Exploration of the Structural Space in 4(3H)-Quinazolinone Antibacterials.

We report herein the syntheses of 79 derivatives of the 4(3H)-quinazolinones and their structure-activity relationship (SAR) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Twenty one analogs were further evaluated in in vitro assays. Subsequent investigation of the pharmacokinetic properties singled out compound 73 ((E)-3-(5-carboxy-2-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-cyanostyryl)quinazolin-4(3H)-one) for further study. The compound synergized with piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) both in vitro and in vivo in a clinically relevant mouse model of MRSA infection. The TZP combination lacks activity against MRSA, yet it synergized with compound 73 to kill MRSA in a bactericidal manner. The synergy is rationalized by the ability of the quinazolinones to bind to the allosteric site of penicillin-binding protein (PBP)2a, resulting in opening of the active site, whereby the ß-lactam antibiotic now is enabled to bind to the active site in its mechanism of action. The combination effectively treats MRSA infection, for which many antibiotics (including TZP) have faced clinical obsolescence.

Influence of the cis/trans configuration on the supramolecular aggregation of aryltriazoles.

The ability of trans- and cis-1,2-glucopyranosyl and cyclohexyl ditriazoles, synthesized by CuAAC "click" chemistry, to form gels was studied, their physical properties determined, and the self-aggregation behavior investigated by SEM, X-ray, and EDC studies. The results revealed that self-assembly was driven mainly by π-π stacking interactions, in addition to hydrogen bonding, with the aromatic rings adopting a high degree of parallelism, as seen in crystal packings and ECD data. Furthermore, π-bromine interactions between the bromine atom of the aryl substituents and the triazole units might also contribute to an overall stabilization of the supramolecular aggregation of bis(4-bromophenyl)triazoles. The trans or cis spatial disposition of the triazole rings is highly important for gelation, with the cis configuration having higher propensity.

Synthetic menthyl α/ß-(1→6)-diglucopyranosides-induced cell death in human leukemia cells is dependent on caspases.

A series of alkyl α/ß-(1→6)-diglucopyranosides 1-12 were synthesized and assessed for cytotoxicity against HL-60, U937, Molt-3 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines. The menthyl derivatives displayed strong cytotoxic properties showing IC(50) values between 6 and 16 µM. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the selected synthetic (+)-menthyl ß-(1→6)-diglucopyranoside 5 induces apoptotic cell death in human leukemia cells through a mechanism that involves activation of multiple caspases. Cell death was completely prevented by the non-specific caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk and found to be associated with the release of cytochrome c, an increase in the expression of Bax levels and a decrease in the generation of reactive oxygen species.