valproate-sodium and Disease-Models--Animal

When Zika virus emerged as a public health emergency there were no drugs or vaccines approved for its prevention or treatment. We used a high-throughput screen for Zika virus protease inhibitors to identify several inhibitors of Zika virus infection. We expressed the NS2B-NS3 Zika virus protease and conducted a biochemical screen for small-molecule inhibitors. A quantitative structure-activity relationship model was employed to virtually screen ∼138,000 compounds, which increased the identification of active compounds, while decreasing screening time and resources. Candidate inhibitors were validated in several viral infection assays. Small molecules with favorable clinical profiles, especially the five-lipoxygenase-activating protein inhibitor, MK-591, inhibited the Zika virus protease and infection in neural stem cells. Members of the tetracycline family of antibiotics were more potent inhibitors of Zika virus infection than the protease, suggesting they may have multiple mechanisms of action. The most potent tetracycline, methacycline, reduced the amount of Zika virus present in the brain and the severity of Zika virus-induced motor deficits in an immunocompetent mouse model. As Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs, the tetracyclines could be quickly translated to the clinic. The compounds identified through our screening paradigm have the potential to be used as prophylactics for patients traveling to endemic regions or for the treatment of the neurological complications of Zika virus infection.

Topics: Animals; Antiviral Agents; Artificial Intelligence; Chlorocebus aethiops; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; High-Throughput Screening Assays; Immunocompetence; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Methacycline; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Protease Inhibitors; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship; Small Molecule Libraries; Vero Cells; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection

In order to develop phenyl sulfonamides as a novel class of anti-epileptic drugs (AED) for both general and partial seizure, we initiated in vivo screening of our chemical library in the mice MES and sc-PTZ models and found compounds 1 and 2 as lead compounds. Optimization of 1 and 2 led to the discovery of compound 21, which showed potent anticonvulsant effect in MES, scPTZ and rat amygdala kindling models. These findings indicate that compound 21 could be a useful new broad spectrum AED like sodium valproate and provide an opportunity to struggle current therapy-resistant epilepsy.

Topics: Animals; Anticonvulsants; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Epilepsy; Mice; Molecular Structure; Rats; Structure-Activity Relationship; Sulfonamides; Valproic Acid

A series of 1-substituted-6-(4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-ones were designed, synthesized, and screened for their antidepressant and anticonvulsant activities. Interestingly, compounds 5i, 5j, 5m, and 5n led to significant reductions in the immobility time in the forced swimming test at a dose of 50 mg/kg, and exhibited higher levels of efficacy than the reference standard fluoxetine. In addition, compound 5i exhibited greater efficacy than fluoxetine in the tail suspension test. The results of an open field test further confirmed that compound 5i provided a good antidepressant effect. In the maximal electroshock seizure screen, compounds 5c and 5d showed moderate levels of anticonvulsant activity and protected 100% of the animals at a dose of 100 mg/kg. None of the synthesized compounds showed any neurotoxicity in the rotarod test at a dose of 100 mg/kg.

Topics: Animals; Anticonvulsants; Antidepressive Agents; Behavior, Animal; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Design; Electroshock; Exploratory Behavior; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Molecular Structure; Quinolones; Rotarod Performance Test; Seizures; Swimming; Triazoles

A series of new purines containing triazole and other heterocycle substituents was synthesized and evaluated for their preliminary anticonvulsant activity and neurotoxicity by using the maximal electroshock (MES), subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (scPTZ) and rotarod neurotoxicity (TOX) tests. Among the compounds studied, 9-decyl-6-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-9H-purine (5e) was the most potent compound, with a median effective dose of 23.4 mg/kg and a high protective index of more than 25.6 after intraperitoneal administration in mice. Compound 5e showed significant oral activity against MES-induced seizures in mice, with an ED50 of 39.4 mg/kg and a PI above 31.6. These results demonstrate that compound 5e possesses better anticonvulsant activity and is safer than the commercially available drugs carbamazepine and valproate in MES, scPTZ and TOX models.

Topics: Animals; Anticonvulsants; Disease Models, Animal; Electroshock; Mice; Motor Activity; Pentylenetetrazole; Purines; Seizures

A series of fluorinated analogs of the potent investigative anticonvulsant agent (4S,8aS)-4-phenylperhydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-2,6-dione 1 was prepared and characterized by IR, 1H, 13C NMR and mass spectral data. The compounds have been evaluated in the in vivo rodent models of epilepsy. They displayed high activity in the 'classical' maximal electroshock seizure (MES) and subcutaneous Metrazol (scMET) tests as well as in the 6Hz model of pharmacoresistant limbic seizures. The results showed that incorporating fluorine atoms into the phenyl ring of 1 can be beneficial for the anticonvulsant potency. The most promising meta-trifluoromethyl and meta-trifluoromethoxy derivatives (4S,8aS)-5h and (4S,8aS)-5l, respectively, displayed very broad spectra of activity across the preclinical seizure models.

Topics: Animals; Anticonvulsants; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electroshock; Epilepsy; Halogenation; Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated; Male; Mice; Molecular Structure; Pentylenetetrazole; Pilocarpine; Pyrazines; Pyrroles; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Seizures; Structure-Activity Relationship

Herewith, we report the design and synthesis of a series of N-(2-oxo-2((4-oxo-2-substituted thiazolidin-3yl)amino)ethyl) benzamide derivatives 7(a-j) under microwave irradiation, based on four component pharmacophoric model to get structural prerequisite indispensable for anticonvulsant activity. The synthesized derivatives were investigated in maximal electroshock seizure (MES), subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (sc-PTZ) induced seizure and neurotoxicity screening. All the test compounds were administered at a dose of 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg body weight at the time interval of 0.5 h and 4 h. The compounds were also evaluated for behavioral activity and toxicity study. The compound 7 h was found to be most active in MES model. The anticonvulsant screening data shows that 65% of the compounds were found active against MES model when compared to 35% sc-PTZ model. The computational parameter such as docking study, logP determination and ADME prediction were performed to exploit the results.

Topics: Animals; Anticonvulsants; Benzamides; Binding Sites; Disease Models, Animal; Half-Life; Liver; Mice; Microwaves; Molecular Docking Simulation; Motor Activity; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Seizures; Sodium Channels; Thiazolidines

Two novel series of N(4)-(5-(2/3/4-substituted-phenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)-N(1)-(2-methyl-5-(prop-1-en-2-yl)cyclohex-2-enylidene)semicarbazide and N(4)-(5-(2/3/4-substituted-phenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)-N(1)-(3,7-dimethylocta-3,6-dienylidene)-semicarbazide were synthesized to meet structural prerequisite indispensable for anticonvulsant activity. The anticonvulsant activities of the compounds were investigated using maximal electroshock seizure (MES), subcutaneous pentylenetrtrazole (scPTZ) and subcutaneous strychnine (scSTY) models. The rotorod test was conducted to evaluate neurotoxicity. Some of the selected active compounds were subjected to GABA assay to confirm their mode of action. The outcome of the present investigations proved that the four binding sites pharmacophore model is vital for anticonvulsant activity. The efforts were also made to establish structure-activity relationships among test compounds.

Topics: Acyclic Monoterpenes; Animals; Anticonvulsants; Binding Sites; Cyclohexenes; Disease Models, Animal; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; Limonene; Monoterpenes; Oxadiazoles; Protein Binding; Rats; Seizures; Semicarbazones; Structure-Activity Relationship; Terpenes

sec-Butylpropylacetamide (racemic-SPD) is a chiral CNS-active amide derivative of valproic acid (VPA). This study describes synthesis and stereospecific comparative pharmacodynamics (PD, anticonvulsant activity and teratogenicity) and pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis of four individual SPD stereoisomers. SPD stereoisomers' anticonvulsant activity was comparatively evaluated in several anticonvulsant animal models including the benzodiazepine-resistant status epilepticus (SE). SPD stereoisomers' PK-PD relationship was evaluated in rats. Teratogenicity of SPD stereoisomers was evaluated in SWV mice strain, susceptible to VPA-induced neural tube defect (NTD). SPD stereoisomers (141 or 283 mg/kg) did not cause NTD. SPD has stereoselective PK and PD. (2R,3S)-SPD and (2S,3R)-SPD higher clearance led to a 50% lower plasma exposure that may contribute to their relative lower activity in the pilocarpine-induced SE model. (2S,3S)-SPD, (2R,3R)-SPD, and racemic-SPD have similar anticonvulsant activity and a PK profile that are better than those of (2R,3S)-SPD and (2S,3R)-SPD, making them good candidates for development as new, potent antiepileptics with a potential in benzodiazepine-resistant SE.

Topics: Acetamides; Amides; Animals; Anticonvulsants; Disease Models, Animal; Rats; Soman; Status Epilepticus; Stereoisomerism; Teratogens; Valproic Acid

N-Benzyl 2-acetamido-2-substituted acetamides, where the 2-substituent is a (hetero)aromatic moiety, are potent anticonvulsants. We report the synthesis and whole animal pharmacological evaluation of 16 analogues where the terminal 2-acetyl group was removed to give the corresponding primary amino acid derivatives (PAADs). Conversion to the PAAD structure led to a substantial drop in seizure protection in animal tests, demonstrating the importance of the N-acetyl moiety for anticonvulsant activity. However, several of the PAADs displayed notable pain-attenuating activities in a mouse model.

Topics: Acetamides; Amino Acids; Animals; Anticonvulsants; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Molecular Structure; Neuralgia; Seizures; Structure-Activity Relationship

The structure-activity relationship (SAR) for the N-benzyl group in the clinical antiepileptic agent (R)-lacosamide [(R)-N-benzyl 2-acetamido-3-methoxypropionamide, (R)-3] has been explored. Forty-three compounds were prepared and then evaluated at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Anticonvulsant Screening Program for seizure protection in the maximal electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous Metrazol models. Comparing activities for two series of substituted aryl regioisomers (2', 3', 4') showed that 4'-modified derivatives had the highest activity. Significantly, structural latitude existed at the 4'-site. The SAR indicated that nonbulky 4'-substituted (R)-3 derivatives exhibited superb activity, independent of their electronic properties. Activities in the MES test of several compounds were comparable with or exceeded that of (R)-3 and surpassed the activities observed for the traditional antiepileptic agents phenytoin, phenobarbital, and valproate.

Topics: Acetamides; Animals; Anticonvulsants; Convulsants; Disease Models, Animal; Electroshock; Hippocampus; Kindling, Neurologic; Male; Mice; Molecular Structure; Pentylenetetrazole; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Seizures; Serine; Structure-Activity Relationship

A series of 6-aryl-3-(hydroxypolymethyleneamino)pyridazines derivatives was synthesized and evaluated for anticonvulsant activity. The compounds were screened in mice for their ability to antagonize maximal electroshock- and bicuculline-induced seizures; neurotoxicity was evaluated in the rotorod test. The anticonvulsant activity of the most potent compounds in this series was also examined in kindled amygdaloid rats and in photoepileptic Papio papio baboons. Phenobarbital, diphenylhydantoin, carbamazepine, and sodium valproate were used as standard antiepileptic drugs. The structure-activity relationships in this series were examined by either varying the aryl ring in the 6-position of the pyridazine ring or by modifying the 3-amino side chain. Only the compounds with a phenyl ring in the 6-position of the pyridazine ring exhibited appreciable anticonvulsant activity. Furthermore, a 4-hydroxypiperidine side chain in the 3-position of the pyridazine ring appeared essential for anticonvulsant activity. Substituting the phenyl ring with a Cl in the 2-position led to a substantial increase of activity; disubstituting the phenyl ring with a Cl in the 2- and 4-positions yielded the most potent compounds in this series, some of which were as potent or more potent than phenobarbital. Two compounds, 6-(2-chlorophenyl)-3-(4-hydroxypiperidino)pyridazine (2) and 6-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-(4-hydroxypiperidino)pyridazine (3), were selected for further studies. Clinical evaluation of these compounds is in progress.

Topics: Animals; Anticonvulsants; Bicuculline; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electroshock; Female; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Kindling, Neurologic; Male; Mice; Motor Skills; Papio; Pentylenetetrazole; Photic Stimulation; Pyridazines; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Seizures; Structure-Activity Relationship