Chemical Biology & Drug Design最新文献

Cardiovascular disease refers to a group of conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, and stroke, among others. Edaravone (ED) inhibits oxidative stress and free radical damage, which are thought to contribute to the progression of various diseases. Thus, the purpose of the study is to examine the cardioprotective effect of ED against vitamin D₃ and high fat-induced atherosclerosis in rats. In this study, Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were utilized. The rats were separated into several groups and fed a high-fat diet along with vitamin D₃ to induce atherosclerosis. Various doses of ED were orally administered to the animals for 30 days. The administration of Edaravone effectively reduced the elevated body weight, as well as the excessive water and food consumption. The treated groups exhibited a decrease in glucose level, leptin, and apolipoprotein-B. Administration of ED also modified the cholesterol parameters, coronary artery index, atherogenic index, and antioxidant parameters. It also reduced the elevated heart rate, systolic blood pressure (BP), mean BP, and diastolic BP. The group treated with ED exhibited a decrease in the level of inflammatory cytokines. The ED significantly (p < 0.001) reduced the levels of MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9. Furthermore, it induced significant (p < 0.001) adjustments in the abundance of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and F/B ratio. Edaravone exhibited the cardio protection against HFD induced atherosclerosis in rats via alteration of gut microbiota.

In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), excessive gluconeogenesis is considered a major contributor to hyperglycemia. Therefore, targeting fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase), a key regulatory enzyme involved in gluconeogenesis, has gained interest as a potential therapeutic target for managing DM. In this study, a library of 42 structurally-related chromone derivatives (including flavonoids, 2-styrylchromones, and 2-(4-arylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl)chromones, named as 2-styrylchromone-related derivatives), as well as 4- and 5-styrylpyrazoles, were tested against human FBPase using a noncellular microanalysis screening system. Herbacetin, 3,4′,5,7,8-pentahydroxyflavone, inhibited FBPase activity with an IC₅₀ value of 6.4 ± 0.7 μM. The effects of herbacetin were also explored using an insulin-resistant human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2 cells). The results showed that herbacetin significantly decrease insulin resistance by promoting the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt), and exhibited a capacity to ameliorate inflammation, evidenced by the modulation of the inhibitor of κB alpha (IκBα). This study provides important considerations for the design of novel FBPase inhibitors. Furthermore, it indicates a preliminary potential of herbacetin's dual action in improving insulin resistance and decreasing inflammation, suggesting the need for further investigation of this compound for addressing the complexities of type 2 DM management.

Overexposure to blue light due to the excessive use of electronic devices has been implicated in premature skin aging and eye damage, among other injuries to health. This study aimed to synthesize two azo derivatives of the 2-(amino-2′-hydroxyphenyl) benzoxazole and explore their potential as UV and blue light filters, proposing a new spectral profile. The synthesis of the heterocyclic compounds involved condensation reactions and diazotation. The derivatives 2-(benzoxazol-2-yl)-5-[(2-hydroxynaphthyl)diazenyl]phenol and 2-(benzoxazol-2-yl)-4-[(2-hydroxynaphthyl)diazenyl]phenol were synthesized with a yield greater than 70%. Solubility was evaluated in seven different solvents. The maximum absorption wavelengths (λ_max) were determined using UV–Vis scanning spectrophotometry in the range of 200–600 nm. Photostability was assessed using a solar simulator and the Sun protection factor (SPF) was determined using in vitro methodology. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using the MTT assay in V79 cells. These compounds were able to absorb UVA, UVB, and blue light, with λ_max ranging from 300 to 500 nm and demonstrated photostability after 3 h of exposure to solar simulator with an SPF higher than 45. The compounds exhibited solubility in all lipophilic solvents tested. Regarding cytotoxicity, IC50 values were comparable to other filters. These findings indicate that both compounds hold promise as potential organic filters.

Our research aims to design novel pyrimidine derivatives inspired by the common pyrimidine core found in many FDA-approved drugs. However, extensive prior research on the pyrimidine scaffold has made discovering new molecules more challenging. To overcome this obstacle, we employed a molecular hybridisation strategy, opting to hybridise tetralin and pyrimidine, recognising their potential in cancer therapeutics. The fused pyrimidine was synthesised through a base-mediated condensation of chalcone with amidine. The reaction conditions were further optimised for base, solvent, temperature and time to produce a series of 21 novel derivatives. These compounds were subsequently screened for anticancer activity against gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines using the MTT assay. Among the synthesised compounds, 2-(pyridin-3-yl)-4-(pyridin-3-yl)-5,6-dihydrobenzo[h]quinazoline 8b and 4-(2-(pyridin-3-yl)-5,6 dihydrobenzo[h]quinazolin-4-yl) phenol 5g exhibited potent anticancer activity compared to (R)-Roscovitine. Additionally, a molecular docking study was conducted to assess the reactivity of compound 5g, revealing that the presence of a phenolic hydroxyl group enables hydrogen bonding with CDKs and enhances anticancer activity. Furthermore, the efficacy of compound 5g was validated through an in vitro CDK2/cyclin A2 enzyme inhibition assay. Interestingly, the observed CDK2 inhibitory activity showed a good correlation with the corresponding value for the antiproliferative activity of the tested compounds.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a dramatically increasing global public health challenge. The prevalence is projected almost double, from 194 million in 2003 to 333 million in 2025 with type 2 diabetes mellitus representing approximately 90%–95% of cases. Dual inhibitors for antidiabetic targets is still novel and promising strategy for discovery of more effective therapies. Ester and triazole derivatives of p-coumaric acid were obtained from Williamson synthesis and Microwave-assisted click reaction, respectively. Chemical structures were finely characterized through IR, 1H, and 13C NMR and HRMS. They were tested for their dual inhibitory activity against GSK-3β kinase and DPP-IV. The complexes resulting from docking were used for all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, including the enzymes in the apo form, using the GROMACS 2022.3. Two inhibitors 2 and 5 demonstrated promising inhibition at low and submicromolar against both proteins. Molecular Dynamic simulations revealed that the binding pattern of the control inhibitors were reproduced by p-coumaric acid derivatives 2 and 5 with crucial interactions involving the same residues. The p-coumaric skeleton can be considered as a promising core for GSK-3β kinase and DPP-IV dual inhibitors.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (NOX4) has emerged as a promising target for developing drugs to tackle renal fibrosis. In this study, a series of chromone derivatives were designed and synthesized. Additionally, we established a NOX4 overexpression model using the NRK-49F rat renal fibroblasts cell line and identified compound 14m as highly active through the assessment of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in this model. The drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) assay illuminated the robust binding stability of 14m with NOX4. Mechanistic studies further substantiated its efficacy in ameliorating fibrosis and inflammation. This investigation positions 14m as a noteworthy NOX4 inhibitor, shedding light on its regulatory role in renal fibroblasts. Importantly, it diversifies the structural landscape of NOX4 inhibitors, offering novel lead compounds for future development.

Gomisin A is an active ingredient of Schisandra chinensis. Pre-clinical studies suggest Gomisin A has good anti-cancer activities against a variety of cancers, but its mechanism of action in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. This study aims to explore the potential mechanism of Gomisin A in treating NSCLC. The SwissTargetPrediction, CTD, HERB and PharmMapper databases were used to collect related targets of Gomisin A. NSCLC-related genes were obtained using the GEO, CTD, DisGeNET, OMIM, GeneCards, NCBI, and PharmGKB databases. The central targets and potential mechanisms of Gomisin A against NSCLC were screened using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Finally, the therapeutic activity of Gomisin A on NSCLC was verified by experiments. A total of 161 potential targets of Gomisin A against NSCLC were identified. TNF, AKT1, STAT3, and IL6 were identified as the central targets of Gomisin A. The binding energy of Gomisin A and the central targets was less than −5 kcal/mol. Gomisin A could inhibit NSCLC cell viability, migration and invasion and induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Gomisin A also inhibited in vivo metastasis of NSCLC cells. In addition, Gomisin A could also reduce the expression level of the central targets and inhibit the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. In summary, Gomisin A may be a candidate drug for the treatment of NSCLC, and TNF, AKT1, STAT3, and IL6 are potential targets for Gomisin A in NSCLC treatment, and its therapeutic mechanism may be related to the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

This study aimed to explore the pathogenesis of platycodin D and luteolin, which are both active components in Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix), in the treatment of influenza virus pneumonia through network pharmacology analysis combined with experimental verification. The bioactive components of Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix) were screened by TCMSP and literature mining, and the results were standardized via the UniProt database. The action targets for the disease were identified from databases including OMIM, GeneCards, TTD, DisGeNET, and PharmGKB. Then, the visualized key target regulatory network and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network for the active components were established using Cytoscape3.7.1 software. The findings were illustrated through Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. The intervention concentrations of platycodin D and luteolin were screened by the CCK8 method, and the important signaling pathways of platycodin D and luteolin for treating influenza virus pneumonia were verified by RT-qPCR and Western blot tests. From data mining, 89 common drug-disease targets were screened out, and five major active components of Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix), including platycodin D and luteolin, were obtained. Besides, 11 therapeutic targets including IL-17, IL-6, TNF-α, JUN, and MAKP1 were identified by PPI network analysis. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that the pathways most related to the mechanisms of Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix) against influenza virus pneumonia included the TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways and apoptosis. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the model group exhibited a notable elevation in mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, JUN, MAPK1, and the IL-17/−acting protein ratio, as compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In contrast to the model group, the IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, JUN, MAPK1 mRNA expression levels, and the IL-17 protein ratio in both the platycodin D group and luteolin group were considerably decreased (p < 0.05). Combined with network pharmacology and experimental verification, this study revealed that platycodin D and luteolin in Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix) may treat influenza virus pneumonia by regulating inflammation through the IL-17 signaling pathway.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a major role in the development of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). In the present study, benzimidazole and benzene sulfonyl scaffold were identified as pharmacophore by analysis of literature reports and novel small molecule IL-6 inhibitors were designed. These were screened via docking with IL-6 (PDB: 1ALU), then and through Lipinski's rule of 5. Based on docking score, 10 best compounds (4a–4e and 7a–7e) were selected for synthesis and evaluated for IL-6 inhibitory activity in vitro. Compounds 4b and 7b showed the maximum inhibition of IL-6 (87.55% and 82.75%, respectively). These compounds were further explored for anti-arthritic activity in vivo using the Incomplete Freund's Adjuvant Model and by morphological and histopathological studies of the inflamed paw. Compound 4b was significantly more active than compound 7b and both were found to be slightly less active than methotrexate. These findings indicate that a benzimidazole nucleus linked to a benzene sulphonyl moiety may prove to be a useful template for the development of new chemical moieties against RA.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive chronic age-related neurodegenerative brain disorder characterized by the loss of memory and other cognitive functions. The exact etiology of AD is still under investigation, however several factors such as low level of neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) in the form of Aβ plaques, hyperphosphorylation of tau protein into neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), oxidative stress, and metal ion imbalance are the major hallmarks of this disease. Of the multiple hypotheses for AD, the amyloid-β (Aβ) and cholinergic hypothesis are the main targeting hypotheses for AD. Some researchers hypothesized that the primary event associated with the cholinergic neurotransmitter (acetylcholine) is memory loss and cognitive impairment. Due to the disease's complicated pathogenesis, long-term therapy with a single target candidate is futile. As a result, multitargeted and multifunctional therapies have emerged. Various research teams are concentrating on addressing multiple disease factors through hybridization techniques. Consequently, this hybridization approach has been applied to all core scaffolds, including galantamine. In this article, we tried to provide a thorough overview of the most recent developments on galantamine, a prospective AChE inhibitor, and its hybrid analogs as possible therapeutic agents for treating AD. Furthermore, we also provided the design, synthesis, and SAR analysis of the galantamine-based compounds used in the last decades for the management of AD.