Drug/Lead Compound Hydroxymethylation as a Simple Approach to Enhance Pharmacodynamic and Pharmacokinetic Properties.

Hydroxymethylation is a simple chemical reaction, in which the introduction of the hydroxymethyl group can lead to physical-chemical property changes and offer several therapeutic advantages, contributing to the improved biological activity of drugs. There are many examples in the literature of the pharmaceutical, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic benefits, which the hydroxymethyl group can confer to drugs, prodrugs, drug metabolites, and other therapeutic compounds. It is worth noting that this group can enhance the drug's interaction with the active site, and it can be employed as an intermediary in synthesizing other therapeutic agents. In addition, the hydroxymethyl derivative can result in more active compounds than the parent drug as well as increase the water solubility of poorly soluble drugs. Taking this into consideration, this review aims to discuss different applications of hydroxymethyl derived from biological agents and its influence on the pharmacological effects of drugs, prodrugs, active metabolites, and compounds of natural origin. Finally, we report a successful compound synthesized by our research group and used for the treatment of neglected diseases, which is created from the hydroxymethylation of its parent drug.

The use of Sulfonamide Derivatives in the Treatment of Trypanosomatid Parasites including Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, and Leishmania ssp.

More than 10 million people around the world are afflicted by Neglected Tropical Diseases, such as Chagas Disease, Human African Trypanosomiasis, and Leishmania. These diseases mostly occur in undeveloped countries that suffer from a lack of economic incentive, research, and policy for new compound development. Sulfonamide moieties are effective scaffolds present in several compounds that are determinants to treat various diseases, principally neglected tropical diseases. This review article examines the contribution of these scaffolds in medicinal chemistry in the last five years, focusing on three trypanosomatid parasites: Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, and Leishmania ssp. We also present perspectives for their use in drug designs in an effort to contribute to new drug development. In addition, we consider the physicochemical parameters, whose molecules all presented according to Lipinski's rule. The correlation between the selective index and LogP was evaluated, showing that sulfonamide derivatives can act differently against each trypanosomatid parasite. Moreover, the approaches of novel drugs and technologies are very important for the eventual drug discovery against trypanosomatid diseases.

Current Approaches to Drug Discovery for Chagas Disease: Methodological Advances.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been an improvement in the in vitro and in vivo methodology for the screening of anti-chagasic compounds. Millions of compounds can now have their activity evaluated (in large compound libraries) by means of high throughput in vitro screening assays. OBJECTIVE: Current approaches to drug discovery for Chagas disease. METHOD: This review article examines the contribution of these methodological advances in medicinal chemistry in the last four years, focusing on Trypanosoma cruzi infection, obtained from the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. RESULTS: Here, we have shown that the promise is increasing each year for more lead compounds for the development of a new drug against Chagas disease. CONCLUSION: There is increased optimism among those working with the objective to find new drug candidates for optimal treatments against Chagas disease.

Hydroxymethylnitrofurazone treatment in indeterminate form of chronic Chagas disease: Reduced intensity of tissue parasitism and inflammation-A histopathological study.

Hydroxymethylnitrofurazone (NFOH) is a nitrofurazone prodrug effective in vivo during acute infections, and it has less hepatotoxicity effect than the standard drug benznidazole (BZN) which has been used during short- and long-term treatment. In the present study, we induced the indeterminate form of Chagas disease in mice with a Y strain of Trypanosoma cruzi and analysed the histopathological data about the effects of NFOH and BZN on different tissues, including the heart, skeletal muscle, liver, kidney, colon, spleen and brain. After infection, BALB/c mice were treated with NFOH (150 mg/kg) and BZN (60 mg/kg) for 60 days and then submitted to immunosuppression using dexamethasone (5 mg/kg) for 14 days. Two trained analysts, as part of a blind evaluation, examined the results using serial sections of 3 mm diameter in two different moments. The results showed reactivation of the disease only in the infected nontreated group (POS). After treatment, amastigote nests were found in the heart, colon, liver and skeletal muscle in the POS group and in the heart and liver of the BZN group. Interestingly, amastigote nests were not found in the NFOH and NEG groups. The histopathological analysis showed fewer tissue lesions and parasite infiltrates in the NFOH group when compared with the BZN and POS groups. We have not observed any increase in the levels of hepatocellular injury biomarkers (AST/ALT) in the NFOH group. These in vivo studies show the potential for NFOH as an effective and safe compound useful as an anti-T. cruzi agent.

Anti-inflammatory action of ethanolic extract and clerodane diterpenes from Casearia sylvestris

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extract from Casearia sylvestris Sw., Salicaceae, leaves and to identify the compounds responsible for this activity. The ethanolic extract from C. sylvestris leaves was fractionated by solid phase extraction and the chemical composition of extract and fractions were assessed by chromatographic techniques. Casearin-like clerodane diterpenes were quantified in ethanolic extract (27.4%, w/w) and in fraction 2 of solid phase extraction (50.6%, w/w). Carrageenan-induced paw edema and carrageenan-induced pleurisy assays (rats) were used to evaluate anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extract, its fractions and clerodane diterpenes from C. sylvestris - caseargrewiin F and casearin B. The ethanolic extract was tested in the rat paw edema model and the doses tested (10 and 100 mg/kg) had no effect. In the pleurisy model, the extract doses of 300 and 500 mg/kg showed inhibitory effect. The fraction 2 of solid phase extraction (10 mg/kg), caseargrewiin F and casearin B (0.5 mg/kg) showed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) of the carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats compared to indomethacin. Gastric ulcers were not observed in animals treated with samples from C. sylvestris. In conclusion, the ethanolic extract from C. sylvestris, its enriched fraction of clerodane diterpenes, casearin B and caseargrewiin F exhibited anti-inflammatory activity on in vivo models in rats. Casearin-like clerodane diterpenes may be considered active chemical markers for C. sylvestris leaves. On the other hand, these diterpenes are promising compounds in the development of new drugs with anti-inflammatory action without gastric side effects.

Synthesis and Immunosuppressive Activity of New Mycophenolic Acid Derivatives.

BACKGROUND: Immunosuppressive drugs are widely used to prevent and treat allograft rejection and autoimmune diseases. Mycophenolic acid (MPA) and its derivatives are currently one of the most prescribed immunosuppressive drugs; however, metabolic drawbacks and variable interand intrapatient responses limit their use. OBJECTIVE: In order to find out new safe and effective immunosuppressive compounds, we report here the synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of hybrid MPA derivatives containing the thalidomide/ phthalimide subunits. RESULTS: All compounds 3a-d exhibited an enhanced ability to reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to the parental drugs MPA and thalidomide. The mixed lymphocyte reaction assay has demonstrated that compound 3d - (E)-(3-(1,3-dioxoisoindolin-2-yl)-2,6-dioxopiperidin-1- yl)methyl-6-(4-hydroxy-6-methoxy-7-methyl-3-oxo-1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran-5-yl)-4-methylhex-4- enoate - has superior activity compared to that of MPA. In addition, compound 3d was less cytotoxic against Jurkat cells than MPA and did not demonstrate in vivo genotoxic effect. CONCLUSION: All these data have shown that compound 3d is a promising lead compound useful in the immunosuppressive therapy.