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1.
Drug Chem Toxicol ; : 1-11, 2024 Aug 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39210739

ABSTRACT

The effects of XQ528 tartrate on the embryonic and fetal development of fertile Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, along with their embryos and littermates, were evaluated using an embryo-fetus developmental toxicity assay. fertile SD rats exhibited no significant general toxic effects when administered doses of 0.25, 1.25, and 5.0 mg/kg intranasally from days 6 to 15 of gestation. The genotoxicity of the compound was evaluated through an amalgam of tests that included the Ames test, the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell chromosome aberration test, and the micronucleus test in ICR mice. The results from the Ames test indicated non-mutagenicity at concentrations of 5000, 500, 50.0, 5.0, and 0.5 µg/dish across strains TA97, TA98, TA100, TA102, and TA1535. Additionally, the chromosomal aberration rates in CHO cells were not significantly altered at concentrations of 50.5, 101.0, and 202.0 µg/mL. No micronuclei induction was observed in ICR mice at dosage levels of 11.25, 22.50, and 45.00 mg/kg post intranasal administration. In conclusion, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for developmental toxicity of XQ528 tartrate in fertile SD rats, embryos, and littermates under the test conditions in this study was established at 5.0 mg/kg/day. Under these test conditions, XQ528 tartrate did not exhibit any significant genotoxic or carcinogenic potential.

2.
J Med Chem ; 65(15): 10377-10392, 2022 08 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35900351

ABSTRACT

Undue central nervous system (CNS) side effects including dysphoria and sedation remain to be a challenge for the development of κ opioid receptor (KOR) agonists as effective and safe analgesics. On the basis of our previous work on morphinan-based KOR agonists, a series of 7α-methyl-7ß-substituted northebaine derivatives were designed, synthesized, and biologically assayed. Among others, compound 4a (SLL-627) has been identified as a highly selective and potent KOR agonist both in vitro and in vivo, and its molecular basis was also examined and discussed. Besides low liability to conditioned place aversion (CPA) test, treatment of SLL-627 was associated with a nonreduction in locomotor activity, compared to most of the other arylacetamide- or morphinan-based KOR agonists which generally exhibited apparently sedative effects. This unexpected finding provides new insights to dissociate analgesia from sedation for future discovery of innovative KOR agonists.


Subject(s)
Morphinans , Receptors, Opioid, kappa , Analgesics/pharmacology , Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacology , Locomotion , Morphinans/pharmacology , Receptors, Opioid, kappa/agonists
3.
J Med Chem ; 64(16): 12414-12433, 2021 08 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34387468

ABSTRACT

The search for selective kappa opioid receptor (κOR) agonists with an improved safety profile is an area of interest in opioid research. In this work, a series of m-substituted analogs were designed, synthesized, and assayed, resulting in the identification of compound 6c (SLL-1206) as a κOR agonist with single-digit nanomolar activities. The subtype selectivity of compound 6c appeared to be a consequence of an enormous decrease in the affinity for µOR and δOR, rather than a significant increase in the affinity for κOR, which was not the case for SLL-039, another selective and potent κOR agonist identified in our previous work. Besides reduced central nervous system effects, SLL-1206 exhibited substantially improved physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties compared with SLL-039, with increases of over 20-fold in aqueous solubility and approximately 40-fold in oral bioavailability in rats.


Subject(s)
Analgesics, Opioid/therapeutic use , Pain/drug therapy , Receptors, Opioid, kappa/agonists , Thebaine/analogs & derivatives , Thebaine/therapeutic use , Analgesics, Opioid/chemical synthesis , Analgesics, Opioid/metabolism , Animals , CHO Cells , Cricetulus , Hot Temperature , Humans , Male , Mice , Molecular Docking Simulation , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Receptors, Opioid, kappa/metabolism , Thebaine/metabolism
4.
ACS Chem Neurosci ; 12(6): 1018-1030, 2021 03 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33650843

ABSTRACT

κ opioid receptor (κOR) is a subtype of opioid receptors, and there are two major κOR agonists currently available, morphinans and arylacetamides, which are structurally distinct from each other. Numerous efforts had been made to correlate these series of compounds in order to establish a consensus binding pattern for κOR agonists. Unfortunately, no morphinan-based agent with an arylacetamidyl substituent has been identified as a κOR agonist with a pharmacological profile similar to arylacetamides. Since the recently described morphinan-based compound SLL-039 was identified as a selective and potent κOR agonist that contains a unique benzamidyl substituent in structure similar to arylacetamides, numerous arylacetamidyl substituents were introduced to this scaffold to examine whether the structure-activity relationships (SARs) of arylacetamides in conferring κOR agonistic activities could be reproduced by these analogues. Thus, a series of N-cyclopropylmethyl-7α-arylacetamidylphenyl-6,14-endoethanotetrahydronorthebaine analogues were designed, synthesized, and assayed for biological activities. Among these compounds, compound 4j with a 3',4'-dimethylphenylacetamidyl substituent showed a single digit low nanomolar affinity to the κOR and relatively high subtype selectivity in binding assays, but this profile was not reproduced in functional assays. In contrast, compound 4i displayed moderately selective κOR agonistic activities in functional assays, which was inconsistent with its nonselective nature in binding assays. Overall, introduction of an arylacetamidyl substituent to the morphinan-based scaffold was associated with pharmacological diversity in both binding and functional activities on opioid receptors in vitro. The resultant SARs were inconsistent with that of classical arylacetamides as κOR agonists, despite bearing a similar arylacetamidyl substituent in the structure. Therefore, the arylacetamidyl substituent of the morphinan-based scaffold was found to be disconnected from that of arylacetamides in conferring κOR activities.


Subject(s)
Morphinans , Receptors, Opioid, kappa/agonists , Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacology , Morphinans/pharmacology , Structure-Activity Relationship
5.
J Med Chem ; 62(24): 11054-11070, 2019 12 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31738550

ABSTRACT

Effective and safe analgesics represent an unmet medical need for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. A series of N-cyclopropylmethyl-7α-phenyl-6,14-endoethanotetrahydronorthebaines were designed, synthesized, and assayed, leading to the discovery of a benzylamine derivative (compound 4, SLL-039) as a highly selective and potent κ opioid agonist (κ, Ki = 0.47 nM, κ/µ = 682, κ/δ = 283), which was confirmed by functional assays in vitro and antinociceptive assays in vivo. The in vivo effect could be blocked by pretreatment with the selective κ antagonist nor-BNI. Moreover, this compound did not induce sedation, a common dose limiting effect of κ opioid receptor agonists, at its analgesic dose compared to U50,488H. The dissociation of sedation/antinociception found in SLL-039 was assumed to be correlated with the occupation of its benzamide motif in a unique subsite involving V1182.63, W124EL1, and E209EL2.


Subject(s)
Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacology , Analgesics/pharmacology , Benzylamines/pharmacology , Central Nervous System/drug effects , Drug Discovery , Morphinans/pharmacology , Pain/drug therapy , Receptors, Opioid, kappa/agonists , Analgesics/chemistry , Analgesics, Opioid/chemistry , Animals , Behavior, Animal/drug effects , Benzamides/chemistry , Benzylamines/chemistry , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Locomotion/drug effects , Male , Mice , Morphinans/chemistry , Pain/metabolism
6.
Front Aging Neurosci ; 11: 3, 2019.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30723404

ABSTRACT

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the main type of dementia and is characterized by progressive memory loss and a notable decrease in cholinergic neuron activity. As classic drugs currently used in the clinic, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) restore acetylcholine levels and relieve the symptoms of AD, but are insufficient at delaying the onset of AD. Based on the multi-target-directed ligand (MTDL) strategy, bis-(-)-nor-meptazinol (BIS-MEP) was developed as a multi-target AChEI that mainly targets AChE catalysis and the ß-amyloid (Aß) aggregation process. In this study, we bilaterally injected Aß oligomers and ibotenic acid (IBO) into the hippocampus of ICR mice and then subcutaneously injected mice with BIS-MEP to investigate its therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms. According to the results from the Morris water maze test, BIS-MEP significantly improved the spatial learning and memory impairments in AD model mice. Compared with the vehicle control, the BIS-MEP treatment obviously inhibited the AChE activity in the mouse brain, consistent with the findings from the behavioral tests. The BIS-MEP treatment also significantly reduced the Aß plaque area in both the hippocampus and cortex, suggesting that BIS-MEP represents a direct intervention for AD pathology. Additionally, the immunohistochemistry and ELISA results revealed that microglia (ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1, IBA1) and astrocyte (Glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP) activation and the secretion of relevant inflammatory factors (TNFα and IL-6) induced by Aß were decreased by the BIS-MEP treatment. Furthermore, BIS-MEP showed more advantages than donepezil (an approved AChEI) as an Aß intervention. Based on our findings, BIS-MEP improved spatial learning and memory deficits in AD mice by regulating acetylcholinesterase activity, Aß deposition and the inflammatory response in the brain.

7.
Transl Neurodegener ; 7: 21, 2018.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30237878

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and irreversible neurodegenerative brain disorder, which is the most common form of dementia. Intensive efforts have been made to find effective and safe treatment against AD. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) have been widely used for the treatment of mild to moderate AD. In this study, we investigated the effect of Bis(9)-(-)-Meptazinol (B9M), a novel potential dual-binding acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, on learning and memory abilities, as well as the underlying mechanism in the APP/PS1 mouse model of AD. METHODS: B9M (0.1 µg/kg, 0.3 µg/kg, and 1 µg/kg) was administered by subcutaneous injection into eight-month-old APP/PS1 transgenic mice for four weeks. Morris water maze, nest-building and novel object recognition were used to examine learning and memory ability. Aß levels and Aß plaque were evaluated by ELISA and immunochemistry. RESULTS: Our results showed that chronic treatment with B9M significantly improved the cognitive function of APP/PS1 transgenic mice in the Morris water maze test, nest-building test and novel object recognition test. Moreover, B9M improved cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice by a mechanism that may be associated with its inhibition of the AChE activity, Aß plaque burden, levels of Aß and the consequent activation of astrocytes and microglia in the brain of APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Most of important, the most effective dose of B9M in the present study is 1 µg/kg, which is one thousand of the dosage of Donepezil acted as the control treatment. Furthermore, B9M reduced Aß plaque burden better than Donepezil. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that B9M appears to have potential as an effective AChE inhibitor for the treatment of AD with symptom-relieving and disease-modifying properties.

8.
Bioorg Med Chem ; 26(14): 4254-4263, 2018 08 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30054192

ABSTRACT

With the purpose of identifying novel selective κ opioid receptor (KOR) antagonists as potential antidepressants from nepenthone analogues, starting from N-nor-N-cyclopropylmethyl-nepenthone (SLL-020ACP), a highly selective and potent KOR agonist, a series of 7ß-methyl-nepenthone analogues was conceived, synthesized and assayed on opioid receptors based on the concept of hybridization. According to the pharmacological results, the functional reversal observed in orvinol analogues by introduction of 7ß-methyl substituent could not be reproduced in nepenthone analogues. Alternatively, introduction of 7ß-methyl substituent was associated with substantial loss of both subtype selectivity and potency but not efficacy for nepenthone analogues, which was not found in 7ß-methyl orvinol analogues. Surprisingly, SLL-603, a 7ß-methyl analogue of SLL-020ACP, was identified to be a KOR full agonist. The possible molecular mechanism for the heterogeneity in activity cliff was also investigated. In conclusion, 7ß-methyl substituent was a structural locus associated with activity cliff and demonstrated as a pharmacological heterogeneity between nepenthone and orvinol analogues that warrants further investigations.


Subject(s)
Morphinans/pharmacology , Receptors, Opioid, kappa/agonists , Animals , CHO Cells , Cells, Cultured , Cricetulus , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Models, Molecular , Molecular Structure , Morphinans/chemical synthesis , Morphinans/chemistry , Structure-Activity Relationship
9.
J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem ; 32(1): 659-671, 2017 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28274151

ABSTRACT

Multifunctional carbamate-type acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors with anti-amyloidogenic properties like phenserine are potential therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We reported here the design of new carbamates using pharmacophore model strategy to modulate both cholinesterase and amyloidogenesis. A five-feature pharmacophore model was generated based on 25 carbamate-type training set compounds. (-)-Meptazinol carbamates that superimposed well upon the model were designed and synthesized, which exhibited nanomolar AChE inhibitory potency and good anti-amyloidogenic properties in in vitro test. The phenylcarbamate 43 was highly potent (IC50 31.6 nM) and slightly selective for AChE, and showed low acute toxicity. In enzyme kinetics assay, 43 exhibited uncompetitive inhibition and reacted by pseudo-irreversible mechanism. 43 also showed amyloid-ß (Aß) lowering effects (51.9% decrease of Aß42) superior to phenserine (31% decrease of total Aß) in SH-SY5Y-APP695 cells at 50 µM. The dual actions of 43 on cholinergic and amyloidogenic pathways indicated potential uses as symptomatic and disease-modifying agents.


Subject(s)
Amyloid/biosynthesis , Carbamates/pharmacology , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/pharmacology , Cholinesterases/metabolism , Drug Discovery , Meptazinol/pharmacology , Amyloid/metabolism , Animals , Carbamates/administration & dosage , Carbamates/chemistry , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/administration & dosage , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/chemistry , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Female , Humans , Kinetics , Male , Meptazinol/administration & dosage , Meptazinol/chemistry , Mice , Mice, Inbred Strains , Models, Molecular , Molecular Structure , Structure-Activity Relationship , Tumor Cells, Cultured
10.
ACS Chem Neurosci ; 8(4): 766-776, 2017 04 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28033462

ABSTRACT

To develop novel analgesics with no side effects or less side effects than traditional opioids is highly demanded to treat opioid receptor mediated pain and addiction issues. Recently, κ-opioid receptor (KOR) has been established as an attractive target, although its selective agonists could bear heterogeneous pharmacological activities. In this study, we designed and synthesized two new series of nepenthone derivatives by inserting a spacer (carbonyl) between 6α,14α-endo-ethenylthebaine and the 7α-phenyl substitution of the skeleton and by substituting the 17-N-methyl group with a cyclopropylmethyl group. We performed in vitro tests (binding and functional assays) and molecular docking operations on our newly designed compounds. The results of wet-experimental measures and modeled binding structures demonstrate that these new compounds are selective KOR agonists with nanomolar level affinities. Compound 4 from these new derivatives showed the highest affinity (Ki = 0.4 ± 0.1 nM) and the highest selectivity (µ/κ = 339, δ/κ = 2034) toward KOR. The in vivo tests revealed that compound 4 is able to induce stronger (ED50 = 2.1 mg/kg) and much longer antinociceptive effect than that of the typical KOR agonist U50488H (ED50 = 4.4 mg/kg). Therefore, compound 4 can be used as a perfect lead compound for future design of potent analgesics acting through KOR.


Subject(s)
Analgesics, Opioid/chemistry , Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacology , Morphinans/chemistry , Morphinans/pharmacology , Analgesics/chemical synthesis , Analgesics/chemistry , Analgesics/pharmacology , Analgesics, Opioid/chemical synthesis , Animals , Humans , Molecular Docking Simulation , Morphinans/chemical synthesis , Protein Structure, Quaternary , Rats , Receptors, Opioid, kappa/agonists , Structure-Activity Relationship
11.
Transl Perioper Pain Med ; 1(2): 4-16, 2016.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27213169

ABSTRACT

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric disease worldwide. The clinical use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRIs) for this condition have been widely accepted, but they were challenged by unacceptable side-effects, potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) or slow onset/lack of efficacy. The endogenous opioid system is involved in stress and emotion regulatory processes and its role in MDD has been implicated. Although several KOR antagonists including JDTic and PF-04455242 were discontinued in early clinical trials, ALKS 5461 and CERC-501(LY-2456302) survived and entered into Phase-III and Phase-II trials, respectively. Considering the efficacy and safety of early off-label use of buprenorphine in the management of the treatment-resistant depression (TRD), it will be not surprising to predict the potential success of ALKS 5461 (a combination of buprenorphine and ALKS-33) in the near future. Moreover, CERC-501 will be expected to be available as monotherapy or adjuvant therapy with other first-line antidepressants in the treatment of TRD, if ongoing clinical trials continue to provide positive benefit-risk profiles. Emerging new researches might bring more drug candidates targeting the endogenous opioid system to clinical trials to address current challenges in MDD treatment in clinical practice.

12.
Anal Bioanal Chem ; 406(14): 3451-8, 2014 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24756818

ABSTRACT

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for determination of Meserine ((-)-meptazinol phenylcarbamate), a novel potent inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), was developed, validated, and applied to a pharmacokinetic study in mice brain. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 1 ng mL(-1) and the linear range was 1-1,000 ng mL(-1). The analyte was eluted on a Zorbax SB-Aq column (2.1 × 100 mm, 3.5 µm) with the mobile phase composed of methanol and water (70:30, v/v, aqueous phase contained 10 mM ammonium formate and 0.3% formic acid) using isocratic elution, and monitored by positive electrospray ionization in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The flow rate was 0.25 mL min(-1). The injection volume was 5 µL and total run time was 4 min. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of intraday and interday variation was 2.49-7.81 and 3.01-7.67%, respectively. All analytes were stable after 4 h at room temperature and 6 h in autosampler. The extraction recoveries of Meserine in brain homogenate were over 90%. The main brain pharmacokinetic parameters obtained after intranasal administration were T max = 0.05 h, C max = 462.0 ± 39.7 ng g(-1), T 1/2 = 0.4 h, and AUC(0-∞) = 283.1 ± 9.1 ng h g(-1). Moreover, Meserine was distributed rapidly and widely into brain, heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney tissue. The method is validated and could be applied to the pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution study of Meserine in mice.


Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease/metabolism , Brain/drug effects , Chromatography, Liquid , Meptazinol/analogs & derivatives , Phenylcarbamates/analysis , Phenylcarbamates/pharmacokinetics , Tandem Mass Spectrometry , Animals , Area Under Curve , Brain/metabolism , Calibration , Chemistry, Pharmaceutical/methods , Female , Formates/chemistry , Male , Meptazinol/analysis , Meptazinol/pharmacokinetics , Mice , Phenylcarbamates/chemistry , Quality Control , Reproducibility of Results , Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization , Temperature , Tissue Distribution
13.
J Pharm Biomed Anal ; 96: 156-61, 2014 Aug 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24747147

ABSTRACT

In this paper a simple and sensitive method for determination of a novel phenylcarbamate AChE inhibitor, meserine, in mouse plasma, brain and rat plasma was evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Separation was achieved on an Alltech Alltima-C18 column (150mm×2.1mm, 3µm, Deerfield, IL, USA) with isocratic elution at a flow rate of 0.35ml/min. Detection was performed under the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using an electrospray ionization (ESI) in the positive ion mode. The protein precipitation and liquid-liquid extraction methods were used for the pretreatment of plasma and brain homogenates, respectively. The calibration curves of meserine showed good linearity over the concentration range of 0.5-1000ng/ml for mouse and rat plasma and 0.5-500ng/ml for mouse brain. The intra- and inter-day precision were less than 9.34% and the accuracy was from 95.34% to 107.78% for QC samples. The validated method was successfully applied to a preclinical pharmacokinetic study of meserine in mice and rats after intravenous and subcutaneous administration. The results showed that this novel drug could easily cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the site of drug action. Meserine was rapidly absorbed with a high subcutaneous absolute bioavailability (>90%).


Subject(s)
Cholinesterase Inhibitors/pharmacokinetics , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods , Meptazinol/analogs & derivatives , Phenylcarbamates/pharmacokinetics , Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods , Administration, Intravenous , Animals , Biological Availability , Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism , Brain/metabolism , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/administration & dosage , Humans , Injections, Subcutaneous , Liquid-Liquid Extraction , Male , Meptazinol/administration & dosage , Meptazinol/pharmacokinetics , Mice , Phenylcarbamates/administration & dosage , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity , Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization/methods , Tissue Distribution
14.
CNS Neurosci Ther ; 20(2): 165-71, 2014 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24279603

ABSTRACT

AIMS: To investigate whether Meserine, a novel phenylcarbamate derivative of (-)-meptazinol, possesses beneficial activities against cholinergic deficiency and amyloidogenesis, the two major pathological characteristics of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Ellman's assay and Morris water maze were used to detect acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and evaluate spatial learning and memory ability, respectively. Both high content screening and Western blotting were carried out to detect ß-amyloid precursor protein (APP), while RT-PCR and ELISA were conducted to detect APP-mRNA and ß-amyloid peptide (Aß). RESULTS: In scopolamine-induced dementia mice, Meserine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly ameliorated spatial learning and memory deficits, which was consistent with its in vitro inhibitory ability against AChE (recombinant human AChE, IC50 = 274 ± 49 nM). Furthermore, Meserine (7.5 mg/kg) injected intraperitoneally once daily for 3 weeks lowered APP level by 28% and Aß42 level by 42% in APP/PS1 transgenic mouse cerebrum. This APP modulation action might be posttranscriptional, as Meserine reduced APP by about 30% in SH-SY5Y-APP695 cells but did not alter APP-mRNA level. And both APP and Aß42 lowering action of Meserine maintained longer than that of rivastigmine. CONCLUSION: Meserine executes dual actions against cholinergic deficiency and amyloidogenesis and provides a promising lead compound for symptomatic and modifying therapy of AD.


Subject(s)
Amyloidosis/drug therapy , Amyloidosis/genetics , Dementia/chemically induced , Dementia/drug therapy , Meptazinol/analogs & derivatives , Phenylcarbamates/therapeutic use , Scopolamine , Acetylcholinesterase/metabolism , Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism , Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor/genetics , Animals , Cell Line, Tumor , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Disease Models, Animal , Drug Administration Schedule , Humans , Maze Learning/drug effects , Meptazinol/pharmacology , Meptazinol/therapeutic use , Mice , Mice, Transgenic , Neuroblastoma/pathology , Phenylcarbamates/pharmacology , Presenilin-1/genetics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism
15.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav ; 104: 138-43, 2013 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23262302

ABSTRACT

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifaceted neurodegenerative disorder which is characterized by the progressive deterioration of cognition and the emergence of behavioral and psychological symptoms in aging patients. Given that the clinical effectiveness of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) has still been questioned due to dubious disease-modifying effects, the multi-target directed ligand (MTDL) design has become an emerging strategy for developing new drugs for AD treatment. Bis(9)-(-)-nor-meptazinol (Bis-Mep) was firstly reported by us as a novel MTDL for both potent cholinesterase and amyloid-ß aggregation inhibition. In this study, we further explored its AChE inhibition kinetic features and cognitive amelioration. Bis-Mep was found to be a mixed-type inhibitor on electric eel AChE by enzyme kinetic study. Molecular docking revealed that two "water bridges" located at the two wings of Bis-Mep stabilized its interaction with both catalytic and peripheral anionic sites of AChE. Furthermore, subcutaneous administration of Bis-Mep (10, 100 or 1000 ng/kg) significantly reversed the scopolamine-induced memory deficits in a typical bell-shaped dose-response manner. The maximal cognitive amelioration of Bis-Mep was achieved at 100 ng/kg, comparable with the effect of a reference drug Huperzine A at 1 mg/kg and also the relevant AChE inhibition in brain. These findings suggested that Bis-Mep might be a promising dual-binding AChE inhibitor for potential AD therapeutics.


Subject(s)
Cholinesterase Inhibitors/pharmacology , Memory Disorders/drug therapy , Meptazinol/analogs & derivatives , Nootropic Agents/pharmacology , Scopolamine/toxicity , Acetylcholinesterase/chemistry , Alkaloids/administration & dosage , Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy , Alzheimer Disease/enzymology , Alzheimer Disease/psychology , Animals , Brain/drug effects , Brain/enzymology , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/chemistry , Cognition/drug effects , Disease Models, Animal , Female , Humans , Kinetics , Male , Maze Learning/drug effects , Memory Disorders/chemically induced , Memory Disorders/psychology , Meptazinol/chemistry , Meptazinol/pharmacology , Mice , Models, Molecular , Nootropic Agents/chemistry , Sesquiterpenes/administration & dosage
16.
Toxicol Appl Pharmacol ; 264(1): 65-72, 2012 Oct 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22842334

ABSTRACT

The strategy of dual binding site acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition along with metal chelation may represent a promising direction for multi-targeted interventions in the pathophysiological processes of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the present study, two derivatives (ZLA and ZLB) of a potent dual binding site AChE inhibitor bis-(-)-nor-meptazinol (bis-MEP) were designed and synthesized by introducing metal chelating pharmacophores into the middle chain of bis-MEP. They could inhibit human AChE activity with IC(50) values of 9.63µM (for ZLA) and 8.64µM (for ZLB), and prevent AChE-induced amyloid-ß (Aß) aggregation with IC(50) values of 49.1µM (for ZLA) and 55.3µM (for ZLB). In parallel, molecular docking analysis showed that they are capable of interacting with both the catalytic and peripheral anionic sites of AChE. Furthermore, they exhibited abilities to complex metal ions such as Cu(II) and Zn(II), and inhibit Aß aggregation triggered by these metals. Collectively, these results suggest that ZLA and ZLB may act as dual binding site AChEIs with metal-chelating potency, and may be potential leads of value for further study on disease-modifying treatment of AD.


Subject(s)
Amyloid beta-Peptides/drug effects , Chelating Agents/pharmacology , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/pharmacology , Meptazinol/analogs & derivatives , Meptazinol/pharmacology , Acetylcholinesterase/drug effects , Acetylcholinesterase/metabolism , Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy , Alzheimer Disease/physiopathology , Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism , Animals , Binding Sites , Chelating Agents/administration & dosage , Chelating Agents/chemistry , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/administration & dosage , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/chemistry , Copper/metabolism , Humans , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Meptazinol/administration & dosage , Mice , Zinc/metabolism
17.
J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci ; 881-882: 126-30, 2012 Jan 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22204875

ABSTRACT

A rapid, simple and sensitive LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the determination of Bis(9)-(-)-Meptazinol (B9M) in rat plasma. Protein precipitation method was used for sample preparation, using five volumes of methanol as the precipitation agent. The analytes were separated by a Zorbax Extend-C18 column with the mobile phase of methanol-water (containing 5mM ammonium formate, pH 9.8) (95:5, v/v), and monitored by positive electrospray ionization in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Retention time of IS (Bis(5)-(-)-Meptazinol) and B9M were 1.9 min and 3.3 min, respectively. The limit of detection was 0.1 ng/ml and the linear range was 1-500 ng/ml. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of intra-day and inter-day variation was 4.4-6.2% and 6.2-8.9%, respectively. The extraction recoveries of B9M in plasma were over 95%. The method proved to be applicable to the pharmacokinetic study of B9M in rat after intravenous and subcutaneous administration.


Subject(s)
Cholinesterase Inhibitors/blood , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods , Meptazinol/analogs & derivatives , Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods , Alzheimer Disease/blood , Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy , Animals , Area Under Curve , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/administration & dosage , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/pharmacokinetics , Female , Injections, Intravenous , Injections, Subcutaneous , Limit of Detection , Linear Models , Male , Meptazinol/administration & dosage , Meptazinol/blood , Meptazinol/pharmacokinetics , Methanol , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Reproducibility of Results , Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization/methods
18.
Bioorg Med Chem Lett ; 20(1): 418-21, 2010 Jan 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19932964

ABSTRACT

Unexpected substituent on the well-known morphine skeleton is described to be account for highly selective and potent mu opioid ligands, which is strongly connected to substituted aromatic groups on this omitted 8alpha-position.


Subject(s)
Ligands , Morphine/chemistry , Receptors, Opioid, mu/metabolism , Crystallography, X-Ray , Humans , Molecular Conformation , Protein Binding , Thebaine/chemistry
19.
Acta Crystallogr Sect E Struct Rep Online ; 66(Pt 5): o1092, 2010 Apr 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21579145

ABSTRACT

The crystal structure of the title compound, C(16)H(26)NO(2) (+)·C(18)H(13)O(8) (-), is stabilized by an extensive network of classical N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonding. The crystal structure also shows an ammonium-driven diastereo-isomerism.

20.
Acta Crystallogr Sect E Struct Rep Online ; 66(Pt 7): o1822, 2010 Jun 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21588029

ABSTRACT

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(22)H(27)FN(2)O(2), a (-)-S-meptazinol derivative, contains two mol-ecules. The azepane ring adopts a similar twist chair form in both mol-ecules, while the dihedral angles between the two benzene rings are 88.17 (14) and 89.93 (14)° in the two mol-ecules. The absolute configuration of the mol-ecule was determined from the synthetic starting material. The crystal structure is stabilized by classical inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

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