Novel Phthalazin-1(2H)-One Derivatives Displaying a Dithiocarbamate Moiety as Potential Anticancer Agents.

Nowadays, cancer disease seems to be the second most common cause of death worldwide. Molecular hybridization is a drug design strategy that has provided promising results against multifactorial diseases, including cancer. In this work, two series of phthalazinone-dithiocarbamate hybrids were described, compounds 6-8, which display the dithiocarbamate scaffold at N2, and compounds 9, in which this moiety was placed at C4. The proposed compounds were successfully synthesized via the corresponding aminoalkyl phthalazinone derivatives and using a one-pot reaction with carbon disulfide, anhydrous H3PO4, and different benzyl or propargyl bromides. The antiproliferative effects of the titled compounds were explored against three human cancer cell lines (A2780, NCI-H460, and MCF-7). The preliminary results revealed significant differences in activity and selectivity depending on the dithiocarbamate moiety location. Thus, in general terms, compounds 6-8 displayed better activity against the A-2780 and MCF-7 cell lines, while most of the analogues of the 9 group were selective toward the NCI-H460 cell line. Compounds 6e, 8e, 6g, 9a-b, 9d, and 9g with IC50 values less than 10 µM were the most promising. The drug-likeness and toxicity properties of the novel phthalazinone-dithiocarbamate hybrids were predicted using Swiss-ADME and ProTox web servers, respectively.

Novel Pyridazin-3(2H)-one-Based Guanidine Derivatives as Potential DNA Minor Groove Binders with Anticancer Activity.

Novel aryl guanidinium analogues containing the pyridazin-3(2H)-one core were proposed as minor groove binders (MGBs) with the support of molecular docking studies. The target dicationic or monocationic compounds, which show the guanidium group at different positions of the pyridazinone moiety, were synthesized using the corresponding silyl-protected pyridazinones as key intermediates. Pyridazinone scaffolds were converted into the adequate bromoalkyl derivatives, which by reaction with N,N'-di-Boc-protected guanidine followed by acid hydrolysis provided the hydrochloride salts 1-14 in good yields. The ability of new pyridazin-3(2H)-one-based guanidines as DNA binders was studied by means of DNA UV-thermal denaturation experiments. Their antiproliferative activity was also explored in three cancer cell lines (NCI-H460, A2780, and MCF-7). Compounds 1-4 with a bis-guanidinium structure display a weak DNA binding affinity and exhibit a reasonable cellular viability inhibition percentage in the three cancer cell lines studied.

The New Pharmacological Chaperones PBXs Increase α-Galactosidase A Activity in Fabry Disease Cellular Models.

Fabry disease is an X-linked multisystemic disorder caused by the impairment of lysosomal α-Galactosidase A, which leads to the progressive accumulation of glycosphingolipids and to defective lysosomal metabolism. Currently, Fabry disease is treated by enzyme replacement therapy or the orally administrated pharmacological chaperone Migalastat. Both therapeutic strategies present limitations, since enzyme replacement therapy has shown low half-life and bioavailability, while Migalastat is only approved for patients with specific mutations. The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of PBX galactose analogues to stabilize α-Galactosidase A and therefore evaluate their potential use in Fabry patients with mutations that are not amenable to the treatment with Migalastat. We demonstrated that PBX compounds are safe and effective concerning stabilization of α-Galactosidase A in relevant cellular models of the disease, as assessed by enzymatic activity measurements, molecular modelling, and cell viability assays. This experimental evidence suggests that PBX compounds are promising candidates for the treatment of Fabry disease caused by mutations which affect the folding of α-Galactosidase A, even for GLA variants that are not amenable to the treatment with Migalastat.

Pyridazinones containing dithiocarbamoyl moieties as a new class of selective MAO-B inhibitors.

A novel class of potential MAO-B inhibitors was designed and synthesized in good yield by combining the pyridazinone moiety with the dithiocarbamate framework, two relevant pharmacophores for drug discovery. The biological results obtained for the different pyridazinone/dithiocarbamate hybrids (compounds 8-14) indicated that most of them reversibly and selectively inhibit the hMAO-B in vitro with IC50 values in the µM range and exhibit not significant cellular toxicity. The analogues 9a1, 11a1, 12a2, 12b1 and 12b2, which present the dithiocarbamate fragment derivatized with a piperidin-1-yl or pyrrolidin-1-yl group and placed at C3 or C4 of the diazine ring, were the most attractive compounds of these series. Molecular modeling studies were performed to analyze the binding mode to the enzyme and the structure activity relationships of the titled compounds, as well as to predict their drug-like properties.

Novel coumarin-pyridazine hybrids as selective MAO-B inhibitors for the Parkinson's disease therapy.

The 3-pyridazinylcoumarin scaffold was previously reported as an efficient core for the discovery of reversible and selective inhibitors of MAO-B, a validated drug target for PD therapy which also plays an important role in the AD progress. Looking for its structural optimization, novel compounds of hybrid structure coumarin-pyridazine, differing in polarizability and lipophilicity properties, were synthesized and tested against the two MAO isoforms, MAO-A and MAO-B (compounds 17a-f and 18a-f). All the designed compounds selectively inhibited the MAO-B isoenzyme, exhibiting many of them IC50 values ranging from sub-micromolar to nanomolar grade and lacking neuronal toxicity. The 7-bromo-3-(6-bromopyridazin-3-yl)coumarin (18c), the most potent compound of these series (IC50 = 60 nM), was subjected to further in vivo studies in a reserpine-induced mouse PD model. The obtained results suggest a promising potential for 18c as antiparkinsonian agent. Molecular modeling studies also provided valuable information about the enzyme-drug interactions and the potential pharmacokinetic profile of the novel compounds.

Novel compounds of hybrid structure pyridazinone-coumarin as potent inhibitors of platelet aggregation.

Aim: The current limitations of antiplatelet therapy promote the search for new antithrombotic agents. Here we describe novel platelet aggregation inhibitors that combine pyridazinone and coumarin scaffolds in their structure. Results: The target compounds were synthesized in good yield from maleic anhydride, following a multistep strategy. The in vitro studies demonstrated significant antiplatelet activity in many of these compounds, with IC50 values in the low micromolar range, revealing that the activity was affected by the substitution pattern of the two selected cores. Additional studies point out their effect as inhibitors of glycoprotein (Gp) IIb/IIIa activation. Conclusion: This novel hybrid structure can be considered a good prototype for the development of potent platelet aggregation inhibitors.

Recent advances in the synthesis of phthalazin-1(2H)-one core as a relevant pharmacophore in medicinal chemistry.

Phthalazin-1(2H)-one is a diazaheterobicycle found in a wide variety of synthetic molecules relevant to several branches of chemistry, including medicinal chemistry. The versatility of phthalazinone core in drug discovery has promoted the search for new synthetic methods to get access to differently substituted and functionalized derivatives. This review highlights the latest advances in synthesis of phthalazinone derivatives that have relevance to drug discovery processes, analyzing modifications of classical methodologies based on [4 + 2] two-component cyclocondensations as well as novel multicomponent approaches, mostly based on a [3 + 2+1] three-component strategy and very attractive not only because of its synthetic efficiency but also in the matter of environmental compatibility.

Synthesis and structure-activity relationship study of novel 3-heteroarylcoumarins based on pyridazine scaffold as selective MAO-B inhibitors.

Compounds of hybrid structure pyridazine-coumarin were discovered as potent, selective and reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). These compounds were synthesized in good yield following a multistep approach based on Knoevenagel reaction and using as key intermediate pyridazinone 16, which was obtained from maleic anhydride and furan. Compounds 9b and 9d are the most active compounds of these series, with IC50 values in the sub-micromolar range, and lack of cytotoxic effects. Theoretical calculation of ADME properties also suggested a good pharmacokinetic profile for both compounds. Docking simulations provided insights into enzyme inhibitor interactions and allowed us to rationalize the observed structure-activity relationships (SARs).

Topological sub-structural molecular design (TOPS-MODE): a useful tool to explore key fragments of human A3 adenosine receptor ligands.

Adenosine regulates tissue function by activating four G-protein-coupled adenosine receptors (ARs). Selective agonists and antagonists for A3 ARs have been investigated for the treatment of a variety of immune disorders, cancer, brain, and heart ischemic conditions. We herein present a QSAR study based on a Topological sub-structural molecular design (TOPS-MODE) approach, intended to predict the A3 ARs of a diverse dataset of 124 (94 training set/ 30 prediction set) adenosine derivatives. The final model showed good fit and predictive capability, displaying 85.1 % of the experimental variance. The TOPS-MODE approach afforded a better understanding and interpretation of the developed model based on the useful information extracted from the analysis of the contribution of different molecular fragments to the affinity.

New platelet aggregation inhibitors based on pyridazinone moiety.

New series of pyridazinone derivatives (4, 5 and 6) were synthesized in good yields following a synthetic strategy based on singlet oxygen oxidation of alkyl furans, in which a suitable ß(α)-substituted γ-hydroxybutenolide (10 or 11) or a bicyclic lactone (12 or 13) was the key intermediate. The synthesized compounds were tested in vitro as antiplatelet agents and some of them (compounds 4b, 4d and 5b) exhibited potent inhibitory effects on collagen-induced platelet aggregation with IC50 values in the low µM range. Studies performed with the most active compound of these series (4b) demonstrated its lack of activity as inhibitor of platelet aggregation induced by other agonists as thrombin, ionomycin or U-46619 suggesting a selective action on the biochemical mechanisms triggered by collagen in the platelets.

Phthalazin-1(2H)-one as a remarkable scaffold in drug discovery.

Phthalazinones are an important kind of nitrogen atom containing heterocyclic compounds due to their synthetic and pharmacological versatility. This fused heterocycle system represents a common structural feature for many bioactive compounds showing a variety of pharmacological activities such as anticancer, anti-diabetic, anti-asthmatic, antihistaminic, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antidepressant or antimicrobial agents, which makes it an attractive scaffold for the design and development of new drugs. This review summarizes detailed and updated information, described in recent non-patent literature, about the most relevant pharmacological properties of phthalazinone derivatives, highlighting the application of this potent pharmacophore in drug discovery.

2-Benzyl-5-meth-oxy-isoindoline-1,3-dione.

The title N-benzyl-phthalimide derivative, C16H13NO3, consists of two planar moieties, viz. the phthalimide system (r.m.s. deviation = 0.007 Å) and the phenyl ring, which make a dihedral angle of 84.7 (6)°. The meth-oxy group is almost coplanar with the phathalimide ring, as shown by the C-C-O-C torsion angle of -171.5 (2)°. In the crystal, the mol-ecules are self-assembled via non-classical C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a tape motif along [110].

4-[(tert-Butyl-diphenyl-sil-yloxy)meth-yl]pyridazin-3(2H)-one.

In the title compound, C21H24N2O2Si, the carbonyl group of the heterocyclic ring and the O atom of the silyl ether group are placed toward opposite sides and the tert-butyl and pyridazinone moieties are anti-oriented across the Si-O bond [torsion angle = -168.44 (19)°]. In the crystal, mol-ecules are assembled into inversion dimers through co-operative N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the NH groups and O atoms of the pyridazinone rings of neighbouring mol-ecules. The dimers are linked by π-π inter-actions involving adjacent pyridazinone rings [centroid-centroid distance = 3.8095 (19) Å], generating ladder-like chains along the b-axis direction. The chains are further linked into a two-dimensional network parallel to the ab plane through weak C-H⋯π inter-actions.

Synthesis and complete assignment of the 1H and 13C NMR spectra of 6-substituted and 2,6-disubstituted pyridazin-3(2H)-ones.

Several pyridazin-3(2H)-one derivatives were synthesized starting from alkyl furans using oxidation with singlet oxygen to give 4-methoxy or 4-hydroxybutenolides, key intermediates of the synthetic strategy followed. For all pyridazinones reported, a complete assignment of the (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra using one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopic methods, which included NOE, DEPT, COSY, HSQC and HMBC experiments, was accomplished. Correlations between the chemical shifts of the heterocyclic ring atoms and substituents at N-2 and C-6 were analyzed.

New pyridazinone derivatives with vasorelaxant and platelet antiaggregatory activities.

New 6-substituted and 2,6-disubstituted pyridazinone derivatives were obtained starting from easily accessible alkyl furans by using oxidation with singlet oxygen to give 4-methoxy or 4-hydroxybutenolides, key intermediates of this synthetic strategy. The new pyridazinone derivatives have been studied as vasorelaxant and antiplatelet agents. Analysis of biological data revealed the silyl ethers (4a-i) and N,O-dibenzyl derivatives (6g-i) as the most active compounds.

Synthesis and cytostatic activity of purine nucleosides derivatives of allofuranose.

Several new purine nucleosides derivatives of allofuranose were prepared according to Vorbrüggen method, starting from 1,2,5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-D-allofuranose and using 1,2,3,5,6-pentaacetoxy-ß-D-allofuranose as key intermediate. The synthesized allofuranosyl nucleosides, as well as some acetyl derivatives, were evaluated for their cytotoxicity in vitro in three human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, Hela-229 and HL-60). Among the studied compounds the 9-(2,3,5,6-tetra-O-acetyl-ß-D-allofuranosyl)-2,6-dichloropurine (9) was the most potent one on the three cell lines evaluated, being its activity against HL-60 cells similar to cisplatin.

Complete assignment of the (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra of cis and trans isonucleoside derivatives of purine with a tetrahydropyran ring.

(1)H and (13)C NMR chemical shifts of cis and trans isonucleoside analogues of purine in which the furanose moiety is substituted by a tetrahydropyran ring were completely assigned using one- and two-dimensional NMR experiments that include NOE, DEPT, COSY and HSQC. The significant (1)H and (13)C NMR signals differentiating between the cis and trans stereoisomers were compared.

Nucleoside-derived antagonists to A3 adenosine receptors lower mouse intraocular pressure and act across species.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether novel, selective antagonists of human A3 adenosine receptors (ARs) derived from the A3-selective agonist Cl-IB-MECA lower intraocular pressure (IOP) and act across species. IOP was measured invasively with a micropipette by the Servo-Null Micropipette System (SNMS) and by non-invasive pneumotonometry during topical drug application. Antagonist efficacy was also assayed by measuring inhibition of adenosine-triggered shrinkage of native bovine nonpigmented ciliary epithelial (NPE) cells. Five agonist-based A3AR antagonists lowered mouse IOP measured with SNMS tonometry by 3-5 mm Hg within minutes of topical application. Of the five agonist derivatives, LJ 1251 was the only antagonist to lower IOP measured by pneumotonometry. No effect was detected pneumotonometrically over 30 min following application of the other four compounds, consonant with slower, smaller responses previously measured non-invasively following topical application of A3AR agonists and the dihydropyridine A3AR antagonist MRS 1191. Latanoprost similarly lowered SNMS-measured IOP, but not IOP measured non-invasively over 30 min. Like MRS 1191, agonist-based A3AR antagonists applied to native bovine NPE cells inhibited adenosine-triggered shrinkage. In summary, the results indicate that antagonists of human A3ARs derived from the potent, selective A3 agonist Cl-IB-MECA display efficacy in mouse and bovine cells, as well. When intraocular delivery was enhanced by measuring mouse IOP invasively, five derivatives of the A3AR agonist Cl-IB-MECA lowered IOP but only one rapidly reduced IOP measured non-invasively after topical application. We conclude that derivatives of the highly-selective A3AR agonist Cl-IB-MECA can reduce IOP upon reaching their intraocular target, and that nucleoside-based derivatives are promising A3 antagonists for study in multiple animal models.

Attenuation of apoptosis in vitro and ischemia/reperfusion injury in vivo in mouse skeletal muscle by P2Y6 receptor activation.

Activation of the G(q)-coupled P2Y(6) receptor heterologously expressed in astrocytes significantly attenuates apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha). We have extended the analysis of P2Y(6) receptor-induced cytoprotection to mouse skeletal muscle cells endogenously expressing this receptor. The endogenous P2Y(6) receptor agonist UDP and synthetic agonist MRS2693 protected C2C12 skeletal muscle cells against apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner (0.1-10 nM) as determined by propidium iodide staining, histochemical analysis using hematoxylin and Hoechst 33258, and DNA fragmentation. The insurmountable P2Y(6) receptor antagonist MRS2578 blocked the protection. TNFalpha-induced apoptosis in C2C12 cells correlated with activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB. The NF-kappaB activation was attenuated by 10nM MRS2693, which activated the antiapoptic ERK1/2 pathway. In an in vivo mouse hindlimb model, MRS2693 protected against skeletal muscle ischemia/reperfusion injury. The P2Y(6) receptor is a novel cytoprotective receptor that deserves further exploration in ameliorating skeletal muscle injury.

Synthesis and potency of novel uracil nucleotides and derivatives as P2Y2 and P2Y6 receptor agonists.

The phosphate, uracil, and ribose moieties of uracil nucleotides were varied structurally for evaluation of agonist activity at the human P2Y(2), P2Y(4), and P2Y(6) receptors. The 2-thio modification, found previously to enhance P2Y(2) receptor potency, could be combined with other favorable modifications to produce novel molecules that exhibit high potencies and receptor selectivities. Phosphonomethylene bridges introduced for stability in analogues of UDP, UTP, and uracil dinucleotides markedly reduced potency. Truncation of dinucleotide agonists of the P2Y(2) receptor, in the form of Up(4)-sugars, indicated that a terminal uracil ring is not essential for moderate potency at this receptor and that specific SAR patterns are observed at this distal end of the molecule. Key compounds reported in this study include 9, alpha,beta-methylene-UDP, a P2Y(6) receptor agonist; 30, Up(4)-phenyl ester and 34, Up(4)-[1]glucose, selective P2Y(2) receptor agonists; dihalomethylene phosphonate analogues 16 and 41, selective P2Y(2) receptor agonists; 43, the 2-thio analogue of INS37217 (P(1)-(uridine-5')-P(4)-(2'-deoxycytidine-5')tetraphosphate), a potent and selective P2Y(2) receptor agonist.