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Abstract
Objectives
In this study, the pharmacological properties of six spirocyclic piperidines 1–6 showing very high σ1 receptor affinity (Ki = 0.2–16 nm) were investigated.
Methods
In vitro receptor binding studies, retinal ganglion assay and in vivo capsaicin assay were used to determine the affinity, selectivity and activity. Influence on human tumour cell growth (cell lines A427, LCLC‐103H, 5637 and DAN‐G) was determined in different assays. The effect on the ergosterol and cholesterol biosynthesis was determined by GLC/MS analysis.
Key findings
Receptor binding studies demonstrated high selectivity for the σ1 receptor. The increased Ca2+ influx mediated by 2 and the analgesic activity of 1, 4, 5 and 6 confirm σ1 receptor antagonistic activity. Inhibition of human tumour cell growth further supports the σ1 antagonistic effects. Treatment of A427 tumour cells with 2 led to cell detachment and cell degradation. Whereas the ergosterol biosynthesis was not affected, the sterol C14‐reductase, a key enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthesis, was weakly inhibited.
Conclusions
Due to the high selectivity, off‐target effects are not expected. The antiallodynic activity underlines the clinical potential of the spirocyclic piperidines for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Due to the antiproliferative activity, the spirocyclic σ1 antagonists represent promising antitumour agents.
Pentathiepins are polysulfur-containing compounds that exert antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity in cancer cells, induce oxidative stress and apoptosis, and inhibit glutathione peroxidase (GPx1). This renders them promising candidates for anticancer drug development. However, the biological effects and how they intertwine have not yet been systematically assessed in diverse cancer cell lines. In this study, six novel pentathiepins were synthesized to suit particular requirements such as fluorescent properties or improved water solubility. Structural elucidation by X-ray crystallography was successful for three derivatives. All six underwent extensive biological evaluation in 14 human cancer cell lines. These studies included investigating the inhibition of GPx1 and cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, and the induction of ROS and DNA strand breaks. Furthermore, selected hallmarks of apoptosis and the impact on cell cycle progression were studied. All six pentathiepins exerted high cytotoxic and antiproliferative activity, while five also strongly inhibited GPx1. There is a clear connection between the potential to provoke oxidative stress and damage to DNA in the form of single- and double-strand breaks. Additionally, these studies support apoptosis but not ferroptosis as the mechanism of cell death in some of the cell lines. As the various pentathiepins give rise to different biological responses, modulation of the biological effects depends on the distinct chemical structures fused to the sulfur ring. This may allow for an optimization of the anticancer activity of pentathiepins in the future.
The potassium channel opening drugs flupirtine and retigabine have been withdrawn from the market due to occasional drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and tissue discoloration, respectively. While the mechanism underlying DILI after prolonged flupirtine use is not entirely understood, evidence indicates that both drugs are metabolized in an initial step to reactive ortho- and/or para-azaquinone diimines or ortho- and/or para-quinone diimines, respectively. Aiming to develop safer alternatives for the treatment of pain and epilepsy, we have attempted to separate activity from toxicity by employing a drug design strategy of avoiding the detrimental oxidation of the central aromatic ring by shifting oxidation toward the formation of benign metabolites. In the present investigation, an alternative retrometabolic design strategy was followed. The nitrogen atom, which could be involved in the formation of both ortho- or para-quinone diimines of the lead structures, was shifted away from the central ring, yielding a substitution pattern with nitrogen substituents in the meta position only. Evaluation of KV7.2/3 opening activity of the 11 new specially designed derivatives revealed surprisingly steep structure–activity relationship data with inactive compounds and an activity cliff that led to the identification of an apparent “magic methyl” effect in the case of N-(4-fluorobenzyl)-6-[(4-fluorobenzyl)amino]-2-methoxy-4-methylnicotinamide. This flupirtine analogue showed potent KV7.2/3 opening activity, being six times as active as flupirtine itself, and by design is devoid of the potential for azaquinone diimine formation.