COU254, a specific 3-carboxamide-coumarin inhibitor of coagulation factor XII, does not protect mice from acute ischemic stroke

Background: Anticoagulation is an important means to prevent from acute ischemic stroke but is associated with a significant risk of severe hemorrhages. Previous studies have shown that blood coagulation factor XII (FXII)- deficient mice are protected from pathological thrombus formation during cerebral ischemia without bearing an increased bleeding tendency. Hence, pharmacological blockade of FXII might be a promising and safe approach to prevent acute ischemic stroke and possibly other thromboembolic disorders but pharmacological inhibitors selective over FXII are still lacking. In the present study we investigated the efficacy of COU254, a novel nonpeptidic 3-carboxamide-coumarin that selectively blocks FXII activity, on stroke development and post stroke functional outcome in mice. Methods: C57Bl/6 mice were treated with COU254 (40 mg/kg i.p.) or vehicle and subjected to 60 min transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) using the intraluminal filament method. After 24 h infarct volumes were determined from 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazoliumchloride(TTC)-stained brain sections and functional scores were assessed. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to estimate the extent of neuronal cell damage. Thrombus formation within the infarcted brain areas was analyzed by immunoblot. Results: Infarct volumes and functional outcomes on day 1 after tMCAO did not significantly differ between COU254 pre-treated mice or untreated controls (p > 0.05). Histology revealed extensive ischemic neuronal damage regularly including the cortex and the basal ganglia in both groups. COU254 treatment did not prevent intracerebral fibrin(ogen) formation. Conclusions: COU254 at the given concentration of 40 mg/kg failed to demonstrate efficacy in acute ischemic stroke in this preliminary study. Further preclinical evaluation of 3-carboxamide-coumarins is needed before the antithrombotic potential of this novel class of FXII inhibitors can be finally judged

Investigation of the function of delta-cadinene synthase with aza-analogues and site directedmutagenesis

Terpenes are one of the most structurally varied families of natural products with extraordinary chemical properties that have been exploited for numerous applications. Sesquiterpene synthases are a family of metal-dependent enzymes that catalyse the cyclisation of farnesyl diphosphate (FDP) into a myriad of complex C15-isoprenoid hydrocarbons, the sesquiterpenes. δ-Cadinene synthase (DCS) from Gossypium arboreum (cotton tree) catalyses the formation of δ-cadinene (DCN), a bicyclic intermediate in the biosynthesis of important phytoalexins such us gossypol. Two mechanistic proposals have been made for the formation of δ-cadinene: a 1,10-ring closure mechanism leading to the key intermediate germacradienyl cation, or a 1,6-ring closure leading to thealpha-bisabolyl carbocation. Previous investigation with fluorinated FDP analogues were in partial agreement with both scenarios and hence it was not possible to distinguish unambiguously between the two possible cyclisation reactions. To investigate the catalytic mechanism of DCS, enantiopure samples of the azaanalogues of alpha-bisabolyl cation and germacradienyl cation were needed. These compounds are designed as stable structural and electrostatic mimics of the putative short-lived carbocationic intermediates generated by terpene synthases, and hence often act as potent reversible competitive inhibitors (low Ki) of these enzymes. Here, the enantioselective total synthesis of R- and S- aza-analogues of the alpha-bisabolyl cation are described as well as the partial racemic synthesis of azagermacradienyl cation. Both enantiomers of aza-bisabolyl cation were goodmimics of α-bisabolene. They were competitive inhibitors of DCS, providing evidence for a 1,6-cyclisation closure. The second part of the project involved the investigation of the role of tryptophan 279 for the desolvation of the active site of DCS and therefore for the formation of DCN. Seven mutants of W279 were created. The data obtained showed that W279 is essential to prevent water from entering the active site and form the hydroxylate terpenoid germacradien-4-ol (GD4ol). Mutagenesis studies yielded a mutant, W279A, capable of making GD4ol as the sole product

STUDY OF COUMARINS WITH IMPROVED SOLUBILITY TO INHIBIT FXIIa, AN EMERGING TARGET IN THROMBOSIS RESEARCH

Thrombotic diseases, in which a deregulated haemostatic activity occurs, remain a major concern in medicine. Anticoagulants are part of the strategies to address these disorders. However current available drugs are still associated with risk of severe bleeding complications and thus, novel antithrombotics are required1.In this perspective, coagulation factor XIIa (FXIIa), a serine protease implicated in the coagulation cascade, recently emerged as a promising target in the development of such agents2. Indeed, it was demonstrated that FXII deficiency or inhibition protects against thrombosis without causing spontaneous bleeding in mice3.Based on these considerations, the aim of our project is to develop novel selective FXIIa inhibitors to detail the exact role of this enzyme in thrombotic diseases. These compounds could also be a good starting point for the development of new antithrombotic drugs. The 3-carboxamide coumarins (figure 1) are to date the only nonpetidic and selective inhibitors of FXIIa described in literature4. However, their low solubility and poor pharmacokinetics resulted in a lack of activity in in vivo models of thrombosis. As consequence, we need to improve these characteristics while keeping the selectivity and potency towards FXIIa.In this work, we first synthesized new coumarins with improved solubility. Their inhibition potency was then measured on FXIIa and finally, their stability was evaluated