Investigation of the antileishmanial activity and mechanisms of action of acetyl-thiohydantoins.

The currently available treatment options for leishmaniasis are associated with high costs, severe side effects, and high toxicity. In previous studies, thiohydantoins demonstrated some pharmacological activities and were shown to be potential hit compounds with antileishmanial properties. The present study further explored the antileishmanial effect of acetyl-thiohydantoins against Leishmania amazonensis and determined the main processes involved in parasite death. We observed that compared to thiohydantoin nuclei, acetyl-thiohydantoin treatment inhibited the proliferation of promastigotes. This treatment caused alterations in cell cycle progression and parasite size and caused morphological and ultrastructural changes. We then investigated the mechanisms involved in the death of the protozoan; there was an increase in ROS production, phosphatidylserine exposure, and plasma membrane permeabilization and a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, resulting in an accumulation of lipid bodies and the formation of autophagic vacuoles on these parasites and confirming an apoptosis-like process. In intracellular amastigotes, selected acetyl-thiohydantoins reduced the percentage of infected macrophages and the number of amastigotes/macrophages by increasing ROS production and reducing TNF-α levels. Moreover, thiohydantoins did not induce cytotoxicity in murine macrophages (J774A.1), human monocytes (THP-1), or sheep erythrocytes. In silico and in vitro analyses showed that acetyl-thiohydantoins exerted in vitro antileishmanial effects on L. amazonensis promastigotes in apoptosis-like and amastigote forms by inducing ROS production and reducing TNF-α levels, indicating that they are good candidates for drug discovery studies in leishmaniasis treatment. Additionally, we carried out molecular docking analyses of acetyl-thiohydantoins on two important targets of Leishmania amazonensis: arginase and TNF-alpha converting enzyme. The results suggested that the acetyl groups in the N1-position of the thiohydantoin ring and the ring itself could be pharmacophoric groups due to their affinity for binding amino acid residues at the active site of both enzymes via hydrogen bond interactions. These results demonstrate that thiohydantoins are promising hit compounds that could be used as antileishmanial agents.

Reversal of Apalutamide and Darolutamide Aldo-Keto Reductase 1C3-Mediated Resistance by a Small Molecule Inhibitor.

The antiandrogen therapeutics apalutamide and darolutamide entered the clinic in 2018 and 2019, respectively, for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Increased expression of the enzyme aldo-keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3) is phenotypic of CRPC. The enzyme acts to circumvent castration by producing potent androgens that drive proliferation. Furthermore, AKR1C3 mediates chemotherapeutic resistance to the standard of care, enzalutamide, a structural analogue of apalutamide. Resistance develops in almost all CRPC patients within three months of beginning treatment. Herein, we report that both apalutamide and the structurally distinct darolutamide induce AKR1C3 expression in in vitro models of prostate cancer and are susceptible to AKR1C3-mediated resistance. This effect is countered by pretreatment with a potent and highly selective AKR1C3 inhibitor, sensitizing high AKR1C3 expressing prostate cancer cell lines to the action of both chemotherapeutics with a concomitant reduction in expression of AKR1C3 and the biomarker prostate-specific antigen.

Population Pharmacokinetics of Apalutamide and its Active Metabolite N-Desmethyl-Apalutamide in Healthy and Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Subjects.

BACKGROUND: Apalutamide is a next-generation androgen receptor inhibitor approved for treatment of subjects with high-risk, non-metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer (NM-CRPC). OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterize the population pharmacokinetics of apalutamide and its metabolite N-desmethyl-apalutamide in healthy male and castration-resistant prostate cancer subjects. METHODS: Plasma concentration data for apalutamide and N-desmethyl-apalutamide from 1092 subjects (seven clinical studies) receiving oral apalutamide (30-480 mg) once daily were pooled for a population pharmacokinetic analysis using a non-linear mixed-effect modelling approach. The impact of clinically relevant covariates was also assessed. RESULTS: Apalutamide absorption was rapid, and the apparent steady-state volume of distribution was large (276 L), reflecting a wide body distribution. Apalutamide was eliminated slowly, with its apparent clearance increasing from 1.31 L/h after the first dose to 2.04 L/h at steady state. No evidence of time-dependent disposition was observed for N-desmethyl-apalutamide, which was also widely distributed and slowly cleared (1.5 L/h). After 4 weeks of treatment, more than 95% of steady-state exposure of apalutamide and N-desmethyl-apalutamide was reached. At a dose of apalutamide 240 mg/day, apalutamide and N-desmethyl-apalutamide exposure exhibited 5.3- and 85.2-fold accumulation in plasma, respectively. Inter-individual variability in apalutamide apparent clearance is low (< 20%). Among the covariates evaluated, apalutamide and N-desmethyl-apalutamide exposure were statistically associated only with health status, body weight, and albumin concentration, and the effect was low (< 25%). CONCLUSIONS: A population pharmacokinetic modelling approach was successfully applied to describe the pharmacokinetics of apalutamide and N-desmethyl-apalutamide. No clinically relevant covariates were identified as predictors of apalutamide and N-desmethyl-apalutamide pharmacokinetics.

Apalutamide: A Review in Non-Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Apalutamide (marketed as Erleada®) is an oral non-steroidal next-generation selective inhibitor of the androgen receptor (AR), and is approved in several countries, including the USA and those of the EU, for the treatment of non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC). In men with nmCRPC who were receiving androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and had a high risk of metastases in SPARTAN, apalutamide significantly prolonged metastasis-free survival (MFS) compared with placebo, with consistent benefits demonstrated across subgroups. The addition of apalutamide to ongoing ADT significantly prolonged time to metastasis and progression-free survival (PFS) compared with placebo, and maintained health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). Apalutamide was generally well tolerated in SPARTAN, with fatigue being the most frequently reported adverse event. Given the available evidence, apalutamide with ongoing ADT represents an emerging treatment option for patients with nmCRPC who are at high risk of developing metastatic disease.

Thiohydantoin derivatives incorporating a pyrazole core: Design, synthesis and biological evaluation as dual inhibitors of topoisomerase-I and cycloxygenase-2 with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities.

A new series of hybrid structures 14a-l containing thiohydantoin as anti-cancer moiety and pyrazole core possessing SO2Me pharmacophore as selective COX-2 moiety was designed and synthesized to be evaluated for both anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their COX inhibition, in vivo anti-inflammatory activity, ulcerogenic liability, in vitro cytotoxic activity and human topoisomerase-1 inhibition. All compounds were more selective for COX-2 isozyme and showed good in vivo anti-inflammatory activity. Also, all derivatives were significantly less ulcerogenic (ulcer indexes = 2.64-3.87) than ibuprofen (ulcer index = 20.25) and were of acceptable ulcerogenicity when compared with the non-ulcerogenic reference drug celecoxib (ulcer index = 2.99). Regarding anti-cancer activity, most of the target derivatives showed activities against A-549, MCF-7 and HCT-116 cell lines (IC50 = 5.32-17.90, 3.67-19.04 and 3.19-14.87 µM respectively) in comparison with doxorubicin (IC50 = 0.20, 0.50 and 2.44 µM respectively). Compound 14a inhibited the human topoisomerase-1 with IC50 = 29.7 µg/ml while 14b and 14c showed more potent inhibitory activity with IC50 = 26.5 and 23.3 µg/ml. respectively in comparison with camptothecin (IC50 = 20.2 µg/ml). Additionally, COX-2 and human topoisomerase-1 docking studies were carried out to explain the interaction of the synthesized hybrid structures 14a-l with the target enzymes.

Apalutamide Absorption, Metabolism, and Excretion in Healthy Men, and Enzyme Reaction in Human Hepatocytes.

In this phase 1 study, the absolute bioavailability and absorption, metabolism, and excretion (AME) of apalutamide, a competitive inhibitor of the androgen receptor, were evaluated in 12 healthy men. Subjects received 240 mg of apalutamide orally plus a 15-minute intravenous infusion of 100 µg of apalutamide containing 9.25 kBq (250 nCi) of 14C-apalutamide (2 hours postdose) for absolute bioavailability assessment or plus one 400-µg capsule containing 37 kBq (1000 nCi) of 14C-apalutamide for AME assessment. Content of 14C and metabolite profiling for whole blood, plasma, urine, feces, and expired air samples were analyzed using accelerator mass spectrometry. Apalutamide absolute oral bioavailability was ≈100%. After oral administration, apalutamide, its N-desmethyl metabolite (M3), and an inactive carboxylic acid metabolite (M4) accounted for most 14C in plasma (45%, 44%, and 3%, respectively). Apalutamide elimination was slow, with a mean plasma half-life of 151-178 hours. The mean cumulative recovery of total 14C over 70 days postdose was 64.6% in urine and 24.3% in feces. The urinary excretion of apalutamide, M3, and M4 was 1.2%, 2.7%, and 31.1% of dose, respectively. Fecal excretion of apalutamide, M3, and M4 was 1.5%, 2.0%, and 2.4% of dose, respectively. Seventeen apalutamide metabolites and six main metabolic clearance pathways were identified. In vitro studies confirmed CYP2C8 and CYP3A4 roles in apalutamide metabolism.

Exploring the tetrahydroisoquinoline thiohydantoin scaffold blockade the androgen receptor as potent anti-prostate cancer agents.

Prostate cancer (PC) is a major cause of cancer-related male death in worldwide and the identification of new and improved potent anti-PC molecules is constantly required. A novel scaffold of tetrahydroisoquinoline thiohydantoin was rationally designed based on the enzalutamide structures and our pre-work, leading to the discovery of a series of new antiproliferative compounds. Several new analogues displayed improved androgen receptor (AR) antagonistic activity, while maintaining the higher selective toxicity toward LNCaP cells (AR-rich) versus DU145 cells (AR-deficient) compared to enzalutamide. In fact, compound 55 exhibited promising in vitro antitumor activity by impairing AR unclear translocation. More importantly, 55 showed better pharmacokinetic properties compared to the compound 1 reported in our pre-work. These results demonstrate a step towards the development of novel and improved AR antagonists.

Parallel solid-phase synthesis of disubstituted (5-biphenyltetrazolyl) hydantoins and thiohydantoins targeting the growth hormone secretagogue receptor.

An efficient solid-phase protocol for the synthesis of substituted (5-biphenyltetrazolyl)-hydantoins and -thiohydantoins has been developed. Suzuki cross-coupling between resin-bound 2-(tetrazol-5-yl)-phenylborinane and 4-bromobenzaldehyde gave the corresponding tetrazolylbiphenyl aldehyde. Subsequent reductive amination using amino acid esters gave the pivotal resin bound amino acid esters which were transformed to hydantoins or thiohydantoins via two routes: (i) treatment with isocyanates or isothiocyanates or (ii) successive treatment with triphosgene and primary amines. Using molecular modeling, we were able to jump from L-692,429, a well known non-peptidyl growth hormone secretagogue (GHS), to biphenyltetrazolyl hydantoins, obtaining compounds with IC(50) values below 600 nM after two iterative cycles only.

Hydantoin racemase from Arthrobacter aurescens DSM 3747: heterologous expression, purification and characterization.

In Arthrobacter aurescens DSM 3747 three enzymes are involved in the complete conversion of slowly racemizing 5'-monosubstituted D,L-hydantoins to L-amino acids, a stereoselective hydantoinase, a stereospecific L-N-carbamoylase and a hydantoin racemase. The gene encoding the hydantoin racemase, designated hyuA, was identified upstream of the previously described L-N-carbamoylase gene in the plasmid pAW16 containing genomic DNA of A. aurescens. The gene hyuA which encodes a polypeptide of 25.1 kDa, was expressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant protein purified to homogeneity and further characterized. The optimal condition for racemase activity were pH 8.5 and 55 degrees C with L-5-benzylhydantoin as substrate. The enzyme was completely inhibited by HgCL2 and iodoacetamide and stimulated by addition of dithiothreitol. No effect on enzyme activity was seen with EDTA. The enzyme showed preference for hydantoins with arylalkyl side chains. Kinetic studies revealed substrate inhibition towards the aliphatic substrate L-5-methylthioethylhydantoin. Enzymatic racemization of D-5-indolylmethylenehydantoin in D2O and NMR analysis showed that the hydrogen at the chiral center of the hydantoin is exchanged against solvent deuterium during the racemization.

Radioprotective effects of thiomethylhydantoin derivatives on Escherichia coli and mice.

Protection of Escherichia coli NIHJ and C57BL mice from the effects of 60Co gamma-rays provided by S-alk(en)yl-L-cysteines and their hydantoin derivatives was examined. E. coli (10(6) cells/ml) suspended in a 20 mM aqueous solution of one of the drugs was irradiated with 60 Gy of gamma-rays. Five week-old male mice were exposed to 5.0-9.5 Gy of gamma-rays after a single intraperitoneal injection of 0.75 mmol/kg body weight of each compound. In both E. coli and mice, S-allyl compounds afforded more effective radioprotection than S-propyl compounds. The replacement of the alpha-hydrogen of S-substituted cysteines by methyl groups decreased the radioprotective effect. Hydantoin derivatives were much more radioprotective than the original sulfur-containing amino acids. Especially, DL-5-allylthiomethyl-5-methylhydantoin had a remarkable radioprotective effect in mice. The gamma-radiolysis mechanism of thiomethylhydantoin derivatives was discussed in connection with the radioprotective effect of the drugs.

The metabolism of acetamidothiazoles in the rat. 2-Acetamido-, 2-acetamido-4-methyl- and 2-acetamido-4-phenyl-thiazole.

The metabolism of some anti-inflammatory acetamidothiazoles was studied in the rat. The main metabolites were the corresponding acetylthiohydantoic acids, produced by fission of the thiazole ring. Minor metabolites arising from oxidation of the methyl or phenyl substituents were also identified. The structures of metabolites were established spectroscopically (u.v., i.r., n.m.r. and mass spectroscopy) and by identification with authentic specimens. The excretion of the original compounds and of metabolites, labelled with (14)C is also reported.