Antiprotozoal Activity of 1-Phenethyl-4-Aminopiperidine Derivatives

Abstract

A series of 44 4-aminopiperidine derivatives was screened in vitro against four protozoan parasites (Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania donovani, and Plasmodium falciparum). This screening identified 29 molecules selectively active against bloodstream-form T. b. rhodesiense trypomastigotes, with 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC 50 ) ranging from 0.12 to 10 M, and 33 compounds active against the chloroquine-and pyrimethamine-resistant K1 strain of P. falciparum (IC 50 range, 0.17 to 5 M). In addition, seven compounds displayed activity against intracellular T. cruzi amastigotes in the same range as the reference drug benznidazole (IC 50 , 1.97 M) but were also cytotoxic to L-6 cells, showing little selectivity for T. cruzi. None of the molecules tested showed interesting antileishmanial activity against axenic amastigotes of L. donovani. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the antitrypanosomal activity of molecules bearing the 4-aminopiperidine skeleton.Tropical diseases due to parasitic protozoa cause great mortality and disability in the less developed world. Malaria and kinetoplastid diseases such as human African trypanosomiasis (HAT, or sleeping sickness), Chagas' disease, and leishmaniases are among the main neglected parasitic diseases, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide (http://www.dndi.org /index.php/diseases.html?idsϭ2). However, the low income of the affected populations does not make it financially attractive for pharmaceutical companies to invest in the development of new drugs against these diseases. The number of antiprotozoal drugs available is limited, and they are old, toxic, and losing efficacy due to the emergence of resistant parasites. New drugs are thus urgently needed (37).The landscape of drug discovery and development for new antiparasitic drugs has changed in the past few years thanks to financial backing from not-for-profit organizations and the involvement of public-private partnerships. The collaboration of various pharmaceutical companies with the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), giving access to their compound libraries to help scientists search for new antiparasitic drugs, is a good example of the pragmatic approach required for the development of new medicaments for those neglected diseases (15,32,40). The screening of compound libraries to discover new hit and lead compounds against protozoan parasites has been used very efficiently by our group for the past few years. Very potent antiprotozoal compounds, active in vitro and in vivo against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and Plasmodium falciparum, were identified by our group (16,17,38). These lead compounds were discovered by screening against T. brucei and P. falciparum a small library (Ͻ100 molecules) of dicationic compounds structurally related to known antiparasitic drugs (e.g., pentamidine, diminazene) but primarily synthesized by us for different medicinal targets.Following this successful approach, we have now selected from our i...

Redox-Active Antiparasitic Drugs

“…Benzylammonium compounds (4l) and N-(3-phenylpropyl) polyamine (4m), competitive inhibitors of T. cruzi TR, show activity against American trypanosomiasis (101). 1-Phenethyl-4-aminopiperidine derivatives (4n) show antitrypanosomal activity against T. b. rhodesiense STIB900 strain and inhibit T. b. rhodesiense TR (37). Some metal complexes such as Pt complex-acridone conjugate (4o) inhibit T. cruzi TR at low concentrations (IC 50 = 1 lM) (78).…”

Synthesis and Antiprotozoal Activity of N-Alkoxy Analogues of the Trypanocidal Lead Compound 4,4′-Bis(imidazolinylamino)diphenylamine with Improved Human Blood−Brain Barrier Permeability

“…53 Detailed experimental protocols for all of these assays have been reported before. 37 In vivo antitrypanosomal activity. The STIB900 acute mouse model mimics the first stage of the disease.…”

Antiplasmodial Activity and Mechanism of Action of RSM-932A, a Promising Synergistic Inhibitor of Plasmodium falciparum Choline Kinase

“…HC-3 has been shown to inhibit recombinant p.f.-ChoK (14) and to be lethal against the parasite (15). Since it has been validated as a therapeutic target, other groups have found effective inhibitors for p.f.-ChoK (16,17).…”