title: Evaluation of arylimidamides DB1955 and DB1960 as candidates against visceral leishmaniasis and Chagas' disease: in vivo efficacy, acute toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology studies.
abstract: Arylimidamides (AIAs) have shown outstanding in vitro potency against intracellular kinetoplastid parasites, and the AIA 2,5-bis[2-(2-propoxy)-4-(2-pyridylimino)aminophenyl]furan dihydrochloride (DB766) displayed good in vivo efficacy in rodent models of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and Chagas' disease. In an attempt to further increase the solubility and in vivo antikinetoplastid potential of DB766, the mesylate salt of this compound and that of the closely related AIA 2,5-bis[2-(2-cyclopentyloxy)-4-(2-pyridylimino)aminophenyl]furan hydrochloride (DB1852) were prepared. These two mesylate salts, designated DB1960 and DB1955, respectively, exhibited dose-dependent activity in the murine model of VL, with DB1960 inhibiting liver parasitemia by 51% at an oral dose of 100 mg/kg/day × 5 and DB1955 reducing liver parasitemia by 57% when given by the same dosing regimen. In a murine Trypanosoma cruzi infection model, DB1960 decreased the peak parasitemia levels that occurred at 8 days postinfection by 46% when given orally at 100 mg/kg/day × 5, while DB1955 had no effect on peak parasitemia levels when administered by the same dosing regimen. Distribution studies revealed that these compounds accumulated to micromolar levels in the liver, spleen, and kidneys but to a lesser extent in the heart, brain, and plasma. A 5-day repeat-dose toxicology study with DB1960 and DB1955 was also conducted with female BALB/c mice, with the compounds administered orally at 100, 200, and 500 mg/kg/day. In the high-dose groups, DB1960 caused changes in serum chemistry, with statistically significant increases in serum blood urea nitrogen, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase levels, and a 21% decrease in body weight was observed in this group. These changes were consistent with microscopic findings in the livers and kidneys of the treated animals. The incidences of observed clinical signs (hunched posture, tachypnea, tremors, and ruffled fur) were more frequent in DB1960-treated groups than in those treated with DB1955. However, histopathological examination of tissue samples indicated that both compounds had adverse effects at all dose levels.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Sihyung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Toufan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Parman
authors.forename: Carol E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Jon C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mirsalis
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Nazaré Correia Soeiro
authors.forename: Elen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mello de Souza
authors.forename: Cristiane França
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: da Gama Jaen Batista
authors.forename: Chad E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: Moloy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Abdelbasset A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Farahat
authors.forename: Manoj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munde
authors.forename: W David
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Boykin
authors.forename: Michael Zhuo
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Karl A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Werbovetz
mesh_terms: D000578:Amidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005663:Furans / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D012995:Solubility; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: C552046:2,5-bis(2-(2-propoxy)-4-(2-pyridylimino)aminophenyl)furan; D000578:Amidines; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D005663:Furans