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Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibition is a promising strategy to treat neurodegenerative disorders, but the development of nNOS inhibitors is often hindered by poor pharmacokinetics. We previously developed a class of membrane-permeable 2-aminoquinoline inhibitors and later rearranged the scaffold to decrease off-target binding. However, the resulting compounds had decreased permeability, low human nNOS activity, and low selectivity versus human eNOS. In this study, 5-substituted phenyl ether-linked aminoquinolines and derivatives were synthesized and assayed against purified NOS isoforms. 5-Cyano compounds are especially potent and selective rat and human nNOS inhibitors. Activity and selectivity are mediated by the binding of the cyano group to a new auxiliary pocket in nNOS. Potency was enhanced by methylation of the quinoline and by introduction of simple chiral moieties, resulting in a combination of hydrophobic and auxiliary pocket effects that yielded high (∼500-fold) n/e selectivity. Importantly, the Caco-2 assay also revealed improved membrane permeability over previous compounds.

The Bacillus subtilis protein regulator of the gabTD operon and its own gene (GabR) is a transcriptional activator that regulates transcription of γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT; GabT) upon interactions with pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) and GABA, and thereby promotes the biosynthesis of glutamate from GABA. We show here that the external aldimine formed between PLP and GABA is apparently responsible for triggering the GabR-mediated transcription activation. Details of the "active site" in the structure of the GabR effector-binding/oligomerization (Eb/O) domain suggest that binding a monocarboxylic γ-amino acid such as GABA should be preferred over dicarboxylic acid ligands. A reactive GABA analog, ( S )-4-amino-5-fluoropentanoic acid (AFPA), was used as a molecular probe to examine the reactivity of PLP in both GabR and a homologous aspartate aminotransferase (Asp-AT) from Escherichia coli as a control. A comparison between the structures of the Eb/O-PLP-AFPA complex and Asp-AT-PLP-AFPA complex revealed that GabR is incapable of facilitating further steps of the transamination reaction after the formation of the external aldimine. Results of in vitro and in vivo assays using full-length GabR support the conclusion that AFPA is an agonistic ligand capable of triggering GabR-mediated transcription activation via formation of an external aldimine with PLP.

Nitric oxide is produced in Gram-positive pathogens Bacillus anthracis and Staphylococcus aureus by the bacterial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Inhibition of bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bNOS) has been identified as a promising antibacterial strategy for targeting methicillin-resistant S. aureus [Holden, J. K., et al. (2015) Chem. Biol. 22, 785-779]. One class of NOS inhibitors that demonstrates antimicrobial efficacy utilizes an aminoquinoline scaffold. Here we report on a variety of aminoquinolines that target the bacterial NOS active site, in part, by binding to a hydrophobic patch that is unique to bNOS. Through mutagenesis and crystallographic studies, our findings demonstrate that aminoquinolines are an excellent scaffold for further aiding in the development of bNOS specific inhibitors.

Gaucher's disease is a common genetic disease caused by mutations in the β-glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) gene that have been also linked to increased risk of Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia. Stabilization of misfolded mutant β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase) represents an important therapeutic strategy in synucleinopathies. Here we report a novel class of GCase quinazoline inhibitors, obtained in a high throughput screening, with moderate potency against wild-type GCase. Rational design and a SAR study of this class of compounds led to a new series of quinazoline derivatives with single-digit nanomolar potency. These compounds were shown to selectively stabilize GCase when compared to other lysosomal enzymes and to increase N370S mutant GCase protein concentration and activity in cell assays. To the best of our knowledge, these molecules are the most potent noniminosugar GCase modulators to date that may prove useful for future mechanistic studies and therapeutic approaches in Gaucher's and Parkinson's diseases.

Development of potent and isoform selective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors is challenging because of the structural similarity in the heme active sites. One amino acid difference between NOS isoforms, Asp597 in rat neuronal NOS (nNOS) versus Asn368 in bovine endothelial NOS (eNOS), has been identified as the structural basis for why some dipeptide amide inhibitors bind more tightly to nNOS than to eNOS. We now have found that the same amino acid variation is responsible for substantially different binding modes and affinity for a new class of aminopyridine-based inhibitors.

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is an important therapeutic target for the treatment of various neurodegenerative disorders. A major challenge in the design of nNOS inhibitors focuses on potency in humans and selectivity over other NOS isoforms. Here we report potent and selective human nNOS inhibitors based on the 2-aminopyridine scaffold with a central pyridine linker. Compound 14j, the most promising inhibitor in this study, exhibits excellent potency for rat nNOS (Ki = 16 nM) with 828-fold n/e and 118-fold n/i selectivity with a Ki value of 13 nM against human nNOS with 1761-fold human n/e selectivity. Compound 14j also displayed good metabolic stability in human liver microsomes, low plasma protein binding, and minimal binding to cytochromes P450 (CYPs), although it had little to no Caco-2 permeability.

Aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs) vary in phenotype and genotype. Zona glomerulosa (ZG)-like APAs frequently have mutations of an L-type calcium channel (LTCC) CaV1.3. Using a novel antagonist of CaV1.3, compound 8, we investigated the role of CaV1.3 on steroidogenesis in the human adrenocortical cell line, H295R, and in primary human adrenal cells. This investigational drug was compared with the common antihypertensive drug nifedipine, which has 4.5-fold selectivity for the vascular LTCC, CaV1.2, over CaV1.3. In H295R cells transfected with wild-type or mutant CaV1.3 channels, the latter produced more aldosterone than wild-type, which was ameliorated by 100 μM of compound 8. In primary adrenal and non-transfected H295R cells, compound 8 decreased aldosterone production similar to high concentration of nifedipine (100 μM). Selective CaV1.3 blockade may offer a novel way of treating primary hyperaldosteronism, which avoids the vascular side effects of CaV1.2-blockade, and provides targeted treatment for ZG-like APAs with mutations of CaV1.3.

Excess nitric oxide (NO) produced by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is implicated in neurodegenerative disorders. As a result, inhibition of nNOS and reduction of NO levels is desirable therapeutically, but many nNOS inhibitors are poorly bioavailable. Promising members of our previously reported 2-aminoquinoline class of nNOS inhibitors, although orally bioavailable and brain-penetrant, suffer from unfavorable off-target binding to other CNS receptors, and they resemble known promiscuous binders. Rearranged phenyl ether- and aniline-linked 2-aminoquinoline derivatives were therefore designed to (a) disrupt the promiscuous binding pharmacophore and diminish off-target interactions and (b) preserve potency, isoform selectivity, and cell permeability. A series of these compounds was synthesized and tested against purified nNOS, endothelial NOS (eNOS), and inducible NOS (iNOS) enzymes. One compound, 20, displayed high potency, selectivity, and good human nNOS inhibition, and retained some permeability in a Caco-2 assay. Most promisingly, CNS receptor counterscreening revealed that this rearranged scaffold significantly reduces off-target binding.

Polyglutamine diseases are a class of dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders for which there is no effective treatment. Here we provide evidence that activation of serotonergic signalling is beneficial in animal models of Machado-Joseph disease. We identified citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, in a small molecule screen of FDA-approved drugs that rescued neuronal dysfunction and reduced aggregation using a Caenorhabditis elegans model of mutant ataxin 3-induced neurotoxicity. MOD-5, the C. elegans orthologue of the serotonin transporter and cellular target of citalopram, and the serotonin receptors SER-1 and SER-4 were strong genetic modifiers of ataxin 3 neurotoxicity and necessary for therapeutic efficacy. Moreover, chronic treatment of CMVMJD135 mice with citalopram significantly reduced ataxin 3 neuronal inclusions and astrogliosis, rescued diminished body weight and strikingly ameliorated motor symptoms. These results suggest that small molecule modulation of serotonergic signalling represents a promising therapeutic target for Machado-Joseph disease., (© The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

When γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system, falls below a threshold level, seizures occur. One approach to raise GABA concentrations is to inhibit GABA aminotransferase (GABA-AT), a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme that degrades GABA. We have previously developed (1S,3S)-3-amino-4-difluoromethylene-1-cyclopentanoic acid (CPP-115), which is 186 times more efficient in inactivating GABA-AT than vigabatrin, the only FDA-approved inactivator of GABA-AT. We also developed (E)- and (Z)-(1S,3S)-3-amino-4-fluoromethylenyl-1-cyclopentanoic acid (1 and 2, respectively), monofluorinated analogs of CPP-115, which are comparable to vigabatrin in inactivating GABA-AT. Here, we report the mechanism of inactivation of GABA-AT by 1 and 2. Both produce a metabolite that induces disruption of the Glu270-Arg445 salt bridge to accommodate interaction between the metabolite formyl group and Arg445. This is the second time that Arg445 has interacted with a ligand and is involved in GABA-AT inactivation, thereby confirming the importance of Arg445 in future inactivator design.

Pyrazolone derivatives have previously been found to be inhibitors of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1)-dependent protein aggregation, which extended survival of an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mouse model. On the basis of ADME analysis, we describe herein a new series of tertiary amine-containing pyrazolones and their structure-activity relationships. Further conversion to the conjugate salts greatly improved their solubility. Phosphate compound 17 exhibited numerous benefits both to cellular activity and to CNS-related drug-like properties in vitro and in vivo, including microsomal stability, tolerated toxicity, and blood-brain barrier permeation. These results indicate that tertiary amine pyrazolones comprise a valuable class of ALS drug candidates.

We have analyzed a recently obtained crystal structure of human neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and then designed and synthesized several 2-aminopyridine derivatives containing a truncated side chain to avoid the hydrophobic pocket that differentiates human and rat nNOS in an attempt to explore alternative binding poses along the substrate access channel of human nNOS. Introduction of an N-methylethane-1,2-diamine side chain and conformational constraints such as benzonitrile and pyridine as the middle aromatic linker were sufficient to increase human and rat nNOS binding affinity and inducible and endothelial NOS selectivity. We found that 14b is a potent inhibitor; the binding modes with human and rat nNOS are unexpected, inducing side chain rotamer changes in Gln478 (rat) at the top of the active site. Compound 19c exhibits Ki values of 24 and 55 nM for rat and human nNOS, respectively, with 153-fold iNOS and 1040-fold eNOS selectivity. 19c has 18% oral bioavailability.

Nitric oxide generated by bacterial nitric oxide synthase (NOS) increases the susceptibility of Gram-positive pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus anthracis to oxidative stress, including antibiotic-induced oxidative stress. Not surprisingly, NOS inhibitors also improve the effectiveness of antimicrobials. Development of potent and selective bacterial NOS inhibitors is complicated by the high active site sequence and structural conservation shared with the mammalian NOS isoforms. To exploit bacterial NOS for the development of new therapeutics, recognition of alternative NOS surfaces and pharmacophores suitable for drug binding is required. Here, we report on a wide number of inhibitor-bound bacterial NOS crystal structures to identify several compounds that interact with surfaces unique to the bacterial NOS. Although binding studies indicate that these inhibitors weakly interact with the NOS active site, many of the inhibitors reported here provide a revised structural framework for the development of new antimicrobials that target bacterial NOS. In addition, mutagenesis studies reveal several key residues that unlock access to bacterial NOS surfaces that could provide the selectivity required to develop potent bacterial NOS inhibitors.

Bacterial infections associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are a major economic burden to hospitals, and confer high rates of morbidity and mortality among those infected. Exploitation of novel therapeutic targets is thus necessary to combat this dangerous pathogen. Here, we report on the identification and characterization, including crystal structures, of two nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors that function as antimicrobials against MRSA. These data provide the first evidence that bacterial NOS (bNOS) inhibitors can work synergistically with oxidative stress to enhance MRSA killing. Crystal structures show that each inhibitor contacts an active site Ile residue in bNOS that is Val in the mammalian NOS isoforms. Mutagenesis studies show that the additional nonpolar contacts provided by the Ile in bNOS contribute to tighter binding toward the bacterial enzyme., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. DNA microarray analysis identified the ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) gene as a prominent gene overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from Psammomys obesus. In vitro studies demonstrated inactivation of OAT by gabaculine (1), a neurotoxic natural product, which suppressed in vitro proliferation of two HCC cell lines. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) secretion, a biomarker for HCC, was suppressed by gabaculine in both cell lines, but not significantly. Because of the active site similarity between GABA aminotransferase (GABA-AT) and OAT, a library of 24 GABA-AT inhibitors was screened to identify a more selective inhibitor of OAT. (1S,3S)-3-Amino-4-(hexafluoropropan-2-ylidene)cyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid (2) was found to be an inactivator of OAT that only weakly inhibits GABA-AT, l-aspartate aminotransferase, and l-alanine aminotransferase. In vitro administration of 2 significantly suppressed AFP secretion in both Hep3B and HepG2 HCC cells; in vivo, 2 significantly suppressed AFP serum levels and tumor growth in HCC-harboring mice, even at 0.1 mg/kg. Overexpression of the OAT gene in HCC and the ability to block the growth of HCC by OAT inhibitors support the role of OAT as a potential therapeutic target to inhibit HCC growth. This is the first demonstration of suppression of HCC by an OAT inactivator.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) catalyzes the conversion of l-arginine to l-citrulline and the second messenger nitric oxide. Three mechanistic pathways are proposed for the inactivation of neuronal NOS (nNOS) by (S)-2-amino-5-(2-(methylthio)acetimidamido)pentanoic acid (1): sulfide oxidation, oxidative dethiolation, and oxidative demethylation. Four possible intermediates were synthesized. All compounds were assayed with nNOS, their IC50, KI, and kinact values were obtained, and their crystal structures were determined. The identification and characterization of the products formed during inactivation provide evidence for the details of the inactivation mechanism. On the basis of these studies, the most probable mechanism for the inactivation of nNOS involves oxidative demethylation with the resulting thiol coordinating to the cofactor heme iron. Although nNOS is a heme-containing enzyme, this is the first example of a NOS that catalyzes an S-demethylation reaction; the novel mechanism of inactivation described here could be applied to the design of inactivators of other heme-dependent enzymes.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) catalyzes the conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline and nitric oxide. N(5)-(1-Iminoethyl)-L-ornithine (L-NIO), an amidine-containing molecule, is a natural product known to be an inactivator of inducible NOS (iNOS). Because of the presence of the amidine methyl group in place of the guanidine amino group of substrate L-arginine, the active site heme peroxy intermediate sometimes cannot be protonated, thereby preventing its conversion to the heme oxo intermediate; instead, a heme oxygenase-type mechanism occurs, leading to conversion of the heme to biliverdin. This might be a new and general inactivation mechanism for heme-containing enzymes. In the studies described here, we attempted to provide support for amidines as substrates and inactivators of iNOS by the design and synthesis of amidine analogues of L-NIO having groups other than the amidine methyl group. No nitric oxide- or enzyme-catalyzed products could be detected by incubation of these amidines with iNOS. Although none of the L-NIO analogues acted as substrates, they all inhibited iNOS; increased inhibitory potency correlated with decreased substituent size. Computer modeling and molecular dynamics simulations were run on 10 and 11 to rationalize why these compounds do not act as substrates. Unlike the methyl amidine (L-NIO), the other alkyl groups block binding of O2 at the heme iron. Compounds 8, 9, and 11 were inactivators; however, no heme was lost, and no biliverdin was formed. No kinetic isotope effect on inactivation was observed with perdeuterated ethyl 8. A small amount of dimer disruption occurred with these inactivators, although the amount would not account for complete enzyme inactivation. The L-NIO analogues inactivate iNOS by a yet unknown mechanism; however, it is different from that of L-NIO, and the inactivation mechanism previously reported for L-NIO appears to be unique to methyl amidines.

Low levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), one of two major neurotransmitters that regulate brain neuronal activity, are associated with many neurological disorders, such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and cocaine addiction. One of the main methods to raise the GABA level in human brain is to use small molecules that cross the blood-brain barrier and inhibit the activity of γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT), the enzyme that degrades GABA. We have designed a series of conformationally restricted tetrahydrothiophene-based GABA analogues with a properly positioned leaving group that could facilitate a ring-opening mechanism, leading to inactivation of GABA-AT. One compound in the series is 8 times more efficient an inactivator of GABA-AT than vigabatrin, the only FDA-approved inactivator of GABA-AT. Our mechanistic studies show that the compound inactivates GABA-AT by a new mechanism. The metabolite resulting from inactivation does not covalently bind to amino acid residues of GABA-AT but stays in the active site via H-bonding interactions with Arg-192, a π-π interaction with Phe-189, and a weak nonbonded S···O═C interaction with Glu-270, thereby inactivating the enzyme.

Inhibitors of sirtuin-2 (SIRT2) deacetylase have been shown to be protective in various models of Huntington's disease (HD) by decreasing polyglutamine aggregation, a hallmark of HD pathology. The present study was directed at optimizing the potency of SIRT2 inhibitors containing the 3-(benzylsulfonamido)benzamide scaffold and improving their metabolic stability. Molecular modeling and docking studies revealed an unfavorable role of the sulfonamide moiety for SIRT2 binding. This prompted us to replace the sulfonamide with thioether, sulfoxide, or sulfone groups. The thioether analogues were the most potent SIRT2 inhibitors with a two- to three-fold increase in potency relative to their corresponding sulfonamide analogues. The newly synthesized compounds also demonstrated higher SIRT2 selectivity over SIRT1 and SIRT3. Two thioether-derived compounds (17 and 18) increased α-tubulin acetylation in a dose-dependent manner in at least one neuronal cell line, and 18 was found to inhibit polyglutamine aggregation in PC12 cells.

Ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) and γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT) are classified under the same evolutionary subgroup and share a large portion of structural, functional, and mechanistic features. Therefore, it is not surprising that many molecules that bind to GABA-AT also bind well to OAT. Unlike GABA-AT, OAT had not been viewed as a potential therapeutic target until recently; consequently, the number of therapeutically viable molecules that target OAT is very limited. In this review the two enzymes are compared with respect to their active-site structures, catalytic and inactivation mechanisms, and selective inhibitors. Insight is offered that could aid in the design and development of new selective inhibitors of OAT for the treatment of cancer., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

γ-Aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT) is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme that degrades GABA, the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in mammalian cells. When the concentration of GABA falls below a threshold level, convulsions can occur. Inhibition of GABA-AT raises GABA levels in the brain, which can terminate seizures as well as have potential therapeutic applications in treating other neurological disorders, including drug addiction. Among the analogues that we previously developed, (1S,3S)-3-amino-4-difluoromethylene-1-cyclopentanoic acid (CPP-115) showed 187 times greater potency than that of vigabatrin, a known inactivator of GABA-AT and approved drug (Sabril) for the treatment of infantile spasms and refractory adult epilepsy. Recently, CPP-115 was shown to have no adverse effects in a Phase I clinical trial. Here we report a novel inactivation mechanism for CPP-115, a mechanism-based inactivator that undergoes GABA-AT-catalyzed hydrolysis of the difluoromethylene group to a carboxylic acid with concomitant loss of two fluoride ions and coenzyme conversion to pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate (PMP). The partition ratio for CPP-115 with GABA-AT is about 2000, releasing cyclopentanone-2,4-dicarboxylate (22) and two other precursors of this compound (20 and 21). Time-dependent inactivation occurs by a conformational change induced by the formation of the aldimine of 4-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid and PMP (20), which disrupts an electrostatic interaction between Glu270 and Arg445 to form an electrostatic interaction between Arg445 and the newly formed carboxylate produced by hydrolysis of the difluoromethylene group in CPP-115, resulting in a noncovalent, tightly bound complex. This represents a novel mechanism for inactivation of GABA-AT and a new approach for the design of mechanism-based inactivators in general.

Selective inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is an important therapeutic approach to target neurodegenerative disorders. However, the majority of the nNOS inhibitors developed are arginine mimetics and, therefore, suffer from poor bioavailability. We designed a novel strategy to combine a more pharmacokinetically favorable 2-imidazolylpyrimidine head with promising structural components from previous inhibitors. In conjunction with extensive structure-activity studies, several highly potent and selective inhibitors of nNOS were discovered. X-ray crystallographic analysis reveals that these type II inhibitors utilize the same hydrophobic pocket to gain strong inhibitory potency (13), as well as high isoform selectivity. Interestingly, select compounds from this series (9) showed good permeability and low efflux in a Caco-2 assay, suggesting potential oral bioavailability, and exhibited minimal off-target binding to 50 central nervous system receptors. Furthermore, even with heme-coordinating groups in the molecule, modifying other pharmacophoric fragments minimized undesirable inhibition of cytochrome P450s from human liver microsomes.

The mevalonate pathway is essential for the production of many important molecules in lipid biosynthesis. Inhibition of this pathway is the mechanism of statin cholesterol-lowering drugs, as well as the target of drugs to treat osteoporosis, to combat parasites, and to inhibit tumor cell growth. Unlike the human mevalonate pathway, the bacterial pathway appears to be regulated by diphosphomevalonate (DPM). Enzymes in the mevalonate pathway act to produce isopentenyl diphosphate, the product of the DPM decarboxylase reaction, utilize phosphorylated (charged) intermediates, which are poorly bioavailable. It has been shown that fluorinated DPMs (6-fluoro- and 6,6,6-trifluoro-5-diphosphomevalonate) are excellent inhibitors of the bacterial pathway; however, highly charged DPM and analogs are not bioavailable. To increase cellular permeability of mevalonate analogs, we have synthesized various prodrugs of mevalonate and 6-fluoro- and 6,6,6-trifluoromevalonate that can be enzymatically transformed to the corresponding DPM or fluorinated DPM analogs by esterases or amidases. To probe the required stabilities as potentially bioavailable prodrugs, we measured the half-lives of esters, amides, carbonates, acetals, and ketal promoieties of mevalonate and the fluorinated mevalonate analogs in human blood plasma. Stability studies showed that the prodrugs are converted to the mevalonates in human plasma with a wide range of half-lives. These studies provide stability data for a variety of prodrug options having varying stabilities and should be very useful in the design of appropriate prodrugs of mevalonate and fluorinated mevalonates., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Inhibition of bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bNOS) has the potential to improve the efficacy of antimicrobials used to treat infections by Gram-positive pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus anthracis. However, inhibitor specificity toward bNOS over the mammalian NOS (mNOS) isoforms remains a challenge because of the near identical NOS active sites. One key structural difference between the NOS isoforms is the amino acid composition of the pterin cofactor binding site that is adjacent to the NOS active site. Previously, we demonstrated that a NOS inhibitor targeting both the active and pterin sites was potent and functioned as an antimicrobial ( Holden , , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2013 , 110 , 18127 ). Here we present additional crystal structures, binding analyses, and bacterial killing studies of inhibitors that target both the active and pterin sites of a bNOS and function as antimicrobials. Together, these data provide a framework for continued development of bNOS inhibitors, as each molecule represents an excellent chemical scaffold for the design of isoform selective bNOS inhibitors.

Sirtuin deacetylases regulate diverse cellular pathways and influence disease processes. Our previous studies identified the brain-enriched sirtuin-2 (SIRT2) deacetylase as a potential drug target to counteract neurodegeneration. In the present study, we characterize SIRT2 inhibition activity of the brain-permeable compound AK7 and examine the efficacy of this small molecule in models of Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and cerebral ischemia. Our results demonstrate that AK7 is neuroprotective in models of Parkinson's disease; it ameliorates alpha-synuclein toxicity in vitro and prevents 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced dopamine depletion and dopaminergic neuron loss in vivo. The compound does not show beneficial effects in mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and cerebral ischemia. These findings underscore the specificity of protective effects observed here in models of Parkinson's disease, and previously in Huntington's disease, and support the development of SIRT2 inhibitors as potential therapeutics for the two neurodegenerative diseases.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness, paralysis, and death, most often from respiratory failure. Over 200 pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione (PYT) small molecules, which prevent aggregation and reduce the associated toxicity of mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) found in patients with familial ALS, have been synthesized and tested. One of the compounds (1,3-bis(2-phenylethyl)pyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione, (1) was previously found to have an excellent combination of potency efficacy, and some desirable pharmacokinetic properties. To improve the solubility and metabolic stability properties of this compound, deuterium and fluorine were introduced into 1. New analogs with better solubility, plasma stability, and human microsome stability were identified., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) catalyzes the conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline and NO in a two-step process involving the intermediate N(ω)-hydroxy-L-arginine (NHA). It was shown that Cpd I is the oxygenating species for L-arginine; the hydroperoxo ferric intermediate is the reactive intermediate with NHA. Methylation of the N(ω)-OH and N(ω)-H of NHA significantly inhibits the conversion of NHA into NO and L-citrulline by mammalian NOS. Kinetic studies now show that N(ω)-methylation of NHA has a qualitatively similar effect on H₂O₂-dependent catalysis by bacterial gsNOS. To elucidate the effect of methylating N(ω)-hydroxy L-arginine on the properties and reactivity of the one-electron-reduced oxy-heme center of NOS, we have applied cryoreduction/annealing/EPR/ENDOR techniques. Measurements of solvent kinetic isotope effects during 160 K cryoannealing cryoreduced oxy-gsNOS/NHA confirm the hydroperoxo ferric intermediate as the catalytically active species of step two. Product analysis for cryoreduced samples with methylated NHA's, NHMA, NMOA, and NMMA, annealed to 273 K, show a correlation of yields of L-citrulline with the intensity of the g 2.26 EPR signal of the peroxo ferric species trapped at 77 K, which converts to the reactive hydroperoxo ferric state. There is also a correlation between the yield of L-citrulline in these experiments and k(obs) for the H₂O₂-dependent conversion of the substrates by gsNOS. Correspondingly, no detectable amount of cyanoornithine, formed when Cpd I is the reactive species, was found in the samples. Methylation of the NHA guanidinium N(ω)-OH and N(ω)-H inhibits the second NO-producing reaction by favoring protonation of the ferric-peroxo to form unreactive conformers of the ferric-hydroperoxo state. It is suggested that this is caused by modification of the distal-pocket hydrogen-bonding network of oxy gsNOS and introduction of an ordered water molecule that facilitates delivery of the proton(s) to the one-electron-reduced oxy-heme moiety. These results illustrate how variations in the properties of the substrate can modulate the reactivity of a monooxygenase.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is one of the most complex neurodegenerative diseases, involving both cortical and spinal components of motor neuron circuitry and non-neuronal cells that support the motor neurons. There is no effective therapeutic for ALS, and compounds that have extended the lifespan of ALS mouse models have failed in clinical trials. This viewpoint discusses current information regarding the changing views about ALS and what the failures in clinical trials can teach us in the search for an effective treatment. Previous challenges and roadblocks in drug discovery for ALS are noted, and solutions to current limitations are discussed. Learning from the past and moving forward with a new mindset can translate into successful and effective treatment strategies in ALS and other related diseases.

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule in the human body, playing a crucial role in cell and neuronal communication, regulation of blood pressure, and in immune activation. However, overproduction of NO by the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is one of the fundamental causes underlying neurodegenerative disorders and neuropathic pain. Therefore, developing small molecules for selective inhibition of nNOS over related isoforms (eNOS and iNOS) is therapeutically desirable. The aims of this review focus on the regulation and dysregulation of NO signaling, the role of NO in neurodegeneration and pain, the structure and mechanism of nNOS, and the use of this information to design selective inhibitors of this enzyme. Structure-based drug design, the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of these inhibitors, and extensive target validation through animal studies are addressed.

Mammals produce three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS): neuronal NOS (nNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS). The overproduction of NO by nNOS is associated with a number of neurodegenerative disorders; therefore, a desirable therapeutic goal is the design of drugs that target nNOS but not the other isoforms. Crystallography, coupled with computational approaches and medicinal chemistry, has played a critical role in developing highly selective nNOS inhibitors that exhibit exceptional neuroprotective properties. For historic reasons, crystallography has focused on rat nNOS and bovine eNOS because these were available in high quality; thus, their structures have been used in structure-activity-relationship studies. Although these constitutive NOSs share more than 90% sequence identity across mammalian species for each NOS isoform, inhibitor-binding studies revealed that subtle differences near the heme active site in the same NOS isoform across species still impact enzyme-inhibitor interactions. Therefore, structures of the human constitutive NOSs are indispensible. Here, the first structure of human neuronal NOS at 2.03 Å resolution is reported and a different crystal form of human endothelial NOS is reported at 1.73 Å resolution.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and ultimately fatal neurodegenerative disease. Pyrazolone containing small molecules have shown significant disease attenuating efficacy in cellular and murine models of ALS. Pyrazolone based affinity probes were synthesized to identify high affinity binding partners and ascertain a potential biological mode of action. Probes were confirmed to be neuroprotective in PC12-SOD1(G93A) cells. PC12-SOD1(G93A) cell lysates were used for protein pull-down, affinity purification, and subsequent proteomic analysis using LC-MS/MS. Proteomics identified the 26S proteasome regulatory subunit 4 (PSMC1), 26S proteasome regulatory subunit 6B (PSMC4), and T-complex protein 1 (TCP-1) as putative protein targets. Coincubation with appropriate competitors confirmed the authenticity of the proteomics results. Activation of the proteasome by pyrazolones was demonstrated in the absence of exogenous proteasome inhibitor and by restoration of cellular protein degradation of a fluorogenic proteasome substrate in PC12-SOD1(G93A) cells. Importantly, supplementary studies indicated that these molecules do not induce a heat shock response. We propose that pyrazolones represent a rare class of molecules that enhance proteasomal activation in the absence of a heat shock response and may have therapeutic potential in ALS.

To develop potent and selective nNOS inhibitors, a new series of double-headed molecules with chiral linkers that derive from natural amino acid derivatives have been designed and synthesized. The new structures integrate a thiophenecarboximidamide head with two types of chiral linkers, presenting easy synthesis and good inhibitory properties. Inhibitor (S)-9b exhibits a potency of 14.7 nM against nNOS and is 1134 and 322-fold more selective for nNOS over eNOS and iNOS, respectively. Crystal structures show that the additional binding between the aminomethyl moiety of 9b and propionate A on the heme and tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B) in nNOS, but not eNOS, contributes to its high selectivity. This work demonstrates the advantage of integrating known structures into structure optimization, and it should be possible to more readily develop compounds that incorporate bioavailability with these advanced features. Moreover, this integrative strategy is a general approach in new drug discovery., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Many pyrrolidine-based inhibitors highly selective for neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) over endothelial NOS (eNOS) exhibit dramatically different binding modes. In some cases, the inhibitor binds in a 180° flipped orientation in nNOS relative to eNOS. From the several crystal structures we have determined, we know that isoform selectivity correlates with the rotamer position of a conserved tyrosine residue that H-bonds with a heme propionate. In nNOS, this Tyr more readily adopts the out-rotamer conformation, while in eNOS, the Tyr tends to remain fixed in the original in-rotamer conformation. In the out-rotamer conformation, inhibitors are able to form better H-bonds with the protein and heme, thus increasing inhibitor potency. A segment of polypeptide that runs along the surface near the conserved Tyr has long been thought to be the reason for the difference in Tyr mobility. Although this segment is usually disordered in both eNOS and nNOS, sequence comparisons and modeling from a few structures show that this segment is structured quite differently in eNOS and nNOS. In this study, we have probed the importance of this surface segment near the Tyr by making a few mutants in the region followed by crystal structure determinations. In addition, because the segment near the conserved Tyr is highly ordered in iNOS, we also determined the structure of an iNOS-inhibitor complex. This new structure provides further insight into the critical role that mobility plays in isoform selectivity.

Basal ganglia injury after hypoxia-ischemia remains common in preterm infants, and is closely associated with later cerebral palsy. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that a highly selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibitor, JI-10, would improve survival of striatal phenotypic neurons after profound asphyxia, and that the subsequent seizure burden and recovery of EEG are associated with neural outcome. 24 chronically instrumented preterm fetal sheep were randomized to either JI-10 (3 ml of 0.022 mg/ml, n = 8) or saline (n = 8) infusion 15 min before 25 min complete umbilical cord occlusion, or saline plus sham-occlusion (n = 8). Umbilical cord occlusion was associated with reduced numbers of calbindin-28k-, GAD-, NPY-, PV-, Calretinin- and nNOS-positive striatal neurons (p < 0.05 vs. sham occlusion) but not ChAT-positive neurons. JI-10 was associated with increased numbers of calbindin-28k-, GAD-, nNOS-, NPY-, PV-, Calretinin- and ChAT-positive striatal neurons (p < 0.05 vs. saline + occlusion). Seizure burden was strongly associated with loss of calbindin-positive cells (p < 0.05), greater seizure amplitude was associated with loss of GAD-positive cells (p < 0.05), and with more activated microglia in the white matter tracts (p < 0.05). There was no relationship between EEG power after 7 days recovery and total striatal cell loss, but better survival of NPY-positive neurons was associated with lower EEG power. In summary, these findings suggest that selective nNOS inhibition during asphyxia is associated with protection of phenotypic striatal projection neurons and has potential to help reduce basal ganglia injury in some premature babies., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Overproduction of NO by nNOS is implicated in the pathogenesis of diverse neuronal disorders. Since NO signaling is involved in diverse physiological functions, selective inhibition of nNOS over other isoforms is essential to minimize side effects. A series of α-amino functionalized aminopyridine derivatives (3-8) were designed to probe the structure-activity relationship between ligand, heme propionate, and H4B. Compound 8R was identified as the most potent and selective molecule of this study, exhibiting a Ki of 24 nM for nNOS, with 273-fold and 2822-fold selectivity against iNOS and eNOS, respectively. Although crystal structures of 8R complexed with nNOS and eNOS revealed a similar binding mode, the selectivity stems from the distinct electrostatic environments in two isoforms that result in much lower inhibitor binding free energy in nNOS than in eNOS. These findings provide a basis for further development of simple, but even more selective and potent, nNOS inhibitors.

Inhibitors of sirtuin-2 deacetylase (SIRT2) have been shown to be protective in various models of Huntington's disease (HD) by decreasing polyglutamine aggregation, a hallmark of HD pathology. The present study was directed at optimizing the potency of SIRT2 inhibitors containing the neuroprotective sulfobenzoic acid scaffold and improving their pharmacology. To achieve that goal, 176 analogues were designed, synthesized, and tested in deacetylation assays against the activities of major human sirtuins SIRT1-3. This screen yielded 15 compounds with enhanced potency for SIRT2 inhibition and 11 compounds having SIRT2 inhibition equal to reference compound AK-1. The newly synthesized compounds also demonstrated higher SIRT2 selectivity over SIRT1 and SIRT3. These candidates were subjected to a dose-response bioactivity assay, measuring an increase in α-tubulin K40 acetylation in two neuronal cell lines, which yielded five compounds bioactive in both cell lines and eight compounds bioactive in at least one of the cell lines tested. These bioactive compounds were subsequently tested in a tertiary polyglutamine aggregation assay, which identified five inhibitors. ADME properties of the bioactive SIRT2 inhibitors were assessed, which revealed a significant improvement of the pharmacological properties of the new entities, reaching closer to the goal of a clinically-viable candidate., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Since high levels of nitric oxide (NO) are implicated in neurodegenerative disorders, inhibition of the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and reduction of NO levels are therapeutically desirable. Nonetheless, many nNOS inhibitors mimic l-arginine and are poorly bioavailable. 2-Aminoquinoline-based scaffolds were designed with the hope that they could (a) mimic aminopyridines as potent, isoform-selective arginine isosteres and (b) possess chemical properties more conducive to oral bioavailability and CNS penetration. A series of these compounds was synthesized and assayed against purified nNOS enzymes, endothelial NOS (eNOS), and inducible NOS (iNOS). Several compounds built on a 7-substituted 2-aminoquinoline core are potent and isoform-selective; X-ray crystallography indicates that aminoquinolines exert inhibitory effects by mimicking substrate interactions with the conserved active site glutamate residue. The most potent and selective compounds, 7 and 15, were tested in a Caco-2 assay and showed good permeability and low efflux, suggesting high potential for oral bioavailability.

Selective inhibitors of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) are regarded as valuable and powerful agents with therapeutic potential for the treatment of chronic neurodegenerative pathologies and human melanoma. Here, we describe a novel hybrid strategy that combines the pharmacokinetically promising thiophene-2-carboximidamide fragment and structural features of our previously reported potent and selective aminopyridine inhibitors. Two inhibitors, 13 and 14, show low nanomolar inhibitory potency (Ki = 5 nM for nNOS) and good isoform selectivities (nNOS over eNOS [440- and 540-fold, respectively] and over iNOS [260- and 340-fold, respectively]). The crystal structures of these nNOS-inhibitor complexes reveal a new hot spot that explains the selectivity of 14 and why converting the secondary to tertiary amine leads to enhanced selectivity. More importantly, these compounds are the first highly potent and selective nNOS inhibitory agents that exhibit excellent in vitro efficacy in melanoma cell lines.

The three important mammalian isozymes of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) are neuronal NOS (nNOS), endothelial NOS (eNOS), and inducible NOS (iNOS). Inhibitors of nNOS show promise as treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. Eight easily-synthesized compounds containing either one ( 20a,b ) or two ( 9a-d; 15a,b ) 2-amino-4-methylpyridine groups with a chiral pyrrolidine linker were designed as selective nNOS inhibitors. Inhibitor 9c is the best of these compounds, having a potency of 9.7 nM and dual selectivity of 693 and 295 against eNOS and iNOS, respectively. Crystal structures of nNOS complexed with either 9a or 9c show a double-headed binding mode, where each 2-aminopyridine head group interacts with either a nNOS active site Glu residue or a heme propionate. In addition, the pyrrolidine nitrogen of 9c contributes additional hydrogen bonds to the heme propionate, resulting in a unique binding orientation. In contrast, the lack of hydrogen bonds from the pyrrolidine of 9a to the heme propionate allows the inhibitor to adopt two different binding orientations. Both 9a and 9c bind to eNOS in a single-headed mode, which is the structural basis for the isozyme selectivity.

Background: Airway management is a core competency in anesthesiology training and practice. Residents are taught how to evaluate patients and identify those who may difficulty in securing their airway. The ASA has devised an algorithm on management of those difficult airways. The conservative methods are taught and practiced throughout training. However, the default last resort is obtaining an invasive airway. It is this potentially life-saving, procedure that residents may graduate and have never performed clinically. In our institution, the Anesthesiology Critical Care Division routinely performs percutaneous tracheostomies throughout the hospital. As residents began to inquire, they too were folded into this service to provide real hands on experience. After 3 years we sought to determine if residents perceived this hands-on training to be a benefit., Methods: We devised a multi-question survey and distributed to our 131 residents. The purpose of the survey was to determine of those who participated in the tracheostomy service if they felt this was of benefit, which specialists they could look to should an invasive airway be needed and if they felt this exposure gave them greater confidence to perform an emergency invasive airway., Results: In unanimity, the residents all felt that this training was both beneficial and essential in their training. However, none of the residents felt this training had adequately prepared them to actually perform this procedure in an emergency., Conclusions: The residents felt this was an essential aspect of their anesthesiology training. However they did not feel they obtained invasive airway competence. We postulate the residents relatively limited exposure may have been the cause. While we do not know the impact of this training in residency on management of a future difficult airway, the residents uniformly felt this was vital in their clinical curriculum and should be universal.

Preterm brain injury is partly associated with hypoxia-ischemia starting before birth. Excessive nitric oxide production during HI may cause nitrosative stress, leading to cell membrane and mitochondrial damage. We therefore tested the hypothesis that therapy with a new, selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibitor, JI-10 (0.022mg/kg bolus, n=8), given 30min before 25min of complete umbilical cord occlusion was protective in preterm fetal sheep at 101-104day gestation (term is 147days), compared to saline (n=8). JI-10 had no effect on fetal blood pressure, heart rate, carotid and femoral blood flow, total EEG power, nuchal activity, temperature or intracerebral oxygenation on near-infrared spectroscopy during or after occlusion. JI-10 was associated with later onset of post-asphyxial seizures compared with saline (p<0.05), and attenuation of the subsequent progressive loss of cytochrome oxidase (p<0.05). After 7days recovery, JI-10 was associated with improved neuronal survival in the caudate nucleus (p<0.05), but not the putamen or hippocampus, and more CNPase positive oligodendrocytes in the periventricular white matter (p<0.05). In conclusion, prophylactic nNOS inhibition before profound asphyxia was associated with delayed onset of seizures, slower decline of cytochrome oxidase and partial white and gray matter protection, consistent with protection of mitochondrial function., (© 2013.)

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by bacterial NOS functions as a cytoprotective agent against oxidative stress in Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus anthracis, and Bacillus subtilis. The screening of several NOS-selective inhibitors uncovered two inhibitors with potential antimicrobial properties. These two compounds impede the growth of B. subtilis under oxidative stress, and crystal structures show that each compound exhibits a unique binding mode. Both compounds serve as excellent leads for the future development of antimicrobials against bacterial NOS-containing bacteria.

Primary amines can be readily doubly protected as N-substituted 2,5-dimethylpyrroles. Although this protecting group is stable toward strong bases and nucleophiles, long reaction times are required for both the protection and deprotection steps, generally resulting in low deprotection yields. By employing microwave irradiation, protection and deprotection reaction times are dramatically reduced. Furthermore, deprotection with dilute hydrochloric acid in ethanol increases reaction yields. Diverse deprotection conditions have been developed in conjunction with microwave irradiation, so that protection as an N-substituted 2,5-dimethylpyrrole can be orthogonal to other standard amine protecting groups, such as tert-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc), carbobenzyloxy (Cbz), and 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc).

To develop potent and selective nNOS inhibitors, new double-headed molecules with chiral linkers that derive from natural amino acids or their derivatives have been designed. The new structures contain two ether bonds, which greatly simplifies the synthesis and accelerates structure optimization. Inhibitor (R)-6b exhibits a potency of 32nM against nNOS and is 475 and 244 more selective for nNOS over eNOS and iNOS, respectively. Crystal structures show that the additional binding between the aminomethyl moiety of 6b and the two heme propionates in nNOS, but not eNOS, is the structural basis for its high selectivity. This work demonstrates the importance of stereochemistry in this class of molecules, which significantly influences the potency and selectivity of the inhibitors. The structure-activity information gathered here provides a guide for future structure optimization., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We have developed two new continuous coupled assays for ornithine-δ-aminotransferase (OAT) that are more sensitive than previous methods, measure activity in real time, and can be carried out in multiwell plates for convenience and high throughput. The first assay is based on the reduction of Δ(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C), generated from ornithine by OAT, using human pyrroline 5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1), which results in the concomitant oxidation of NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced form) to NAD⁺ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, oxidized form). This procedure was found to be three times more sensitive than previous methods and is suitable for the study of small molecules as inhibitors or inactivators of OAT or as a method to determine OAT activity in unknown samples. The second method involves the detection of L-glutamate, produced during the regeneration of the cofactor pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) of OAT by an unamplified modification of the commercially available Amplex Red L-glutamate detection kit (Life Technologies). This assay is recommended for the determination of the substrate activity of small molecules against OAT; measuring the transformation of L-ornithine at high concentrations by this assay is complicated by the fact that it also acts as a substrate for the L-glutamate oxidase (GluOx) reporter enzyme., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In certain neurodegenerative diseases damaging levels of nitric oxide (NO) are produced by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). It, therefore, is important to develop inhibitors selective for nNOS that do not interfere with other NOS isoforms, especially endothelial NOS (eNOS), which is critical for proper functioning of the cardiovascular system. While we have been successful in developing potent and isoform-selective inhibitors, such as lead compounds 1 and 2, the ease of synthesis and bioavailability have been problematic. Here we describe a new series of compounds including crystal structures of NOS-inhibitor complexes that integrate the advantages of easy synthesis and good biological properties compared to the lead compounds. These results provide the basis for additional structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies to guide further improvement of isozyme selective inhibitors., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Our previous studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in increasing the invasion and proliferation of human melanoma cells, suggesting that targeting NO signaling may facilitate therapy and prevention. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is present in melanocytes, a cell type that originates from the neural crest. The aims of this study were to determine the role of nNOS in melanoma progression and the potential antitumor effects of novel synthesized nNOS inhibitors., Results: In vitro studies demonstrated abundant expression of nNOS in melanoma compared to melanocytes, which was inducible by ultraviolet radiation and was associated with increased NO generation. nNOS was also detected in melanoma biopsies that increased with disease stage. Knockdown of nNOS in melanoma cells diminished L-arginine-induced NO production; the metastatic capacity was also reduced as well as the levels of MMP-1, Bcl-2, JunD, and APE/Ref-1. Similar inhibition of NO and invasion potential was observed utilizing novel, highly selective nNOS inhibitors. In three-dimensional human skin reconstructs, the nNOS inhibitor cpd8 effectively reversed the melanoma overgrowth stimulated by NO stress., Innovation: Our work lays the foundation for development of clinical "drug-like" nNOS inhibitors as a new and promising strategy for the chemoprevention of early melanoma progression and the inhibition of secondary melanoma in high-risk individuals., Conclusion: Based on our observations, we propose that nNOS in melanoma results in constitutive overproduction of NO, which stimulates proliferation and increases invasion potential, leading to subsequent development of metastases.

The L-type calcium channel (LTCC) CaV1.3 is regarded as a new potential therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease. Calcium influx through CaV1.3 LTCC during autonomous pacemaking in adult dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta is related to the generation of mitochondrial oxidative stress in animal models. Development of a CaV1.3 antagonist selective over CaV1.2 is essential because CaV1.2 pore-forming subunits are the predominant form of LTCCs and are abundant in the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. We have explored 1,4-dihydropyrimidines and 4H-pyrans to identify potent and selective antagonists of CaV1.3 relative to CaV1.2 LTCCs. A library of 36 dihydropyridine (DHP)-mimic 1,4-dihydropyrimidines and 4H-pyrans was synthesized, and promising chiral compounds were resolved. The antagonism studies of CaV1.3 and CaV1.2 LTCCs using DHP mimic compounds showed that dihydropyrimidines and 4H-pyrans are effective antagonists of DHPs for CaV1.3 LTCCs. Some 1,4-dihydropyrimidines are more selective than isradipine for CaV1.3 over CaV1.2, shown here by both calcium flux and patch-clamp electrophysiology experiments, where the ratio of antagonism is around 2-3. These results support the hypothesis that the modified hydrogen bonding donor/acceptors in DHP-mimic dihydropyrimidines and 4H-pyrans can interact differently with DHP binding sites, but, in addition, the data suggest that the binding sites of DHP in CaV1.3 and CaV1.2 LTCCs are very similar., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)