Effect of mofezolac-galactose distance in conjugates targeting cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and CNS GLUT-1 carrier

Eur J Med Chem. 2017 Dec 1:141:404-416. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.09.066. Epub 2017 Sep 30.

Abstract

Neuroinflammation is the earliest stage of several neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. In the case of neurodegenerative disorders, it takes place about 15-20 years before the appearance of specific neurodegenerative clinical symptoms. Constitutive microglial COX-1 is one of the pro-inflammatory players of the neuroinflammation. Novel compounds 3, 14 and 15 (Galmof0, Galmof5 and Galmof11, respectively) were projected, and their synthetic methodologies developed, by linking by an ester bond, directly or through a C5 or C11 unit linker the highly selective COX-1 inhibitor mofezolac (COXs selectivity index > 6000) to galactose in order to obtain substances capable to cross blood-brain barrier (BBB) and control the CNS inflammatory response. 3, 14 and 15 (Galmofs) were prepared in good to fair yields. Galmof0 (3) was found to be a selective COX-1 inhibitor (COX-1 IC50 = 0.27 μM and COX-2 IC50 = 3.1 μM, selectivity index = 11.5), chemically and metabolically stable, and capable to cross Caco-2 cell monolayer, resembling BBB, probing that its transport is GLUT-1-mediated. Furthermore, Galmof0 (3) powerfully inhibits PGE2 release higher than mofezolac (1) in LPS-stimulated mouse BV2 microglial cell line, a worldwide recognized neuroinflammation model. In addition, Fingerprints for Ligands and Proteins (FLAP) was used to explain the different binding interactions of Galmofs with the COX-1 active site.

Keywords: Caco-2 cell line; Cyclooxygenase-1 inhibition; GLUT-1; Galmof; Mofezolac; Molecular modeling.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood-Brain Barrier / drug effects
  • Cell Line
  • Central Nervous System / drug effects*
  • Central Nervous System / metabolism
  • Cyclooxygenase 1 / metabolism*
  • Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Galactose / chemistry
  • Galactose / pharmacology*
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1 / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Isoxazoles / chemistry
  • Isoxazoles / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1
  • Isoxazoles
  • Cyclooxygenase 1
  • mofezolac
  • Galactose