Synthesis, biological evaluation, and enzyme docking simulations of 1,5-diarylpyrrole-3-alkoxyethyl ethers as selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors endowed with anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activity

J Med Chem. 2008 Aug 14;51(15):4476-81. doi: 10.1021/jm800084s. Epub 2008 Jul 4.

Abstract

A series of substituted 1,5-diarylpyrrole-3-alkoxyethyl ethers (6, 7, and 8) has been synthesized with the aim to assess if in the previously reported 1,5-diarylpyrrole derivatives (5) the replacement of the acetic ester moiety with an alkoxyethyl group still led to new, highly selective and potent COX-2 inhibitors. In the in vitro cell culture assay, all the compounds proved to be potent and selective COX-2 inhibitors. In the human whole blood (HWB) assay, compound 8a had a comparable COX-2 selectivity to valdecoxib, while it was more selective than celecoxib but less selective than rofecoxib. The potential anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of compounds 7a, 8a, and 8d were evaluated in vivo, where they showed a very good activity against both carrageenan-induced hyperalgesia and edema in the rat paw test. In the abdominal constriction test compound 7a, 8a, and 8d were able to reduce the number of writhes in a statistically significant manner. Furthermore, the affinity data of these compounds have been rationalized through enzyme docking simulations in terms of interactions with a crystallographic model of the COX-2 binding site by means of the software package Autodock 3.0.5, GRID 21, and MacroModel 8.5 using the complex between COX-2 and SC-558 (1b), refined at a 3 A resolution (Brookhaven Protein Data Bank entry: 6cox ).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics / chemical synthesis*
  • Analgesics / chemistry
  • Analgesics / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / chemical synthesis*
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Computer Simulation
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / chemical synthesis*
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Edema / drug therapy
  • Ether / chemical synthesis*
  • Ether / chemistry
  • Ether / pharmacology*
  • Ether / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Pyrroles / chemistry*
  • Rats
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Analgesics
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors
  • Pyrroles
  • Ether