In vitro and in vivo inhibitory activity of 6-amino-2,4,5-trimethylpyridin-3-ols against inflammatory bowel disease.

Although the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is complex, attachment and infiltration of leukocytes to gut epithelium induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) represents the initial step of inflammation in IBD. Previously, we have reported that some 6-amino-2,4,5-trimethylpyridin-3-ols have significant levels of antiangiogenic activity via PI3K inhibition. Based on the reports that angiogenesis is involved in the aggravation of IBD and that PI3K is a potential target for IBD therapy, we investigated whether the scaffold has inhibitory activity against in vitro and in vivo models of colitis. Many analogues showed >80% inhibition against TNF-α-induced monocyte adhesion to colon epithelial cells at 1µM. Compound 8m showed IC50=0.19µM, which is about five orders of magnitude better than that of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA, IC50=18.1mM), a positive control. In a rat model of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis, orally administered 8m dramatically ameliorated TNBS-induced colon inflammation. It was demonstrated by a high level of suppression in myeloperoxidase (MPO), a surrogate marker of colitis, as well as almost perfect recovery of colon and body weights in a dose-dependent manner. Compared to sulfasalazine, a prodrug of 5-ASA, compound 8m showed >300-fold better efficacy in those parameters. Taken together, 6-amino-2,4,5-trimethylpyridin-3-ols can provide a novel platform for anti-IBD drug discovery.

Antitumor activity of BJ-1207, a 6-amino-2,4,5-trimethylpyridin-3-ol derivative, in human lung cancer.

Enhanced expression of NADPH oxidase (NOX) and the subsequent production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with lung cancer. In the present study, fifty 6-amino-2,4,5-trimethylpyridin-3-ol derivatives were screened for anticancer activity by targeting NOX2-derived ROS. The compounds suppressed ROS production and decreased cancer cell viability (R2 = 0.79). Among the derivatives, the compound coded BJ-1207, which contained a 4-(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)piperidine moiety, exhibited the most effective anticancer activity against A549 lung cancer cell line and eight other cancer cell lines, including H1299, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HT-29, SW620, Mia PaCa-2, PANC-1, and U937. BJ-1207 also showed significantly lower inhibitory effects on kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) and c-KIT tyrosine kinase but higher inhibitory activity on NOX than those of sunitinib, a multi-receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor. In addition, BJ-1207-induced inhibition of RTK-downstream signaling pathways, such as ROS production, and expression of target genes, such as stem cell factor and transforming growth factor-α, were similar to those induced by sunitinib. In the xenograft chick tumor model, BJ-1207 inhibited lung tumor growth to a similar or much greater extent than that of sunitinib or cisplatin, respectively. Overall, the present study showed that BJ-1207, a vitamin B6-derived 2,4,5-trimethylpyridin-3-ol compound with azacyclonol moiety at C (6)-position of the pyridine ring, inhibited NOX activity and that it is a promising lead compound for developing anticancer drugs against lung cancer.

Synthesis and evaluation of 6-heteroarylamino-2,4,5-trimethylpyridin-3-ols as inhibitors of TNF-α-induced cell adhesion and inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract with complex pathogenesis. Here, we synthesized 6-heteroarylamino analogues to inhibit TNF-α-induced adhesion of monocytes to colon epithelial cells which are implicated in the initial inflammation process of IBD. The best analogue, 16a, showed IC50 = 0.29 µM, which is about five orders of magnitude better than that of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), a positive control. Oral administration of 6f and 16a dramatically ameliorated 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colon inflammation in rat. The ameliorating effects were accompanied by a high level of recovery in colon and body weights and in the myeloperoxidase (MPO) level. Consistently, the compounds suppressed the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). Moreover, they significantly suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 while increasing the level of IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine.