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Indolylglyoxylamides are a class of distinctive benzodiazepine receptor ligands, proposed in the mid-eighties as open analogues of -carbolines. Thorough and long-lasting studies of their structure-activity relationships led to the development of a great deal of derivatives, to satisfy increasingly structural and pharmacophoric requirements of the benzodiazepine binding site in the central nervous system. Efforts to pre-organize their flexible structure in the three-dimensional shape adopted when bound to the receptor led to the identification of two novel classes of rigid ligands, characterized by planar tricyclic heteroaromatic cores: the [1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]benzimidazol-4(10H)-one and the [1,2,3]triazolo[1,2-a][1,2,4]benzotriazin-1,5(6H)-dione. The present review focuses on these selected classes of ligands, whose rational development, in terms of chemical structures and structure-activity relationships, will be fully discussed.

2-Phenyl-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one derivatives bearing a phenol or a catechol moiety in position 2 were tested as aldose reductase (ALR2) inhibitors and exhibited activity levels in the micromolar/submicromolar range. Introduction of a hydroxy group in position 6 or 9 gave an enhancement of the inhibitory potency (compare 18, 19, 28, and 29 vs 13 and 14). Lengthening of the 2-side chain to benzyl determined a general reduction in activity. The lack or the methylation of the phenol or catechol hydroxyls gave inactive (10-12, 21, 22, 25-27) or scarcely active (15, 17, 20) compounds, thus demonstrating that the phenol or catechol hydroxyls are involved in the enzyme pharmacophoric recognition. Moreover, all the pyridopyrimidinones displayed significant antioxidant properties, with the best activity shown by the catechol derivatives. The theoretical binding mode of the most active compounds obtained by docking simulations into the ALR2 crystal structure was fully consistent with the structure-activity relationships in the pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one series.

A series of 3-substituted [1,2,4]triazino[4,3-c]benzimidazoles V were prepared and tested at the central benzodiazepine receptor (BzR). These compounds were designed as rigid analogues of the previously described N-benzylindolylglyoxylylamide derivatives IV. The title compounds V showed an affinity which depended directly on the presence of the N(10)-H group and an aromatic ring at position 3. Some of them elicited a 2- or 3-fold higher affinity with respect to that of the indolylglyoxylylamide derivatives IV (R = H). The GABA ratio and [(35)S]-tert-butylcyclophosphorothionate binding data revealed an efficacy profile of partial inverse agonists/antagonists for compounds 1c,e,f,j,k, and of a partial agonist for 2c. This last compound proved to be effective in antagonizing pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in mice. Attempts were made to interpret the structure-affinity relationships of compounds V in the light of possible tautomeric equilibria involving the ligands.

Derivatives of [pyrrolo[3,4- c ]pyridin-1,3(2 H )-dion-2-yl] alkanoic acids were prepared and their in vitro aldose reductase inhibitory activity was tested on rat lens enzyme. The acetic derivatives 2, 5 and 15a–d proved to be much more potent inhibitors than the propionic derivatives, 7 and 16a–d , and the iso-propionic derivatives, 3 and 6 . The presence of a second planar aromatic area in the benzoyl derivatives 15a–d did not result in any increase in activity. Two of the most active compounds in vitro ( 2 and 5 ) were also evaluated in vivo as inhibitors of glutathione lens depletion in galactosemic rats. None of the compounds was found to be active in maintaining the rat lens glutathione level, suggesting possible problems of ocular bioavailability and metabolism. The aldose reductase inhibitory activity of compounds 2 and 15d was also discussed by taking into account their conformational and electronic characteristics evaluated by means of theoretical calculations.

Summary A number of benzothienyl- and benzofurylglyoxylylamine derivatives, which are analogues of previously described indolylglyoxylylamines with a partial agonist activity, are reported in this paper. They were synthesized and tested to verify the importance of the presence of the indole NH group in the interaction of this class of compounds with the benzodiazepine agonist receptor site, since it was reported in literature that a hydrogen bond donor group such as NH was not necessary to elicit an agonist response. Several thienylglyoxylylamine derivatives were also prepared and tested. None of the compounds showed a high affinity at the BzR, demonstrating that the indole NH plays a decisive role in the interaction of the agonist glyoxylylamine ligands with the receptor site.

Recently, several derivatives, in which tryptamine, tyramine, and dopamine moieties are linked to the indole nucleus by an oxalyl bridge, were tested for their affinity and efficacy at the benzodiazepine receptor (BzR). To better define the structure-activity relationships (SAR) several phenylethylamine derivatives were also synthesized and tested for their affinity at the BzR. Compounds bearing a protic group on the aromatic system of the side chain show a pharmacological profile of inverse agonist, while the products lacking this group behave as partial agonist. We now report the affinity data at the BzR of new compounds in which the distance between the phenyl ring and the amide group of the side chain has been changed. The benzylamine derivatives showed a good affinity at the BzR, generally higher than that of the phenylethylamine derivatives. In this series the pharmacological profile showed to be opposite to that of the corresponding phenylethylamine derivatives, since the compounds substituted with protic groups on the phenyl ring behaved as partial agonists. Moreover, a probable interaction with the receptor site is hypothesized.

Several N-(indol-3-ylglyoxylyl)alanine and glycine ester derivatives were prepared to evaluate the influence of the ester group size both on affinity and on activity at the benzodiazepine receptor. Moreover, indol-3-ylglyoxylic acid esters, closely related to 3-alkoxy-beta-carbolines, were synthesized and tested in vitro on the benzodiazepine receptor.

The synthesis of a series of 2-aminobenzimidazole and indole amide derivatives containing the adamantyl moiety is described. The compounds, evaluated for in vitro anti-HIV and antitumor activities, were found to be moderately active or inactive, versus drug-treated controls, used for comparison purposes.

Derivatives of [pyrrolo[3,4- c ]pyridin-1,3(2 H )-dion-2-yl] alkanoic acids were prepared and their in vitro aldose reductase inhibitory activity was tested on rat lens enzyme. The acetic derivatives 2, 5 and 15a–d proved to be much more potent inhibitors than the propionic derivatives, 7 and 16a–d , and the iso-propionic derivatives, 3 and 6 . The presence of a second planar aromatic area in the benzoyl derivatives 15a–d did not result in any increase in activity. Two of the most active compounds in vitro ( 2 and 5 ) were also evaluated in vivo as inhibitors of glutathione lens depletion in galactosemic rats. None of the compounds was found to be active in maintaining the rat lens glutathione level, suggesting possible problems of ocular bioavailability and metabolism. The aldose reductase inhibitory activity of compounds 2 and 15d was also discussed by taking into account their conformational and electronic characteristics evaluated by means of theoretical calculations.

A number of 6-substituted 1, 2-benzisothiazole-1, 1-dioxide alkanoic acids were synthesized and evaluated for crude rat lens aldose reductase inhibitory activity. The inhibitory potency of the acetic (6a, 10a), propionic (6b, 10b, 11b), and isopropionic (6c, 10c, 11c) derivatives was very similar and generally lower than that of the reference compound, Sorbinil. The presence of an acyl moiety on the amino group in position 6, as in the acetic and propionic derivatives 14a-f and 15a, b, respectively, resulted in a significant increase in activity. A good potency was shown by compounds 14g and 15g, in which a second carboxylic function is present on the 6-acylamino group. Also the open products 16, which contain the phenylsulfonyl fragment found in several known inhibitors of aldose reductase, were obtained and tested in the rat lens assay.

A number of N-(indol-3-ylglyoxylyl)benzylamine derivatives were synthesized and tested for [ 3 H]flunitrazepam displacing activity in bovine brain membranes. Some of these derivatives (9, 12, 14, 15, 17, 27, 34, 35, 38, 41, and 45) exhibited high affinity for the benzodiazepine receptor (BzR) with K i values ranging from 67 to 11 nM. The GABA ratio and [ 35 S]-tert-butylbicyclophosphorothionate binding data, determined for the most active compounds, showed that they elicit an efficacy profile at the BzR which depends on the kind of substituent present on the phenyl ring of the benzylamine moiety. Moreover, lengthening (propylamine derivatives 1-3) and shortening (aniline derivatives 46-54) of the distance between the phenyl ring and the amide group of the side chain gave compounds with a drastically lower binding potency. The biological results are discussed in the light of a recently proposed pharmacophore model and compared, by molecular modeling studies, with those obtained from effective BzR ligands.

The preparation of 1-substituted 2-benzylaminobenzimidazole derivatives 13–24 is described. Although these compounds have a different structure from the general structure I of antihistamines, they showed some antihistaminic activity (pA2: 5–7) when tested in vitro on guinea pig ileum. The introduction of an additional basic centre as in the Mannich bases 25–27 did not cause any improvement of activity. All the compounds tested proved to be inactive in in vivo induced passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) and cutaneous vasopermeability in rats.

The preparation and the cytotoxic properties of new derivatives of the planar pyrido[3′,2′:5,6]thiopyrano-[4,3-c]pyrazole system, carrying an arylic side group in the 1 or 2 positions, are described. The novel substituted derivatives were obtained by reaction of suitable arylhydrazines with the appropriate key intermediate 3-hydroxymethylene-2,3-dihydrothiopyrano[2,3-b]pyridin-4(4H)-ones. Moreover the preparation was reported of the 2-carboxamidophenyl derivatives, which was accomplished from the previously obtained pyrido[3′,2′:5,6]thiopyrano[4,3-c]pyrazole nucleus, by reaction with phenylisocyanate. All the new compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative ability, by an in vitro assay on human tumor cell lines (HL-60 and HeLa).

Acetic acid derivatives of [1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]benzimidazole (TBI) were synthesized and tested in vitro and in vivo as a novel class of aldose reductase (ALR2) inhibitors. Compound 3, (10-benzyl[1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]benzimidazol-3,4(10H)-dion-2-yl)acetic acid, displayed the highest inhibitory activity (IC(50) = 0.36 microM) and was found to be effective in preventing cataract development in severely galactosemic rats when administered as an eyedrop solution. All the compounds investigated were selective for ALR2, since none of them inhibited appreciably aldehyde reductase, sorbitol dehydrogenase, or glutathione reductase. The activity of 3 was lowered by inserting various substituents on the pendant phenyl ring, by shifting the acetic acid moiety from the 2 to the 3 position of the TBI nucleus, or by cleaving the TBI system to yield benzimidazolylidenehydrazines as open-chain analogues. A three-dimensional model of human ALR2 was built, taking into account the conformational changes induced by the binding of inhibitors such as zopolrestat, to simulate the docking of 3 into the enzyme active site. The theoretical binding mode of 3 was fully consistent with the structure-activity relationships in the TBI series and will guide the design of novel ALR2 inhibitors.

Several optically active N-(indol-3-ylglyoxylyl)amino acid derivatives were synthesized and tested for [3H]flunitrazepam displacing activity in bovine brain membranes. IC50 values were measured and revealed that the D form of the amino acid moiety of the compounds was more potent than both the L form and racemic form, suggesting a key role of the amino acid stereochemistry on the affinity to the benzodiazepine receptors. GABA ratio and proconvulsant/convulsant data reported for the most active compounds reveal they behave as inverse agonists at the benzodiazepine receptor.

The synthesis of new derivatives of the planar tricyclic pyrimido[1,2-a]benzimidazole system featuring protonable side chains in the 3 and/or 10 positions is described. The reported literature procedures for the preparation of the intermediate 3-ethoxycarbonylpyrimido[1,2-a]benzimidazol-4(10H)-one 15, starting from 2-aminobenzimidazole 18 and diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate, were revised. The interaction with DNA, the intrinsic binding constants, and the antiproliferative activity of a number of compounds (1–8, 10, 11) were preliminarly investigated.

Several derivatives, in which tryptamine, tyramine, and dopamine moieties are linked to the indole nucleus by an oxalyl bridge, were tested for their ability to displace the specific binding of [3H]flunitrazepam from bovine brain membranes. GABA ratio and in vivo tests for the most potent compounds showed they behave as inverse agonists at the benzodiazepine receptor (BzR). To better define the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of this kind of ligand, several phenylethylamine derivatives were synthesized to evaluate their affinity to BzR. Some of these derivatives (17, 21, 24, 26, and 30) were found to exhibit high affinity (Ki = 0.51-0.085 microM) for BzR and possessed a partial agonist activity, although their chemical structure is closely related to tryptamine 2-6, tyramine 7-11, and dopamine 12-16 derivatives. A different interaction of these ligands to the receptor site is hypothesized. Moreover, all the prepared 1-methyl derivatives exhibited very low binding affinity to BzR.

The preparation and the cytotoxic properties of new derivatives of the planar pyrido[3′,2′:5,6]thiopyrano-[4,3-c]pyrazole system, carrying an arylic side group in the 1 or 2 positions, are described. The novel substituted derivatives were obtained by reaction of suitable arylhydrazines with the appropriate key intermediate 3-hydroxymethylene-2,3-dihydrothiopyrano[2,3-b]pyridin-4(4H)-ones. Moreover the preparation was reported of the 2-carboxamidophenyl derivatives, which was accomplished from the previously obtained pyrido[3′,2′:5,6]thiopyrano[4,3-c]pyrazole nucleus, by reaction with phenylisocyanate. All the new compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative ability, by an in vitro assay on human tumor cell lines (HL-60 and HeLa).

The 2,3-dihydrospiro[4H-thiopyrano[2,3-b]pyridin-4,4'-imidazolidine]-2',5'-dione 3 and its 7-methyl analogue 4 were synthesized and tested for their ability to inhibit aldose reductase (ALR2). To expand the structure-activity relationships, the sulfone 5 and the acetic acid derivative 7 were also prepared and tested. Compounds 3 and 4 proved to be potent ALR2 inhibitors, with IC50 values in the submicromolar range (0.96 and 0.94 microM, respectively) similar to that of sorbinil (0.65 microM). Moreover, compound 3 was found to be highly potent in preventing cataract development in severely galactosemic rats, like tolrestat, when administered as an eyedrop solution. Docking simulations of both R- and S-isomers of 3 into the ALR2 crystal structure were carried out to guide, prospectively, the design of new analogues.

We report the synthesis and the affinity data at both the peripheral (PBR) and the central benzodiazepine receptors of a series of N,N-dialkyl-2-phenylindol-3-ylglyoxylamide derivatives III, designed as conformationally constrained analogues of 2-phenylindole-3-acetamides II such as FGIN-1-27. Most of the new compounds showed a high specificity and affinity for PBR, with K(i) in the nanomolar to subnanomolar range. The most potent ligands (4-7, 9, 13-27) stimulated steroid biosynthesis in rat C6 glioma cells with a potency similar to or higher than that of classical ligands. The SARs of this new class of compounds are discussed.

Adenosine is a neuromodulator whose biological functions are accomplished through the activation of specific proteins belonging to the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) superfamily. To date, four distinct Adenosine Receptors (ARs) subtypes, termed A1, A2A, A2B and A3, have been identified.1 Owing to the wide range of effects exerted in numerous organ systems, the activation or blockade of ARs finds potential therapeutic applications in the treatment of several pathologies, such as cardiac and cerebral ischemia, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and kidney diseases.2 In view of their potential application for pharmaceutical purposes, several groups have focused their attention on the synthesis of both ARs agonists and antagonists, especially aimed by the pharmacological and biophysical characterization of the receptors.3 The application of both structure- and ligand-based design approaches represents to date one of the most challenging strategy in the discovery of new drug candidates. In the present paper, we investigated how the application of docking-driven conformational analysis can improve the predictive ability of 3D-QSAR statistical models. With the use of the crystallographic structure in complex with the high affinity antagonist ZM 241385 (4-(2-[7-amino-2-(2-furyl)[1,2,4]-triazolo[2,3-a][1,3,5]triazin-5-ylamino]ethyl)phenol) we revisited a general pharmacophore hypothesis for the human A2A adenosine receptor of a set of 751 known antagonists, by applying an integrated ligand- and structure-based approach. Our novel pharmacophore hypothesis has been validated using an external test set of 29 new synthesized human adenosine receptors antagonists. References (1) Fredholm, BB, et al. Pharmacol. Rev. 2001, 53, 527–552. (2) Fredholm, BB. Exp. Cell Res. 2010, 316, 1284-1288. (3) Muller, C, et al. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 2010, 1808, 1290-1308.

We have disclosed a series of 1-benzyl-3-ketoindole derivatives acting as either positive or negative modulators of the human A(2B) adenosine receptor (A(2B) AR) depending on small differences in their side chain. The new compounds were designed taking into account structural similarities between AR antagonists and ligands of the GABA(A)/benzodiazepine receptor. All compounds resulted totally inactive at A(2A) and A₃ ARs and showed small (8a,b) or none (7a,b, 8c and 9a,b) affinity for A₁ AR. When tested on A(2B) AR-transfected CHO cells, 7a,b and 8a acted as positive modulators, whereas 8b,c and 9a,b acted as negative modulators, enhancing or weakening the NECA-induced increase of cAMP levels, respectively. Compounds 7-9 might be regarded as useful biological and pharmacological tools to explore the therapeutic potential of A(2B) AR modulators, while their 3-ketoindole scaffold might be taken as a reference to design new analogs.

In search for a novel chemotype to develop topoisomerase I (Top1) inhibitors, the pyrazolo[1,5-a]quinazoline nucleus, structurally related to the indenoisoquinoline system precursor of well-known Top1 poisons, was variously decorated (i.e., a substituted phenyl ring at 2- or 3-position, a protonable side chain at 4- or 5-position), affording a number of Top1 inhibitors with cleavage patterns common to CPT and MJ-III-65. SARs data were rationalized by means of an advanced docking protocol. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

A number of quinolines and isoquinolines connected in various ways to a substituted benzimidazol-2-yl system were synthesized and evaluated as novel antagonists of adenosine receptors (ARs) by competition experiments using human A(1), A(2A), and A(3) ARs. The new compounds were designed based on derivatives of 2-(benzimidazol-2-yl)quinoxaline, previously reported as potent and selective antagonists of A(1) and A(3) ARs. Among these, 3-[4-(ethylthio)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]isoquinoline 4b exhibited the best combination of potency toward the A(1) AR (K(i) =1.4 nM) and selectivity against the A(2A) (K(i) >10 μM), A(2B) (K(i)>10 μM), and A(3) ARs (K(i)>1 μM). Functional experiments in circular smooth muscle preparations of isolated human colon showed that 4b behaves as a potent and selective antagonist of the A(1) AR in the neuromuscular compartment of this intestinal region. Biological and pharmacological data suggest that 4b is a suitable starting point for the development of novel agents endowed with stimulant properties on colonic activity.

In this study novel ligands of the translocator protein (TSPO), characterized by a five-membered aromatic heterocycle (i.e. oxazole, isoxazole, oxadiazole), a phenyl ring, and an amide side chain of carboxy or acetic type, were designed using a previously reported pharmacophore/topological model. Most of compounds showed significant TSPO binding affinity (Ki values in the nanomolar/submicromolar range), the highest being displayed by oxazolacetamides 6. A number of compounds were tested for their ability to inhibit the proliferation/viability of human glioblastoma cell line U87MG. The dose-time dependent cell response to treatment with 6d demonstrated the specificity of the observed effect. The ability of 6d to induce mitochondrial membrane dissipation (ΔΨm) substantiates the intracellular pro-apoptotic mechanism activated by ligand binding to TSPO.

Novel benzo[3',2':5,6]thiopyrano[3,2-b]indol-10(11H)-ones 1a-v were synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity in an in vitro assay of human tumor cell lines (HL-60 and HeLa). Compounds 1e-v, substituted at the 11-position with a basic side chain, showed a significant ability to inhibit cell growth with IC(50) values in the low micromolar range. Linear dichroism measurements showed that all 11-dialkylaminoalkyl substituted derivatives 1e-v behave as DNA-intercalating agents. Fluorimetric titrations demonstrated their specificity in binding to A-T rich regions, and molecular modeling studies were performed on the most active derivatives (1e, 1i, 1p) to characterize in detail the complexation mechanism of these benzothiopyranoindoles to DNA. A relaxation assay evidenced a dose-dependent inhibition of topoisomerase II activity that appeared in accordance with the antiproliferative capacity. Finally, for the most cytotoxic derivative, 1e, a topoisomerase II poisoning effect was also demonstrated, along with a weak inhibition of topoisomerase I-mediated relaxation.

Acetic acid derivatives of naphtho[1,2-d]isothiazole (NiT) were synthesized and tested as novel aldose reductase (ALR2) inhibitors. The parent compound 11 exhibited a fair inhibitory activity (IC(50) = 10 muM), which was enhanced by 2 orders of magnitude by introducing a second carboxylic group at position 4 (13 and 14: IC(50) = 0.55 and 0.14 muM, respectively). Substitution of the acetic acid function with an apolar group gave inactive (29) or poorly active (25, 26, 30) compounds, thus demonstrating that the 2-acetic group is involved in the enzyme pharmacophoric recognition while the 4-carboxylic moiety has only an accessory role. The potent compounds 11, 13, 14, 26 all proved to be selective for ALR2, since none of them inhibited aldehyde reductase, sorbitol dehydrogenase, or glutathione reductase. The isopropyl ester 31, a prodrug of 14, was found to be effective in preventing cataract development in severely galactosemic rats, when administered as an eyedrop solution. The theoretical binding mode of 13 and 14, obtained by docking simulations into the ALR2 crystal structure, was fully consistent with the structure-activity relationships in the NiT series.

This study reports the synthesis of a number of 1- and 2-alkyl derivatives of the 4-aminopyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine (APP) nucleus and their evaluation as inhibitors of ADA from bovine spleen. The 2-substituted aminopyrazolopyrimidines proved to be potent inhibitors, most of them exhibiting K(i) values in the nanomolar/subnanomolar range. In this series the inhibitory activity is enhanced with the increase in length of the alkyl chain, reaching a maximum with the n-decyl substituent. Insertion of a 2'-hydroxy group in the n-decyl chain gave 3k, whose (R)-isomer displayed the highest inhibitory potency of the series (K(i) 0.053 nM), showing an activity 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of (+)-EHNA (K(i) 1.14 nM), which was taken as the reference standard. Docking simulations of aminopyrazolopyrimidines into the ADA binding site were also performed, to rationalize the structure-activity relationships of this class of inhibitors.