Derivados de 2-hidróxi-3-anilino-1,4-naftoquinona: atividade antiplasmodial in vitro, toxicidade e interferência na biossíntese de isoprenóides

A resistência aos antimaláricos disponíveis no mercado leva à necessidade do desenvolvimento de novos compostos com novos alvos farmacológicos. Os derivados de naftoquinonas são descritos como compostos líderes promissores para o desenvolvimento de fármacos antimaláricos. Em vista disso, nós avaliamos a atividade antiplasmodial in vitro de três derivados de hidroxinaftoquinonas contra o estágio intraeritrocítico assexuado de Plasmodium falciparum, assim como parâmetros toxicológicos in vitro e in vivo e investigamos um provável mecanismo de ação relacionado à via dos isoprenóides através de marcações metabólicas de precursores da via com trítio radioativo, complementado com estudos de docking com um template da octaprenil pirofosfato sintase. Os derivados de hidroxinaftoquinonas analisados tiveram boa atividade antiplasmodial, com IC50 menor que 20 μM para a cepa 3D7 e menor que 50 μM para a cepa Dd2. A janela terapêutica é segura, com índice de seletividade variando entre 36,7 e 143,0. Os compostos não causaram hemólise nas doses testadas (10 e 50 vezes maiores que as respectivas IC50), e não desencadearam sinais de toxicidade no teste de toxicidade aguda in vivo apesar de o composto 4a ter promovido esteatose hepática e hemorragia no tecido renal. Considerando um provável mecanismo de ação, os derivados de hidroxinaftoquinonas parecem inibir a síntese dos precursores isoprênicos, principalmente a menaquinona e o tocoferol e os estudos de docking revelaram nove possíveis interações com alta energia em quatro sítios de ligação diferentes com um template da octaprenil pirofosfato sintase. Em nossos resultados, o composto 4c foi o mais promissor, visto que possuiu o menor IC50 no teste antiplasmodial in vitro, menor citotoxicidade in vitro e toxicidade aguda in vivo, além de ter inibido os três produtos da via dos isoprenóides testados, podendo ser considerado um candidato padrão para o processo de “hit-to-lead.The resistance to antimalarial drugs available on the market leads to the need for the development of new compounds with novel pharmacological targets. The naphthoquinone derivatives are described as promising compounds leading to the development of antimalarial drugs. That said, we evaluated the antiplasmodial in vitro activity of three derivatives of hydroxy-naphthoquinones against asexual intraeritrocitic stage of Plasmodium falciparum, as well as toxicological in vitro and in vivo parameters and investigate a possible mechanism of action related to the isoprenoid pathway through metabolic markers via the precursors of radioactive tritium, complete with docking studies with a template of octaprenil pyrophosphate synthase. Hydroxy-naphthoquinones derivatives analyzed had good antiplasmodial activity with IC50 less than 20 μM for 3D7 strain and less than 50 μM for Dd2 strain. The therapeutic window is safe with selectivity index ranging between 36.7 and 143.0. The compounds did not cause hemolysis at the doses tested (10 and 50 times greater than their IC50), and not triggered signs of toxicity in acute toxicity test in vivo even though the compound 4a have promoted hepatic steatosis and haemorrhage in kidney tissue. Whereas a likely mechanism of action, the hydroxy-naphthoquinones derivatives appear to inhibit the synthesis of isoprenic precursors, especially menaquinone and tocopherol and docking studies revealed nine possible interactions with high energy in four different binding sites with a template of octaprenil pyrophosphate synthase. In our results, the compound 4c was the most promising, since it possessed the lowest IC50 in antiplasmodial test in vitro, lower cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo acute toxicity, and has inhibited the three via the tested isoprenoid products, might be considered a standard candidate for the process "hit-to-lead

Cytotoxicity, hemolysis and in vivo acute toxicity of 2-hydroxy-3-anilino-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives

The 1,4-naphthoquinones, important members of the family of quinones are used as both crude extracts and as compound manipulated by the pharmaceutical industry. They have gained great emphasis by presenting different pharmacological properties as antibacterial, antiviral, antiprotozoal and anthelmintic, and has antitumor activity. Our aim was to evaluate the cytotoxicity, hemolytic activity and in vivo acute toxicity of three derivatives of 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinones. The cell viability in vitro against RAW Cell Line displayed IC50 ranging of 483.5–2044.8 μM, whereas in primary culture tests using murine macrophages, IC50 were 315.8–1408.0 μM for naphthoquinones derivatives 4a and 4c respectively, besides no hemolysis was observed at the dose tested. The in vivo acute toxicity assays exhibited a significant safety margin indicated by a lack of systemic and behavioral toxicity up to 300 mg/kg, and at a dose of 1000 mg/kg the derivatives not triggering signs of toxicity although the compound 4a have promoted hepatic steatosis and hyperemia in kidney tissue. Thereby, these modifications decrease the toxicity of the tested derivatives naphthoquinones, providing a high potential for the development of news drugs. Keywords: Naphthoquinones, Cytotoxicity, Hemolytic activity, Acute toxicit