Gram negative and three Gram positive reference strains, using disk diffusion assays with disks impregnated with solution of title compound in pure DMSO. An interesting activity was observed over Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 with the dis-symmetrical podand incorporating one penicillin and one nalidixic ester moieties.

Synthesis, antimicrobial evaluation and QSAR analysis of novel nalidixic acid based 1,2,4-triazole derivatives.

Novel nalidixic acid based 1,2,4-triazole derivatives were synthesized and characterized using spectral techniques like (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, IR and mass spectrometry. All these compounds were screened for antimicrobial activity against five bacteria and two pathogenic fungi. Most of these compounds showed better antimicrobial activity than the parent compound, 4-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole. Among all the screened compounds, 3-{6-(2-chlorophenyl)-1,2,4-triazolo [3,4-b] [1,3,4]thiadiazol-3-yl}-1-ethyl-7-methyl-1,8-naphthyridin-4(1H)-one (23) was emerged as promising antimicrobial agent (MIC = 16 µg/mL). Quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) analysis was carried out using various distance-based topological indices, steric and hydrophobic parameters. Based on the QSAR analysis it is indicative that lipophilic and steric parameters are the pre-requisites for these molecules to act as potent antimicrobial agents.

Schiff bases of indoline-2,3-dione (isatin) derivatives and nalidixic acid carbohydrazide, synthesis, antitubercular activity and pharmacophoric model building.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains among the world's great public health challenges. Worldwide resurgence of TB is due to two major problems: the AIDS epidemic, which started in the mid-1980s, and the outbreak of multidrug resistant (MDR) TB. Thus, there is an urgent need for anti-TB drugs with enhanced activity against MDR strains. In recent years, Schiff bases of 1H-indole-2,3-diones are reported to exhibit anti-TB activity. On the other hand, several quinolone antibacterial agents have been examined as inhibitors of TB, as well as other mycobacterial infections. Accordingly, the current work involved design and synthesis of Schiff bases of nalidixic acid carbohydrazide and isatin derivatives (5,6a-f and 7,8a-c). Structures of the synthesized derivatives were confirmed on the bases of spectral methods of analyses. Anti-TB activity of the synthesized derivatives was investigated against four Mycobacterium strains: Mycobacterium intercellulari, Mycobacterium xenopi, Mycobacterium cheleneo and Mycobacterium smegmatis. Modest anti-TB activity was observed within the investigated compounds, however, compound 5f revealed potent anti-TB activity with MIC 0.625 microg/ml, which is 20 times greater than the reference drug isoniazid, INH, (MIC = 12.5 microg/ml). A hypothetical pharmacophore model was built using Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) program and 10 compounds structurally related to the synthesized ones with reported anti-TB activity. The Pharmacophoric model built revealed the necessity of the following pharmacophoric features for anti-TB activity: aromatic center, hydrogen bond acceptor/metal ligator center, hydrogen bond donor center and aromatic center/hydrophobic area. Theses features were consistent with the found anti-TB activity of the tested compounds.

Synthesis of amino acid derivatives of quinolone antibiotics.

Optically pure conjugates of quinolone antibiotics with naturally occurring amino acids are synthesized in 40-98% yields.

Synthesis, primary photophysical and antibacterial properties of naphthyl ester cinoxacin and nalidixic acid derivatives.

We have synthesized two naphthyl ester quinolone derivates and determined their ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as (1)O(2), ()OH, H(2)O(2) upon photolysis with UV-A light. The ability of cinoxacin (1) and nalidixic acid (2), and their naphthyl ester derivatives (3 and 4) to generate a dose-dependent amount of singlet oxygen and ROS (()(-)O(2), ()OH) in cell-free systems was detected by histidine assay and by luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (LCL), respectively. Their electronic absorption and emission spectra were quantified and their photostability was determined. Their tendency to generate peroxidic derivative species showed the following order: 3>4; in contrast, their ability to generate singlet oxygen was 4>3 and these were better sensitizers than their parent quinolones 1 and 2. The antibacterial activity in darkness and under irradiation of compounds 3 and 4 was tested on Escherichia coli and compared with that of their parent compounds. An enhanced antibacterial activity by irradiation of the naphthyl esters of cinoxacin and nalidixic acid on E. coli was observed.

Synthesis and evaluation of new quinazolone derivatives of nalidixic acid as potential antibacterial and antifungal agents.

In continuation of our work on synthesis of biheterocycles carrying the biodynamic heterocyclic systems at position 3, a series of new nalidixic acid derivatives having quinazolones moiety were synthesised to achieve enhanced biological activity and wide spectrum of activity. Nalidixic acid was first converted into its acid chloride using thionyl chloride as an acylating agent at laboratory temperature. Later it was converted to methyl ester. Nalidixoyl chloride formed vigorously reacts with methanol to give a methyl ester of nalidixic acid. The ester on addition of hydrazine hydrate furnished nalidixic acid hydrazide. Appropriate anthranilic acid was refluxed with acetic anhydride to form Benzoxazine/Acetanthranil. 5-iodo-derivative of anthranilic acid was prepared and also utilised to obtain 6-iodo-Benzoxazine/Acetanthranil. Also, 6-nitro-Benzoxazine/Acetanthranil was obtained by nitration of acetanthranil using conc. H(2)SO(4) and fuming HNO(3). Equimolar proportions of the appropriate synthesised acetanthranils and nalidixic acid hydrazide in the presence of ethanol were refluxed to synthesise quinazolones. Elemental analysis and IR spectra confirmed nalidixic acid hydrazide formation. The structures of the compounds obtained have been established on the basis of Spectral (IR, (1)H NMR and mass) data. The current study also involves in vitro antimicrobial screening (using Agar dilution and Punch well diffusion method) of synthesised quinazolone derivatives bearing nalidixic acid moiety on randomly collected microbial strains. The derivatives Ga (NAH), Gb (QN) and Gd (NiQNA) showed marked inhibitory activity against enteric pathogen like Aeromonas hydrophila, a causative agent of diarrhoea in both children as well as adults. Among the respiratory pathogens included in study, derivative Gd (NiQNA) was found to be active against Streptococcus pyogenes. No significant inhibitory activity was seen by any of synthesised derivatives against Coagulase negative Staphylococcus. Derivative Ga (NAH) was found to show very high activity against the Candida colonies and derivative Gd (NiQNA) was also found to exhibit inhibitory activity against Candida albicans; a normal flora of the human body which plays an important role in causing opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts. Proteus vulgaris, a gram-negative bacteria included in our study was found to be inhibited by derivative Gb (QN).

A prodrug approach toward the development of water soluble fluoroquinolones and structure--activity relationships of quinoline-3-carboxylic acids.

A fluoroquinolone prodrug, PA2808, was prepared and shown to convert to the highly active parent drug PA2789. In vitro and in vivo activation of PA2808 by alkaline phosphatase was demonstrated using disk diffusion and rat lung infection models. The water solubility of PA2808 showed a marked increase compared to PA2789 over a pH range suitable for aerosol drug delivery. A total of 48 analogues based on PA2789 were prepared and screened against a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. Incorporating a cyclopropane-fused pyrrolidine (amine) at C-7 resulted in some of the most active analogues.

Synthesis and properties of dextran-nalidixic acid ester as a colon-specific prodrug of nalidixic acid.

Dextran-nalidixic acid ester (dextran-NA) with a varied degree of substitution (DS) was synthesized as a colon-specific prodrug of nalidixic acid (NA). Solubility in water (mg/ml) of dextran-NA with DS (mg NA/100 mg dextran-NA) of 7, 19, or 32 was 57.57 (equivalent to 4.00 mg NA/ml), 0.53 (equivalent to 0.10 mg NA/ml), or 0.03 (equivalent to 0.01 mg NA/ml), respectively, and that for NA was 0.03 at 25 degrees C. To ensure the chemical stability of dextran-NA at conditions similar to those of the stomach and small intestine, dextran-NA was placed in a solution of pH 1.2 hydrochloric acid buffer or pH 6.8 phosphate buffer and incubated at 37 degrees C; no NA was detected during the 6 h of the incubation period, which indicated that dextran-NA might be chemically stable during the transit through the gastrointestinal tract. Degree of depolymerization (%) by dextranase determined by the 2,4-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method at 37 degrees C for dextran-NA with DS of 7, 19, or 32 was 81, 68, or 8, respectively, in 8 h, and that for dextran was 91. When dextran-NA (equivalent to 50 microg of NA) with a DS of 7 or 17 was incubated with cecal contents (100 mg) of rats at 37 degrees C, the extent of NA released in 24 h was 41% or 32% of the dose, respectively. NA was not liberated from the incubation of dextran-NA with the homogenate of tissue and contents of the small intestine.

Synthesis and in vitro investigations of nalidixic acid amides of amino acid esters as prodrugs.

For a new DDS of nalidixic acid (1) to overcome its therapeutic drawbacks, amides of glycine ethyl ester and the methyl esters of alanine, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine and valine, 2(a-f), were synthesized as prodrugs. The stability of the prepared prodrugs in pH 1.2, 7.4 and 80% human plasma was investigated and showed higher stability in the buffers than in the plasma. It was noticed that the reversion of the parent drug from the synthesized prodrugs occurred through two steps, the first was hydrolysis of the ester moiety with formation of nalidixic acid amides of the amino acids as intermediates. The second step was the hydrolysis of these intermediates to 1 and the corresponding amino acid. The prodrugs showed an increase in the lipophilicity compared with 1 as indicated from the log P values. The plasma protein binding potency was studied in vitro using BSA and revealed a decrease in the percentage bound in case of glycine and alanine derivatives (of low lipophilicity) and increase in the percentage bound of phenylalanine, leucine and isoleucine derivatives (of high lipophilicity). Lower binding potency and higher lipophilicity was observed in the case of valine derivative, that was suggested to be owed to some steric hindrance with the binding sites.

Nalidixic acid prodrugs: amides from amino acid ester and nalidixic acid.

Amides from amino acid ester and nalidixic acid were synthesized. The solubility characteristics and partition coefficient of the compounds were studied. The hydrolysis of the compounds was studied in the simulated gastric fluid and simulated intestinal fluid. Some compounds showed better antibacterial activity than nalidixic acid.

Research on antibacterial and antifungal agents. III. Synthesis of 1-ethyl-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7-(1-pyrryl)quinoline-3-carboxylic acid and of some 6-derivatives.

A new analog of nalidixic acid, 1-ethyl-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo--7-(1-pyrryl)quinoline-3-carboxylic acid, is described. When tested against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria this compound showed many significant activities and was more active than nalidixic, piromidic and pipemidic acids. On the contrary its 6-chloro- and 6-methylderivatives lack antimicrobial activities. All new compounds here described were synthesized by standard procedures via Gould-Jacobs reaction.

Researches on antibacterial and antifungal agents. I. Analogs of nalidixic acid with a pyrrole moiety.

The synthesis and antibacterial activities of 4-hydroxyquinoline-3-carboxylic acid and 1,4-dihydro-1-ethyl-4-oxoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid containing a pyrrole or 2,5-dimethylpyrrole group at 6 position are reported. Reaction of 1-(4-aminophenyl)pyrrole or 2,5-dimethyl-1-(4-aminophenyl)-pyrrole with ethoxymethylenemalonate diethyl ester (EMME) afforded the related pyrroleanilinomethylenemalonates, which were subjected to thermal cyclization to give the required quinoline derivatives. These compounds on ethylation furnished at last the quinolonecarboxylic analogs of nalidixic acid.