Oxidative stress and inflammation are two conditions that coexist in many multifactorial diseases such as atherosclerosis and neurodegeneration. Thus, the design of multifunctional compounds that can concurrently tackle two or more therapeutic targets is an appealing approach. In this study, the basic NSAID structure was fused with the antioxidant moieties 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (BHB), its reduced alcohol 3,5-di-tert-butyl- 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (BHBA), or 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchromane-2-carboxylic acid (Trolox), a hydrophilic analogue of α-tocopherol. Machine learning algorithms were utilized to validate the potential dual effect (anti-inflammatory and antioxidant) of the designed analogues. Derivatives 1–17 were synthesized by known esterification methods, with good to excellent yields, and were pharmacologically evaluated both in vitro and in vivo for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, whereas selected compounds were also tested in an in vivo hyperlipidemia protocol. Furthermore, the activity/binding affinity of the new compounds for lipoxygenase-3 (LOX-3) was studied not only in vitro but also via molecular docking simulations. Experimental results demonstrated that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the new fused molecules were increased compared to the parent molecules, while molecular docking simulations validated the improved activity and revealed the binding mode of the most potent inhibitors. The purpose of their design was justified by providing a potentially safer and more efficient therapeutic approach for multifactorial diseases.
氧化应激和炎症是许多多因素疾病中共存的两种情况,如动脉粥样硬化和神经退行性疾病。因此,设计能够同时应对两个或更多治疗靶点的多功能化合物是一种吸引人的方法。在这项研究中,基本的非甾体抗炎药结构与抗氧化剂成分3,5-二叔丁基-4-羟基苯甲酸(BHB)、其还原醇3,5-二叔丁基-4-羟基苯甲醇(BHBA)或6-羟基-2,5,7,8-四甲基香豆素-2-羧酸(Trolox)进行了融合,Trolox是α-生育酚的亲水类似物。机器学习算法被用来验证设计的类似物具有的潜在双重效应(抗炎和抗氧化)。化合物1-17的衍生物通过已知的酯化方法合成,产率良好至优异,并且在体内外进行了药理学评估,评估它们的抗氧化和抗炎活性,同时选择性化合物还在体内高脂血症方案中进行了测试。此外,还研究了新化合物对脂氧合酶-3(LOX-3)的活性/结合亲和力,不仅在体外进行了研究,还通过分子对接模拟进行了研究。实验结果表明,新融合分子的抗氧化和抗炎活性比母体分子增强,而分子对接模拟验证了活性的提高并揭示了最有效抑制剂的结合模式。设计它们的目的是为多因素疾病提供一种潜在更安全和更有效的治疗方法的合理性。