Dual targeting of cholinesterase and amyloid beta with pyridinium/isoquinolium derivatives

Abstract

Abstract With the surge in the cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) over the years, several targets have been explored to curb the disease. Cholinesterases, namely acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), remain to be the available targets that are amendable to currently approved treatments. In this study, a series of novel compounds based on tramiprosate, a highly specific amyloid beta (Aβ) inhibitor, was designed to inhibit AChE, BuChE, and Aβ aggregation. In particular, the addition of a pyridinium/isoquinolinium ring to the tramiprosate moiety (to give compounds 3a–j ) led to an increase in the binding affinity for the catalytic active site of cholinesterase, which was hampered by the presence of sulfonic acid. Exclusion of the sulfonic acid moiety led to a novel but effective class of cholinesterase inhibitors ( 9a–w ). in vitro Aβ aggregation inhibition assay indicated that compounds 3a–j , 9e – f , 9i–l , 9q , 9r , 9u–w , and 12 could inhibit over 10% Aβ aggregation at 1 mM concentration. Cholinesterase inhibition assay suggested that compounds 9g, 9h , 9o , and 9q–t exhibit over 70% inhibition on both AChE and BuChE at a concentration of 100 μM. Amongst the designed molecules, compound 9r ( ca 18% at 1 mM) showed comparable inhibitory effect on the inhibition of Aβ aggregation with tramiprosate ( ca 20% at 1 mM), along with impressive cholinesterase inhibitory potential (AChE IC 50 = 13 μM and BuChE IC 50 = 12 μM), acceptable toxicity and ability to pass through blood brain barrier, which could be used to ameliorate the phenotypes of AD in preclinical models.