Synthesis,molecular docking,and pharmacological evaluation of N‐(2‐(3,5‐dimethoxyphenyl)benzoxazole‐5‐yl)benzamide derivatives as selective COX‐2 inhibitors and anti‐inflammatory agents

A series of N‐(2‐(3,5‐dimethoxyphenyl)benzoxazole‐5‐yl)benzamide derivatives ( 3am ) was synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro inhibitory activity against COX‐1 and COX‐2. The compounds with considerable in vitro activity (IC₅₀ < 1 μM) were evaluated in vivo for their anti‐inflammatory potential by the carrageenan‐induced rat paw edema method. Out of 13 newly synthesized compounds, 3a , 3b , 3d , 3g , 3j , and 3k were found to be the most potent COX‐2 inhibitors in the in vitro enzymatic assay, with IC₅₀ values in the range of 0.06–0.71 μM. The in vivo anti‐inflammatory activity of these six compounds ( 3a , 3b , 3d , 3g , 3j , and 3k ) was assessed by the carrageenan‐induced rat paw edema method. Compounds 3d (84.09%), 3g (79.54%), and 3a (70.45%) demonstrated significant anti‐inflammatory activity compared to the standard drug ibuprofen (65.90%) and were also found to be safer than ibuprofen, by ulcerogenic studies. A docking study was done using the crystal structure of human COX‐2, to understand the binding mechanism of these inhibitors to the active site of COX‐2.

     

Design,Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Peptidyl Epoxyketone Proteasome Inhibitors Composed of β‐amino Acids

A series of novel di‐ and tripeptidyl epoxyketone derivatives composed of β‐amino acids were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their proteasome inhibitory activities and anti‐proliferation activities against two multiple myeloma cell lines RPMI 8226 and NCI‐H929 and normal cells (peripheral blood mononucleated cells). Among these tested compounds, tripeptidyl analogues showed much more potent activities than dipeptides, and four tripeptidyl compounds exhibited proteasome inhibitory activities with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.97 ± 0.05 to 1.85 ± 0.11 μm . In addition, all the four compounds showed anti‐proliferation activities with IC₅₀ values at low micromolar levels against two multiple myeloma cell lines and weak activities against normal cells. Furthermore, Western blot analysis was performed to verify the proteasome inhibition induced by compounds 21d and 21e . All the experimental results validated that the β‐amino acid building block has the potential for the development of proteasome inhibitors.     

Design,synthesis, in silico and antiproliferative evaluation of novel pyrazole derivatives as VEGFR‐2 inhibitors

As the blockade of the VEGFR‐2 signaling pathway is a viable approach in cancer therapy, the present study focuses on a series of pyrazole based VEGFR‐2 inhibitors that were designed on the basis of the hybridization approach, supported by docking and in silico computational studies. The designed compounds were synthesized through facile synthetic methods and the structures were confirmed by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, MS and elemental analysis. The compounds were screened for in vitro antiproliferative activity against the HT‐29 (human colon cancer) and MCF‐7 (human breast cancer) cell lines by MTT assay. The compounds were also studied for in vitro inhibitory activity against VEGFR‐2 kinase. Among all the tested compounds, compound 6h emerged as a potent agent in the antiproliferative study against HT‐29 and MCF‐7 cells, with IC₅₀ values of 2.36 and 6.59 μM, respectively. Moreover, the same compound exhibited the highest VEGFR‐2 inhibitory activity with an IC₅₀ value of 1.89 μM. In docking studies, the designed compounds showed similar and essential key interactions as those of known VEGFR‐2 inhibitors. The present study may lead to new molecules in the development of anticancer agents targeting VEGFR‐2.     

Design,Synthesis, Biological Evaluation,and Docking Study of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: New Acridone‐1,2,4‐oxadiazole‐1,2,3‐triazole Hybrids

In this study, novel acridone‐1,2,4‐oxadiazole‐1,2,3‐triazole hybrids were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. Among various synthesized compounds, 10‐((1‐((3‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐1,2,4‐oxadiazol‐5‐yl)methyl)‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl)methyl)acridin‐9(10H)‐one 10b showed the most potent anti‐acetylcholinesterase activity (IC₅₀ = 11.55 μm ) being as potent as rivastigmine. Also docking outcomes were in good agreement with in vitro results confirming the dual binding inhibitory activity of compound 10b .     

Design,synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel 3‐(thiophen‐2‐ylthio)pyridine derivatives as potential multitarget anticancer agents

A series of novel 3‐(thiophen‐2‐ylthio)pyridine derivatives as insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF‐1R) inhibitors was designed and synthesized. IGF‐1R kinase inhibitory activities and cytotoxicities against HepG2 and WSU‐DLCL2 cell lines were tested. For all of these compounds, potent cancer cell proliferation inhibitory activities were observed, but not through the inhibition of IGR‐1R. Selected compounds were further screened against various kinases. Typical compound 22 (50% inhibitory concentration [IC₅₀] values, HepG2: 2.98 ± 1.11 μM and WSU‐DLCL2: 4.34 ± 0.84 μM) exhibited good inhibitory activities against fibroblast growth factor receptor‐2 (FGFR2), FGFR3, epidermal growth factor receptor, Janus kinase, and RON (receptor originated from Nantes), with IC₅₀ values ranging from 2.14 to 12.20 μM. Additionally, the cell‐cycle analysis showed that compound 22 could arrest HepG2 cells in the G1/G0 phase. Taken together, all the experiments confirmed that the compounds in this series were multitarget anticancer agents worth further optimizing.     

Synthesis of new arylazopyrazoles as apoptosis inducers: Candidates to inhibit proliferation of MCF‐7 cells

New 4‐arylazo‐3,5‐diamino‐1H‐pyrazole derivatives substituted in the 4‐aryl ring with the acetyl moiety were designed and synthesized. The antiproliferative activity of the novel arylazopyrazoles was examined against the MCF‐7 cell line. Among all target compounds, 8b (IC₅₀ 3.0 µM) and 8f (IC₅₀ 4.0 µM) displayed higher cytotoxicity as compared with the reference standard imatinib (IC₅₀ 7.0 µM). Further studies to explore the mechanism of action were performed on the most active hit of our library, 8b , via anti‐CDK2 kinase activity. It demonstrated good inhibitory effects for CDK2 (IC₅₀ 0.24 µM) with 62.5% inhibition, compared with imatinib. The cell cycle analysis in the MCF‐7 cell line revealed apoptosis induction by 8b and cell cycle arrest at the S phase. Docking in the CDK2 active site and pharmacophore modeling confirmed the affinity of 8b to the CDK2 active site. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion studies revealed that our target compounds are orally bioavailable, with no permeation through the blood–brain barrier.     

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Fluorinated 3‐Phenylcoumarin‐7‐O‐Sulfamate Derivatives as Steroid Sulfatase Inhibitors

In the present work, we report the initial results of our study on a series of 3‐phenylcoumarin sulfamate‐based compounds containing C‐F bonds as novel inhibitors of steroid sulfatase. The new compounds are potent steroid sulfatase inhibitors, possessing more than 10 times higher inhibitory potency than coumarin‐7‐O‐sulfamate. In the course of our investigation, compounds 2b and 2c demonstrated the highest inhibitory effect on the enzymatic steroid sulfatase assay; both had IC₅₀ values of 0.27 μm (the IC₅₀ value of coumarin‐7‐O‐sulfamate is 3.5 μm , used as a reference).     

Design,Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of 1,5‐Diaryl‐1,2,4‐triazole Derivatives as Selective Cyclooxygenase‐2 Inhibitors

A series of 1,5‐diaryl‐1,2,4‐triazole derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) inhibitors. The results of the preliminary biological assays in vivo showed that eight compounds 5b , 6b , 6c , 7c , 8b , 8d , 9c , and 9d have potent anti‐inflammatory activity (P < 0.01), while compounds 6b , 6c , and 9c exhibit marked potency. Compound 6c was then selected for further investigation. In the COX inhibition assay in vitro, compound 6c was identified as a potent and selective inhibitor of COX‐2 (COX‐2 IC₅₀ = 0.37 µM; SI = 0.018), being equipotent to celecoxib (COX‐2 IC₅₀ = 0.26 µM; SI = 0.015). In a rat carrageenan‐induced paw edema assay, 6c exhibited moderate anti‐inflammatory activity (35% inhibition of inflammation) at 2 h after administration of 15 mg/kg as an oral dose. A docking study also revealed that compound 6c binds in the active site of COX‐2 in a similar mode to that of the known selective COX‐2 inhibitor SC‐558.     

Synthesis and Antitumor Activity of Novel Nitrogen Mustard‐Linked Chalcones

A series of nitrogen mustard‐linked chalcones were synthesized and evaluated for their antitumor activity in vitro against the K562 and HepG2 cell lines. The aldol condensation of [N,N‐bis(chloroethyl)‐3‐amino]‐acetophenone ( 2 ) with aromatic aldehydes afforded the nitrogen mustard‐linked chalcones. Among the analogs tested, compounds 5e and 5k exhibited significant anti‐proliferation activities against K562 cells with IC₅₀ values of 2.55 and 0.61 µM, respectively, which revealed higher cell toxicity than the standard drugs cisplatin (IC₅₀ > 200 µM) and adriamycin (IC₅₀ = 14.88 µM). The methoxyl and N,N‐dimethyl groups on the B‐ring of the chalcone frame enhanced the inhibitory activities against both the K562 and HepG2 cell lines. The structure–activity relationship study indicated that the inhibitory activities significantly varied with the position(s) and species of the substituted group(s).     

Design,Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Pyrazole Derivatives

In this in vitro study, a series of novel pyrazole derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated against five human cancer cell lines (PC3, A549, HL60, HCT116, and SW620) for their antiproliferative and p53‐MDM2 binding inhibitory activities. Although biological evaluations showed that this series of compounds possessed weak p53‐MDM2 inhibitory activities, most of them displayed moderate to potent antiproliferative activities against the tested cells lines. Compound 11c exhibited the best potency for MDM2 (FP‐IC₅₀ = 29.22 μm ) and demonstrated antiproliferative activities in response to the five tested cell lines (IC₅₀ = 4.09–16.82 μm ). Compared with the positive control Nutlin‐1, there was enhanced antiproliferative activity to p53‐mutated or p53‐deficient cell lines (SW620, HL60, and PC3).     

Design,synthesis, biological evaluation,and docking study of 4‐isochromanone hybrids bearing N‐benzyl pyridinium moiety as dual binding site acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (part II)

A series of novel 4‐isochromanone compounds bearing N‐benzyl pyridinium moiety were designed and synthesized as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. The biological evaluation showed that most of the target compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activities against AChE. Among them, compound 1q possessed the strongest anti‐AChE activity with an IC₅₀ value of 0.15 nm and high AChE/BuChE selectivity (SI > 5,000). Moreover, compound 1q had low toxicity in normal nerve cells and was relatively stable in rat plasma. Together, the current finding may provide a new approach for the discovery of novel anti‐Alzheimer's disease agents.     

Novel Quinazoline Derivatives Bearing Various 4‐Aniline Moieties as Potent EGFR Inhibitors with Enhanced Activity Against NSCLC Cell Lines

A class of novel quinazoline derivatives bearing various C‐4 aniline moieties was synthesized and biologically evaluated as potent epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors for intervention of non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Most of these inhibitors are comparable to gefitinib in inhibiting these cancer cell lines, and several of them even displayed superior inhibitory activity. In particular, analogue 5b with an IC₅₀ of 0.10 μm against the EGFR wild‐type A431 cells and 5c with an IC₅₀ of 0.001 μm against the gefitinib‐sensitive HCC827 cells (EGFR del E746‐A750) was identified as highly active EGFR inhibitors. It was also significant that the discovered analogue 2f , not only has high potency against the gefitinib‐sensitive cells (IC₅₀ = 0.031 μm ), but also possesses remarkably improved activity against the gefitinib‐resistant cells. In addition, the enzymatic assays and the Western blot analysis for evaluating the effects of the typical inhibitors indicated that these molecules strongly interfere with the EGFR target.     

Design,synthesis, and molecular docking studies of novel pyrazolyl 2‐aminopyrimidine derivatives as HSP90 inhibitors

A series of novel pyrazolyl 2‐aminopyrimidine derivatives ( 7a ‐ t ) were designed based on scaffold hopping techniques, synthesized and biologically evaluated for their HSP90 inhibition and anticancer activity. Several compounds exhibited potent HSP90 inhibition with IC₅₀ values less than that of the reference standard 17‐AAG (1.25 µM). The most potent compound 7t displayed excellent HSP90 inhibition with an IC₅₀ of 20 nM and in vitro antiproliferative potential against three cancer cell lines (IC₅₀ < 5 µM). 7t also induced dose dependent degradation of client proteins (pHER2 and pERK1/2) in Western blot analysis. Several structural features of 7p ‐ t oriented t he molecules to retain all the essential binding interactions with HSP90, as observed by rationalized docking studies. Therefore, the para‐nitrophenyl ring on the central pyrazole ring along with the 2‐amino group on the pyrimidine ring are the crucial features in the development of novel HSP90 inhibitors based on this scaffold for targeted anticancer therapy.     

Biological Evaluation of 2‐(4‐Amino‐Phenyl)‐3‐(3,5‐Dihydroxylphenyl) Propenoic Acid

Abstract: 2‐(4‐Aminophenyl)‐3‐(3,5‐dihydroxylphenyl) propenoic acid (CSN‐07001) is a new compound based on the combination of resveratrol and propenoic acid derivatives. In vitro cyclooxygenase (COX)/5‐lipoxygenase (5‐LOX) inhibition assays showed that the test compound exhibited a dual inhibitory activity against the COX (COX‐1 IC₅₀ = 2.20 μM, COX‐2 IC₅₀ = 1.76 μM) and 5‐LOX (IC₅₀ = 0.28 μM) enzymes. Further, the enhanced COX‐1/COX‐2/5‐LOX expression in lipopolysaccaride‐induced lung inflammation in mice was also suppressed by CSN‐07001 in a concentration‐dependent manner. In vivo studies showed that CSN‐07001 exhibited potent anti‐inflammatory and antinociceptive effects in different experimental models. We further examined the risk of gastric damage induced by CSN‐07001. The test compound was gastric‐sparing in that it elicited markedly fewer stomach lesions than indomethacin in rats. Taken together, our data indicate that CSN‐07001 exhibits a novel class of dual inhibitors of COX and 5‐LOX having therapeutic potential as non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory agents with an enhanced gastric safety profile.     

Design,Synthesis, and Antitumor Activity of (E,Z)‐1‐(dihydrobenzofuran‐5‐yl)‐3‐phenyl‐2‐(1,2,4‐triazol‐1‐yl)‐2‐propen‐1‐ones

A series of (E,Z)‐1‐(dihydrobenzofuran‐5‐yl)‐3‐phenyl‐2‐(1,2,4‐triazol‐1‐yl)‐2‐propen‐1‐ones ( C1 – C35 ) were designed and synthesized, and the structures of compounds (Z)‐ C27 and (Z)‐ C29 were confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The antitumor activities of these novel compounds against cervical cancer (HeLa), lung cancer (A549), and breast cancer (MCF‐7) cell lines were evaluated in vitro. Majority of the title compounds exhibited strong antitumor activities and were much more promising than the positive control Taxol, which were also accompanied by lower cytotoxicity to normal cells. In particular, compounds (E,Z)‐ C24 exhibited the most consistent potent activities against three neoplastic cells with IC₅₀ values ranging from 3.2 to 7.1 μm . Further researches demonstrated that compounds (E,Z)‐ C24 could induce cell apoptosis and arrest cell cycle at the G2/M and S phases. Meanwhile, the structure–activity relationship between the configurations and cytotoxicity of the compounds was also investigated.     

Design,Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Novel 4‐Aminopiperidinyl‐linked 3,5‐Disubstituted‐1,2,6‐thiadiazine‐1,1‐dione Derivatives as HIV‐1 NNRTIs

Based on the hybridization of the privileged fragments in DABO and DAPY‐typed HIV‐1 NNRTIs, a novel series of 4‐aminopiperidinyl‐linked 3,5‐disubstituted‐1,2,6‐thiadiazine‐1,1‐dione derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro anti‐HIV activities in MT‐4 cells. Most of the target compounds showed weak inhibitory activity against WT HIV‐1. In order to confirm the mode of action of the target compounds, representative compounds Ba8 and Bb8 were selected to perform the HIV‐1 RT inhibitory assay. In this assay, Ba8 and Bb8 displayed good activity with IC₅₀ values of 3.15 and 1.52 μm , respectively. Additionally, preliminary structure–activity relationships (SARs) analysis and molecular docking studies of newly synthesized compounds are also discussed.     

Design,Synthesis and Molecular Docking Studies of Novel Indole–Pyrimidine Hybrids as Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitors

A series of novel hybrids of indole–pyrimidine‐containing piperazine moiety were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative and tubulin polymerization inhibitory activities. The results indicated that most of these compounds possessed significant cytotoxic potency against four cancer cell lines, HT‐29, A549, MDA‐MB‐231 and MCF‐7. Particularly, the most promising compound 34 showed more potent and broad‐spectrum cytotoxic activities with the IC₅₀ values ranged from 5.01 to 14.36 μm against A549, MDA‐MB‐231 and MCF‐7 cell lines. Meanwhile, 34 also displayed the most potent tubulin polymerization inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ value of 11.2 μm . Furthermore, molecular docking analysis demonstrated 34 interacts and binds efficiently with the tubulin protein at the colchicine‐binding site. It was worth noting that the compound did not affect the normal human embryonic kidney cells, HEK‐293. These results suggest that this novel class of indole–pyrimidine hybrids may have potential to be developed as new a class of tubulin polymerization inhibitors.     

Synthesis and Anticholinergic Activity of 4‐hydroxycoumarin Derivatives Containing Substituted Benzyl‐1,2,3‐triazole Moiety

A series of 4‐hydroxycoumarin‐derived compounds 8a‐p containing N‐benzyl‐1,2,3‐triazole motif were designed as AChE inhibitors. The title compounds were obtained conveniently using multicomponent click reaction. The in vitro anticholinesterase evaluation of synthesized compounds against AChE and BuChE showed that some of them are potent and selective inhibitors of AChE. Among them, 2‐chlorobenzyl derivative 8k showed the most potent activity against AChE (IC₅₀ = 0.18 μm ). Its activity was also superior to that of standard drug tacrine. The kinetic study and molecular docking simulation of the most potent compound 8k were also described.     

Design,synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel 1,2‐diaryl‐4‐substituted‐benzylidene‐5(4H)‐imidazolone derivatives as cytotoxic agents and COX‐2/LOX inhibitors

A new series of 1,2‐diaryl‐4‐substituted‐benzylidene‐5(4H)‐imidazolone derivatives 4a–l was synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by different spectroscopic techniques (IR, ¹H NMR, DEPT‐Q NMR, and mass spectroscopy) and elemental analyses. Their cytotoxic activities in vitro were evaluated against breast, ovarian, and liver cancer cell lines and also normal human skin fibroblasts. Cyclooxygenase (COX)‐1, COX‐2 and lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitory activities were measured. The synthesized compounds showed selectivity toward COX‐2 rather than COX‐1, and the IC₅₀ values (0.25–1.7 µM) were lower than that of indomethacin (IC₅₀ = 9.47 µM) and somewhat higher than that of celecoxib (IC₅₀ = 0.071 µM). The selectivity index for COX‐2 of the oxazole derivative 4e (SI = 3.67) was nearly equal to that of celecoxib (SI = 3.66). For the LOX inhibitory activity, the new compounds showed IC₅₀ values of 0.02–74.03 µM, while the IC₅₀ of the reference zileuton was 0.83 µM. The most active compound 4c (4‐chlorobenzoxazole derivative) was found to have dual COX‐2/LOX activity. All the synthesized compounds were docked inside the active site of the COX‐2 and LOX enzymes. They linked to COX‐2 through the N atom of the azole scaffold, while C?O of the oxazolone moiety was responsible for the binding to amino acids inside the LOX active site.

     

Inhibitory effects of sulfonylureas and non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs on in vitro metabolism of canagliflozin in human liver microsomes

Canagliflozin, used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is commonly co‐administered with sulfonylureas. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the possible inhibitory effect of sulfonylureas and non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on canagliflozin metabolism in vitro. Three sulfonylurea derivatives were evaluated as inhibitors: chlorpropamide, glimepiride and gliclazide. Two other NSAIDs were used as positive control inhibitors: niflumic acid and diclofenac. The rate of formation of canagliflozin metabolites was determined by HPLC analysis of in vitro incubations of canagliflozin as a substrate with and without inhibitors, using human liver microsomes (HLMs). Among sulfonylureas, glimepiride showed the most potent inhibitory effect against canagliflozin M7 metabolite formation, with an IC₅₀ value of 88 μm , compared to chlorpropamide and gliclazide with IC₅₀ values of more than 500 μm . Diclofenac inhibited M5 metabolite formation more than M7, with IC₅₀ values of 32 μm for M5 and 80 μm for M7. Niflumic acid showed no inhibition activity against M5 formation, but had relatively selective inhibitory potency against M7 formation, which is catalysed by UGT1A9, with an IC₅₀ value of 1.9 μm and an inhibition constant value of 0.8 μm . A clinical pharmacokinetic interaction between canagliflozin and sulfonylureas is unlikely. However, a possible clinically important drug interaction between niflumic acid and canagliflozin has been identified.