Pub Date : 2024-05-01DOI: 10.3390/futurepharmacol4020021
José Thyálisson da Costa Silva, Fabio Caboclo Moreira, José Jailson Lima Bezerra, Naiza Saraiva Farias, Aparecida Vitória Silva Menêses, Andressa Guilhermino dos Santos, Mariana dos Santos Santana, Maria Elenilda Paulino da Silva, V. Fonseca, Adrielle Rodrigues Costa, S. Menezes, R. Cruz, M. Morais-Braga, T. Tasca, C. Oliveira-Tintino, H. Coutinho, J. Almeida-Bezerra
As microbes develop resistance to various drugs, the treatment of infections becomes increasingly challenging, leading to prolonged illness, heightened severity of infections, elevated mortality rates, and increased healthcare costs. Essential oils are lipophilic and volatile mixtures of compounds that have gained attention in research for novel antimicrobial agents. Therefore, the present study evaluated the essential oil of Syzygium cumini leaves (EOSC) in order to prospect its antifungal and trichomonacidal activities. The essential oil from the leaves was extracted by steam distillation and analyzed by GC-MS. Antifungal activity was evaluated using the serial microdilution method. Additionally, the potential of the EOSC as an enhancer of fluconazole (FCZ) action was tested at subinhibitory concentrations. To assess anti-Trichomonas vaginalis activity, concentrations ranging from 15.6 to 500 μg/mL of EOSC were tested. Finally, the SwissADME platform was employed to analyze the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic characteristics of the major component of EOSC. The GC-MS analysis identified 94.24% of the components of EOSC, with α-pinene (51.11%) and nerol (8.25%) as major constituents. EOSC exhibited low antifungal activity against the evaluated Candida strains. However, the combination of EOSC and FCZ reduced the IC50 against Candida krusei from 45.29 to 0.30 μg/mL. EOSC also demonstrated significant activity against T. vaginalis (IC50 = 88.2 μg/mL). In silico prediction with α-pinene showed low toxic action and important physicochemical aspects for drug production. The essential oil of Syzygium cumini emerges as a promising candidate for the discovery of molecules with potential antifungal and anti-Trichomonas vaginalis applications.
{"title":"In Vitro and In Silico Biological Evaluation of the Essential Oil from Syzigium cumini Leaves as a Source of Novel Antifungal and Trichomonacidal Agents","authors":"José Thyálisson da Costa Silva, Fabio Caboclo Moreira, José Jailson Lima Bezerra, Naiza Saraiva Farias, Aparecida Vitória Silva Menêses, Andressa Guilhermino dos Santos, Mariana dos Santos Santana, Maria Elenilda Paulino da Silva, V. Fonseca, Adrielle Rodrigues Costa, S. Menezes, R. Cruz, M. Morais-Braga, T. Tasca, C. Oliveira-Tintino, H. Coutinho, J. Almeida-Bezerra","doi":"10.3390/futurepharmacol4020021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol4020021","url":null,"abstract":"As microbes develop resistance to various drugs, the treatment of infections becomes increasingly challenging, leading to prolonged illness, heightened severity of infections, elevated mortality rates, and increased healthcare costs. Essential oils are lipophilic and volatile mixtures of compounds that have gained attention in research for novel antimicrobial agents. Therefore, the present study evaluated the essential oil of Syzygium cumini leaves (EOSC) in order to prospect its antifungal and trichomonacidal activities. The essential oil from the leaves was extracted by steam distillation and analyzed by GC-MS. Antifungal activity was evaluated using the serial microdilution method. Additionally, the potential of the EOSC as an enhancer of fluconazole (FCZ) action was tested at subinhibitory concentrations. To assess anti-Trichomonas vaginalis activity, concentrations ranging from 15.6 to 500 μg/mL of EOSC were tested. Finally, the SwissADME platform was employed to analyze the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic characteristics of the major component of EOSC. The GC-MS analysis identified 94.24% of the components of EOSC, with α-pinene (51.11%) and nerol (8.25%) as major constituents. EOSC exhibited low antifungal activity against the evaluated Candida strains. However, the combination of EOSC and FCZ reduced the IC50 against Candida krusei from 45.29 to 0.30 μg/mL. EOSC also demonstrated significant activity against T. vaginalis (IC50 = 88.2 μg/mL). In silico prediction with α-pinene showed low toxic action and important physicochemical aspects for drug production. The essential oil of Syzygium cumini emerges as a promising candidate for the discovery of molecules with potential antifungal and anti-Trichomonas vaginalis applications.","PeriodicalId":12592,"journal":{"name":"Future Pharmacology","volume":"26 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141033407","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-14DOI: 10.3390/futurepharmacol4010017
M. Manrai, A. Jha, S. Dawra, Aditya Vikram Pachisia
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of heterogeneous chronic inflammatory diseases of the gut presenting with intestinal and extraintestinal manifestations. Most cases fit in predominantly two types, namely, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The incidence of IBD has been increasing steadily in the past three decades. Focused research has resulted in many therapeutic options. Biologics (derived from humans or animals) and small molecules have emerged as the cornerstone in the management of IBD and have become widely available. Currently, monoclonal antibodies against tumor necrosis factor-alpha (infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab, and golimumab), integrins (vedolizumab and natalizumab), and interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 antagonists (ustekinumab), along with small molecules (tofacitinib), are approved for use. This article summarizes various aspects of these drugs, like clinical pharmacology, indications for use in IBD, safety in pregnancy and lactation, and the adverse effects profile based on the studies leading to their approval. This review also focuses on the recent advances and future perspectives specific to biologics in IBD.
{"title":"Biologics, Small Molecules and More in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The Present and the Future","authors":"M. Manrai, A. Jha, S. Dawra, Aditya Vikram Pachisia","doi":"10.3390/futurepharmacol4010017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol4010017","url":null,"abstract":"Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of heterogeneous chronic inflammatory diseases of the gut presenting with intestinal and extraintestinal manifestations. Most cases fit in predominantly two types, namely, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The incidence of IBD has been increasing steadily in the past three decades. Focused research has resulted in many therapeutic options. Biologics (derived from humans or animals) and small molecules have emerged as the cornerstone in the management of IBD and have become widely available. Currently, monoclonal antibodies against tumor necrosis factor-alpha (infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab, and golimumab), integrins (vedolizumab and natalizumab), and interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 antagonists (ustekinumab), along with small molecules (tofacitinib), are approved for use. This article summarizes various aspects of these drugs, like clinical pharmacology, indications for use in IBD, safety in pregnancy and lactation, and the adverse effects profile based on the studies leading to their approval. This review also focuses on the recent advances and future perspectives specific to biologics in IBD.","PeriodicalId":12592,"journal":{"name":"Future Pharmacology","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140244904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-08DOI: 10.3390/futurepharmacol4010016
S. Goenka
Curcuminoids are naturally occurring yellow-colored compounds that, when hydrogenated to remove their conjugated double bond, become colorless and are referred to as tetrahydrocurcuminoids. Curcuminoids consist of pure curcumin (PC) in major amounts and demethoxycurcumin (DC) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDC) in minor amounts. Tetrahydrocurcuminoids similarly consist mainly of tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), along with minor amounts of tetrahydrodemethoxycurcumin (THDC) and tetrahydrobisdemethoxycurcumin (THBDC). Previous studies have shown the inhibitory effects of PC, DC, and BDC on melanin production, but there are contradictory findings about THC. In addition, there are currently no reports on the effects of THDC and THBDC on melanogenesis. Our previous report described that, in contrast to PC, which suppressed melanin production, THC stimulated melanin production in B16F10 and MNT-1 cells; this effect was ascribed to the loss of the conjugated heptadiene moiety of PC. However, whether this finding can be generalized to the two curcumin derivatives (DC and BDC), such that THDC and THBDC might also stimulate melanogenesis, has not been addressed. Herein, a comparative study of six curcumin derivatives (PC, DC, BDC, THC, THDC, and THBDC) was undertaken to identify their effects on melanogenesis with the goal of elucidating the structure–activity relationships (SARs) focused on assessing the two regions of the parent curcumins’ structure: (i) the hydrogenation of the two double bonds bridging the phenyl rings to the β-diketone moiety, and (ii) the effect of the ortho-methoxy substituent (-OCH3) on the two phenyl rings. To determine the direct effects of the six compounds, antioxidant activity and tyrosinase activity were assessed in cell-free systems before cellular experiments utilizing the B16F10 mouse melanoma cells, MNT-1 human melanoma cells, and primary cells. Evaluations were made on cytotoxicity, melanin concentration, and cellular tyrosinase activity. The results showed that BDC inhibited melanogenesis in B16F10 and MNT-1 cells. However, it was ineffective in primary human melanocytes, while THBDC continued to exhibit anti-melanogenic capacity in normal human melanocytes. Moreover, these findings provide a novel perspective into the role of the methoxy groups of PC on the biological effects of melanogenesis and also confirm that the removal of the conjugated double bonds abolishes the anti-melanogenic capacity of PC and DC only, but not BDC, as THBDC maintained anti-melanogenic activity that was greater than BDC. However, the outcome is contingent upon the specific kind of cell involved. To the best of our knowledge, this work presents novel findings indicating that the anti-melanogenic capacity of the colored BDC is not only intact but enhanced after its hydrogenation as observed in THBDC. The findings show potential for using colorless THBDC as a pharmacological candidate to diminish the increased pigmentation characteristic of skin hyperpigme
{"title":"Comparative Study of the Effects of Curcuminoids and Tetrahydrocurcuminoids on Melanogenesis: Role of the Methoxy Groups","authors":"S. Goenka","doi":"10.3390/futurepharmacol4010016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol4010016","url":null,"abstract":"Curcuminoids are naturally occurring yellow-colored compounds that, when hydrogenated to remove their conjugated double bond, become colorless and are referred to as tetrahydrocurcuminoids. Curcuminoids consist of pure curcumin (PC) in major amounts and demethoxycurcumin (DC) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDC) in minor amounts. Tetrahydrocurcuminoids similarly consist mainly of tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), along with minor amounts of tetrahydrodemethoxycurcumin (THDC) and tetrahydrobisdemethoxycurcumin (THBDC). Previous studies have shown the inhibitory effects of PC, DC, and BDC on melanin production, but there are contradictory findings about THC. In addition, there are currently no reports on the effects of THDC and THBDC on melanogenesis. Our previous report described that, in contrast to PC, which suppressed melanin production, THC stimulated melanin production in B16F10 and MNT-1 cells; this effect was ascribed to the loss of the conjugated heptadiene moiety of PC. However, whether this finding can be generalized to the two curcumin derivatives (DC and BDC), such that THDC and THBDC might also stimulate melanogenesis, has not been addressed. Herein, a comparative study of six curcumin derivatives (PC, DC, BDC, THC, THDC, and THBDC) was undertaken to identify their effects on melanogenesis with the goal of elucidating the structure–activity relationships (SARs) focused on assessing the two regions of the parent curcumins’ structure: (i) the hydrogenation of the two double bonds bridging the phenyl rings to the β-diketone moiety, and (ii) the effect of the ortho-methoxy substituent (-OCH3) on the two phenyl rings. To determine the direct effects of the six compounds, antioxidant activity and tyrosinase activity were assessed in cell-free systems before cellular experiments utilizing the B16F10 mouse melanoma cells, MNT-1 human melanoma cells, and primary cells. Evaluations were made on cytotoxicity, melanin concentration, and cellular tyrosinase activity. The results showed that BDC inhibited melanogenesis in B16F10 and MNT-1 cells. However, it was ineffective in primary human melanocytes, while THBDC continued to exhibit anti-melanogenic capacity in normal human melanocytes. Moreover, these findings provide a novel perspective into the role of the methoxy groups of PC on the biological effects of melanogenesis and also confirm that the removal of the conjugated double bonds abolishes the anti-melanogenic capacity of PC and DC only, but not BDC, as THBDC maintained anti-melanogenic activity that was greater than BDC. However, the outcome is contingent upon the specific kind of cell involved. To the best of our knowledge, this work presents novel findings indicating that the anti-melanogenic capacity of the colored BDC is not only intact but enhanced after its hydrogenation as observed in THBDC. The findings show potential for using colorless THBDC as a pharmacological candidate to diminish the increased pigmentation characteristic of skin hyperpigme","PeriodicalId":12592,"journal":{"name":"Future Pharmacology","volume":"32 32","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140396788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-05DOI: 10.3390/futurepharmacol4010015
M. Vichi-Ramírez, Edgar López-López, C. Soriano-Correa, C. Barrientos-Salcedo
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a significant global health problem. Additionally, anti-protozoan treatments are toxic, and their therapeutic regimens require prolonged treatment times and high concentrations of the drugs. Additionally, multi-resistant protozoan strains represent an important global emergency that must be addressed. For these reasons, global efforts are being made to identify new drug candidates that are capable of combating these kinds of diseases. This systematic review shows that 5-nitroimidazole derivatives have been successfully used against neglected tropical protozoan diseases (NTPDs), with a specific focus on three diseases: malaria, leishmaniasis, and human trypanosomiasis. Some nitroimidazole derivatives have been repurposed, and an important group of new drugs is available for the treatment of NTPDs. Finally, we address 5-nitroimidazoles using chemoinformatics and medicinal chemistry tools to describe the most recent and promising 5-nitroimidazole derivatives associated with anti-protozoal activity using their published in vitro and in vivo data. We show that 5-nitroimidazoles offer a broader spectrum of activity against a variety of protozoal pathogens. More importantly, these compounds demonstrate a significantly reduced systemic toxicity compared to other nitroimidazoles. This makes them a more favorable option in the treatment of protozoal infections, particularly in scenarios where the patient’s tolerance to drug side effects is a critical concern.
{"title":"Using 5-Nitroimidazole Derivatives against Neglected Tropical Protozoan Diseases: Systematic Review","authors":"M. Vichi-Ramírez, Edgar López-López, C. Soriano-Correa, C. Barrientos-Salcedo","doi":"10.3390/futurepharmacol4010015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol4010015","url":null,"abstract":"Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a significant global health problem. Additionally, anti-protozoan treatments are toxic, and their therapeutic regimens require prolonged treatment times and high concentrations of the drugs. Additionally, multi-resistant protozoan strains represent an important global emergency that must be addressed. For these reasons, global efforts are being made to identify new drug candidates that are capable of combating these kinds of diseases. This systematic review shows that 5-nitroimidazole derivatives have been successfully used against neglected tropical protozoan diseases (NTPDs), with a specific focus on three diseases: malaria, leishmaniasis, and human trypanosomiasis. Some nitroimidazole derivatives have been repurposed, and an important group of new drugs is available for the treatment of NTPDs. Finally, we address 5-nitroimidazoles using chemoinformatics and medicinal chemistry tools to describe the most recent and promising 5-nitroimidazole derivatives associated with anti-protozoal activity using their published in vitro and in vivo data. We show that 5-nitroimidazoles offer a broader spectrum of activity against a variety of protozoal pathogens. More importantly, these compounds demonstrate a significantly reduced systemic toxicity compared to other nitroimidazoles. This makes them a more favorable option in the treatment of protozoal infections, particularly in scenarios where the patient’s tolerance to drug side effects is a critical concern.","PeriodicalId":12592,"journal":{"name":"Future Pharmacology","volume":"120 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140079246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-28DOI: 10.3390/futurepharmacol4010013
Darline Dize, M. Tali, Cyrille Armel Njanpa Ngansop, R. Keumoe, Eugenie Aimée Madiesse Kemgne, Lauve Rachel Tchokouaha Yamthe, Patrick Valere Tsouh Fokou, Boniface Pone Kamdem, Katsura Hata, Fabrice Fekam Boyom
Malaria, leishmaniasis, and African trypanosomiasis are protozoan diseases that constitute major global health problems, especially in developing countries; however, the development of drug resistance coupled with the toxicity of current treatments has hindered their management. The involvement of certain enzymes (dihydrofolate reductase [DHFR]) or proteins (potassium channels) in the pathogenesis of these protozoan diseases is undeniable. In this study, a series of three DHFR inhibitors (6-5 fused heterocyclic derivatives X, Y, and Z) and one K+ channel blocker (E4031) were screened for their inhibitory effects on Leishmania donovani, Plasmodium falciparum, and Trypanosoma brucei. A resazurin assay was used to assess the antitrypanosomal and antileishmanial activities of the test compounds, whereas the antiplasmodial activity was evaluated through the SYBR Green I test. Moreover, the cytotoxicities of the test compounds were evaluated in Vero, Raw 264.7, and HepG-2 cells using a resazurin-based test, while their pharmacokinetic properties were predicted using the online tool, pkCSM. As a result, compound Y exhibited selective (selectivity index range: from 2.69 to >61.4; Vero, Raw 264.7, and HepG-2 cells) and broad-spectrum antiprotozoal activity against L. donovani promastigotes (IC50: 12.4 µM), amastigotes (IC50: 4.28 µM), P. falciparum (IC50: 0.028 µM), and T. brucei brucei (IC50: 0.81 µM). In addition, compound X inhibited the growth of P. falciparum (IC50: 0.0052 µM) and T. brucei brucei (IC50: 6.49 µM). In silico screening of the active antiprotozoal compounds revealed positive drug likeness scores, as none of the criteria for Lipinski’s rule were violated by these compounds. However, in-depth pharmacokinetic and mechanistic studies are warranted to support the discovery of novel antiprotozoal agents against malaria, leishmaniasis, and African trypanosomiasis by repurposing K+ channel blockers and DHFR inhibitors.
{"title":"Target-Based 6-5 Fused Ring Heterocyclic Scaffolds Display Broad Antiparasitic Potency In Vitro","authors":"Darline Dize, M. Tali, Cyrille Armel Njanpa Ngansop, R. Keumoe, Eugenie Aimée Madiesse Kemgne, Lauve Rachel Tchokouaha Yamthe, Patrick Valere Tsouh Fokou, Boniface Pone Kamdem, Katsura Hata, Fabrice Fekam Boyom","doi":"10.3390/futurepharmacol4010013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol4010013","url":null,"abstract":"Malaria, leishmaniasis, and African trypanosomiasis are protozoan diseases that constitute major global health problems, especially in developing countries; however, the development of drug resistance coupled with the toxicity of current treatments has hindered their management. The involvement of certain enzymes (dihydrofolate reductase [DHFR]) or proteins (potassium channels) in the pathogenesis of these protozoan diseases is undeniable. In this study, a series of three DHFR inhibitors (6-5 fused heterocyclic derivatives X, Y, and Z) and one K+ channel blocker (E4031) were screened for their inhibitory effects on Leishmania donovani, Plasmodium falciparum, and Trypanosoma brucei. A resazurin assay was used to assess the antitrypanosomal and antileishmanial activities of the test compounds, whereas the antiplasmodial activity was evaluated through the SYBR Green I test. Moreover, the cytotoxicities of the test compounds were evaluated in Vero, Raw 264.7, and HepG-2 cells using a resazurin-based test, while their pharmacokinetic properties were predicted using the online tool, pkCSM. As a result, compound Y exhibited selective (selectivity index range: from 2.69 to >61.4; Vero, Raw 264.7, and HepG-2 cells) and broad-spectrum antiprotozoal activity against L. donovani promastigotes (IC50: 12.4 µM), amastigotes (IC50: 4.28 µM), P. falciparum (IC50: 0.028 µM), and T. brucei brucei (IC50: 0.81 µM). In addition, compound X inhibited the growth of P. falciparum (IC50: 0.0052 µM) and T. brucei brucei (IC50: 6.49 µM). In silico screening of the active antiprotozoal compounds revealed positive drug likeness scores, as none of the criteria for Lipinski’s rule were violated by these compounds. However, in-depth pharmacokinetic and mechanistic studies are warranted to support the discovery of novel antiprotozoal agents against malaria, leishmaniasis, and African trypanosomiasis by repurposing K+ channel blockers and DHFR inhibitors.","PeriodicalId":12592,"journal":{"name":"Future Pharmacology","volume":"5 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140420918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-26DOI: 10.3390/futurepharmacol4010012
Daniel Pierce Radin, S. Zhong, Rok Cerne, Mohammed Shoaib, Jeffrey M Witkin, A. Lippa
AMPA-glutamate receptors (AMPARs) are expressed throughout the CNS and mediate the majority of fast excitatory synaptic transmission. Ampakines are orally available small molecules that bind allosterically to AMPARs and enhance excitatory currents elicited by the endogenous agonist glutamate. In preclinical studies, ampakines are effective in ameliorating symptoms in a battery of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases in which excitatory transmission is compromised. However, the development of ampakines as medicines was slowed by the emergence of neurotoxicity and seizures in rodents due to some ampakines. Here, we describe the preclinical pharmacology of a novel ampakine, N-methyl-N-(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5] oxadiazole-5-carboxamide (CX1739), that does not induce seizures in animals or humans at efficacious doses. CX1739 dose-dependently enhanced long-term potentiation in vivo in rats, a process thought to be a molecular substrate of learning and memory. Correspondingly, CX1739 dose-dependently enhanced performance in assays that probed multiple aspects of cognition—the novel object recognition test, the win shift radial arm maze, and the five-choice serial reaction time task in rats. CX1739 also abrogated amphetamine-induced locomotor activity, demonstrating that it may be given in conjunction with stimulants for pro-cognitive gains while mitigating the side effects of stimulant-based ADHD medications. CX1739 also rapidly reversed opioid-induced respiratory depression. While efficacy in these tests occurred at doses of 0.03–18 mg/kg, there were no adverse events detected in safety studies in rats up to 2000 mg/kg. These preclinical findings suggest that CX1739 can be translated safely into the clinical setting to potentially treat dementia, neuropsychiatric disorders, and the life-threatening complication of opiate-induced suppression of endogenous inspiratory breathing rhythms.
{"title":"Low-Impact Ampakine CX1739 Exerts Pro-Cognitive Effects and Reverses Opiate-Induced Respiratory Depression in Rodents","authors":"Daniel Pierce Radin, S. Zhong, Rok Cerne, Mohammed Shoaib, Jeffrey M Witkin, A. Lippa","doi":"10.3390/futurepharmacol4010012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol4010012","url":null,"abstract":"AMPA-glutamate receptors (AMPARs) are expressed throughout the CNS and mediate the majority of fast excitatory synaptic transmission. Ampakines are orally available small molecules that bind allosterically to AMPARs and enhance excitatory currents elicited by the endogenous agonist glutamate. In preclinical studies, ampakines are effective in ameliorating symptoms in a battery of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases in which excitatory transmission is compromised. However, the development of ampakines as medicines was slowed by the emergence of neurotoxicity and seizures in rodents due to some ampakines. Here, we describe the preclinical pharmacology of a novel ampakine, N-methyl-N-(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5] oxadiazole-5-carboxamide (CX1739), that does not induce seizures in animals or humans at efficacious doses. CX1739 dose-dependently enhanced long-term potentiation in vivo in rats, a process thought to be a molecular substrate of learning and memory. Correspondingly, CX1739 dose-dependently enhanced performance in assays that probed multiple aspects of cognition—the novel object recognition test, the win shift radial arm maze, and the five-choice serial reaction time task in rats. CX1739 also abrogated amphetamine-induced locomotor activity, demonstrating that it may be given in conjunction with stimulants for pro-cognitive gains while mitigating the side effects of stimulant-based ADHD medications. CX1739 also rapidly reversed opioid-induced respiratory depression. While efficacy in these tests occurred at doses of 0.03–18 mg/kg, there were no adverse events detected in safety studies in rats up to 2000 mg/kg. These preclinical findings suggest that CX1739 can be translated safely into the clinical setting to potentially treat dementia, neuropsychiatric disorders, and the life-threatening complication of opiate-induced suppression of endogenous inspiratory breathing rhythms.","PeriodicalId":12592,"journal":{"name":"Future Pharmacology","volume":"2 24","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140430683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-13DOI: 10.3390/futurepharmacol4010010
T. Kopnova, L. R. Yakupova, N. G. Belogurova, E. V. Kudryashova
Human serum albumin (HSA) is a multifunctional protein, known to be a natural carrier for a number of endogenous and exogenous compounds, including drugs. HSA-based drugs formulation is a clinically validated approach to improve pharmacological properties and biodistribution (such as in Abraxane). Based on this, one might like to modify HSA in a way that its distribution is more favorable for certain therapeutic purposes. Levofloxacin (LV), a broad-spectrum antibiotic drug, could benefit from extended systemic exposure, and stronger interactions with plasma proteins could be useful for this purpose. We engrafted monomeric or polymeric cyclodextrins (CDs) on the surface of HSA molecules to strengthen the LV adsorption (the CD−LV dissociation constant is three orders of magnitude lower than that of HSA−LV). We found that (HSA−HPolS)conj+LV exhibited the highest activity against E. coli, whereas (HSA−HPCD)conj+LV was the most effective against B. subtilis, and both HSA conjugates were more potent than LV alone or LV with HSA. Further fine-tuning of HSA could yield an improvement in biodistribution and thus a more favorable risk/benefit ratio.
{"title":"Human Serum Albumin Grafted by Monomeric and Polymeric β-Cyclodextrin as Drug Delivery System for Levofloxacin with Improved Pharmacological Properties","authors":"T. Kopnova, L. R. Yakupova, N. G. Belogurova, E. V. Kudryashova","doi":"10.3390/futurepharmacol4010010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol4010010","url":null,"abstract":"Human serum albumin (HSA) is a multifunctional protein, known to be a natural carrier for a number of endogenous and exogenous compounds, including drugs. HSA-based drugs formulation is a clinically validated approach to improve pharmacological properties and biodistribution (such as in Abraxane). Based on this, one might like to modify HSA in a way that its distribution is more favorable for certain therapeutic purposes. Levofloxacin (LV), a broad-spectrum antibiotic drug, could benefit from extended systemic exposure, and stronger interactions with plasma proteins could be useful for this purpose. We engrafted monomeric or polymeric cyclodextrins (CDs) on the surface of HSA molecules to strengthen the LV adsorption (the CD−LV dissociation constant is three orders of magnitude lower than that of HSA−LV). We found that (HSA−HPolS)conj+LV exhibited the highest activity against E. coli, whereas (HSA−HPCD)conj+LV was the most effective against B. subtilis, and both HSA conjugates were more potent than LV alone or LV with HSA. Further fine-tuning of HSA could yield an improvement in biodistribution and thus a more favorable risk/benefit ratio.","PeriodicalId":12592,"journal":{"name":"Future Pharmacology","volume":"118 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139840881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-13DOI: 10.3390/futurepharmacol4010010
T. Kopnova, L. R. Yakupova, N. G. Belogurova, E. V. Kudryashova
Human serum albumin (HSA) is a multifunctional protein, known to be a natural carrier for a number of endogenous and exogenous compounds, including drugs. HSA-based drugs formulation is a clinically validated approach to improve pharmacological properties and biodistribution (such as in Abraxane). Based on this, one might like to modify HSA in a way that its distribution is more favorable for certain therapeutic purposes. Levofloxacin (LV), a broad-spectrum antibiotic drug, could benefit from extended systemic exposure, and stronger interactions with plasma proteins could be useful for this purpose. We engrafted monomeric or polymeric cyclodextrins (CDs) on the surface of HSA molecules to strengthen the LV adsorption (the CD−LV dissociation constant is three orders of magnitude lower than that of HSA−LV). We found that (HSA−HPolS)conj+LV exhibited the highest activity against E. coli, whereas (HSA−HPCD)conj+LV was the most effective against B. subtilis, and both HSA conjugates were more potent than LV alone or LV with HSA. Further fine-tuning of HSA could yield an improvement in biodistribution and thus a more favorable risk/benefit ratio.
{"title":"Human Serum Albumin Grafted by Monomeric and Polymeric β-Cyclodextrin as Drug Delivery System for Levofloxacin with Improved Pharmacological Properties","authors":"T. Kopnova, L. R. Yakupova, N. G. Belogurova, E. V. Kudryashova","doi":"10.3390/futurepharmacol4010010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol4010010","url":null,"abstract":"Human serum albumin (HSA) is a multifunctional protein, known to be a natural carrier for a number of endogenous and exogenous compounds, including drugs. HSA-based drugs formulation is a clinically validated approach to improve pharmacological properties and biodistribution (such as in Abraxane). Based on this, one might like to modify HSA in a way that its distribution is more favorable for certain therapeutic purposes. Levofloxacin (LV), a broad-spectrum antibiotic drug, could benefit from extended systemic exposure, and stronger interactions with plasma proteins could be useful for this purpose. We engrafted monomeric or polymeric cyclodextrins (CDs) on the surface of HSA molecules to strengthen the LV adsorption (the CD−LV dissociation constant is three orders of magnitude lower than that of HSA−LV). We found that (HSA−HPolS)conj+LV exhibited the highest activity against E. coli, whereas (HSA−HPCD)conj+LV was the most effective against B. subtilis, and both HSA conjugates were more potent than LV alone or LV with HSA. Further fine-tuning of HSA could yield an improvement in biodistribution and thus a more favorable risk/benefit ratio.","PeriodicalId":12592,"journal":{"name":"Future Pharmacology","volume":"121 33","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139780903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-29DOI: 10.3390/futurepharmacol4010009
Ana Filošević Vujnović, Ivana Stanković Matić, Lara Saftić Martinović, Sanja Dević Pavlić
Addiction is a complex brain disease influenced by genetic, environmental, and neurological factors. Psychostimulants, cocaine, and methamphetamine influence different cell types in different brain regions, with a focus on the neurons responsible for rewarding effects in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Known markers for psychostimulant-induced neuronal plasticity in combination with droplet-based high-throughput single-cell sequencing divided the heterogeneity of cell populations in NAc and VTA into clusters, where all cells of the same type do not respond equally to exposure to psychostimulants. To explain psychostimulant-induced neuronal plasticity as changes in the amplitude and phase shifts of gene expression, we focused on epigenetic mechanisms of DNA and chromatin modifications, as well as DNA accessibility. We also comment on epitranscriptomics as a novel approach in the study of messenger RNA posttranslational modification, which regulates translation and potentially localized transcription in synapses in order to address the molecular chains that connect addiction from changes in gene expression to synaptic and, finally, neuronal plasticity.
{"title":"Breaking the Chains: Advances in Substance Addiction Research through Single-Cell Sequencing, Epigenetics, and Epitranscriptomic","authors":"Ana Filošević Vujnović, Ivana Stanković Matić, Lara Saftić Martinović, Sanja Dević Pavlić","doi":"10.3390/futurepharmacol4010009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol4010009","url":null,"abstract":"Addiction is a complex brain disease influenced by genetic, environmental, and neurological factors. Psychostimulants, cocaine, and methamphetamine influence different cell types in different brain regions, with a focus on the neurons responsible for rewarding effects in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Known markers for psychostimulant-induced neuronal plasticity in combination with droplet-based high-throughput single-cell sequencing divided the heterogeneity of cell populations in NAc and VTA into clusters, where all cells of the same type do not respond equally to exposure to psychostimulants. To explain psychostimulant-induced neuronal plasticity as changes in the amplitude and phase shifts of gene expression, we focused on epigenetic mechanisms of DNA and chromatin modifications, as well as DNA accessibility. We also comment on epitranscriptomics as a novel approach in the study of messenger RNA posttranslational modification, which regulates translation and potentially localized transcription in synapses in order to address the molecular chains that connect addiction from changes in gene expression to synaptic and, finally, neuronal plasticity.","PeriodicalId":12592,"journal":{"name":"Future Pharmacology","volume":"34 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140489393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-24DOI: 10.3390/futurepharmacol4010008
I. De Benedetto, S. Corcione, Carlotta Giambra, Matteo Ferrante, S. Mornese Pinna, E. Zanotto, A. Palermiti, F. Sidoti, Luca Scaglione, Cecilia Grosso, Martina Billi, Tommaso Lupia, Sara Soloperto, J. Cusato, Cristina Costa, A. D’Avolio, F. D. De Rosa
Introduction: Patients with hematologic malignancies are more likely to develop severe and prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection, often showing viral persistence despite the use of authorized antivirals. Herein, we report the cases of four patients who received rituximab for different conditions and developed persistent COVID-19 treated with an extended course of dual antivirals, Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir and Remdesivir. Moreover, we describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics (PK/PG) characteristics of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir and Remdesivir treatment in two of these patients. Methods: Plasma specimens for evaluation of trough concentrations (Ctrough) were collected 10 min before the daily dose administration, in addition to 3 h (Cmax), 4 h (C4h), 6 h (C6h) and 1 h (Cmax) after the administration of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir and Remdesivir, respectively. The following gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were investigated: ABCB1 3435 (rs1045642) C > T, ABCB1 1236 (rs1128503) C > T, PXR 63396 (rs2472667) T > C, CYP2D6 (rs1135840) G > C, and CYP3A4*1B (rs2740574) G > A. Results: Double antiviral treatment was successful in terms of symptoms resolution, whereas three out of four patients achieved microbiological eradication. Based on our results, concentrations of Nirmatrelvir ranging from 50 to 5000 ng/mL were effective, whereas a higher concentration (range 1068–3377 ng/mL), compared to that previously reported in patients with similar weight and BMI, was evidenced for Ritonavir. Considering the genetic variant analysis, ABCB1 3435 CT and 1236 CT genotypes were found in patient 1; and ABCB1 3435 CC and 1236 CC in patient 2. In conclusion, this real-life study supports the usefulness of TDM and genetics in immunocompromised patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection, a challenging setting for clinicians in which personalized medicine may improve outcome.
导言：血液系统恶性肿瘤患者更容易发生严重和长期的SARS-CoV-2感染，尽管使用了授权的抗病毒药物，但仍经常出现病毒持续存在的情况。在此，我们报告了四例因不同疾病接受利妥昔单抗治疗的患者的病例，这些患者在接受延长疗程的双重抗病毒药物（Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir 和 Remdesivir）治疗后，出现了持续的 COVID-19 感染。此外，我们还描述了其中两名患者接受 Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir 和 Remdesivir 治疗的药代动力学和药物遗传学（PK/PG）特征。方法在每日给药前 10 分钟采集血浆标本以评估谷浓度（Ctrough），此外还分别在给药后 3 小时（Cmax）、4 小时（C4h）、6 小时（C6h）和 1 小时（Cmax）采集血浆标本以评估 Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir 和 Remdesivir 的谷浓度（Ctrough）。对以下基因单核苷酸多态性（SNPs）进行了研究：ABCB1 3435 (rs1045642) C > T、ABCB1 1236 (rs1128503) C > T、PXR 63396 (rs2472667) T > C、CYP2D6 (rs1135840) G > C 和 CYP3A4*1B (rs2740574) G > A：双重抗病毒治疗在缓解症状方面取得了成功，而四名患者中有三人实现了微生物根除。根据我们的研究结果，尼马瑞韦的有效浓度为 50 至 5000 纳克/毫升，而利托那韦的有效浓度（范围为 1068-3377 纳克/毫升）与之前报道的体重和体重指数相似的患者的有效浓度相比更高。考虑到基因变异分析，在患者 1 中发现了 ABCB1 3435 CT 和 1236 CT 基因型；在患者 2 中发现了 ABCB1 3435 CC 和 1236 CC 基因型。总之，这项现实生活中的研究证明了 TDM 和遗传学在持续感染 SARS-CoV-2 的免疫功能低下患者中的实用性。
{"title":"Pharmacokinetics Profile and Genetics of Double Antiviral Therapy with Remdesivir and Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir for Prolonged COVID-19 in Patients Treated with Rituximab: A Real-Life Study and Literature Review","authors":"I. De Benedetto, S. Corcione, Carlotta Giambra, Matteo Ferrante, S. Mornese Pinna, E. Zanotto, A. Palermiti, F. Sidoti, Luca Scaglione, Cecilia Grosso, Martina Billi, Tommaso Lupia, Sara Soloperto, J. Cusato, Cristina Costa, A. D’Avolio, F. D. De Rosa","doi":"10.3390/futurepharmacol4010008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol4010008","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Patients with hematologic malignancies are more likely to develop severe and prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection, often showing viral persistence despite the use of authorized antivirals. Herein, we report the cases of four patients who received rituximab for different conditions and developed persistent COVID-19 treated with an extended course of dual antivirals, Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir and Remdesivir. Moreover, we describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics (PK/PG) characteristics of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir and Remdesivir treatment in two of these patients. Methods: Plasma specimens for evaluation of trough concentrations (Ctrough) were collected 10 min before the daily dose administration, in addition to 3 h (Cmax), 4 h (C4h), 6 h (C6h) and 1 h (Cmax) after the administration of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir and Remdesivir, respectively. The following gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were investigated: ABCB1 3435 (rs1045642) C > T, ABCB1 1236 (rs1128503) C > T, PXR 63396 (rs2472667) T > C, CYP2D6 (rs1135840) G > C, and CYP3A4*1B (rs2740574) G > A. Results: Double antiviral treatment was successful in terms of symptoms resolution, whereas three out of four patients achieved microbiological eradication. Based on our results, concentrations of Nirmatrelvir ranging from 50 to 5000 ng/mL were effective, whereas a higher concentration (range 1068–3377 ng/mL), compared to that previously reported in patients with similar weight and BMI, was evidenced for Ritonavir. Considering the genetic variant analysis, ABCB1 3435 CT and 1236 CT genotypes were found in patient 1; and ABCB1 3435 CC and 1236 CC in patient 2. In conclusion, this real-life study supports the usefulness of TDM and genetics in immunocompromised patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection, a challenging setting for clinicians in which personalized medicine may improve outcome.","PeriodicalId":12592,"journal":{"name":"Future Pharmacology","volume":"56 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139599384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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