Lucie Navrátilová

Entecavir Interacts with Influx Transporters hOAT1, hCNT2, hCNT3, but Not with hOCT2: The Potential for Renal Transporter-Mediated Cytotoxicity and Drug–Drug Interactions

Entecavir (ETV) is one of the most potent agents for the treatment of the hepatitis B viral infection. The drug is principally eliminated by the kidney. The goal of this study was to investigate the potential of ETV to interact in vitro with the renal SLC transporters hOAT1, hOCT2, hCNT2 and hCNT3. Potential drug–drug interactions of ETV at the renal transporters with antiviral drugs known to be excreted by the kidney (adefovir, tenofovir, cidofovir) as well as transporter-dependent cytotoxicity were also examined. Interactions with the selected transporters along with cytotoxicity were studied in several transiently transfected cellular models using specific substrates and inhibitors. ETV was found to be both a substrate and inhibitor of hOAT1 (IC50 = 175.3 μM), hCNT2 (IC50 = 241.9 μM) and hCNT3 (IC50 = 278.4 μM) transporters, although it interacted with the transporters with relatively low affinities. ETV inhibited the cellular uptake of adefovir, tenofovir, and cidofovir by hOAT1; however, effective inhibition was shown at ETV concentrations exceeding therapeutic levels. In comparison with adefovir, tenofovir, and cidofovir, ETV displayed no transporter-mediated cytotoxicity in cells transfected with hOAT1, hCNT2, and hCNT3. No significant interaction of ETV with hOCT2 was detected. The study demonstrates interactions of ETV with several human renal transporters. For the first time, an interaction of ETV with the hCNTs was proved. We show that the potency of ETV to cause nephrotoxicity and/or clinically significant drug-drug interactions related to the tested transporters is considerably lower than that of adefovir, tenofovir, and cidofovir.

Design, Synthesis, Antimycobacterial Evaluation, and In Silico Studies of 3-(Phenylcarbamoyl)-pyrazine-2-carboxylic Acids

Pyrazinamide, the first-line antitubercular drug, has been regarded the basic component of tuberculosis treatment for over sixty years. Researchers have investigated its effect on Mycobacterium tuberculosis for this long time, and as a result, new potential targets of pyrazinamide or its active form, pyrazinoic acid, have been found. We have designed and prepared 3-(phenyl-carbamoyl)pyrazine-2-carboxylic acids as more lipophilic derivatives of pyrazinoic acid. We also prepared methyl and propyl derivatives as prodrugs with further increased lipophilicity. Antimycobacterial, antibacterial and antifungal growth inhibiting activity was investigated in all prepared compounds. 3-[(4-Nitrophenyl)carbamoyl]pyrazine-2-carboxylic acid (16) exerted high antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv with MIC = 1.56 μg·mL−1 (5 μM). Propyl 3-{[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]carbamoyl}pyrazine-2-carboxylate (18a) showed also high antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv with MIC = 3.13 μg·mL−1. In vitro cytotoxicity of the active compounds was investigated and no significant cytotoxic effect was observed. Based to structural similarity to known inhibitors of decaprenylphosphoryl-β-d-ribose oxidase, DprE1, we performed molecular docking of the prepared acids to DprE1. These in silico experiments indicate that modification of the linker connecting aromatic parts of molecule does not have any negative influence on the binding.

Synthesis of Novel Pyrazinamide Derivatives Based on 3-Chloropyrazine-2-carboxamide and Their Antimicrobial Evaluation

Aminodehalogenation of 3-chloropyrazine-2-carboxamide with variously substituted benzylamines yielded a series of fifteen 3-benzylaminopyrazine-2-carboxamides. Four compounds possessed in vitro whole cell activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv that was at least equivalent to that of the standard pyrazinamide. MIC values ranged from 6 to 42 µM. The best MIC (6 µM) was displayed by 3-[(4-methylbenzyl)amino]pyrazine-2-carboxamide (8) that also showed low cytotoxicity in the HepG2 cell line (IC50 ≥ 250 µM). Only moderate activity against Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus was observed. No activity was detected against any of tested fungal strains. Molecular docking with mycobacterial enoyl-ACP reductase (InhA) was performed to investigate the possible target of the prepared compounds. Active compounds shared common binding interactions of known InhA inhibitors. Antimycobacterial activity of the title compounds was compared to the previously published benzylamino-substituted pyrazines with differing substitution on the pyrazine core (carbonitrile moiety). The title series possessed comparable activity and lower cytotoxicity than molecules containing a carbonitrile group on the pyrazine ring.

Honey flavonoids inhibit hOATP2B1 and hOATP1A2 transporters and hOATP-mediated rosuvastatin cell uptake in vitro

Abstract 1. Some flavonoids contained in the common diet have been shown to interact with important membrane uptake transporters, including organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs). OATP2B1 and OATP1A2 expressed in the apical membrane of human enterocytes may significantly contribute to the intestinal absorption of drugs, e.g. statins. This study is aimed at an evaluation of the inhibitory potency of selected food honey flavonoids (namely galangin, myricetin, pinocembrin, pinobanksin, chrysin and fisetin) toward hOATP2B1 and hOATP1A2 as well as at examining their effect on the cellular uptake of the known OATP substrate rosuvastatin. 2. Cell lines overexpressing the hOATP2B1 or hOATP1A2 transporter were employed as in vitro model to determine the inhibitory potency of the flavonoids toward the OATPs. 3. Chrysin, galangin and pinocembrin were found to inhibit both hOATP2B1 and hOATP1A2 in lower or comparable concentrations as the known flavonoid OATP inhibitor quercetin. Galangin, chrysin and pinocembrin effectively inhibited rosuvastatin uptake by hOATP2B1 with IC50 ∼1–10 μM. The inhibition of the hOATP1A2-mediated transport of rosuvastatin by these flavonoids was weaker. 4. The found data indicate that several of the tested natural compounds could potentially affect drug cellular uptake by hOATP2B1 and/or hOATP1A2 at relative low concentrations, a finding which suggests their potential for food–drug interactions.

Novel salicylanilides from 4,5-dihalogenated salicylic acids: Synthesis, antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity

Salicylanilides have proved their activity against tuberculosis (TB). One weak electron-withdrawing substituent is favored at the salicylic part, specially Cl or Br atoms at positions 4 or 5. On the other hand, the antimycobacterial activity of salicylanilides is negatively affected when a strong electron-withdrawing substituent (NO2) is present at the same positions. Herein we describe the synthesis and characterization of novel salicylanilides possessing two weak electron-withdrawing groups (halogen atoms) at their salicylic part and compare their antitubercular activity with their monohalogenated analogues. All dihalogenated derivatives proved to possess antitubercular activity at a very narrow micromolar range (MIC=1-4μM), similar with their most active monohalogenated analogues. More importantly, the most active final molecules were further screened against multidrug resistant strains and found to inhibit their growth at the range of 0.5-4μM.

The in vivo disposition and in vitro transmembrane transport of two model radiometabolites of DOTA-conjugated receptor-specific peptides labelled with (177) Lu.

In vivo metabolism of the radiolabelled receptor-specific peptides has been described; however, information regarding the pharmacokinetic behaviour of the degradation products within the body is very scarce. The present study was designed to obtain new knowledge on the disposition and elimination of low-molecular radiometabolites of receptor-specific peptides in the organism and to reveal the potential involvement of selected membrane transport mechanisms in the cellular uptake of radiometabolites, especially in the kidney. The study compared pharmacokinetics of two radiometabolites: a final metabolite of somatostatin analogues, (177)Lu-DOTA-DPhe, and a tripeptide metabolite of (177)Lu-DOTA-minigastrin 11, (177)Lu-DOTA-DGlu-Ala-Tyr. Their pharmacokinetics was compared with that of respective parent (177)Lu-radiopeptide. Both radiometabolites exhibited relative rapid clearing from most body tissues in rats in vivo along with predominant renal excretion. The long-term renal retention of the smaller radiometabolite (177)Lu-DOTA-DPhe was lower than that of (177)Lu-DOTA-DGlu-Ala-Tyr. An uptake of (177)Lu-DOTA-DPhe by human renal influx transporter organic cation transporter 2 was found in vitro in a cellular model. The study brings the first experimental data on the in vivo pharmacokinetics of radiometabolites of receptor-specific somatostatin and gastrin analogues. The found results may indicate a negative correlation between the degree of decomposition of the parent peptide chain and the renal retention of the metabolite.

Design, synthesis and anti-mycobacterial evaluation of some new N -phenylpyrazine-2-carboxamides

N-Phenylpyrazine-2-carboxamides (anilides of pyrazinoic acids with simple substituents in various positions) were previously shown to possess significant biological activities in vitro, markedly anti-mycobacterial and photosynthesis-inhibiting activity. Based on structure-activity relationships (SAR) extracted from previously published series, 25 new anilides of non-substituted pyrazinoic acid (POA), 5-CH3-POA, 6-Cl-POA, 5-tert-butyl-POA and 5-tert-butyl-6-Cl-POA were designed and synthesised. The phenyl part was substituted with simple hydrophobic substituents chosen from methyl and halogens. 5-tert-Butyl-N-(5-fluoro-2-methylphenyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (9), N-(3-chloro-4-methylphenyl)-5-methylpyrazine-2-carboxamide (12), 6-chloro-N-(3-chloro-4-methylphenyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (13) and 6-chloro-N-(5-iodo-2-methylphenyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (18) possessed whole cell anti-mycobacterial activity in vitro against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of around 10 μM. Importantly, no cytotoxicity in the HepG2 model was detected in vitro at the concentrations tested and the estimated IC50 values were in hundreds of μM, indicating promising selectivity. N-(3-Chloro-4-methylphenyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (11) and N-(4-chloro-2-iodophenyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (21) exerted significant activity against Mycobacterium kansasii with MIC 12.6 μM and 8.7 μM, respectively. No activity was detected against Mycobacterium avium. SAR were in accordance with those observed for the derivatives previously published.

Correction to: Interaction of soy isoflavones and their main metabolites with hOATP2B1 transporter

The published online version contains mistake in the caption of Figures 3, 4 and 5 for in front of the figure legends designations “a–g”, “a–e”, and “a–b” have been provided. Such data should be deleted.

3-Substituted N-Benzylpyrazine-2-carboxamide Derivatives: Synthesis, Antimycobacterial and Antibacterial Evaluation

A series of substituted N-benzyl-3-chloropyrazine-2-carboxamides were prepared as positional isomers of 5-chloro and 6-chloro derivatives, prepared previously. During the aminolysis of the acyl chloride, the simultaneous substitution of chlorine with benzylamino moiety gave rise to N-benzyl-3-(benzylamino)pyrazine-2-carboxamides as side products, in some cases. Although not initially planned, the reaction conditions were modified to populate this double substituted series. The final compounds were tested against four mycobacterial strains. N-(2-methylbenzyl)-3-((2-methylbenzyl)amino)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (1a) and N-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)-3-((3,4-dichlorobenzyl)amino)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (9a) proved to be the most effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, with MIC = 12.5 μg·mL−1. Compounds were screened for antibacterial activity. The most active compound was 3-chloro-N-(2-chlorobenzyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (5) against Staphylococcus aureus with MIC = 7.81 μM, and Staphylococcus epidermidis with MIC = 15.62 μM. HepG2 in vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated for the most active compounds; however, no significant toxicity was detected. Compound 9a was docked to several conformations of the enoyl-ACP-reductase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In some cases, it was capable of H-bond interactions, typical for most of the known inhibitors.