Hesham Fahmy

Design and synthesis of some substituted 1H-pyrazolyl-thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidines as anti-inflammatory-antimicrobial agents

The synthesis of two novel series of structurally related 1H-pyrazolyl derivatives of thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidines is described. All the newly synthesised compounds were examined for their in vivo anti-inflammatory activity in two different bioassays namely; cotton pellet-induced granuloma and carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. The in vitro inhibitory activity of the most active compounds towards human COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes was also estimated. In addition, the ulcerogenic effects and acute toxicity (LD(50)) values of these compounds were determined. The same compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, as an example of Gram negative bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus as an example of Gram positive bacteria, and Candida albicans as a representative of fungi. The results revealed that compounds 5a, 9a, 9b, 10b and 12a exhibited anti-inflammatory activity comparable to that of indomethacin in both local and systemic in vivo animal models with no or minimal ulcerogenic effects (0-10%) and high safety margin (LD(50) > 500 mg kg(-1)). In addition, most of them displayed appreciable antibacterial activities when compared with ampicillin, especially against S. aureus. Compounds 9a and 12a are the most distinctive derivatives identified in the present study because of their remarkable in vivo and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity in addition to their pronounced antibacterial activities comparable to ampicillin against Gram positive and -negative bacteria. Therefore, they are considered as successful dual anti-inflammatory-antimicrobial candidates.

Synthesis of novel benzofuran and related benzimidazole derivatives for evaluation ofin vitro anti-HIV-1, anticancer and antimicrobial activities

Previously, we synthesized and evaluated several benzofuran derivatives containing heterocyclic ring substituents linked to the benzofuran nucleus at C-2 by a two- to four-atom spacer as potential anti-HIV-1, anticancer and antimicrobial agents. Among these derivatives,NSC 725612 andNSC 725716 exhibited interesting anti-HIV-1 activity. To further investigate the structure-activity relationship, we synthesized several new benzofuran derivatives derived from 2-acetylbenzofuran (2, 3a-c) and 2-bromoacetylbenzofuran (6; 7a,b; 8a,b). The compounds were designed to comprise the heterocyclic substituents directly linked to the benzofuran nucleus at C-2. Moreover, various related benzimidazoles derived from 2-acetylbenzimidazole and from 2-cyanomethylbenzimidazole (12a,b; 13a,b; 15; 16a,b) were also prepared as isosteres. The synthesized compounds were preliminarily evaluated for theirin vitro anti-HIV-1, anticancer and antimicrobial activity. Compounds2, 3a, 3b, and12b showed weak anti-HIV-1 activity. Compound6 exhibited mild activity againstS. aureus, while compound15 had mild activity towardsS. aureus andC. albicans. However, no significant anticancer activity was observed with any of the tested compounds. From these results, we conclude that the presence of the spacer between the heterocyclic substituent and the benzofuran nucleus may be essential for the biological activity.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of some thiazolylpyrazole derivatives as dual anti-inflammatory antimicrobial agents

The synthesis of a novel series of 4-thiazolylpyrazolyl derivatives is described in the present report. All the newly synthesized compounds were examined for their anti-inflammatory activity using cotton pellet-induced granuloma and carrageenan-induced rat paw edema bioassays. Their inhibitory activities of cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-1 and COX-2), ulcerogenic effect and acute toxicity were also determined. Furthermore, all compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. A docking pose for compounds 8b, 10a and 10b separately in the active site of the human COX-2 enzyme and DNA-gyrase B was also obtained. The results revealed that compounds 8b, 10a and 10b exhibited good anti-inflammatory activity with no or minimal ulcerogenic effect and good safety margin. Compounds 10a and 10b were found to be the most potent anti-inflammatory agents in the present study. Meanwhile, 10a and 10b displayed higher selective inhibitory activity towards COX-2 compared to indomethacin. Moreover, compounds 10a and 10b exhibited promising antibacterial against both E. coli and S. aureus. Docking studies for 8b, 10a and 10b with COX-2 (PDB ID: 1CX2) and DNA-gyrase B (PDB ID: 1EI1) showed good binding profile.

Synthesis and antitumor evaluation of new polysubstituted thiazole and derived thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidine systems

The synthesis of three categories of compounds containing the 1H‐pyrazole ring linked to some dihydrothiazoles, thiazolidinones, and thiazolo[4, 5‐d]pyrimidines through different linkages is described. Nine of the newly synthesized target compounds were selected by the NCI for in‐vitro antitumor screening. Four compounds, namely 4a, 4b, 13, and 14, exhibited a broad spectrum of antitumor activity against most of the tested tumor cell lines. Compound 4a, 3‐phenyl‐4‐amino‐5‐(3, 5‐dimethyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐4‐methylidenehydrazinocarbonyl)thiazole‐2(3H)‐thione proved to be the most active antitumor agent in the present study with GI50, TGI, and LC50 MG‐MID values of 3.93, 41.7, and 91.2 μM, respectively. The same compound also exhibited high selectivity towards CNS SNB‐75 and Ovarian IGROV1 cancer cell lines at both the GI50 and TGI levels. Compound 4b, 3‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐4‐amino‐5‐(3, 5‐dimethyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐4‐methylidenehydra‐zinocarbonyl) thiazole‐2(3H)‐thione showed nearly the same pattern of activity as 4a but to a lesser extent. Compounds 13 and 14 displayed moderate antitumor activity against most of the tested tumor cell lines with GI50 MG‐MID values range of 20.4—80.6 μM and TGI MG‐MID values of 55.5—95.5 μM.

Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of some novel benzofuran derivatives as potential anti-HIV-1, anticancer, and antimicrobial agents

A novel series of 1-(1-benzofuran-2-yl-ethylidene)-4-substituted thiosemicarbazides (2a-d) along with some derived ring systems: substituted-2,3-dihydro-thiazoles (3a-c, 4a-f) and thiazolidin-4-ones (5a-d and6a-d), were synthesized. In addition, cyanoacetic acid-(1-benzofuran-2-yl-ethylidene) hydrazide (7) was used to prepare another new series of compounds consisting of substituted pyridin-2)1H)-ones (8a-c); 2-thioxo-2,3-dihydro-thiazoles (9a-d) and 2-thioxo-2,3-dihydro-6H-thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-7-ones (10a-c, 11a-c). The absolute configuration of compound5c was determined by X-ray crystallography. The compounds prepared were evaluated for theirin vitro anti-HIV, anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. Among the tested compounds, compounds5c and9a produced a significant reduction H 2 the viral cytopathic effect (93.19% and 59.55%) at concentrations >2.0×10−4 M and, 2.5×10−5 M respectively. Compound9a was confirmed to have moderate anti-HIV activity. Compounds2a, 2d, and5c showed mild antifungal activity. However, none of the tested compounds showed any significant anticancer activity.

Effects of magnolol on UVB-induced skin cancer development in mice and its possible mechanism of action

BackgroundMagnolol, a plant lignan isolated from the bark and seed cones of Magnolia officinalis, has been shown to have chemopreventive effects on chemically-induced skin cancer development. The objectives of this investigation are to study the anticarcinogenic effects of magnolol on UVB-induced skin tumor development in SKH-1 mice, a model relevant to humans, and determine the possible role of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest involved in the skin tumor development.MethodsUVB-induced skin carcinogenesis model in SKH-1 mice was used for determining the preventive effects of magnolol on skin cancer development. Western blottings and flow cytometric analysis were used to study the effects of magnolol on apoptosis and cell cycle.ResultsMagnolol pretreated groups (30, 60 μ g) before UVB treatments (30 mJ/cm2, 5 days/week) resulted in 27-55% reduction in tumor multiplicity as compared to control group in SKH-1 mice. Magnolol pretreatment increased the cleavage of caspase-8 and poly-(-ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), increased the expression of p21, a cell cycle inhibitor, and decreased the expression of proteins involved in the G2/M phase of cell cycle in skin samples from SKH-1 mice.Treatment of A431 cells with magnolol decreased cell viability and cell proliferation in a concentration dependent manner. Magnolol induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest in A431 cells at 12 h with a decreased expression of cell cycle proteins such as cyclin B1, cyclin A, CDK4, Cdc2 and simultaneous increase in the expression of Cip/p21, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. Magnolol induced apoptosis in vivo and in vitro with an increased cleavage of caspase-8 and PARP. Phospho-signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (Tyr705), B-Raf, p-MEK, and p-AKT were down-regulated, whereas phosphorylation of ERK was induced by magnolol in A431 cells.ConclusionsMagnolol pretreatments prevent UVB-induced skin cancer development by enhancing apoptosis, causing cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, and affecting various signaling pathways. Magnolol could be a potentially safe and potent anticarcinogenic agent against skin cancer.

Inhibitory effect and transcriptional impact of berberine and evodiamine on human white preadipocyte differentiation

It has been reported that the botanical alkaloids, berberine and evodiamine inhibit mouse preadipocyte 3T3-L1 differentiation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and transcriptional impact of berberine and evodiamine individually and in combination on human white preadipocyte (HWP) differentiation. We have shown that treatment with 8 microM berberine or 4 microM evodiamine resulted in a major inhibition of HWP differentiation accompanied by up-regulation of both GATA binding protein 2 and 3 (GATA-2 and GATA-3) mRNA and protein expression, suggesting that both compounds may have excellent potential as agents to prevent obesity.

Potential anti-microbials. I. Synthesis and structure-activity studies of some new thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidine derivatives

Abstract The synthesis of several 2,3-dihydro-3,6-diaryl-5-mercapto-2-thioxothiazolo[4,5- d ]pyrimidin-7(6 H )-ones and related compounds are discussed. Some members of the series displayed broad in vitro anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities. Three compounds were screened for anti-HIV potency but were inactive.

Alpha-santalol, a chemopreventive agent against skin cancer, causes G2/M cell cycle arrest in both p53-mutated human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells and p53 wild-type human melanoma UACC-62 cells

Backgroundα-Santalol, an active component of sandalwood oil, has shown chemopreventive effects on skin cancer in different murine models. However, effects of α-santalol on cell cycle have not been studied. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate effects of α-santalol on cell cycle progression in both p53 mutated human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells and p53 wild-type human melanoma UACC-62 cells to elucidate the mechanism(s) of action.MethodsMTT assay was used to determine cell viability in A431 cells and UACC-62; fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of propidium iodide staining was used for determining cell cycle distribution in A431 cells and UACC-62 cells; immunoblotting was used for determining the expression of various proteins and protein complexes involved in the cell cycle progression; siRNA were used to knockdown of p21 or p53 in A431 and UACC-62 cells and immunofluorescence microscopy was used to investigate microtubules in UACC-62 cells.Resultsα-Santalol at 50-100 μM decreased cell viability from 24 h treatment and α-santalol at 50 μM-75 μM induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest from 6 h treatment in both A431 and UACC-62 cells. α-Santalol altered expressions of cell cycle proteins such as cyclin A, cyclin B1, Cdc2, Cdc25c, p-Cdc25c and Cdk2. All of these proteins are critical for G2/M transition. α-Santalol treatment up-regulated the expression of p21 and suppressed expressions of mutated p53 in A431 cells; whereas, α-santalol treatment increased expressions of wild-type p53 in UACC-62 cells. Knockdown of p21 in A431 cells, knockdown of p21 and p53 in UACC-62 cells did not affect cell cycle arrest caused by α-santalol. Furthermore, α-santalol caused depolymerization of microtubules similar to vinblastine in UACC-62 cells.ConclusionsThis study for the first time identifies effects of α-santalol in G2/M phase arrest and describes detailed mechanisms of G2/M phase arrest by this agent, which might be contributing to its overall cancer preventive efficacy in various mouse skin cancer models.

Honokiol, a chemopreventive agent against skin cancer, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human epidermoid A431 cells

Honokiol is a plant lignan isolated from bark and seed cones of Magnolia officinalis. Recent studies from our laboratory indicated that honokiol pretreatment decreased ultraviolet B-induced skin cancer development in SKH-1 mice. The aim of the present investigation was to study the effects of honokiol on human epidermoid squamous carcinoma A431 cells and to elucidate possible mechanisms involved in preventing skin cancer. A431 cells were pretreated with different concentrations of honokiol for a specific time period and investigated for effects on apoptosis and cell cycle analysis. Treatment with honokiol significantly decreased cell viability and cell proliferation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Honokiol pretreatment at 50 μmol/L concentration induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest significantly (P < 0.05) and decreased the percentage of cells in the S and G2/M phase. Honokiol down-regulated the expression of cyclin D1, cyclin D2, Cdk2, Cdk4 and Cdk6 proteins and up-regulated the expression of Cdks inhibitor proteins p21 and p27. Pretreatment of A431 cells with honokiol leads to induction of apoptosis and DNA fragmentation. These findings indicate that honokiol provides its effects in squamous carcinoma cells by inducing cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and apoptosis.