From Phenylthiazoles to Phenylpyrazoles: Broadening the Antibacterial Spectrum toward Carbapenem-Resistant Bacteria

J Med Chem. 2019 Sep 12;62(17):7998-8010. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00720. Epub 2019 Aug 19.

Abstract

The narrow antibacterial spectrum of phenylthiazole antibiotics was expanded by replacing central thiazole with a pyrazole ring while maintaining its other pharmacophoric features. The most promising derivative, compound 23, was more potent than vancomycin against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive clinical isolates, including vancomycin- and linezolid-resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value as low as 0.5 μg/mL. Moreover, compound 23 was superior to imipenem and meropenem against highly pathogenic carbapenem-resistant strains, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli. In addition to the notable biofilm inhibition activity, compound 23 outperformed both vancomycin and kanamycin in reducing the intracellular burden of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. Compound 23 cleared 90% of intracellular MRSA and 98% of Salmonella enteritidis at 2× the MIC. Moreover, preliminary pharmacokinetic investigations indicated that this class of novel antibacterial compounds is highly metabolically stable with a biological half-life of 10.5 h, suggesting a once-daily dosing regimen.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acinetobacter baumannii / drug effects
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Biofilms / drug effects
  • Carbapenems / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / drug effects*
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / drug effects
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Structure
  • Pyrazoles / chemical synthesis
  • Pyrazoles / chemistry
  • Pyrazoles / pharmacology*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Thiazoles / chemical synthesis
  • Thiazoles / chemistry
  • Thiazoles / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Carbapenems
  • Pyrazoles
  • Thiazoles