Biomedical subjects

Viktor Kettmann

Publications and source records attributed to Viktor Kettmann.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Human topoisomerase I poisoning: docking protoberberines into a structure-based binding site model.

Using the X-ray crystal structure of the human topoisomerase I (top1) - DNA cleavable complex and the Sybyl software package, we have developed a general model for the ternary cleavable complex formed with four protoberberine alkaloids differing in the substitution on the terminal phenyl rings and covering a broad range of the top1-poisoning activities. This model has the drug intercalated with its planar chromophore between the -1 and +1 base pairs flanking the cleavage site, with the nonplanar portion pointing into the minor groove. The ternary complexes were geometry-optimized and relative interaction energies, computed by using the Tripos force field, were found to rank in correct order the biological potency of the compounds; in addition, the model is also consistent with the top1-poisoning inactivity of berberine, a major prototype of the protoberberine alkaloids. The model might serve as a rational basis for elaboration of the most active compound as a lead structure, in order to develop more potent top1 poisons as next generation anti-cancer drugs.

Berberine Alkaloids↗

PubMed2004

N-[(1E)-Amino[3-methyl-5-(4-methylphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]methylene]-1H-imidazole-1-carboxamide.

In the title compound, C(16)H(18)N(6)O, an N-carbonylimidazole derivative of pyrazoline-1-carboximidamide, the pi-electron density of the N atom in the 1-position on the pyrazoline ring is delocalized through the amidine moiety and the adjacent carbonyl group. The imidazole ring, though coplanar with the rest of the molecule, is deconjugated. The pyrazoline ring adopts a flat-envelope conformation, having the substituted phenyl ring oriented perpendicular to the mean plane of the heterocycle. Both of the two potential hydrogen-bond donors are involved in intramolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Chemical function based pharmacophore generation of endothelin-A selective receptor antagonists.

Both quantitative and qualitative chemical function based pharmacophore models of endothelin-A (ET(A)) selective receptor antagonists were generated by using the two algorithms HypoGen and HipHop, respectively, which are implemented in the Catalyst molecular modeling software. The input for HypoGen is a training set of 18 ET(A) antagonists exhibiting IC(50) values ranging between 0.19 nM and 67 microM. The best output hypothesis consists of five features: two hydrophobic (HY), one ring aromatic (RA), one hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), and one negative ionizable (NI) function. The highest scoring Hip Hop model consists of six features: three hydrophobic (HY), one ring aromatic (RA), one hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), and one negative ionizable (NI). It is the result of an input of three highly active, selective, and structurally diverse ET(A) antagonists. The predictive power of the quantitative model could be approved by using a test set of 30 compounds, whose activity values spread over 6 orders of magnitude. The two pharmacophores were tested according to their ability to extract known endothelin antagonists from the 3D molecular structure database of Derwent's World Drug Index. Thereby the main part of selective ET(A) antagonistic entries was detected by the two hypotheses. Furthermore, the pharmacophores were used to screen the Maybridge database. Six compounds were chosen from the output hit lists for in vitro testing of their ability to displace endothelin-1 from its receptor. Two of these are new potential lead compounds because they are structurally novel and exhibit satisfactory activity in the binding assay.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2004

2-(phenylaminomethylidene)cyclohexane-1,3-dione.

In the title compound, C(13)H(13)NO(2), there is polarization of pi-electron density from the amine N atom to the acceptor carbonyl groups: as a result, the molecule exists predominantly in an azomethino-1,3-diketone tautomeric form. There is crystallographic evidence that the phenyl ring, although roughly coplanar with the rest of the molecule, is deconjugated with the adjacent pi system of the molecule. The cyclohexane ring adopts an unsymmetrical half-chair conformation and converts between two inversion-related conformers. The molecule is stabilized by an intramolecular hydrogen bond, while the intermolecular packing is dominated by a number of short C-H.O contacts.

Aniline Compounds↗

PubMed2004

3-Butyl-1-(5-nitrobenzo[c][1,2]thiazol-3-yl)-3-phenyltriazene.

The molecule of the title compound, C(17)H(17)N(5)O(2)S, consists of three pi systems, viz. two aromatic rings and the triazene moiety, which are mutually deconjugated although coplanar. The n-butyl chain is roughly perpendicular to the molecular plane, with the terminal methylene and methyl groups disordered between two equally populated positions. The molecules in the crystal associate in an antiparallel fashion, forming dimers across the centre of symmetry, the principal intradimer interaction being stacking of the pi-electron portions of the molecules.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Antimicrobial activity of Mahonia aquifolium crude extract and its major isolated alkaloids.

The crude extract of Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. stem bark and its two main protoberberine alkaloids, berberine and jatrorrhizine, were tested for their in vitro antimicrobial activity. Twenty strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci and 20 strains of Propionibacterium acnes isolated from skin lesions of patients with a severe form of acne, and 20 strains of Candida sp. isolated from chronic vulvovaginal candidoses were tested for their susceptibility to crude extract and two isolated alkaloids. The minimum inhibitory concentrations obtained in this study illustrate the varying degrees of antibacterial and antifungal activity of the tested agents. The results indicate a rational basis for the traditional use of Mahonia aquifolium for localized skin and mucosal infection therapy, as well as for the possible development of a preparation for supportive therapy of the diseases mentioned above.

Anti-Infective Agents↗

PubMed2003

4,5-Dihydro-3-methyl-5-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-pyrazole-1-carboxamide.

The reaction between 4-(4-methylphenyl)but-3-en-2-one and aminoguanidine produced an unexpected product of formula C(12)H(15)N(3)O, consisting of a carboxamide moiety joined to a substituted pyrazoline ring at one of the N atoms. The pyrazoline ring adopts a flat-envelope conformation and the substituted phenyl ring is oriented almost perpendicular to the heterocycle. The carbonyl O atom has partial anionic character as a result of the transfer of pi density from the two adjacent sp(2) N atoms and is involved in an intermolecular hydrogen bond with the amide group.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

Antifungal activity of Mahonia aquifolium extract and its major protoberberine alkaloids.

The crude extract of Mahonia aquifolium (Berberidaceae) stem bark and its components berberine, palmatine and jatrorrhizine were screened for their inhibitory activity against a variety of dermatophytes and two Candida species of human origin using the in vitro dilution agar plate method. Jatrorrhizine was found to be the most effective against all fungal species tested (MIC ranges from 62.5 to 125 micro g/mL), while the crude extract, berberine, and palmatine exhibited only marginal activity (MIC 500 to >/= 1000 micro g/mL). Dermatophytes were more susceptible to jatrorrhizine than yeasts, and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis appeared the least sensitive species to all the compounds tested. The effects of the alkaloids were compared with those of fluconazole and bifonazole for which the MIC ranges were 12.5 to >100 micro g/mL. Our results suggest that jatrorrhizine may serve as a leading compound for further studies to develop new antifungal agents with highly potent antifungal activity and low host toxicity.

Alkaloids↗

PubMed2002

4,5-Dihydro-3-methyl-5-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-pyrazole-1-carboxamidinium acetate acetone hemisolvate.

The X-ray structure analysis of the unexpected product of the reaction between 4-(4-methylphenyl)but-3-en-2-one and aminoguanidine revealed the title compound, C(12)H(17)N(4)(+) x -C(2)H(3)O(2)(-) x 0.5C(3)H(6)O, consisting of a protonated amidine moiety joined to a substituted pyrazoline ring at the N1 atom. The amidine group is protonated and the positive charge is delocalized over the three C[bond]N bonds in a similar manner to that found in guanidinium salts. The amidinium moiety of the cation is linked to the acetate anions through four N[bond]H...O hydrogen bonds, with N...O distances of 2.749 (4), 2.848 (4), 2.904 (4) and 2.911 (4) A. The pyrazoline ring adopts a flattened envelope conformation and the substituted phenyl ring is oriented perpendicular to the attached heterocycle. The acetone solvate molecule lies across a twofold rotation axis.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

1-Methyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-f]quinolin-6-ium chloride monohydrate.

The title compound, C(11)H(10)N(3)(+) x Cl(-) x H(2)O, belongs to the N1-methyl-substituted imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline family, in which the heterocyclic ring is protonated at the pyridine rather than at the imidazole N atom. The molecule as a whole is almost exactly planar. The molecular structure has been compared with that of the 2-amino analogue described in the literature, and it was found that the extra amino group of the latter is involved in conjugation with the adjacent double bond, i.e. the conjugation does not extend over the entire heterocyclic system. The cation of the title compound forms a strong hydrogen bond with the Cl(-) anion and the anions are interconnected by the water solvent molecule.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Potential antimutagenic activity of berberine, a constituent of Mahonia aquifolium.

BACKGROUND: As part of a study aimed at developing new pharmaceutical products from natural resources, the purpose of this research was twofold: (1) to fractionate crude extracts from the bark of Mahonia aquifolium and (2) to evaluate the strength of the antimutagenic activity of the separate components against one of the common direct-acting chemical mutagens. METHODS: The antimutagenic potency was evaluated against acridine orange (AO) by using Euglena gracilis as an eukaryotic test model, based on the ability of the test compound/fraction to prevent the mutagen-induced damage of chloroplast DNA. RESULTS: It was found that the antimutagenicity of the crude Mahonia extract resides in both bis-benzylisoquinoline (BBI) and protoberberine alkaloid fractions but only the protoberberine derivatives, jatrorrhizine and berberine, showed significant concentration-dependent inhibitory effect against the AO-induced chloroplast mutagenesis of E. gracilis. Especially berberine elicited, at a very low dose, remarkable suppression of the AO-induced mutagenicity, its antimutagenic potency being almost three orders of magnitude higher when compared to its close analogue, jatrorrhizine. Possible mechanisms of the antimutagenic action are discussed in terms of recent literature data. While the potent antimutagenic activity of the protoberberines most likely results from the inhibition of DNA topoisomerase I, the actual mechanism(s) for the BBI alkaloids is hard to be identified. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the results indicate that berberine possesses promising antimutagenic/anticarcinogenic potential that is worth to be investigated further.

Animals↗