Drug Resistance Reversal Potential of Ursolic Acid Derivatives against Nalidixic Acid‐ and Multidrug‐resistant Escherichia coli

As a part of our drug discovery program, ursolic acid was chemically transformed into six semi‐synthetic derivatives, which were evaluated for their antibacterial and drug resistance reversal potential in combination with conventional antibiotic nalidixic acid against the nalidixic acid‐sensitive and nalidixic acid‐resistant strains of Escherichia coli. Although ursolic acid and its all semi‐synthetic derivatives did not show antibacterial activity of their own, but in combination, they significantly reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration of nalidixic acid up to eightfold. The 3‐O‐acetyl‐urs‐12‐en‐28‐isopropyl ester (UA‐4) and 3‐O‐acetyl‐urs‐12‐en‐28‐n‐butyl ester (UA‐5) derivatives of ursolic acid reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration of nalidixic acid by eightfold against nalidixic acid‐resistant and four and eightfold against nalidixic acid‐sensitive, respectively. The UA‐4 and UA‐5 were further evaluated for their synergy potential with another antibiotic tetracycline against the multidrug‐resistant clinical isolate of Escherichia coli‐KG4. The results showed that both these derivatives in combination with tetracycline reduced the cell viability in concentration‐dependent manner by significantly inhibiting efflux pump. This was further supported by the in silico binding affinity of UA‐4 and UA‐5 with efflux pump proteins. These ursolic acid derivatives may find their potential use as synergistic agents in the treatment of multidrug‐resistant Gram‐negative infections.     

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.     

Diclofenac acid: a free‐radical‐scavenger to protect DNA against radical‐induced oxidation

The present work focused on the antioxidant effects of diclofenac acid (DaH) and its sodium salt (DaNaH) on the radical‐induced oxidation of DNA. 2,2′‐Azobis(2‐amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) was used as radical initiator to oxidize naked DNA sodium salt, followed by the determination of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS). DaH and DaNaH also interacted with two other radicals: 2,2′‐azinobis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonate) radical cation (ABTS^+.) and 2,2′‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). DaH and DaNaH produce a concentration‐dependent protection of DNA. Kinetic studies established that either DaH or DaNaH trap 3–4 radicals when they protect DNA against AAPH‐induced oxidation. DaH and DaNaH scavenged ABTS^+. efficiently. Diclofenac was thus found to be an antioxidant that concentration‐dependently reduced radicals rather than donated its hydrogen atom to radicals. Drug Dev Res 70: 520–524, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Synthesis and activity evaluation of 3′‐floxuridinyl 4‐[3‐(3, 5‐di‐t‐butyl‐4‐methoxyphenyl)‐3‐oxo‐propenyl]benzoate: in vitro and in vivo as a potential dual‐acting antitumor prodrug

BOBA (4‐[3‐(3, 5‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐methoxyphenyl)‐3‐oxo‐propenyl]benzoic acid), a substituted chalcone derivative, exhibits an excellent inducing differentiation on neoplastic cellular differentiation. FUDR (5‐fluoro‐2′‐deoxyuridine, floxuridine) inhibits DNA biosynthesis and has been used extensively to treat various cancers. In our efforts to find a new dual‐action antitumor prodrug, 3′‐floxuridinyl 4‐[3‐(3, 5‐di‐t‐butyl‐4‐methoxyphenyl)‐3‐oxo‐propenyl] benzoate (3′‐O‐BOBA‐ FUDR) was synthesized, and its antiproliferative activity in vitro and antitumor efficacy in vivo were evaluated. Compared with FUDR, the antiproliferative activity of 3′‐O‐BOBA‐FUDR was improved by 3–7‐fold. In rat hepatocellular carcinoma xenografts, 3′‐O‐BOBA‐FUDR‐treated rats had smaller tumors than were found in controls. In addition, the expression of Bcl‐2 protein was significantly downgraded, whereas the expression of Bax protein was upregulated in neoplastic tissues. The early apoptotic ratio of 3′‐O‐BOBA‐FUDR‐treated rat group was increased dose‐dependently. These findings strongly support the concept that 3′‐O‐BOBA‐FUDR may be a novel and effective dual‐action antitumor prodrug. Drug Dev Res 72:1–9, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Synthesis and Anticonvulsant Properties of New Mannich Bases Derived from 3‐Aryl‐pyrrolidine‐2,5‐diones. Part 1

A series of new Mannich bases of N‐[(4‐arylpiperazin‐1‐yl)‐methyl]‐3‐(chlorophenyl)‐pyrrolidine‐2,5‐diones 10–23 have been synthesized and evaluated for their anticonvulsant activity in maximum electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (scPTZ) seizure threshold tests. Their neurotoxicity was determined using a rotorod screen. Several molecules showed a promising anticonvulsant profile especially in the MES‐test. In this model of seizures, the most active were N‐[{4‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐piperazin‐1‐yl}‐methyl]‐3‐(3‐chlorophenyl)‐pyrrolidine‐2,5‐dione 16 and N‐[{4‐(3‐trifluoromethylphenyl)‐piperazin‐1‐yl}‐methyl]‐3‐(3‐chlorophenyl)‐pyrrolidine‐2,5‐dione 17 with ED₅₀ values of 21.4 mg/kg and 28.83 mg/kg, respectively. Selected derivatives 10 , 14 , and 16 were tested in the psychomotor seizure 6‐Hz test from which N‐[{4‐(2‐chlorophenyl)‐piperazin‐1‐yl}‐methyl]‐3‐(2‐chlorophenyl)‐pyrrolidine‐2,5‐dione 10 revealed the highest protection with an ED₅₀ of 78 mg/kg. Compounds 10 , 12 , and 17 were also tested in the pilocarpine‐induced status PIPS test. Furthermore, 17 was examined in the hippocampal kindling screen after i. p. administration to rats.     

Simultaneous evaluation of human CYP3A4 and ABCB1 induction by reporter assay in LS174T cells,stably expressing their reporter genes

The bioavailability of orally administered therapies are often significantly limited in the human intestine by the metabolic activities of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp). Predicting whether candidate compounds induce CYP3A4 and P‐gp is a crucial stage in the drug development process, as drug–drug interactions may result in the induction of intestinal CYP3A4 and P‐gp. However, the assay systems needed to evaluate both CYP3A4 and P‐gp induction in the intestine are yet to be established. To address this urgent requirement, LS174T cells were used to create two stable cell lines expressing the CYP3A4 or ATP‐binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1, encoding P‐gp) reporter genes. First, these stable cells were tested by treatment with 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₃ (1,25(OH)₂D₃), all‐trans‐retinoic acid (ATRA) and 9‐cis‐retinoic acid (9‐cis RA) that induce CYP3A4 and P‐gp in the intestines. All these compounds significantly increased both CYP3A4 and ABCB1 reporter activities in the stable cell lines. To simultaneously assess the induction of CYP3A4 and ABCB1, both stable cells were co‐cultivated to measure their reporter activities. The mixed cells showed a significant increase in the CYP3A4 and ABCB1 reporter activities following treatment with 1,25(OH)₂D₃, ATRA, and 9‐cis RA. These activity levels were maintained after passaging more than 20 times and following multiple freeze–thaw cycles. These results demonstrate that our established cell lines can be used to evaluate simultaneously CYP3A4 and ABCB1 induction in the intestines, providing a valuable in vitro model for the evaluation of future drug candidates. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Significant activity of ecdysteroids on the resistance to doxorubicin in mammalian cancer cells expressing the human ABCB1 transporter

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major cause of failure of cancer chemotherapy. Fifty-eight ecdysteroids, herbal analogues of the insect molting hormone and their semisynthetic derivatives, were tested for their activity against L5178 mouse T-cell lymphoma cells (non-MDR) and their subcell line transfected with pHa MDR1/A retrovirus overexpressing the human ABCB1 efflux pump (MDR cell line). The compounds showed very low antiproliferative activities but modulated the efflux of rhodamine 123 mediated by the ABCB1 transporter. Roughly depending on the polarity, mild to strong synergism or antagonism was observed by combining ecdysteroids with doxorubicin, and specific structure-activity relationships were also found. Our results show the effect of ecdysteroids on MDR cancer cells for the first time. Less polar derivatives may serve as valuable leads toward a potent and safe resistance modulator. Biological significance of the resistance-increasing activity of the most abundant phytoecdysteroids including 20-hydroxyecdysone is yet to be clarified.     

Antiproliferative amaryllidaceae alkaloids isolated from the bulbs of Sprekelia formosissima and Hymenocallis x festalis

Seven alkaloids were isolated from Sprekelia formosissima, and five from Hymenocallis x festalis. Tazettine, lycorine, haemanthidine and haemanthamine were evaluated for antiproliferative and multidrug resistance (mdr) reversing activity on mouse lymphoma cells. Lycorine, haemanthidine and haemanthamine displayed pronounced cell growth inhibitory activities against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cell lines, but did not significantly inhibit mdr-1 p-glycoprotein. Thus, the tested alkaloids are apparently not substrates for the mdr efflux pump. Assays for interactions with DNA and RNA revealed that the antiproliferative effects of lycorine and haemanthamine result from their complex formation with RNA.     

Preparation and in‐vitro Evaluation of 4‐Benzylsulfanylpyridine‐2‐carbohydrazides as Potential Antituberculosis Agents

A set of 4‐benzylsulfanylpyridine‐2‐carbohydrazides was synthesized and evaluated for in vitro antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, non‐tuberculous mycobacteria, and multidrug‐resistant M. tuberculosis. The activities expressed as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) fall into a range of 2 to 125 μmol/L, most often 4 to 32 μmol/L. The results revealed that the substituents on the benzyl moiety do not influence the antimycobacterial efficacy. The substances exhibited similar activities against sensitive and resistant strains of M. tuberculosis. Furthermore, compounds show low antiproliferative effect and cytotoxicity.     

Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel 2‐Substituted‐quinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones as Potent Analgesic and Anti‐inflammatory Agents

A novel series of 2‐substituted‐quinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones were synthesized by reacting 3,5‐disubstituted‐anthranilic acid with acetic anhydride/benzoyl chloride, which were further reacted with different primary amines to obtain 2,6,8‐substituted‐quinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones 6a–f , 7 , 8 . All the synthesized compounds were characterized and screened for analgesic and anti‐inflammatory activities. Compounds 6,8‐dibromo‐2‐phenyl‐3‐(4′‐carboxyl phenyl)quinazolin‐4(3H)‐one 7 and 6,8‐dibromo‐2‐phenyl‐3‐(2′‐phenylethanoic acid)quinazolin‐4(3H)‐one 8 displayed good analgesic and anti‐inflammatory activity in comparison to the reference standards acetyl salicylic acid and indomethacin, respectively.     

4‐Hydroxy‐α‐Tetralone and its Derivative as Drug Resistance Reversal Agents in Multi Drug Resistant Escherichia coli

The purpose of present investigation was to understand the drug resistance reversal mechanism of 4‐hydroxy‐α‐tetralone ( 1 ) isolated from Ammannia spp. along with its semi‐synthetic derivatives ( 1a – 1e ) using multidrug resistant Escherichia coli (MDREC). The test compounds did not show significant antibacterial activity of their own, but in combination, they reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tetracycline (TET). In time kill assay, compound 1 and its derivative 1e in combination with TET reduced the cell viability in concentration dependent manner. Compounds 1 and 1e were also able to reduce the mutation prevention concentration of TET. Both compounds showed inhibition of ATP dependent efflux pumps. In real time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) study, compounds 1 and 1e alone and in combination with TET showed significant down expression of efflux pump gene (yojI) encoding multidrug ATP binding cassettes (ABC) transporter protein. Molecular mechanism was also supported by the in silico docking studies, which revealed significant binding affinity of compounds 1 and 1e with YojI. This study confirms that compound 1 and its derivative 1e are ABC efflux pump inhibitors which may be the basis for development of antibacterial combinations for the management of MDR infections from inexpensive natural product.     

Novel Mannich Bases, 5‐Arylimidazolidine‐2,4‐dione Derivatives with Dual 5‐HT1A Receptor and Serotonin Transporter Affinity

A computer aided ligand design study of imidazolidine‐2,4‐dione derivatives was conducted in order to obtain compounds with dual 5‐HT_1A receptor and serotonin transporter (SERT) affinity. According to molecular modeling results, series of Mannich bases were chosen and synthesized. Investigated compounds were tested for 5‐HT_1A, 5‐HT_2A, α₁ and SERT affinity. Two selected compounds ( 5 , 9 ) were characterized in functional experiments and possessed a pharmacological profile which may enhance SERT blocking efficacy – 5‐HT_1A partial agonism and 5‐HT_2A antagonism in one molecule. Furthermore these compounds displayed satisfactory selectivity over adrenergic α₁ receptors. The most promising compounds, 5‐arylimidazolidine‐2,4‐dione derivatives with 4‐(3‐chlorophenyl)piperazinylmethyl moiety were tested for antidepressant and anxiolytic activity. In particular, compound 5 (5‐(2‐methoxyphenyl)‐3‐{1‐[4‐(3‐chlorophenyl)piperazin‐1‐yl]methyl}‐imidazolidine‐2,4‐dione), tested in the forced swim test in mice, exhibited a favorable antidepressant‐like profile without affecting spontaneous locomotor activity.     

Synthesis and mycobacterial evaluation of 5‐substituted‐6‐acetyl‐2‐amino‐7‐methyl‐5,8‐dihydropyrido‐[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐4(3H)‐one derivatives

5‐Substituted‐6‐acetyl‐2‐amino‐7‐methyl‐5,8‐dihydropyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐4(3H)‐one derivatives were synthesized and evaluated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, Mycobacterium aurum, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus as well as a human monocyte‐derived macrophage (THP‐1), and murine macrophage (RAW 264.7) cell lines to assess their antibacterial and cytotoxic potential, respectively. The compounds showed activity in the range of 1.95–125 µg/ml against M. tuberculosis but showed no activity against M. aurum, E. coli, and S. aureus, indicating selectivity towards slow‐growing mycobacterial pathogens. The compounds exhibited very low to no cytotoxicity up to 500 µg/ml concentration against eukaryotic cell lines. The most potent molecule, 2l , showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 1.95 µg/ml against M. tuberculosis H37Rv and a selectivity index of >250 against both the eukaryotic cell lines. Furthermore, 2l showed moderate inhibition of whole‐cell mycobacterial drug‐efflux pumps when compared to verapamil, a known potent inhibitor of efflux pumps. Thus, derivative 2l was identified as an antituberculosis hit molecule, which could be used to yield more potent lead molecules.     

Synthesis and Antitubercular Activity of 2‐(substituted phenyl/benzyl‐amino)‐6‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐5‐(methoxycarbonyl)‐4‐methyl‐3,6‐dihydropyrimidin‐1‐ium Chlorides

A series of 2‐(substituted phenyl/benzyl‐amino)‐6‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐5‐(methoxycarbonyl)‐4‐methyl‐3,6‐dihydropyrimidin‐1‐ium chlorides 7–13 and 15 was synthesized in their hydrochloride salt form. The title compounds were characterized by FT‐IR, NMR (¹H and ¹³C) and elemental analysis. They were evaluated for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, multidrug resistance tuberculosis and extensively drug resistance tuberculosis by agar diffusion method and tested for the cytotoxic action on peripheral blood mononuclear cells by MTT assay. Among all the tested compounds in the series, compounds 7 and 11 emerged as promising antitubercular agents at 16 μg/mL against multidrug resistance tuberculosis and over 64 μg/mL against extensively drug resistance tuberculosis. The conformational features and supramolecular assembly of the promising compounds 7 and 11 were determined by single crystal X‐ray study.     

Synthesis and Anticonvulsant Properties of New N‐Mannich Bases Derived from 3,3‐Diphenyl‐ and 3‐Ethyl‐3‐methyl‐pyrrolidine‐2,5‐diones. Part III

Twenty‐four new N‐[(4‐phenylpiperazin‐1‐yl)‐methyl] derivatives of 3,3‐diphenyl‐ ( 7 – 18 ) and 3‐ethyl‐3‐methyl‐pyrrolidine‐2,5‐dione ( 19 – 30 ) were synthesized and evaluated for their anticonvulsant activity in the maximum electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (scPTZ) seizure tests. The acute neurological toxicity was determined using the rotorod screen. Eleven compounds were active and revealed protection only in electrically induced seizures (MES). In the whole series the most effective compound was N‐[{4‐(3‐trifluoromethylphenyl)‐piperazin‐1‐yl}‐methyl]‐3,3‐diphenyl‐pyrrolidine‐2,5‐dione ( 14 ) with an ED₅₀ value of 30.3 mg/kg (p.o. rats) in the MES test. To explain the possible mechanism of action, for chosen active derivatives 7 , 8 , 9 , 11 , 14 , 23 , and 26 , their influence on Na_V1.2 sodium channel currents was evaluated in vitro. The crystallographic structures for several molecules ( 8 , 10 , and 11 ) were solved.     

Synthesis of potent lymphocyte function‐associated antigen‐1 inhibitors labeled with carbon‐14 and deuterium,part 1

The lymphocyte function‐associated antigen‐1 (LFA‐1) is an essential component in normal immune system function and is a target for drug discovery for its broad therapeutic potential in treating inflammatory diseases. Here, we report the synthesis of three potent antagonists of LFA‐1 labeled with carbon‐14 and deuterium to support drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics studies. Carbon‐14 labeled (R)‐1‐acetyl‐5‐(4‐bromobenzyl)‐3‐(3,5‐dichlorophenyl)‐5‐methyl‐imidazolidine‐2,4‐dione (1) was prepared in 27% radiochemical yield in two steps and with a specific activity of 2.1 GBq/mmol by using [¹⁴C]‐phosgene. Carbon‐14 labeled 5‐bromopyrimidine was used to prepare (R)‐5‐(1‐piperazinylsulfonyl)‐1‐(3,5‐dichlorophenyl)‐3‐[4‐(5‐pyrimidinyl)benzyl]‐3‐methyl‐1‐H‐imidazo[1,2a]imidazol‐2‐one (2) and (R)‐1‐[7‐(3,5‐dichlorophenyl)‐5‐methyl‐6‐oxo‐5‐(4‐pyrimidin‐5‐yl‐benzyl)‐6,7‐dihydro‐5H‐imidazo[1,2‐a]imidazole‐3‐sulfonyl]piperidin‐4‐carboxylic acid amide (3) via a Suzuki reaction with the corresponding boronic acid esters in 42% and 67% radiochemical yield and specific activities of 1.85 GBq/mmol and 1.95 GBq/mmol, respectively. Deuterium labeled piperazine was reacted with the sulfonyl chloride derivative (7), followed by a Suzuki coupling to the pyrimidine boronic ester to give deuterium labeled (2) in 47% yield. Deuterium labeled isonipecotamide was reacted in a similar way with the sulfonyl chloride derivative (14) to furnish deuterium labeled (3) in one step and in 94% yield. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design and synthesis of new 2‐anilinoquinolines bearing N‐methylpicolinamide moiety as potential antiproliferative agents

A series of new 2‐anilinoquinolines 6a – o possessing the substantial N‐methylpicolinamide motif at C5 has been designed and synthesized as sorafenib analogs. The antiproliferative activities of the target compounds were preliminarily appraised against a panel of three human cancer cell lines (MCF‐7, SK‐BR3, and HCT116), and a selected array was further tested over a panel of approximately 60 cancer cell lines at NCI at 10 μM concentration. Interestingly, compounds 6c , 6d , 6j , 6k , and 6l showed promising selective anticancer activities (growth inhibition >80%) toward certain cancer cells at 10 μM testing dose. Compounds 6d and 6j were advanced to five‐dose testing mode to determine their GI₅₀ values and compared with our previously reported ureidoquinoline B and sorafenib as reference compounds. The 4‐chloro‐3‐trifluoromethylaniline derivative 6j manifested superior potency than both compound B and sorafenib over eleven and eight cell lines, respectively. It showed GI₅₀ values of 0.36, 0.66, 0.68, and 0.60 μM against the breast MDA‐MB‐468, renal A498, and melanoma SK‐MEL‐5 and UACC‐62 cell lines, respectively. Moreover, both 6d and 6j exerted low cytotoxic effects against HFF‐1 normal cell line. Furthermore, compounds 6d and 6j were tested against both B‐Raf^V600E and C‐Raf kinases and displayed modest inhibitory activities, which were justified by molecular docking study. Compound 6j could serve as a promising candidate for further development of potent anticancer chemotherapeutics.     

Ventricular PKC‐ϵ and humoral signaling in DOCA‐Salt rats treated with labedipinedilol‐A

Effects of oral antihypertensive monotherapy with labedipinedilol‐A, labetalol, atenolol, amlodipine, prazosin (20 mg kg^?1 day^?1), and short‐acting nifedipine (3 mg kg^?1 day^?1) on DOCA‐salt‐induced translocation of ventricular protein kinase C‐?(PKC‐?), humoral signaling, and the cardiovascular system were investigated in rats for 4 weeks. The triple blocking activities of labedipinedilol‐A (α/β‐adrenoceptor blockade and calcium entry blockade) were compared with single blocking activities of selective drugs. Cytosolic PKC‐? immunoreactivity was decreased by labedipinedilol‐A, short‐acting nifedipine, amlodipine, prazosin, labetalol, atenolol, and losartan. Membranous PKC‐? immunoreactivity was significantly decreased by labedipinedilol‐A, amlodipine, prazosin, labetalol, and atenolol. Labedipinedilol‐A and prazosin more potently decreased membranous than cytosolic PKC‐? expression. Labedipinedilol‐A, labetalol, and atenolol effectively inhibited DOCA‐salt‐induced increases in angiotensin II (Ang II). All antihypertensive agents reduced endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) levels in urine and cardiac weight growth. Treatments with labedipinedilol‐A, labetalol, atenolol, and amlodipine normalized DOCA‐salt‐induced ANP increases. Prazosin did not decrease ANP. Short‐acting nifedipine elevated ANP. During long‐term antihypertensive therapy in DOCA‐salt hypertensive rats, single blockade drugs did not fully inhibit ventricular PKC‐? translocation or Ang II, ET‐1, and ANP humoral signaling. However, triple blockade labedipinedilol‐A therapy had a wide range of α/β‐adrenergic receptor and calcium channel inhibitory activities, including diminished reflux tachycardia, inhibition of PKC‐? translocation, and reduction of Ang II, ET‐1, and ANP formation. Drug Dev. Res. 59:307–315, 2003. 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Pharmacophore‐Based Drug Design and Biological Evaluation of Novel ABCB1 Inhibitors

Overexpression of ABCB1 is one of major barriers for multidrug resistance in chemotherapy and limits drug oral bioavailability. Inhibition of ABCB1 would sensitize multidrug resistance in clinical cancer chemotherapy. With this aim, a 3D pharmacophore model was created based on known ABCB1 inhibitors with correlation coefficient of 0.94, comprising three hydrophobic features and one hydrogen bond acceptor. It was further validated and used to search our in‐house 3D database for potential ABCB1 inhibitors. The inhibitory activities of the best hits were evaluated by several biological assays, such as rhodamine 123 accumulation assay, chemosensitization assay, multidrug resistance 1‐Madin‐Darby canine kidney cells/Madin‐Darby canine kidney cells permeability assay. Finally, compounds YZ‐3 and YZ‐16 were identified as potential leads to be developed in the designing of novel potent ABCB1 inhibitors.