Relationship between structure and biological activity of novel R106 analogs.

The retro-aldol reaction at residue 8 of R106-1 produced a chemical handle, in the form of a sarcosine residue, that was amenable to classical aldol alkylation conditions. In vitro assay of several new hydroxylated analogs have shown that L isomers exhibit more potent antifungal activity than D isomers. However, all analogs exhibited a significant decrease in activity against Cryptococcus neoformans. By contrast, structural modifications of R 106 were tolerated by some Candida spp., but the potency of activity was diminished as compared to that of the natural product R106-1. The full structure-activity relationship of the new R106 analogs has provided important information about the steric and electronic requirements of binding to target receptors. Furthermore, comparison of the structural differences between R106-1 and other derivatives, suggested that the potential for hydrogen bonding (at residue 8) was a key structural feature that was required to maintain activity against Cryptococcus neoformans.

Semisynthetic chemical modification of the antifungal lipopeptide echinocandin B (ECB): structure-activity studies of the lipophilic and geometric parameters of polyarylated acyl analogs of ECB.

Echinocandin B (ECB) is a lipopeptide composed of a complex cyclic peptide acylated at the N-terminus by linoleic acid. Enzymatic deacylation of ECB provided the peptide "nucleus" as a biologically inactive substrate from which novel ECB analogs were generated by chemical reacylation at the N-terminus. Varying the acyl group revealed that the structure and physical properties of the side chain, particularly its geometry and lipophilicity, played a pivotal role in determining the antifungal potency properties of the analog. Using CLOGP values to describe and compare the lipophilicities of the side chain fragments, it was shown that values of > 3.5 were required for expression of antifungal activity. Secondly, a linearly rigid geometry of the side chain was the most effective shape in enhancing the antifungal potency. Using these parameters as a guide, a variety of novel ECB analogs were synthesized which included arylacyl groups that incorporated biphenyl, terphenyl, tetraphenyl, and arylethynyl groups. Generally the glucan synthase inhibition by these analogs correlated well with in vitro and in vivo activities and was likewise influenced by the structure of the side chain. These structural variations resulted in enhancement of antifungal activity in both in vitro and in vivo assays. Some of these analogs, including LY303366 (14a), were effective by the oral route of administration.

Antibiotics that inhibit fungal cell wall development.

The discovery of antifungal agents that possess selective toxicity against the eukaryotic fungal cell remains an important scientific challenge. The growing medical need for safe and effective antifungal agents stems from the rapidly increasing population of immunocompromised patients. Although the treatment of fungal infections is progressing steadily, currently available agents act on targets that are also found in mammalian cells. Ideally, a selectively toxic antifungal agent should be developed that interacts with a fungal target not found in other eukaryotic cells. This strategy involves selective inhibition of the biosynthesis of important structural elements in the fungal cell. The fungal cell wall is such a therapeutic target. In addition, antibiotics have been discovered that inhibit the development of the fungal cell. The major targets are glucan synthesis, inhibited by the echinocandin lipopeptides and the papulacandins; chitin synthesis, inhibited by the polyoxins and nikkomycins; and mannan, to which the pradimicins selectively bind. The extensively studied echinocandin lipopeptides are fungicidal agents with low toxicity, and one member, cilofungin--a semisynthetic analogue of echinocandin B--has been tested in the clinic. Newer echinocandins, such as LY303366 and the pneumocandins, have excellent activity against yeasts and Pneumocystis carinii infections in animals and show promise as potential clinical antifungal candidates. Chitin synthase inhibitors have been studied through chemical modification of the polyoxins and nikkomycins but are limited because of unfavorable pharmacokinetics. The pradimicins show the ability to bind mannan and thus exert an antifungal effect. The mode of action of this class of inhibitors is not fully understood, but their unique action may provide a better understanding of mannan as a target.

In vitro and in vivo anti-Candida activity and toxicology of LY121019.

LY121019 (N-p-octyloxybenzoylechinocandin B nucleus) is a semisynthetic antifungal antibiotic that possesses potent anti-Candida activity. The MIC50 and the MIC90 for both LY121019 and amphotericin B were 0.625 and 1.25 micrograms/ml, respectively. Only an 8-fold increase in the MIC against C. albicans occurred during 34-day exposure to subinhibitory concentrations indicating that LY121019 has a low potential for causing resistance development. Scanning electron microscopic studies revealed that LY121019 caused severe damage to the C. albicans cell. The ED50's for LY121019 and amphotericin B administered parenterally to mice were 7.4 and 2.5 mg/kg, respectively. Parenterally administered LY121019 at doses of 6.25 mg/kg significantly reduced the recovery of C. albicans from infected mouse kidneys. Orally administered 50 and 100 mg/kg doses of LY121019 were effective in eliminating C. albicans from the gastrointestinal tract of infected mice. Topical application of 5% LY121019 was as effective as 3% nystatin in the treatment of superficial C. albicans infections. Local administration of LY121019, nystatin, or miconazole was effective against rat vaginal candidiasis. LY121019 was administered intravenously to dogs at doses up to 100 mg/kg/day, 5 days a week for 3 months; all dogs survived. Compound related effects included a histamine-like reaction, increased serum alkaline phosphatase and SGPT, fatty vacuolization of the liver, and some tissue damage at the injection site. The no effect dose in dog was 10 mg/kg. LY121019 had no more than 1/20 the toxicity of amphotericin B in the dog.

A32390A, a new biologically active metabolite. III. In vitro and in vivo antifungal activity.

A32390A, an isonitrile-containing derivative of mannitol, represents a new class of antifungal antibiotics. In vitro antifungal activity of A32390A was found against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Histoplasma capsulatum. In vivo antifungal activity of A32390A was demonstrated in mice infected with C. albicans. Accumulative doses of 37.5 approximately 600 mg/kg, administered subcutaneously over a 24-hour period, showed significant activity without demonstrating toxicity. A32390A was effective, but not as effective as amphotericin B, in reducing the number of Candida cells isolated from the kidney of infected mice. Urinary excretion of A32390A accounted for only 10% of the administered dose. Improved bioavailability of A32390A was accomplished when the antibiotic was combined with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) in a solid dispersion. Administration of A32390A as a 10% dispersion in PVP resulted in increased urinary excretion of the drug and reduced the amount of drug required for in vivo activity.

Colonization of the intestinal tract of conventional mice with Candida albicans and treatment with antifungal agents.

Conventional mice inoculated with Candida albicans per os were unable to maintain this organism in the intestinal tract as judged by decreasing numbers of yeast recoverable from feces. After inoculation with 10(7) cells/mouse, fecal counts ranged from 10(5) cells per g of feces to 5 x 10(3) cells per g of feces during a 12-day experimental period. Addition of various antibiotics to the drinking water did not result in any improvement in maintenance or stability of the gut population. A combination of X irradiation and administration of tobramycin or gentamicin, however, resulted in a stable population of C. albicans in the intestinal tract, with cell counts in the feces remaining constant at a level of about 10(6)/g of feces for a period of 10 to 15 days. The usefulness of this model in assessing the effect of experimental drugs on C. albicans infections of the gut was demonstrated by the fact that treatment with a new antifungal antibiotic (A9145), amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine, or nystatin resulted in a reduction in the fecal counts of C. albicans from experimentally infected animals.

New azasteroidal antifungal antibiotics from Geotrichum flavo-brunneum. III. Biological activity.

The A25822 antibiotic complex consists of seven biologically active factors. A comparative study of these factors determined that factor B possessed the greatest antifungal activity. The minimal inhibitory concentration of A25822B against isolates of Candida albicans was less than 0.3 similar to 5.0 mug/ml, Trichophyton mentagrophytes was inhibited at less than 0.0312 mug/ml. Other pathogenic fungi such as Cryptococcus neoformans, Histoplasma capsulatum, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Sporotrichum schenckii, and Microsporium gypseum were very susceptible to A25822B. Only limited antibacterial activity of A25822B was found. Parenteral or oral administration of 50 mg/kg of A25822B significantly extended the average survival time of mice infected with C. albicans. Doses of 20 mg/kg of A25822B caused a greater than ten-fold reduction in the number of Candida cells recovered from kidneys of infected mice. A solution of 0.5% or 0.25% A25822B applied topically was effective against an experimental dermatophyte infection on guinea pigs. A peak blood level of 3 mug/ml was achieved in mice following a 100 mg/kg dose of A25822B. Combination of A25822B with a polyene antibiotic in vitro showed antagonism.

Cinoxacin: effectiveness against experimental pyelonephritis in rats.

The antimicrobial activity of cinoxacin, 1-ethyl-4(1H)-oxo-[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-g]cinnoline-3-carboxylic acid, previously reported as compound 64716, was determined and compared with other antimicrobial agents at a dosage of 12 mg/kg once daily in a descending pyelonephritis rat model with Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis as infecting organisms. Cinoxacin was considerably more effective than either nalidixic acid or oxolinic acid when all three were administered orally at 3 mg/kg four times daily. The presence of demonstrable serum activity with a high recovery in urine indicates cinoxacin possesses highly desirable properties of an effective oral chemotherapeutic agent for urinary tract infections.

Compound 64716, a new synthetic antibacterial agent.

Compound 64716, 1-ethyl-4 (1H)-oxo-[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-g]cinnoline-3-carboxylic acid, is a new synthetic antibacterial agent. The antibacterial spectrum of this compound includes gram-negative bacteria that are most frequently isolated from urinary tract infections. Minimal inhibitory concentration values of 64716 for isolates of Escherichia coli and Proteus sp. ranged from 2 to 4 and 2 to 8 mug/ml, respectively, and the compound was bactericidal at concentrations close to the minimal inhibitory concentration values. In vivo, doses required for successful therapy of experimental mouse infections were comparable to those for nalidixic acid. After oral administration of 40 mg/kg, peak concentrations of this compound in mouse blood reached 19.2 mug/ml. Within 30 min after doses of 20 mg/kg, bacteriologically active drug concentrations of 64716, nalidixic acid, and oxolinic acid in mouse urine were >1,000, 170, and <1.5 mug/ml, respectively. Resistant bacteria were not selected when bacteria were exposed to 500 mug/ml of 64716. Compound 64716 was less bound by human serum proteins than was nalidixic acid. Equivalent antibacterial activity along with superior pharmacological properties of 64716 when compared with nalidixic acid lead to the conclusion that this new compound is a promising antibacterial agent.

New synthetic antibacterial compound, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-nitro-4-pyrazole carboxamide.

A series of 3-nitropyrazole compounds represent a new class of synthetic antibacterial agents. One member of this series, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-nitro-4-pyrazolecarboxamide, exhibited an antibacterial spectrum similar to that of nitrofurantoin. The inhibitory concentrations of this nitropyrazole were lower than those required for nitrofurantoin. Single oral doses of 20 mg/kg resulted in peak nitropyrazole concentrations of 5.8 and >1,000 mug/ml in mouse blood and urine, respectively. In dogs, 87% of a 10 mg/kg oral dose was recovered in urine during a 24-h period with a peak serum concentration of 13.6 mug/ml. This nitropyrazole was highly effective against experimental bacterial infections in mice. The low acute toxicity in mice, rats, or dogs and significant antibacterial activity lead to the conclusion that further evaluation of this compound is warranted.

Respiratory chain of a pathogenic fungus, Microsporum gypseum: effect of the antifungal agent pyrrolnitrin.

Pyrrolnitrin has been reported to inhibit Bacillus megaterium primarily by forming complexes with phospholipids and to block electron transfer of Saccharomyces cerevisiae between succinate or reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and coenzyme Q. We found that pyrrolnitrin inhibited respiration of conidia of Microsporum gypseum. In mitochondrial preparations, pyrrolnitrin strongly inhibited respiration and the rotenone-sensitive NADH-cytochrome c reductase. The rotenone-insensitive NADH-cytochrome c reductase, the succinate-cytochrome c reductase, and the reduction of dichlorophenolindophenol by either NADH or succinate were inhibited to a lesser extent. However, the activity of cytochrome oxidase was not affected by pyrrolnitrin. The extent of reduction of flavoproteins by NADH and succinate, measured at 465 - 510 nm, was unaltered; however, the reduction of cytochrome b, measured at 560 - 575 nm, was partially inhibited by pyrrolnitrin. The level of totally reduced cytochrome b was restored with antimycin A. We, therefore, concluded that the primary site of action of this antifungal antibiotic is to block electron transfer between the flavoprotein of the NADH-dehydrogenase and cytochrome b segment of the respiratory chain of M. gypseum.

Evaluation of systemic antifungal agents in X-irradiated mice.

The effect of X irradiation on the survival time of animals experimentally infected with pathogenic fungi was studied, and the activity of antifungal agents in pre-irradiated hosts was evaluated. A 24-hr preinfection dose of X irradiation decreased the survival time of mice infected with Cryptococcus neoformans and Histoplasma capsulatum to a greater extent than Candida albicans or Blastomyces dermatitidis infections. Exposure to 400 r caused a significant reduction in the variation (S(2)) survival time of C. albicans or H. capsulatum mouse infections. A single 100-mg/kg dose of 5-fluorocytosine or amphotericin B administered within 24 hr postinfection significantly extended the survival time of mice infected with C. albicans. Delayed treatment with amphotericin B was effective against C. neoformans infections. Four 50-mg/kg doses of 5-fluorocytosine were more effective than a single 200-mg/kg dose against C. neoformans infections. A single dose of amphotericin B provided significant protection when administered 48 hr postinfection against B. dermatitidis in preirradiated mice. A single dose of saramycetin 48 hr postinfection was highly effective against H. capsulatum mouse infections. A 100-mg/kg dose of amphotericin B was only effective against this fungal pathogen when administered within 8 hr postinfection. In vivo activity of the antifungal agents studied was detected within 8 to 14 days. The relative in vivo activity of several antifungal agents indicated the importance of considering their individual pharmacological properties for optimum effectiveness. The experimental model used in this study should be useful for the detection and for the preclinical evaluation of new antifungal agents.

Systemic antifungal activity of pyrrolnitrin.

The antifungal activity of pyrrolnitrin, previously shown to be effective against superficial infections, was evaluated against experimental systemic mycoses. Pyrrolnitrin was inhibitory in vitro at <0.78 to 100 mug/ml to Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Sporotrichum schenckii, and Histoplasma capsulatum. Pyrrolnitrin activity was reduced about 90% in sera. After multiple subcutaneous doses of pyrrolnitrin at 20 mg/kg, activity was recovered in mouse blood and urine as well as kidney, liver, and brain homogenates. Multiple daily doses (50 mg/kg) of this antibiotic were effective in reducing by 74% the number of viable cells of C. albicans recovered from kidney homogenates. Multiple doses (15 mg/kg) resulted in a 74% reduction in the number of C. neoformans from brain homogenates. Pyrrolnitrin was ineffective in reducing the recovery of B. dermatitidis or H. capsulatum from liver or spleen homogenates of infected mice. When compared with amphotericin B, hamycin, 5-fluorocytosine, and saramycetin, this antibiotic was less effective. This study indicates that pyrrolnitrin would have limited usefulness as a systemic antifungal agent.