Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of pomalidomide derivatives useful for sickle cell disease treatment.

Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) induction constitutes a valuable and validated approach to treat the symptoms of sickle cell disease (SCD). Here, we synthesized pomalidomide-nitric oxide (NO) donor derivatives (3a-f) and evaluated their suitability as novel HbF inducers. All compounds demonstrated different capacities of releasing NO, ranging 0.3-30.3%. Compound 3d was the most effective HbF inducer for CD34+ cells, exhibiting an effect similar to that of hydroxyurea. We investigated the mode of action of compound 3d for HbF induction by studying the in vitro alterations in the levels of transcription factors (BCL11A, IKAROS, and LRF), inhibition of histone deacetylase enzymes (HDAC-1 and HDAC-2), and measurement of cGMP levels. Additionally, compound 3d exhibited a potent anti-inflammatory effect similar to that of pomalidomide by reducing the TNF-α levels in human mononuclear cells treated with lipopolysaccharides up to 58.6%. Chemical hydrolysis studies revealed that compound 3d was stable at pH 7.4 up to 24 h. These results suggest that compound 3d is a novel HbF inducer prototype with the potential to treat SCD symptoms.

The Prodrug Approach: A Successful Tool for Improving Drug Solubility.

Prodrug design is a widely known molecular modification strategy that aims to optimize the physicochemical and pharmacological properties of drugs to improve their solubility and pharmacokinetic features and decrease their toxicity. A lack of solubility is one of the main obstacles to drug development. This review aims to describe recent advances in the improvement of solubility via the prodrug approach. The main chemical carriers and examples of successful strategies will be discussed, highlighting the advances of this field in the last ten years.

Synthesis and evaluation of novel dapsone-thalidomide hybrids for the treatment of type 2 leprosy reactions.

We synthesized a series of novel dapsone-thalidomide hybrids (3a-i) by molecular hybridization and evaluated their potential for the treatment of type 2 leprosy reactions. All of the compounds had analgesic properties. Compounds 3c and 3h were the most active antinociceptive compounds and reduced acetic acid-induced abdominal constrictions by 49.8% and 39.1%, respectively. The hybrid compounds also reduced tumor necrosis factor-α levels in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated L929 cells. Compound 3i was the most active compound; at concentrations of 15.62 and 125 µM, compound 3i decreased tumor necrosis factor-α levels by 86.33% and 87.80%, respectively. In nude mice infected with Mycobacterium leprae in vivo, compound 3i did not reduce the number of bacilli compared with controls. Compound 3i did not have mutagenic effects in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA100 and TA102, with or without metabolic activation (S9 mixture). Our results indicate that compound 3i is a novel lead compound for the treatment of type 2 leprosy reactions.

Pharmacological evaluation and preparation of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs containing an N-acyl hydrazone subunit.

A series of anti-inflammatory derivatives containing an N-acyl hydrazone subunit (4a-e) were synthesized and characterized. Docking studies were performed that suggest that compounds 4a-e bind to cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 isoforms, but with higher affinity for COX-2. The compounds display similar anti-inflammatory activities in vivo, although compound 4c is the most effective compound for inhibiting rat paw edema, with a reduction in the extent of inflammation of 35.9% and 52.8% at 2 and 4 h, respectively. The anti-inflammatory activity of N-acyl hydrazone derivatives was inferior to their respective parent drugs, except for compound 4c after 5 h. Ulcerogenic studies revealed that compounds 4a-e are less gastrotoxic than the respective parent drug. Compounds 4b-e demonstrated mucosal damage comparable to celecoxib. The in vivo analgesic activities of the compounds are higher than the respective parent drug for compounds 4a-b and 4d-e. Compound 4a was more active than dipyrone in reducing acetic-acid-induced abdominal constrictions. Our results indicate that compounds 4a-e are anti-inflammatory and analgesic compounds with reduced gastrotoxicity compared to their respective parent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Antiplatelet and antithrombotic activities of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs containing an N-acyl hydrazone subunit.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 1-5 containing an N-acyl hydrazone subunit were prepared and their antiplatelet and antithrombotic activities assessed in vitro and in vivo. Compounds 1-5 inhibited the platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate and/or arachidonic acid, with inhibition rates of 18.0%-61.1% and 65.9%-87.3%, respectively. Compounds 1 and 5 were the most active compounds, inhibiting adenosine-diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation by 57.2% and 61.1%, respectively. The inhibitory rates for arachidonic-acid-induced platelet aggregation were similar for compound 2 (80.8%) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, 80%). After their oral administration to mice, compounds 1, 3, and 5 showed shorter mean bleeding times than ASA. Compounds 1 and 5 also protected against thromboembolic events, with survival rates of 40% and 33%, respectively, compared with 30% for ASA. In conclusion, these results indicate that these novel NSAIDs containing an NAH subunit may offer better antiplatelet and antithrombotic activities than ASA.

Optimization of Resveratrol Used as a Scaffold to Design Histone Deacetylase (HDAC-1 and HDAC-2) Inhibitors.

Histone deacetylases (HDAC) are epigenetic enzymes responsible for repressing gene expression through the deacetylation of histone lysine residues. Therefore, inhibition of HDACs has become an interesting approach for the treatment of several diseases, including cancer, hematology, neurodegenerative, immune diseases, bacterial infections, and more. Resveratrol (RVT) has pleiotropic effects, including pan-inhibition of HDAC isoforms; however, its ability to interfere with membranes requires additional optimization to eliminate nonspecific and off-target effects. Thus, to explore RVT as a scaffold, we designed a series of novel HDAC-1 and -2 inhibitors containing the 2-aminobenzamide subunit. Using molecular modeling, all compounds, except unsaturated compounds (4) and (7), exhibited a similar mode of interaction at the active sites of HDAC 1 and 2. The docking score values obtained from the study ranged from -12.780 to -10.967 Kcal/mol. All compounds were synthesized, with overall yields ranging from 33% to 67.3%. In an initial screening, compounds (4), (5), (7), and (20)-(26), showed enzymatic inhibitory effects ranging from 1 to 96% and 6 to 93% against HDAC-1 and HDAC-2, respectively. Compound (5), the most promising HDAC inhibitor in this series, was selected for IC50 assays, resulting in IC50 values of 0.44 µM and 0.37 µM against HDAC-1 and HDAC-2, respectively. In a panel of selectivity against HDACs 3-11, compound (5) presented selectivity towards Class I, mainly HDAC-1, 2, and 3. All compounds exhibited suitable physicochemical and ADMET properties as determined using in silico simulations. In conclusion, the optimization of the RVT structure allows the design of selective HDAC inhibitors, mainly targeting HDAC-1 and HDAC-2 isoforms.