Ferdinando Fiorino

Derivatives as 5HT1A Receptor Ligands-Past and Present

Serotonin is a neuromediator, well-know for its implication in mood regulation, anxiety, depression and, insomnia as well as in normal human function such as sleep, sexual activity and appetite. In this way, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is one of the most attractive targets for medicinal chemists and pharmaceutical companies. Among 5-HTRs, the 5-HT1A subtype is the best studied, and it is generally accepted that it is involved in psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression. Several structurally different compounds are known to bind 5-HT1A receptor sites such as aminotetralins, ergolines, arylpiperazines, indolylalkylamines, aporphines and aryloxyalkyl-amines. In this review, we report an overview of the 5-HT1A receptor ligands, belonging to different chemical classes.

5-HT1A Receptor: An Old Target as a New Attractive Tool in Drug Discovery from Central Nervous System to Cancer

The serotonin receptor subtype 5-HT(1A) was one of the first serotonin receptor subtypes pharmacologically characterized. This receptor subtype has long been object of intense research and is implicated in the pathogenesis and treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders. In recent years, new chemical entities targeting the 5-HT(1A) receptor (alone or in combination with other molecular targets) have been proposed for novel therapeutic uses in neuroprotection, cognitive impairment, Parkinsons disease, pain treatment, malignant carcinoid syndrome, and prostate cancer. This Perspective compares existing data on expression and signaling activity of the 5-HT(1A) receptor to a ligand with an intrinsic agonist or antagonist profile. Our purpose is also to make a complete overview, useful for underlining the features needed to select a specific pharmacological profile rather than another one. This aspect could be really interesting to consider and justify the 5-HT(1A) receptor as a new attractive target for drug discovery.

Synthesis by microwave irradiation and binding properties of novel 5-HT1A receptor ligands

This work reports the synthesis by microwave irradiation and the binding tests on the 5-HT(1A), 5-HT(2A) and 5-HT(2C) receptors of new substituted piperazines in order to identify selective ligands for 5-HT(1A) subtype receptor. Conventional heating and microwave irradiation of the reactions was compared. Synthesis by microwave irradiation gave the desired compounds in better yields than those obtained by conventional heating. The overall times for the syntheses were considerably reduced. Some resulting active compounds (29 and 39) were characterised by a good selectivity profile for the 5-HT(1A) subtype receptor. The more active compounds were selected and further evaluated for their binding affinities on D(1), D(2) dopaminergic and alpha(1), alpha(2) adrenergic receptors. The compound with higher affinity and selectivity for the 5-HT(1A) over all the considered receptors was the 3-[4-[4-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthyl)-1-piperazinyl]butan]-benzotriazinone (-)29 (5-HT(1A) K(i)=36 nM, other receptors not active).

Thrombin and PAR‐1 acitvating peptide increase iNOS expression in cytokine‐stimulated C6 glioma cells

Thrombin (THR) plays a key role in the brain under physiological and pathological conditions. Several of the biological activities of thrombin have been shown to be mainly driven through activation of protease‐activated receptor‐1 (PAR‐1)‐type thrombin receptor. Here we have studied the effect of THR and PAR‐1‐activating peptide (PAR1‐AP), SFLLRN, on cytokine‐induced expression of inducible nitric oxide (iNOS), a prominent marker of astroglial activation using the rat C6 glioma cells. In this cell line, THR (1–10 U/mL) and PAR1‐AP (1–100 µm) induced a significant concentration‐dependent increase both of IFN‐γ‐ (250 U/mL) or TNF‐α‐ (500 U/mL) induced NO release. The observed increase of NO production was related to an enhancement of iNOS expression as measured in cell lysates prepared from different treatments by using SDS–PAGE followed by western blot analysis. The effect of THR, but not that of PAR1‐AP, was significantly inhibited by hirulogTM (60 µg/mL), a specific and stochiometric THR inhibitor or by cathepsin‐G (40 mU/mL), an inhibitor of PAR‐1. In conclusion our data suggest a role for THR through activation of PAR‐1 in the induction of astroglial iNOS, and further support the hypothesis that THR may function as an important pathophysiological modulator of the inflammatory response.

Calpastatin exon 1B-derived peptide, a selective inhibitor of calpain: Enhancing cell permeability by conjugation with penetratin

Abstract The ubiquitous calpains, u- and m-calpain, have been implicated in essential physiological processes and various pathologies. Cell-permeable specific inhibitors are important tools to elucidate the roles of calpains in cultivated cells and animal models. The synthetic Nacetylated 27-mer peptide derived from exon B of the inhibitory domain 1 of human calpastatin (CP1B) is unique as a potent and highly selective reversible calpain inhibitor, but is poorly cell-permeant. By addition of N-terminal cysteine residues we have generated a disulfide-conjugated CP1B with the cell-penetrating 16-mer peptide penetratin derived from the third helix of the Antennapedia homeodomain protein. The inhibitory potency and selectivity of CP1B for calpain versus cathepsin B and L, caspase 3 and the proteasome was not affected by the conjugation with penetratin. The conjugate was shown to efficiently penetrate into living LCLC 103H cells, since it prevents ionomycin-induced calpain activation at 200-fold lower concentration than the non-conjugated inhibitor and is able to reduce calpain triggered apoptosis of these cells. Penetratin-conjugated CP1B seems to be a promising alternative to the widely used cell-permeable peptide aldehydes (e.g. calpain inhibitor I) which inhibit the lysosomal cathepsins and partially the proteasome as well or even better than the calpains.

Microwave enhanced solution synthesis of 1,4-benzodiazepin-5-ones

Abstract Some 2-methyl-1,4-benzodiazepin-5-ones have been synthesized by the application of microwave irradiation. Conventional heating and microwave irradiation of the reactions were compared. Synthesis by microwave irradiation gave the desired compounds in better yields than those obtained by conventional heating. The overall times for the syntheses were considerably reduced.

Microwave-enhanced solution coupling of the α,α-dialkyl amino acid, Aib☆

Abstract The difficult coupling of α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), during the synthesis of dipeptides ( 1 – 6 ), was carried out using PyBOP/HOBt and HBTU/HOBt reagents by application of microwave energy in the presence of solvent. Room temperature, conventional heating (oil bath) and microwave irradiation of the reactions are compared. Synthesis by microwave irradiation gave the desired compounds in higher yields and in shorter reaction times than those obtained by conventional heating or at room temperature.

Preparation and local anaesthetic activity of benzotriazinone and benzoyltriazole derivatives

Two sets of benzotriazinone and benzoyltriazole derivatives were prepared and tested for local anaesthetic activity in comparison with lidocaine. Several of the prepared compounds exhibited a fairly good activity comparable or superior to that of lidocaine. The presence of a benzotriazinone or a benzoyltriazole moiety as an aromatic system was quite profitable for both the intensity and duration of activity. The acute toxicity in mice of the four most potent compounds of the series was also assessed. Compound 1b, which has an anaesthetic activity comparable to that of lidocaine, was also characterized by a more favourable therapeutic index. All compounds were tested in vitro to evaluate their negative chronotropic action in isolated rat right atria.

Synthesis and vasorelaxant activity of new 1,4-benzoxazine derivatives potassium channel openers

As part of a search for new potassium channel openers, the synthesis and vasorelaxant activity of new 1,4-benzoxazine derivatives derived from transformation of the benzopyran skeleton of cromakalim were described. Several new 1,4-benzoxazine derivatives were provided with significant vasorelaxant activity with an overall pharmacological behavior similar to CRK (1f, 1i, 2d, 2e, 2f and 2i).

Synthesis of new 1,2,3-benzotriazin-4-one-arylpiperazine derivatives as 5-HT1A serotonin receptor ligands

A series of novel 1,2,3-benzotriazin-4-one derivatives was prepared and evaluated as ligands for 5-HT receptors. Radioligand binding assays proved that the majority of the novel compounds behaved as good to excellent ligands at the 5-HT1A receptor, some of which were selective with respect 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors. Six analogues (1a, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2e and 2i) were selected and further evaluated for their binding affinities on D1, D2 dopaminergic and alpha1-, alpha2-adrenergic receptors. A o-OCH3 derivative (2e) bound at 5-HT1A sites with subnanomolar affinity (IC50 = 0.059 nM) and shows high selectivity over all considered receptors and may offer a new lead for the development of therapeutically efficacious agents.