Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Dual-Target COX-2/CYP51 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Fungal Infectious Diseases

J Med Chem. 2022 Sep 22;65(18):12219-12239. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00878. Epub 2022 Sep 8.

Abstract

The design of novel dual-target (COX-2/CYP51) inhibitors was proposed in the study, and three series of compounds were constructed though the pathway of skeleton screening and combination; their molecular structures were synthesized and evaluated. Most of the compounds exhibited significant antifungal ability. Among them, potential compounds (10a-2, 16b-3) with excellent antifungal and anti-drug-resistant fungal ability (MIC50, 0.125-2.0 μg/mL) were selected for the subsequent mechanistic study. On the one hand, these compounds could block the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway by inhibiting CYP51 and influence the internal physiological function of fungal cells, which included the increase of the ROS level, the anomaly of ΔΨm, and the emergence of an apoptotic state. On the other hand, these compounds also effectively showed COX-2 inhibition ability, eliminated the inflammatory reaction of the infected region, and activated the body's immune function. In summary, this study not only provided a novel antifungal drug design pathway but also discovered excellent target compounds.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 14-alpha Demethylase Inhibitors* / chemistry
  • 14-alpha Demethylase Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • 14-alpha Demethylase Inhibitors* / therapeutic use
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
  • Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
  • Candida albicans
  • Communicable Diseases*
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 / metabolism
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Ergosterol / pharmacology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism

Substances

  • 14-alpha Demethylase Inhibitors
  • Antifungal Agents
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Cyclooxygenase 2
  • Ergosterol