Excess nitric oxide (NO) produced by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is implicated in neurodegenerative disorders. As a result, inhibition of nNOS and reduction of NO levels is desirable therapeutically, but many nNOS inhibitors are poorly bioavailable. Promising members of our previously reported 2-aminoquinoline class of nNOS inhibitors, although orally bioavailable and brain-penetrant, suffer from unfavorable off-target binding to other CNS receptors, and they resemble known promiscuous binders. Rearranged phenyl ether- and aniline-linked 2-aminoquinoline derivatives were therefore designed to a) disrupt the promiscuous binding pharmacophore and diminish off-target interactions, and b) preserve potency, isoform selectivity, and cell permeability. A series of these compounds was synthesized and tested against purified nNOS, endothelial NOS (eNOS), and inducible NOS (iNOS) enzymes. One compound, 20, displayed high potency, selectivity, and good human nNOS inhibition, and retained some permeability in a Caco-2 assay. Most promisingly, CNS receptor counterscreening revealed this rearranged scaffold significantly reduces off-target binding.

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is a target for development of anti-neurodegenerative agents. Most nNOS inhibitors mimic L-arginine and have poor bioavailability. 2-Aminoquinolines showed promise as bioavailable nNOS inhibitors, but suffered from low human nNOS inhibition, low selectivity versus human eNOS, and significant binding to other CNS targets. We aimed to improve human nNOS potency and selectivity and reduce off-target binding by (a) truncating the original scaffold or (b) introducing a hydrophilic group to interrupt the lipophilic, promiscuous pharmacophore and promote interaction with human nNOS-specific His342. We synthesized both truncated and polar 2-aminoquinoline derivatives and assayed them against recombinant NOS enzymes. Although aniline and pyridine derivatives interact with His342, benzonitriles conferred the best rat and human nNOS inhibition. Both introduction of a hydrophobic substituent next to the cyano group and aminoquinoline methylation considerably improved isoform selectivity. Most importantly, these modifications preserved Caco-2 permeability and reduced off-target CNS binding.

Nitric oxide (NO) is produced in Gram-positive pathogens Bacillus anthracis and Staphylococcus aureus by the bacterial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Inhibition of bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bNOS) has been identified as a promising antibacterial strategy for targeting methicillin-resistant Staphylocoocus aureus1. One class of NOS inhibitors that demonstrates antimicrobial efficacy utilizes an aminoquinoline scaffold. Here we report on a variety of aminoquinolines that target the bacterial NOS active site, in part, by binding to a hydrophobic patch that is unique to bNOS. Through mutagenesis and crystallographic studies, our findings demonstrate that aminoquinolines are an excellent scaffold to further aid in the development of bNOS-specific inhibitors.

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