Pierre Verhaeghe

Original quinazoline derivatives displaying antiplasmodial properties.

The multistep synthesis of new quinazoline-derived molecules and their in vitro antiplasmodial evaluation on the W2 chloroquino-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain is described herein. These molecules have also been studied concerning their in vitro cytotoxicity toward two human cell lines (K652 and HepG2) in order to calculate their respective selectivity indexes (S.I.). Among the fourteen tested molecules, two exhibited both significant antiplasmodial activity (IC(50)=0.95 and 1.3 microM) and low toxicity (IC(50)>100 or 125 microM), compared with two reference drugs: chloroquine and doxycycline. The structure activity relationships establish that the molecular scaffold which exerts the best profile is the 6-nitro-2-(tosylmethyl)-N-(3-substituted-phenyl)-quinazolin-4-amine. The hit molecules were finally investigated regarding their potential action toward two other protozoa, Leishmania donovani and Toxoplasma gondii, showing that these molecules display a selective antiplasmodial activity.

Synthesis and in vitro antiplasmodial evaluation of 4-anilino-2-trichloromethylquinazolines

To identify a new safe antiplasmodial molecular scaffold, an original series of 2-trichloromethylquinazolines, functionalized in position 4 by an alkyl- or arylamino substituent, was synthesized from 4-chloro-2-trichloromethylquinazoline 1, via a cheap, fast and efficient solvent-free operating procedure. Among the 40 molecules prepared, several exhibit a good profile with both a significant antiplasmodial activity on the W2 Plasmodium falciparum strain (IC(50) values: 0.4-2.2 microM) and a promising toxicological behavior regarding human cells (HepG2/W2 selectivity indexes: 40-83), compared to the antimalarial drug compounds chloroquine and doxycycline. The in vitro antitoxoplasmic and antileishmanial evaluations were conducted in parallel on the most active molecules, showing that these ones specifically display antiplasmodial properties.

Determination of uremic solutes in biological fluids of chronic kidney disease patients by HPLC assay.

During chronic kidney disease (CKD), solutes called uremic solutes, accumulate in blood and tissues of patients. We developed an HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of several uremic solutes of clinical interest in biological fluids: phenol (Pol), indole-3-acetic acid (3-IAA), p-cresol (p-C), indoxyl sulfate (3-INDS) and p-cresol sulfate (p-CS). These solutes were separated by ion-pairing HPLC using an isocratic flow and quantified with a fluorescence detection. The mean serum concentrations of 3-IAA, 3-INDS and p-CS were 2.12, 1.03 and 13.03 μM respectively in healthy subjects, 3.21, 17.45 and 73.47 μM in non hemodialyzed stage 3-5 CKD patients and 5.9, 81.04 and 120.54 μM in hemodialyzed patients (stage 5D). We found no Pol and no p-C in any population. The limits of quantification for 3-IAA, 3-INDS, and p-CS were 0.83, 0.72, and 3.2 μM respectively. The within-day CVs were between 1.23 and 3.12% for 3-IAA, 0.98 and 2% for 3-INDS, and 1.25 and 3.01% for p-CS. The between-day CVs were between 1.78 and 5.48% for 3-IAA, 1.45 and 4.54% for 3-INDS, and 1.19 and 6.36% for p-CS. This HPLC method permits the simultaneous and quick quantification of several uremic solutes for daily analysis of large numbers of samples.

4-Thiophenoxy-2-trichloromethyquinazolines display in vitro selective antiplasmodial activity against the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

A series of original quinazolines bearing a 4-thiophenoxy and a 2-trichloromethyl group was synthesized in a convenient and efficient way and was evaluated toward its in vitro antiplasmodial potential. The series revealed global good activity against the K1-multi-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain, especially with hit compound 5 (IC(50)=0.9 μM), in comparison with chloroquine and doxycycline chosen as reference-drugs. Both the in vitro cytotoxicity study which was conducted on the human HepG2 cell line and the in vitro antitoxoplasmic screening against Toxoplasma gondii indicate that this series presents an interesting selective antiplasmodial profile. Structure-activity- and toxicity relationships highlight that the trichloromethyl group plays a key role in the antiplasmodial activity and also show that the modulation of the thiophenol moiety influences the toxicity/activity ratio.

Targeting the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum: in vitro identification of a new antiplasmodial hit in 4-phenoxy-2-trichloromethylquinazoline series.

From the promising results we previously obtained in quinazoline series and to complete the evaluation of the in vitro antiplasmodial activity of original 2-trichloromethylquinazolines, we synthesized new quinazolines possessing a variously substituted phenoxy group at position 4 through a simple and efficient two-step-synthesis approach. The studies of their activity toward the multi-resistant W2 Plasmodium falciparum strain and of their cytotoxicity on the human hepatocyte HepG2 cell line highlighted a hit compound (molecule 7) displaying a W2 IC(50) value of 1.1 μM and a HepG2 CC(50) value of 50 μM, comparable to chloroquine and doxycycline. Structure-activity- and toxicity relationships indicate that the trichloromethyl group plays a key role in the antiplasmodial activity of such chemical scaffold and also that the phenoxy group substitution as a direct influence on the molecules selectivity. Moreover, molecule 7 displays significant specific activity against the Plasmodium genus in comparison with Toxoplasma and does not show any mutagenic property at the Ames test.

Regioselective Suzuki-Miyaura Reaction: Application to the Microwave-promoted Synthesis of 4,7-Diarylquinazolines

New diarylquinazolines displaying pharmaceutical potential were synthesized in high yields from 4,7-dichloro-2-(2-methylprop-1-enyl)-6-nitroquinazoline by using microwave-promoted regioselective Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions.

A new synthetic route to original sulfonamide derivatives in 2-trichloromethylquinazoline series: a structure-activity relationship study of antiplasmodial activity.

We report herein a simple and efficient two-step synthetic approach to new 2-trichloromethylquinazolines possessing a variously substituted sulfonamide group at position 4 used to prepare new quinazolines with antiparasitic properties. Thus, an original series of 20 derivatives was synthesized, which proved to be less-toxic than previously synthesized hits on the human HepG2 cell line, but did not display significant antiplasmodial activity. A brief Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) evaluation shows that a more restricted conformational freedom is probably necessary for providing antiplasmodial activity.

Access to original vinylic chlorides in the quinazoline series via a monoelectronic transfer reaction approach.

A series of new quinazoline derivatives bearing a vinylic chloride group on the 2-position was prepared by using a consecutive SRN1 / ERC1 radical strategy.

Quinoline derivatives: potential antiparasitic and antiviral agents.

The crystal structures of closely related quinoline compounds substituted at the 2-position by a vinyl group, either including a Cl atom [2-(1-chloro-2-methylprop-1-enyl)-8-nitroquinoline, C(13)H(11)ClN(2)O(2), (I)] or not [2-(2-methylprop-1-enyl)-8-nitroquinoline, C(13)H(12)N(2)O(2), (II)], show an important deviation of the vinyl group from coplanarity with the quinoline ring system if the Cl atom is present. The nitro group is perpendicular [in (II)] or nearly so [in (I)] to the quinoline ring system. In (II), all non-H atoms except the nitro O atoms are located on a crystallographic mirror plane.

Anticancer and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Some New Pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyrazines

New derivatives of pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyrazines and related heterocycles were synthesized using 5-amino-3-methyl-4-nitroso-1-phenyl-pyrazole (1) as a starting material. The 5-acetyl derivative 15 was shown to be a useful key intermediate for the synthesis of several derivatives of pyrazolopyrazines. Some of the prepared compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and anti-breast cancer MCF-7 cell line activities. SAR study showed that compounds 15 and 29 exhibited remarkable anti-inflammatory activity, where 15 showed the same activity as that of the reference drug indomethacin. On the other hand, compounds 25i, 25j showed very significant inhibitory activity (p < 0.001) against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.