Preclinical pharmacokinetic investigation of the bioavailability and skin distribution of HY-072808 ointment, a novel drug candidate for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, in minipigs by a newly LC-MS/MS method.

HY-072808 is a novel phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor clinically used for topical atopic dermatitis treatment. Cytochrome P450 enzymes are involved in transforming it into major metabolite ZZ-24. An efficient UPLC-MS/MS method was established to detect HY-072808 and ZZ-24 in plasma and skin tissues of minipigs.One-step protein precipitation was performed with acetonitrile. Subsequently, elution was served with a methanol and water gradient containing 0.1% formic acid for 3.5 min. The plasma and skin tissue concentrations of HY-072808 and ZZ-24 showed good linearity from 0.200 to 200 ng/mL.The experimental minipigs exhibited low systemic exposure and bioavailability of 3.1-7.6% after transdermal application of 1-4% HY-072808 ointment. Multiple topical administrations over seven consecutive days showed a minor accumulation in systemic exposure, with accumulation factors of 2.3 and 4.0 for HY-072808 and ZZ-24, respectively.The distribution of HY-072808 ointment among different cortical layers in minipigs was studied for the first time. Following transdermal application of 2% HY-072808 ointment, the concentration in plasma and skin tissues in the order of epidermis > dermis > subcutaneous tissue ≈ subcutaneous muscle ≈ plasma; at 48 h after the administration, the epidermis and dermis still had a high concentration of the drug.

Discovery of the novel and potent histamine H1 receptor antagonists for treatment of allergic diseases.

Desloratadine, a second-generation histamine H1 receptor antagonist, has established itself as a first-line drug for the treatment of allergic diseases. Despite its effectiveness, desloratadine exhibits an antagonistic effect on muscarinic M3 receptor, which can cause side effects such as dry mouth and urinary retention, ultimately limiting its clinical application. Herein, we describe the discovery of compound Ⅲ-4, a novel H1 receptor antagonist with significant H1 receptor antagonistic activity (IC50 = 24.12 nM) and enhanced selectivity towards peripheral H1 receptor. In particular, Ⅲ-4 exhibits reduced M3 receptor inhibitory potency (IC50 > 10,000 nM) and acceptable hERG inhibitory activity (17.6 ± 2.1 µM) compare with desloratadine. Additionally, Ⅲ-4 exhibits favorable pharmacokinetic properties, as well as in vivo efficacy and safety profiles. All of these reveal that Ⅲ-4 has potential to emerge as a novel H1 receptor antagonist for the treatment of allergic diseases. More importantly, the compound Ⅲ-4 (HY-078020) has recently been granted clinical approval.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Pierardine Derivatives as Novel Brain-Penetrant and In Vivo Potent NMDAR-GluN2B Antagonists for Ischemic Stroke Treatment.

A series of structurally novel GluN2B NMDAR antagonists were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated as anti-stroke therapeutics by optimizing the chemical structure of Pierardine, the active ingredient of traditional Chinese medicine Dendrobium aphyllum (Roxb.) C. E. Fischer identified via in silico screening. The systematic structure-activity relationship study led to the discovery of 58 with promising NMDAR-GluN2B binding affinity and antagonistic activity. Of the two enantiomers, S-58 exhibited significant inhibition (IC50 = 74.01 ± 12.03 nM) against a GluN1/GluN2B receptor-mediated current in a patch clamp assay. In addition, it displayed favorable specificity over other subtypes and off-target receptors. In vivo, S-58 exerted therapeutic efficacy comparable to that of the approved GluN2B NMDAR antagonist ifenprodil and excellent safety profiles. In addition to the attractive in vitro and in vivo potency, S-58 exhibited excellent brain exposure. In light of these merits, S-58 has been advanced to further preclinical investigation as a potential anti-stroke candidate.

Li, P HY-021068 alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting NLRP1 inflammasome and restoring autophagy function in mice.

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) is a severe pathological condition that involves oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and neuronal damage. HY-021068 belongs to a new drug of chemical class 1, which is a potential thromboxane synthase inhibitor. Our preliminary experiment found that HY-021068 has significant anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective effects. However, the protective effect and mechanism of HY-021068 in CIRI remain unclear. To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of HY-021068 in CIRI mice. In mice, CIRI was induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion and reperfusion. Mice were treated with HY-021068 or LV-NLRP1-shRNA (lentivirus-mediated shRNA transfection to knock down NLRP1 expression). The locomotor activity, neuronal damage, pathological changes, postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) expression, NLRP1 inflammasome activation, autophagy markers, and apoptotic proteins were assessed in CIRI mice. In this study, treatment with HY-021065 and LV-NLRP1-shRNA significantly improved motor dysfunction and neuronal damage after CIRI in mice. HY-021065 and NLRP1 knockdown significantly ameliorated the pathological damage and increased PSD-95 expression in the cortex and hippocampus CA1 and CA3 regions. The further studies showed that compared with the CIRI model group, HY-021065 and NLRP1 knockdown treatment inhibited the expressions of NLRP1, ASC, caspase-1, and IL-1ß, restored the expressions of p-AMPK/AMPK, Beclin1, LC3II/LC3I, p-mTOR/m-TOR and P62, and regulated the expressions of BCL-2, Caspase3, and BAX in brain tissues of CIRI mice in CIRI mice. These results suggest that HY-021068 exerts a protective role in CIRI mice by inhibiting NLRP1 inflammasome activation and regulating autophagy function and neuronal apoptosis. HY-021068 is expected to become a new therapeutic drug for CIRI.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of N-(benzene sulfonyl)acetamide derivatives as anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents with COX-2/5-LOX/TRPV1 multifunctional inhibitory activity.

In this study, a series of structurally novel N-(benzene sulfonyl) acetamide derivatives were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated as COX-2/5-LOX/TRPV1 multitarget inhibitors for anti-inflammatory and analgesic therapy. Among them, 9a and 9b displayed favorable COX-2 (9a IC50 = 0.011 µM, 9b IC50 = 0.023 µM), 5-LOX (9a IC50 = 0.046 µM, 9b IC50 = 0.31 µM) and TRPV1 (9a IC50 = 0.008 µM, 9b IC50 = 0.14 µM) inhibitory activities. The pharmacokinetic (PK) study of 9a in SD rats at the dosage of 10 mg/kg demonstrated a high oral exposure, an acceptable clearance and a favorable bioavailability (Cmax = 5807.18 ± 2657.83 ng/mL, CL = 3.24 ± 1.47 mL/min/kg, F = 96.8 %). Further in vivo efficacy studies illustrated that 9a was capable of ameliorating formalin-induced pain and inhibiting capsaicin-induced ear edema.

LC-MS/MS determination of HY072808, a novel candidate for treating atopic dermatitis, and its active metabolite: Application to a first-in-human pharmacokinetic study.

HY072808 is a novel phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor currently under clinical development to treat atopic dermatitis. The first step is to address the pharmacokinetics and safety after topical administration of HY072808 ointments in healthy humans. In this study, we developed a highly sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method to determine plasma HY072808 and its active metabolite, ZZ24, in tiny amounts. The plasma samples were prepared using a simple liquid-liquid extraction method. Liquid chromatographic separation was achieved by gradient elution. The MS/MS quantification was performed in positive ion mode via multiple reaction monitoring. The method showed satisfactory linearity from 10 to 4,000 pg/ml for HY072808 and ZZ24. There was no significant interference from blank plasma. The method was validated for accuracy and precision, matrix effect and extraction recovery, dilution integrity, injection carryover and stability according to the related guidelines of the regulatory authorities. The HY072808 and ZZ24 concentrations in human plasma from a clinical trial were determined using this method. In conclusion, the validated method was robust and could be utilized to support the clinical development of HY072808.

Discovery of the First Selective IDO2 Inhibitor As Novel Immunotherapeutic Avenues for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (IDO2), a closely related homologue of well-studied immunomodulatory enzyme IDO1, has been identified as a pathogenic mediator of inflammatory autoimmunity in preclinical models. Therapeutic targeting IDO2 in autoimmune diseases has been challenging due to the lack of small-molecule IDO2 inhibitors. Here, based on our previously developed IDO1/IDO2 dual inhibitor, guided by the homology model of the IDO2 structure, we discovered compound 22, the most potent inhibitor targeting IDO2 with good in vitro inhibitory activity (IDO2 IC50 = 112 nM). Notably, treatment with 22 alleviated disease severity and reduced inflammatory cytokines in both the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice model and adjuvant arthritis (AA) rat model. Our study offered for the first time a selective small-molecule IDO2 inhibitor 22 with IC50 at the nanomolar level, which may be used not only as a candidate compound for the treatment of autoimmune diseases but also as a tool compound for further IDO2-related mechanistic study.

Liquiritin Attenuates Angiotensin II-Induced Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy via ATE1/TAK1-JNK1/2 Pathway.

Objective: To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of liquiritin (LIQ) on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by angiotensin II (Ang II). Methods: H9c2 cells were pretreated with LIQ before and after Ang II treatment. CCK8 assay was performed to evaluate cell viability. The cell surface area was measured by phalloidin staining. The mRNA expression of atrial and B-type natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP, respectively) and ß-myosin heavy chain (ß-MHC) was determined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR); the protein levels of arginyltransferase 1 (ATE1), transforming growth factor beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), phos-TAK1, c-Jun N-terminal kinases1/2 (JNK1/2), and phos-JNK1/2 were determined by Western blotting. After constructing the ATE1 overexpression cell models with the pcDNA3.1/ATE1, the abovementioned indicators were tested using the introduced methods. Results: LIQ at a concentration of ≤30 µM was not cytotoxic to H9c2 cells before exposure to Ang II. The protective effect of LIQ was best observed at 30 µM after Ang II treatment. Phalloidin staining and RT-qPCR results indicated that the deposition of Ang II increased the cell surface area and levels of ANP, BNP, and ß-MHC. On the other hand, Western blotting results showed that Ang II increased the ATE1 protein levels and TAK1 and JNK1/2 phosphorylation, which were significantly alleviated after LIQ treatment. LIQ also directly inhibited the ATE1 overexpression in H9c2 cells transfected with pcDNA3.1/ATE1 and further inhibited TAK1 and JNK1/2 phosphorylation. Conclusion: LIQ can attenuate Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by regulating the ATE1/TAK1-JNK1/2 pathway.

Discovery of novel brain-penetrant GluN2B NMDAR antagonists via pharmacophore-merging strategy as anti-stroke therapeutic agents.

In this work, a novel structural series of brain-penetrant GluN2B NMDAR antagonists were designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated as anti-stroke therapeutic agents via merging the structures of NBP and known GluN2B ligands. Approximately half of them exhibited superior neuroprotective activity to NBP against NMDA-induced neurotoxicity in hippocampal neurons at 10 µM, and compound 45e and 45f exerted equipotent activity to ifenprodil, an approved GluN2B- selective NMDAR antagonist. In particular, 45e, with the most potent neuroprotective activity throughout this series, displayed dramatically enhanced activity (Ki = 3.26 nM) compared to ifenprodil (Ki = 14.80 nM) in Radioligand Competitive Binding Assay, and remarkable inhibition (IC50 = 79.32 nM) against GluN1/GluN2B receptor-mediated current in Patch Clamp Assay. Meanwhile, 45e and its enantiomers exhibited low inhibition rate against the current mediated by other investigated receptors at the concentration of 10 µM, indicating their favorable selectivity for GluN1/GluN2B. In the rat model of middle cerebral artery ischemia (MCAO), 45e exerted comparable therapeutic efficacy to ifenprodil at the same dosage. In addition to the attractive in vitro and in vivo potency, 45e displayed a favorable bioavailability (F = 63.37%) and an excellent brain exposure. In further repeated dose toxicity experiments, compound 45e demonstrated an acceptable safety profile. With the above merits, 45e is worthy of further functional investigation as a novel anti-stroke therapeutic agent.

Discovery of the First Potent IDO1/IDO2 Dual Inhibitors: A Promising Strategy for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) plays an important role in tumor immune escape. However, unsatisfactory clinical efficacies of selective IDO1 inhibitors have impeded their further development, suggesting that they do not exert sufficient antitumor effects by selectively inhibiting IDO1. IDO2, an isoenzyme of IDO1, is overexpressed in some human tumors, and emerging evidence suggests that concomitant inhibition of IDO1/2 may have synergistic effects in cancer treatment, revealing a promising cancer immunotherapeutic strategy. Herein, we describe the discovery of compound 4t, the first inhibitor targeting both IDO1/2 that has excellent in vitro inhibitory activity (IDO1 IC50 = 28 nM and IDO2 IC50 = 144 nM). Notably, 4t (TGI = 69.7%) exhibited significantly stronger in vivo antitumor potency than epacadostat (TGI = 49.4%) in CT26 xenograft mouse models, highlighting the advantages of IDO1/2 dual inhibitors for tumor immunotherapy. Preliminary mechanistic studies in vivo further identified that 4t exerts its antitumor effect by inhibiting IDO1/2.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel benzoxaborole derivatives as potent PDE4 inhibitors for topical treatment of atopic dermatitis.

In this work, a series of structurally novel benzoxaborole derivatives were designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated as PDE4 inhibitors for battling atopic dermatitis (AD). Among them, the majority exhibited superior PDE4B inhibitory activities to that of the lead compound Crisaborole, an approved PDE4 inhibitor. In particular, 72, the most potent PDE4B inhibitor throughout this series, displayed 136-fold improved enzymatic activity (IC50 = 0.42 nM) as compared to Crisaborole (IC50 = 57.20 nM), along with favorable isoform specificity. In the phorbol ester (PMA)-induced mouse ear oedema model, 72 exerted remarkably greater efficacy than Crisaborole at the same dosage (P < 0.05). Moreover, the ointment of 72 exerted dramatically enhanced therapeutic potency than the ointment of Crisaborole (P < 0.05) in the calcipotriol-induced mouse AD model. In addition to the potent in vitro and in vivo activity, 72 displayed favorable safety in the repeated oral dose toxicity study and did not exhibit phototoxicity. With the above attractive biological performance, 72 is worthy of further functional investigation as a novel anti-AD therapeutic agent.

Regorafenib-loaded poly (lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres designed to improve transarterial chemoembolization therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been widely introduced to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) especially for unresectable patients for decades. However, TACE evokes an angiogenic response due to the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), resulting in the formation of new blood vessels and eventually tumor recurrence. Thus, we aimed to develop regorafenib (REGO)-loaded poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres that enabled localized and sustained drug delivery to limit proangiogenic responses following TACE in HCC treatment. REGO-loaded PLGA microspheres were prepared using the emulsion-solvent evaporation/extraction method, in which DMF was selected as an organic phase co-solvent. Accordingly, we optimized the proportion of DMF, which the optimal ratio to DCM was 1:9 (v/v). After preparation, the microspheres provided high drug loading capacity of 28.6%, high loading efficiency of 91.5%, and the average particle size of 149 µm for TACE. IR spectra and XRD were applied to confirming sufficient REGO entrapment. The in vitro release profiles demonstrated sustained drug release of microspheres for more than 30 d To confirm the role of REGO-loaded microspheres in TACE, the cell cytotoxic activity on HepG2 cells and anti-angiogenic effects in HUVECs Tube-formation assay were studied in combination with miriplatin. Moreover, the microspheres indicated the potential of antagonizing miriplatin resistance of HepG2 cells in vitro. Pharmacokinetics preliminary studies exhibited that REGO could be sustainably released from microspheres for more than 30 d after TACE in vivo. In vivo anti-tumor efficacy was further determined in HepG2 xenograft tumor mouse model, demonstrating that REGO microspheres could improve the antitumor efficacy of miriplatin remarkably compared with miriplatin monotherapy. In conclusion, the obtained REGO microspheres demonstrated promising therapeutic effects against HCC when combined with TACE.

Gastroprotective Activity of the Total Flavones from Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medic Flowers.

BACKGROUND: Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medic flower is a medicinal plant for the treatment of diseases in China. The present study was carried out to scientifically validate the gastroprotective activity and clarify the possible mechanism of the total flavones from Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medic flower is a medicinal plant for the treatment of diseases in China. The present study was carried out to scientifically validate the gastroprotective activity and clarify the possible mechanism of the total flavones from. METHODS: Gastric ulcer was induced in mice by oral administration of ethanol. The gastroprotective activity of TFA was evaluated by the gastric ulcer index and histological examinations. The gastric tissue was collected in the form of homogenate. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH), the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and protein content were measured. Western blotting for the expression of Bax, Bcl-2, TNF-α, and NF-κB(p65) was also carried out. The effect of TFA was compared with that of standard antiulcer drug omeprazole (100 mg/kg). RESULTS: This gastroprotective effect of TFA could be attributed to the increase in the activity of SOD and GSH and decrease in the levels of MDA and also decrease in the levels of Bax, TNF-α, and NF-κB(p65) was also carried out. The effect of TFA was compared with that of standard antiulcer drug omeprazole (100 mg/kg). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study demonstrated that TFA could significantly attenuate ethanol-induced gastric injury via antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects.

Semi-Mechanistic Modeling of HY-021068 Based on Irreversible Inhibition of Thromboxane Synthetase.

Background: HY-021068 [4-(2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl) ethoxy)-3-methoxybenzoate], developed by Hefei Industrial Pharmaceutical Institute Co., Ltd. (Anhui, China), is a potential thromboxane synthetase inhibitor under development as an anti-platelet agent for the treatment of stroke. A semi-mechanistic pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model was developed to characterize the PK of HY-021068 and its platelet aggregation inhibitory effect in beagle dogs. Method: Beagle dogs received single oral administration of 2.5 mg/kg HY-021068 or consecutively oral administration of 5 mg/kg HY-021068 once daily for 7 days. The plasma concentration of HY-021068 and the platelet aggregation rate (PAR) were determined by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay and a photometric method, respectively. The PK/PD data was sequentially fitted by Phoenix NLME. The PK/PD parameters of HY-021068 in beagle dogs were estimated by 2.5 and 5 mg/kg dosing on the 1st day, and then used to simulate the PAR of HY-021068 on the 7th day after 5 mg/kg dosing daily. Result: A one-compartment model with saturable Michaelis-Menten elimination was best fitted to the PK of HY-021068. A mechanistic PD model based on irreversible inhibition of thromboxane synthetase was constructed to describe the relationship between plasma concentration of HY-021068 and PAR. Diagnostic plots showed no obvious bias. Visual predictive check confirmed the stability and reliability of the model. Most of PK/PD observed data on the 7th day after 5 mg/kg dosing fell in the 90% prediction interval. Conclusion: We established a semi-mechanistic PK/PD model for characterizing the PK of HY-021068 and its anti-platelet effect in beagle dogs. The model can be used to predict the concentration and PAR under different dosage regimen of HY-021068, and might be served as a reference for dose design in the future clinical studies.

Discovery of Novel Dual Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase and Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Inhibitors as a Promising Strategy for Cancer Therapy.

Concomitant inhibition of PARP and PI3K pathways has been recognized as a promising strategy for cancer therapy, which may expand the clinical utility of PARP inhibitors. Herein, we report the discovery of dual PARP/PI3K inhibitors that merge the pharmacophores of PARP and PI3K inhibitors. Among them, compound 15 stands out as the most promising candidate with potent inhibitory activities against both PARP-1/2 and PI3Kα/δ with pIC50 values greater than 8. Compound 15 displayed superior antiproliferative profiles against both BRCA-deficient and BRCA-proficient cancer cells in cellular assays. The prominent synergistic effects produced by the concomitant inhibition of the two targets were elucidated by comprehensive biochemical and cellular mechanistic studies. In vivo, 15 showed more efficacious antitumor activity than the corresponding drug combination (Olaparib + BKM120) in the MDA-MB-468 xenograft model with a tumor growth inhibitory rate of 73.4% without causing observable toxic effects. All of the results indicate that 15, a first potent dual PARP/PI3K inhibitor, is a highly effective anticancer compound.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel desloratadine derivatives with anti-inflammatory and H1 antagonize activities.

To improve the anti-inflammatory activity of desloratadine, we designed and synthesized a series of novel desloratadine derivatives. All compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and H1 antagonistic activities. Among them, compound 2c showed the strongest H1 antagonistic and anti-inflammatory activity. It also exhibited promising pharmacokinetic profiles and low toxicity. All these results suggest that compound 2c as a novel anti-allergic agent is worthy of further investigation.

Phase I Trial of Pyragrel, a Novel Thromboxane Synthetase Inhibitor, to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics in Healthy Volunteers.

Background and Objective: Inhibition of thrombosis and platelet aggregation through a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor proved to be an effective and promising treatment for cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular disease (CCVD) patients. This phase I study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of sodium pyragrel, a novel thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor, in healthy volunteers. Methods: A total of 84 healthy Chinese volunteers were enrolled in the study and randomized into one of five dosing regimens of intravenous pyragrel, which were single ascending dose (30 to 300 mg), multiple doses (pyragrel 180 mg once daily on Day 1 and Day 6, twice daily from Day 2 to Day 5), 3×3 Latin square crossover (60, 120, 240 mg), and a continuous dose (360 mg in 24 h), respectively. Plasma concentrations were determined using HPLC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetics parameters were calculated with non-compartment analysis. Results: The maximum plasma concentrations of pyragrel were essentially reached at the end of the 3 h infusion. The pharmacokinetic process of pyragrel and two main metabolites (BBS and BJS) is linear over the 30-300 mg dose range, with no significant accumulation on multiple doses. The urinary excretion of pyragrel accounted for more than 70% of the total drug amount. Preliminary pharmacodynamic results demonstrated that the production of urinary 11-D-HTXB2 was time- and dose-dependently inhibited by single i.v. dose of pyragrel. Conclusions: Pyragrel was well tolerated after single ascending doses up to 300 mg, multiple doses of 180 mg, and continuous administration of 360 mg within 24 h. No drug-related, serious adverse drug reactions occurred during the five-part study. The most common pyragrel-related adverse events (AEs) were total bilirubin (TB)/direct bilirubin (DB) elevations with a relatively low incidence rate and seemed to be dose independent. Given the acceptable safety and appropriate pharmacokinetic properties of sodium pyragrel proven in this study, continued clinical development is warranted. The study was registered at http://www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR-IID-16010159).

Discovery of novel limonin derivatives as potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents.

Novel series of limonin derivatives (V-A-1-V-A-8, V-B-1-V-B-8) were synthesized by adding various tertiary amines onto the C (7)-position of limonin. The synthesized compounds possessed favorable physicochemical property, and the intrinsic solubility of the novel compounds were significantly improved, compared with limonin. Different pharmacological models were used to evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the target compounds. Compound V-A-8 exhibited the strongest in vivo activity among the novel limonin analogs; its analgesic activity was more potent than aspirin and its anti-inflammatory activity was stronger than naproxen under our testing conditions.

Profiling and Preparation of Metabolites from Pyragrel in Human Urine by Online Solid-Phase Extraction Coupled with High Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry Followed by a Macroporous Resin-Based Purification Approach.

Pyragrel, a new anticoagulant drug, is derived from the molecular combination of ligustrazine and ferulic acid. Pyragrel showed significant inhibitory activity against platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and had been approved for a phase I clinical trial by CFDA. To characterize the metabolites of Pyragrel in human urine after intravenous administration, a reliable online solid-phase extraction couple with high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (online SPE-HPLC-MSn) method was conceived and applied. Five metabolites were detected and tentatively identified, which suggested that the major metabolic pathways of Pyragrel in human were double-bond reduction, double-bond oxidation, and then followed by glucuronide conjugation. Two main metabolites were then prepared using ß-glucuronide hydrolysis and macroporous resin purification approach followed by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (PHPLC) method, with their structures confirmed on the basis of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data. This study provided information for the further study of the metabolism and excretion of Pyragrel.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel imidazo[4,5-c]pyridinecarboxamide derivatives as PARP-1 inhibitors.

A series of novel cyclic amine-substituted imidazo[4,5-c]pyridinecarboxamide analogs were designed and synthesized. All the target compounds were evaluated for their PARP inhibition activity, and the result indicated that most of the compounds possessed inhibitory effect on PARP at the concentration of 1µM, among which compound 8d (IC50=0.528 µM) was selected for evaluating the antitumor effect in vivo. The result showed the antitumor efficacy of the compound 8d and cisplatin combination group in a mouse A549 model is similar with that of the ABT-888 and cisplatin combination group.