Pyrazinyl ureas revisited: 1-(3-(Benzyloxy)pyrazin-2-yl)-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)urea, a new blocker of Aβ-induced mPTP opening for Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Herein, we report synthesis and evaluation of new twenty-eight pyrazinyl ureas against β amyloid (Aβ)-induced opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) using JC-1 assay which measures the change of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). The neuroprotective effect of seventeen compounds against Aβ-induced mPTP opening was superior to that of the standard Cyclosporin A (CsA). Among them, 1-(3-(benzyloxy)pyrazin-2-yl)-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)urea (5) effectively maintained mitochondrial function and cell viabilities on ATP assay and MTT assay. Also, hERG channel assay presented safe cardiotoxicity profile for compound 5. In addition, using CDocker algorithm, a molecular docking model presented a plausible explanation for the elicited differences in efficiencies of the synthesized compounds to reduce the green to red fluorescence as indication of mPTP closure. Hence, this report presents compound 5 as the most promising pyrazinyl urea-based mPTP blocker up to date.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease (AD); Aβ-induced neurotoxicity; Cyclophilin D; Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP); Urea; β-amyloid peptide (Aβ).