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1.
Eur J Med Chem ; 257: 115487, 2023 Sep 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2327362

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 continues to pose a great threat to public health while various vaccines are available worldwide. Main protease (Mpro) has been validated as an effective anti-COVID-19 drug target. Using medicinal chemistry and rational drug design strategies, we identified a quinazolin-4-one series of nonpeptidic, noncovalent SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors based on baicalein, 5,6,7-trihydroxy-2-phenyl-4H-chromen-4-one. In particular, compound C7 exhibits superior inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro relative to baicalein (IC50 = 0.085 ± 0.006 and 0.966 ± 0.065 µM, respectively), as well as improved physicochemical and drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) properties. In addition, C7 inhibits viral replication in SARS-CoV-2-infected Vero E6 cells more effectively than baicalein (EC50 = 1.10 ± 0.12 and 5.15 ± 1.64 µM, respectively) with low cytotoxicity (CC50 > 50 µM). An X-ray co-crystal structure reveals a non-covalent mechanism of action, and a noncanonical binding mode not observed by baicalein. These results suggest that C7 represents a promising lead for development of more effective SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors and anti-COVID-19 drugs.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , Pandemics , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Antiviral Agents/chemistry , Protease Inhibitors/pharmacology , Protease Inhibitors/chemistry , Peptide Hydrolases
2.
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds ; 43(3):2459-2487, 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-2306657

ABSTRACT

In this study, a hybrid compound library of 72 phytocompounds from two antiviral medicinal plants (Baccaurea ramiflora and Bergenia ciliata) was computationally investigated for their inhibitory potential against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Molecular docking showed that 6-O-vanilloylicariside B5, 6-O-vanilloylisotachioside, leucoanthocyanidin 4-(2-galloyl), and p-hydroxybenzoyl bergenin has good binding affinity for Mpro. However, p-hydroxybenzoyl bergenin did not bind at the catalytic cavity. The RMSD and RMSF data obtained from 100 ns MD simulations revealed stable protein–ligand complexes for 6-O-vanilloylicariside B5, 6-O-vanilloylisotachioside, leucoanthocyanidin 4-(2-galloyl). Ligand trajectory study found 6-O-vanilloylisotachioside and leucoanthocyanidin 4-(2-galloyl) to be stable. Studies on ligand interaction profile and timeline interaction profile showed that 6-O-vanilloylisotachioside and leucoanthocyanidin 4-(2-galloyl) interacted with HIS41–CYS145 dyad and other crucial amino acids of the catalytic site cavity during the entire 100 ns MD simulations. Molecular mechanics generalized born solvent accessibility binding free energy calculations, density functional theory analysis, quantitative structure–property relationship studies, and ADMET profiling of 6-O-vanilloylisotachioside and leucoanthocyanidin 4-(2-galloyl) supported the results generated by molecular docking and MD simulations studies. Based on the current computational investigations, we conclude that that 6-O-vanilloylisotachioside of B. ramiflora and leucoanthocyanidin 4-(2-galloyl) of B. ciliata are two potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro that are worthy of further investigations.

3.
Journal of Computational Biophysics & Chemistry ; : 2017/01/01 00:00:00.000, 2023.
Article in English | Academic Search Complete | ID: covidwho-2234354

ABSTRACT

SARS-CoV-2 Main protease (Mpro) is pivotal in viral replication and transcription. Mpro mediates proteolysis of translated products of replicase genes ORF1a and ORF1ab. Surveying pre-clinical trial Mpro inhibitors suggests potential enhanced efficacy for some moieties. Concordant with promising in vitro and in silico data, the protease inhibitor GC376 was chosen as a lead. Modification of GC376 analogues yielded a series of promising Mpro inhibitors. Design optimization identified compound G59i as lead candidate, displaying a binding energy of −10.54kcal/mol for the complex. Robust interactivity was noted between G59i and Mpro. With commendable ADMET characteristics and enhanced potency, further G59i analysis may be advantageous;moreover, identified key Mpro residues could contribute to the design of neotenic inhibitors. [ FROM AUTHOR]

4.
Life Sci ; 255: 117831, 2020 Aug 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1267781

ABSTRACT

A new SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) belonging to the genus Betacoronavirus has caused a pandemic known as COVID-19. Among coronaviruses, the main protease (Mpro) is an essential drug target which, along with papain-like proteases catalyzes the processing of polyproteins translated from viral RNA and recognizes specific cleavage sites. There are no human proteases with similar cleavage specificity and therefore, inhibitors are highly likely to be nontoxic. Therefore, targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro enzyme with small molecules can block viral replication. The present study is aimed at the identification of promising lead molecules for SARS-CoV-2 Mpro enzyme through virtual screening of antiviral compounds from plants. The binding affinity of selected small drug-like molecules to SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, SARS-CoV Mpro and MERS-CoV Mpro were studied using molecular docking. Bonducellpin D was identified as the best lead molecule which shows higher binding affinity (-9.28 kcal/mol) as compared to the control (-8.24 kcal/mol). The molecular binding was stabilized through four hydrogen bonds with Glu166 and Thr190 as well as hydrophobic interactions via eight residues. The SARS-CoV-2 Mpro shows identities of 96.08% and 50.65% to that of SARS-CoV Mpro and MERS-CoV Mpro respectively at the sequence level. At the structural level, the root mean square deviation (RMSD) between SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and SARS-CoV Mpro was found to be 0.517 Å and 0.817 Å between SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and MERS-CoV Mpro. Bonducellpin D exhibited broad-spectrum inhibition potential against SARS-CoV Mpro and MERS-CoV Mpro and therefore is a promising drug candidate, which needs further validations through in vitro and in vivo studies.


Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Betacoronavirus/drug effects , Betacoronavirus/enzymology , Coronavirus Infections/drug therapy , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Pneumonia, Viral/drug therapy , Viral Nonstructural Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors , Amino Acid Sequence , Antiviral Agents/chemistry , Betacoronavirus/metabolism , Binding Sites , COVID-19 , Computer Simulation , Coronavirus 3C Proteases , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Coronavirus Infections/virology , Cysteine Endopeptidases/chemistry , Cysteine Endopeptidases/metabolism , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical/methods , Humans , Molecular Docking Simulation , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Viral/virology , Protease Inhibitors/chemistry , Protein Binding , SARS-CoV-2 , Small Molecule Libraries/pharmacology , Viral Nonstructural Proteins/chemistry , Viral Nonstructural Proteins/metabolism , Virus Replication/drug effects
5.
Eur J Med Chem ; 247: 115021, 2023 Feb 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2158762

ABSTRACT

Despite several major achievements in the development of vaccines and antivirals, the fight against SARS-CoV-2 and the health problems accompanying COVID-19 are still ongoing. SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), an essential viral cysteine protease, is a crucial target for the development of antiviral agents. A virtual screening analysis of in-house cysteine protease inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro allowed us to identify two hits (i.e., 1 and 2) bearing a methyl vinyl ketone warhead. Starting from these compounds, we herein report the development of Michael acceptors targeting SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, which differ from each other for the warhead and for the amino acids at the P2 site. The most promising vinyl methyl ketone-containing analogs showed sub-micromolar activity against the viral protease. SPR38, SPR39, and SPR41 were fully characterized, and additional inhibitory properties towards hCatL, which plays a key role in the virus entry into host cells, were observed. SPR39 and SPR41 exhibited single-digit micromolar EC50 values in a SARS-CoV-2 infection model in cell culture.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , SARS-CoV-2/metabolism , Protease Inhibitors/chemistry , Viral Nonstructural Proteins , Antiviral Agents/chemistry , Peptides , Ketones/pharmacology , Molecular Docking Simulation
6.
Bioorg Chem ; 130: 106255, 2023 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2120216

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 and associated substantial inflammations continue to threaten humankind triggering death worldwide. So, the development of new effective antiviral and anti-inflammatory medications is a major scientific goal. Pyranopyrazoles have occupied a crucial position in medicinal chemistry because of their biological importance. Here, we report the design and synthesis of a series of sixteen pyranopyrazole derivatives substituted with two aryl groups at N-1 and C-4. The designed compounds are suggested to show dual activity to combat the emerging Coronaviruses and associated substantial inflammations. All compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antiviral activity and cytotoxicity against SARS-CoV infected Vero cells. As well, the in vitro assay of all derivatives against the SARS-CoV Mpro target was performed. Results revealed the potential of three pyranopyrazoles (22, 27, and 31) to potently inhibit the viral main protease with IC50 values of 2.01, 1.83, and 4.60 µM respectively compared with 12.85 and 82.17 µM for GC-376 and lopinavir. Additionally, in vivo anti-inflammatory testing for the most active compound 27 proved its ability to reduce levels of two cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6). Molecular docking and dynamics simulation revealed consistent results with the in vitro enzymatic assay and indicated the stability of the putative complex of 27 with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. The assessment of metabolic stability and physicochemical properties of 27 have also been conducted. This investigation identified a set of metabolically stable pyranopyrazoles as effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and suppressors of host cell cytokine release. We believe that the new compounds deserve further chemical optimization and evaluation for COVID-19 treatment.


Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents , COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Chlorocebus aethiops , Animals , Humans , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Antiviral Agents/chemistry , SARS-CoV-2 , Vero Cells , Molecular Docking Simulation , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use , Inflammation
7.
Comput Biol Med ; 151(Pt A): 106288, 2022 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2104649

ABSTRACT

SARS-CoV-2 Mpro (Mpro) is the critical cysteine protease in coronavirus viral replication. Tea polyphenols are effective Mpro inhibitors. Therefore, we aim to isolate and synthesize more novel tea polyphenols from Zhenghedabai (ZHDB) white tea methanol-water (MW) extracts that might inhibit COVID-19. Through molecular networking, 33 compounds were identified and divided into 5 clusters. Further, natural products molecular network (MN) analysis showed that MN1 has new phenylpropanoid-substituted ester-catechin (PSEC), and MN5 has the important basic compound type hydroxycinnamoylcatechins (HCCs). Thus, a new PSEC (1, PSEC636) was isolated, which can be further detected in 14 green tea samples. A series of HCCs were synthesized (2-6), including three new acetylated HCCs (3-5). Then we used surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to analyze the equilibrium dissociation constants (KD) for the interaction of 12 catechins and Mpro. The KD values of PSEC636 (1), EGC-C (2), and EC-CDA (3) were 2.25, 2.81, and 2.44 µM, respectively. Moreover, compounds 1, 2, and 3 showed the potential Mpro inhibition with IC50 5.95 ± 0.17, 9.09 ± 0.22, and 23.10 ± 0.69 µM, respectively. Further, we used induced fit docking (IFD), binding pose metadynamics (BPMD), and molecular dynamics (MD) to explore the stable binding pose of Mpro-1, showing that 1 could tightly bond with the amino acid residues THR26, HIS41, CYS44, TYR54, GLU166, and ASP187. The computer modeling studies reveal that the ester, acetyl, and pyrogallol groups could improve inhibitory activity. Our research suggests that these catechins are effective Mpro inhibitors, and might be developed as therapeutics against COVID-19.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Catechin , Humans , SARS-CoV-2 , Catechin/pharmacology , Tea , Polyphenols , Esters
8.
Journal of Computational Biophysics & Chemistry ; : 1-20, 2022.
Article in English | Academic Search Complete | ID: covidwho-1923323

ABSTRACT

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is one of the essential therapeutic keys of the COVID-19, which ensures the replication of the virus in the host cells, causing tissue damage, for this reason, we accelerate the research of potential natural compounds that could inhibit this enzyme or used as a scaffold to generate a series of optimized and potent inhibitors. In silico study was performed. This study was started with the generation and validation of a structure-based pharmacophore hypothesis that is used to screen a chemical library containing 99,049 natural compounds extracted, filtered, and cleaned from the Chinese universal natural products database (UNPD), the screening process using the pharmacophore hypothesis and the molecular docking yielded 15 hits. These hits were ranked depending on their binding ΔG, as a result, the two compounds UNPD90246 and UNPD221225 exhibited higher binding affinity to the catalytic cavity of the Mpro interacting with important amino acids which play a crucial role in the enzyme catalysis, on the other hand, the two complexes UNPD90246/5R82 and UNPD221225/5R82 subjected to the molecular dynamic simulation show very good stability along the trajectory of the simulation as revealed by the calculated RMSD, RMSF, rGyr, SASA as well as the RMSF of the protein and the potential energy. In addition, the in silico evaluation of some drug-like and pharmacokinetic (ADMET) properties, revealed in general satisfactory prediction results for almost all compounds, however, some compounds require optimization steps to improve their weakness, regarding pharmacokinetic properties such as metabolism and toxicity. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Computational Biophysics & Chemistry is the property of World Scientific Publishing Company and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

9.
Chem Biol Interact ; 363: 110025, 2022 Aug 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1906835

ABSTRACT

In order to discover new dual-active agents, a series of novel Biginelli hybrids (tetrahydropyrimidines) and their ruthenium(II) complexes were synthesized. Newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, NMR, and X-ray techniques and investigated for their cytotoxic effect on human cancer cell lines HeLa, LS174, A549, A375, K562 and normal fibroblasts (MRC-5). For further examination of the cytotoxic mechanisms of novel complexes, two of them were chosen for analyzing their effects on the distribution of HeLa cells in the cell cycle phases. The results of the flow cytometry analysis suggest that the proportion of cells in G2/M phase was decreased following the increase of subG1 phase in all treatments. These results confirmed that cells treated with 5b and 5c were induced to undergo apoptotic death. The ruthenium complexes 5a-5d show significant inhibitory potency against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Therefore, molecule 5b has significance, while 5e possesses the lowest values of ΔGbind and Ki, which are comparable to cinanserin, and hydroxychloroquine. In addition, achieved results will open a new avenue in drug design for more research on the possible therapeutic applications of dual-active Biginelli-based drugs (anticancer-antiviral). Dual-active drugs based on the hybridization concept "one drug curing two diseases" could be a successful tactic in healing patients who have cancer and the virus SARS-CoV-2 at the same time.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents , COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Coordination Complexes , Ruthenium , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Cell Line, Tumor , Coordination Complexes/chemistry , Coordination Complexes/pharmacology , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor , HeLa Cells , Humans , Ruthenium/chemistry , Ruthenium/pharmacology , SARS-CoV-2
10.
Acta Crystallographica a-Foundation and Advances ; 77:C705-C705, 2021.
Article in English | Web of Science | ID: covidwho-1762645
11.
Comput Biol Med ; 145: 105452, 2022 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1757244

ABSTRACT

SARS-CoV-2, a rapidly spreading new strain of human coronavirus, has affected almost all the countries around the world. The lack of specific drugs against SARS-CoV-2 is a significant hurdle towards the successful treatment of COVID-19. Thus, there is an urgent need to boost up research for the development of effective therapeutics against COVID-19. In the current study, we investigated the efficacy of 81 medicinal plant-based bioactive compounds against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro by using various in silico techniques. The interaction affinities of polyphenolic compounds towards SARS-CoV-2 Mpro was assessed via intramolecular (by Quantum Mechanic), intermolecular (by Molecular Docking), and spatial (by Molecular Dynamic) simulations. Our obtained result demonstrate that Hesperidin, rutin, diosmin, and apiin are most effective compounds agents against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro as compared to Nelfinavir (positive control). This study will hopefully pave a way for advanced experimental research to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of these compounds for the treatment of COVID-19.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Coronavirus 3C Proteases , Humans , Molecular Docking Simulation , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Polyphenols/pharmacology , Protease Inhibitors/pharmacology , SARS-CoV-2
12.
SLAS Discov ; 27(2): 79-85, 2022 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1626620

ABSTRACT

Covalent inhibitors targeting the main protease (Mpro, or 3CLpro) of SARS-CoV-2 have shown promise in preclinical investigations. Herein, we report the discovery of two new series of molecules that irreversibly bind to SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. These acrylamide containing molecules were discovered using our covalent DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening platform. Following selection against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, off-DNA compounds were synthesized and investigated to determine their inhibitory effects, the nature of their binding, and to generate preliminary structure-activity relationships. LC-MS analysis indicates a 1:1 (covalent) binding stoichiometry between our hit molecules and SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Fluorescent staining assay for covalent binding in the presence of cell lysate suggests reasonable selectivity for SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. And lastly, inhibition of enzymatic activity was also observed against a panel of 3CLpro enzymes from different coronavirus strains, with IC50 values ranging from inactive to single digit micromolar. Our results indicate that DEL selection is a useful approach for identifying covalent inhibitors of cysteine proteases.


Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Coronavirus 3C Proteases/antagonists & inhibitors , DNA/chemistry , Drug Discovery/methods , Protease Inhibitors/pharmacology , SARS-CoV-2/drug effects , Antiviral Agents/chemistry , Cell Line , Feasibility Studies , Humans , Protease Inhibitors/chemistry , SARS-CoV-2/enzymology , Structure-Activity Relationship
13.
Journal of Computational Biophysics and Chemistry ; 20(3):251-266, 2021.
Article in English | Web of Science | ID: covidwho-1582947

ABSTRACT

Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease (M-Pro) is recognized as an important therapeutic target protein in the drug development for COVID-19. To date, clinical trials of many vaccine and other viral protease inhibitors (PI) are currently under investigation. Undoubtedly, there are chances of possible side effects and ineffectiveness. Thus, the search for natural bio-active molecules is of great interest that will exert antiviral activity as well as have least chances of toxicity. Fungi are considered as bio-enriched source of producing antiviral compounds. This study is focused on identifying potential fungal derived antiviral molecules with good binding affinity against SARS-CoV-2 M-Pro using molecular docking. Semicochliodinol B was identified as the best lead molecule with higher binding affinity (-8.9kcal/mol) as compared to the co-crystalized ligand (-8.5kcal/mol). The results of molecular docking confirm the hydrogen bond interaction of Semicochliodinol B with Glu166 and Asn142 as well as hydrophobic interactions with 20 amino acid residues of SARS-CoV-2 M-Pro. Semicochliodinol B also exhibited good binding affinity against SARS-CoV M-Pro and Middle east respiratory syndrome-related corona virus (MERS-CoV M-Pro), suggesting its broad-spectrum activity. Druglikeness, Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME) and toxicity studies also directed that Semicochliodinol B may become a promising drug candidate and thus it can be further investigated as a potential inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 M-Pro. Virtual screening was done on fungal-derived antivirals to identify SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors. Semicochliodinol B was identified as a promising lead candidate considering binding affinity and interactions obtained in molecular docking. Broad spectrum antiviral activity of Semicochliodinol B is reported. ADME and toxicity study suggested druglikeness of selected lead Semicochliodinol B.

14.
Chemistryselect ; 6(47):13616-13626, 2021.
Article in English | Web of Science | ID: covidwho-1588879

ABSTRACT

Major protease enzyme of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 M-pro) is one of the key enzymes of viral replication which amuses many scientists as a promising drug target. Nonetheless, few studies reported new synthetic small molecule inhibitors of the M-pro but many were repurposing drugs such as chloroquine or predicting the activity based on in silico results. This study had the privilege of synthesizing new coumarin-based derivatives with possible M-pro inhibition based on the previously reported ligand-based pharmacophore model. Compound 3 showed comparable M-pro inhibitory activity to chloroquine with IC50 15.0 and 13.1 mu g/mL, respectively. Moreover, compounds 4 b, 4 d, 5 b, 5 c, 5 e and 5 g managed to inhibit the M-pro enzymatic activity by more than 50.0 % at 100 mu M among which 5 g showed 63.9 % inhibition and IC50 25.8 mu g/mL. The binding conformations of the promising compounds were illustrated using molecular docking as well as their drug-likeness and ADMET properties. A pharmacophore model was generated using the compounds with more than 50.0 % M-pro inhibition to annotate the essential moieties for enzyme binding. All compounds were fully characterized using the conventional spectroscopic and microanalyses methods.

15.
Comput Biol Med ; 138: 104937, 2021 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1458880

ABSTRACT

Recently, an outbreak of a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has reached pandemic proportions, and there is an urgent need to develop nutritional supplements to assist with prevention, treatment, and recovery. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 inhibitory peptides were screened from nut proteins in silico, and binding affinities of the peptides to the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) and the spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) were evaluated. Peptide NDQF from peanuts and peptide ASGCGDC from almonds were found to have a strong binding affinity for both targets of the coronavirus. The binding sites of the NDQF and ASGCGDC peptides are highly consistent with the Mpro inhibitor N3. In addition, NDQF and ASGCGDC exhibited an effective binding affinity for amino acid residues Tyr453 and Gln493 of the spike RBD. Molecular dynamics simulation further confirmed that the NDQF and ASGCGDC peptides could bind stably to the SARS-COV-2 Mpro and spike RBD. In summary, nut protein may be helpful as nutritional supplements for COVID-19 patients, and the screened peptides could be considered a potential lead compound for designing entry inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Nut Proteins , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Humans , Peptide Hydrolases , Peptides , SARS-CoV-2 , Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
16.
Phytomedicine ; 91: 153704, 2021 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1347789

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-2019) has spread widely around the world and impacted human health for millions. The lack of effective targeted drugs and vaccines forces scientific world to search for new effective antiviral therapeutic drugs. It has reported that flavonoids have potential inhibitory activity on SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and anti-inflammatory properties. Dihydromyricetin, as a flavonol, also has antiviral and anti-inflammatory potential. However, the inhibition of dihydromyricetin on SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and the protective effect of dihydromyricetin on pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis have not been proved and explained. PURPOSE: The coronavirus main protease (Mpro) is essential for SARS-CoV-2 replication and to be recognized as an attractive drug target, we expect to find the inhibitor of Mpro. Novel coronavirus infection can cause severe inflammation and even sequelae of pulmonary fibrosis in critically ill patients. We hope to find a drug that can not only inhibit virus replication but also alleviate inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis in patients. METHODS: FRET-based enzymatic assay was used to evaluate the inhibit activity of dihydromyricetin on SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Molecular docking was used to identify the binding pose of dihydromyricetin with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. The protective effects of dihydromyricetin against BLM-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis were investigated in C57BL6 mice. BALF and lung tissue were collected for inflammation cells count, ELISA, masson and HE staining, western blotting and immunohistochemistry to analyze the effects of dihydromyricetin on pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. MTT, western blotting, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and wound healing were used to analyze the effects of dihydromyricetin on lung fibrosis mechanisms in Mlg cells. RESULTS: In this study, we found that dihydromyricetin is a potent inhibitor targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro with a half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.716 ± 0.419 µM, using molecular docking and the FRET-based enzymatic assay. The binding pose of dihydromyricetin with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro was identified using molecular docking method. In the binding pocket of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, the dihydrochromone ring of dihydromyricetin interact with the imidazole side chain of His163 through π-π stacking. The 1-oxygen of dihydromyricetin forms a hydrogen bond with the backbone nitrogen of Glu166. The 3-, 7-, 3'- and 4'-hydroxyl of dihydromyricetin interact with Gln189, Leu141, Arg188 and Thr190 through hydrogen bonds. Moreover, our results showed that dihydromyricetin can significantly alleviate BLM-induced pulmonary inflammation by inhibiting the infiltration of inflammation cells and the secretion of inflammation factors in the early process and also ameliorate pulmonary fibrosis by improving pulmonary function and down-regulate the expression of α-SMA and fibronectin in vivo. Our results also showed that dihydromyricetin inhibits the migration and activation of myofibroblasts and extracellular matrix production via transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1/Smad signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: Dihydromyricetin is an effective inhibitor for SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and it prevents BLM-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in mice. Dihydromyricetin will be a potential medicine for the treatment of COVID-19 and its sequelae.


Subject(s)
Coronavirus 3C Proteases/antagonists & inhibitors , Flavonols/pharmacology , Protease Inhibitors , SARS-CoV-2 , Virus Replication , Animals , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , COVID-19 , Fibrosis , Humans , Lung/pathology , Lung/virology , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Molecular Docking Simulation , Protease Inhibitors/pharmacology , SARS-CoV-2/drug effects , SARS-CoV-2/physiology , Virus Replication/drug effects
17.
Life Sci ; 257: 118080, 2020 Sep 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1152544

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic raised by SARS-CoV-2 is a public health emergency. However, lack of antiviral drugs and vaccine against human coronaviruses demands a concerted approach to challenge the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Under limited resource and urgency, combinatorial computational approaches to identify the potential inhibitor from known drugs could be applied against risen COVID-19 pandemic. Thereof, this study attempted to purpose the potent inhibitors from the approved drug pool against SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). To circumvent the issue of lead compound from available drugs as antivirals, antibiotics with broad spectrum of viral activity, i.e. doxycycline, tetracycline, demeclocycline, and minocycline were chosen for molecular simulation analysis against native ligand N3 inhibitor in SARS-CoV-2 Mpro crystal structure. Molecular docking simulation predicted the docking score >-7 kcal/mol with significant intermolecular interaction at the catalytic dyad (His41 and Cys145) and other essential substrate binding residues of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. The best ligand conformations were further studied for complex stability and intermolecular interaction profiling with respect to time under 100 ns classical molecular dynamics simulation, established the significant stability and interactions of selected antibiotics by comparison to N3 inhibitor. Based on combinatorial molecular simulation analysis, doxycycline and minocycline were selected as potent inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro which can used in combinational therapy against SARS-CoV-2 infection.


Subject(s)
Betacoronavirus/drug effects , Betacoronavirus/metabolism , Tetracyclines/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Binding Sites/physiology , COVID-19 , Computational Biology/methods , Coronavirus Infections/drug therapy , Databases, Genetic , Humans , Ligands , Molecular Docking Simulation/methods , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Pandemics , Peptide Hydrolases/drug effects , Peptide Hydrolases/pharmacology , Pneumonia, Viral/drug therapy , Protease Inhibitors , Protein Binding/drug effects , SARS-CoV-2 , Viral Nonstructural Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
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