The hERG K+ Channel and Drug Trapping
for C30H36N2O3: C 76.24, H 7.68, N 5.93, found: C 75.81, H 7.68, N
5.76.
Conclusions
In this work, a small set of propafenone derivatives were syn-
thesized and biologically tested for hERG activity with special
emphasis on use-dependency of the channel block and recov-
ery thereof. Ligand–protein docking into homology models of
the closed and open state of the hERG channel provides the
first evidence for the molecular basis of drug trapping. Notably,
docking into protein homology models, especially into models
of promiscuous proteins such as hERG and P-glycoprotein, is a
rather uncertain process and needs careful validation. However,
in our case the docking results are so far consistent with the
experimental findings obtained. This information may provide
potential strategies for improving the performance of in silico
models for prediction of hERG activity, and should facilitate our
understanding of the molecular basis of drug–channel interac-
tions.
Propafenone, 3a, and 3d were prepared according to published
protocols.[20–22]
hERG assays
Molecular biology: Preparation of stage V–VI oocytes from Xeno-
pus laevis (NASCO, Fort Atkinson, WI, USA), synthesis of capped
runoff complementary RNA (cRNA) transcripts from linearized com-
plementary DNA (cDNA) templates and injection of cRNA were per-
formed as described previously.[15] cDNAs of hERG (accession
number NP_000229) were kindly provided by Dr. Sanguinetti (Uni-
versity of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA).
Voltage clamp analysis: Currents through hERG channels were
studied 1–4 days after microinjection of the cRNA using the two-
microelectrode voltage clamp technique. The bath solution con-
tained 96 mm NaCl, 2 mm KCl, 1 mm MgCl2, 5 mm HEPES, 1.8 mm
CaCl2 (pH 7.5, titrated with NaOH).
Voltage-recording and current-injecting microelectrodes were filled
with 3m KCl and had resistance values between 0.3 and 2 MW. En-
dogenous currents (estimated in oocytes injected with water) did
not exceed 0.1 mA. Currents >3 mA were discarded to minimize
voltage clamp errors. A precondition for all measurements was the
achievement of stable peak current amplitudes over periods of
15 min after an initial run-up. All drugs were applied by means of a
new perfusion system enabling solution exchange within
~100 ms.[43]
Experimental Section
Chemistry
Melting points were determined on a Reichert–Kofler hot-stage mi-
croscope and are uncorrected. Elemental analyses were performed
by the Microanalytical Laboratory, Institute of Physical Chemistry,
University of Vienna. NMR spectra were recorded on Bruker Specto-
spin (200 MHz). Column chromatographic separations were per-
formed with Merck Kieselgel 60 (70–230 mesh). Yields given below
are not optimized and refer to analytically pure material.
The pClamp software package version 10.1 (Axon Instruments Inc.,
Union City, CA, USA) was used for data acquisition. Microcal Origin
7.0 was employed for analysis and curve fitting.
General procedure for the synthesis of the tertiary amines 3b
and 3c: Epoxide 2 (17.7 mmol),[20–22] and the respective amine
(20 mmol) were dissolved in CH3OH and held at reflux for 6 h. The
mixture was evaporated to dryness, and the oily residue was puri-
fied by column chromatography (silica gel, CH2Cl2/CH3OH/concd
NH4OH, 200:10:1). The formation of hydrochlorides was carried out
by dissolving the amine in dry Et2O and adding a 1m solution of
HCl in Et2O. The hydrochloride was filtered off and purified by crys-
tallization.
Voltage protocol: The voltage protocol (see inset in Figure 1A)
was designed to simulate voltage changes during a cardiac action
potential with a 300 ms depolarization to +20 mV (analogous to
plateau phase), a repolarization for 300 ms to ꢀ40 mV (inducing a
tail current) and a final step to the holding potential. The +20 mV
depolarization rapidly inactivates hERG channels, thereby limiting
the amount of outward current. During the repolarization to
ꢀ40 mV, the previously activated channels open due to rapid re-
covery from inactivation. The decreases in the resulting tail current
amplitudes were taken as a measure of block development during
a pulse train.
1-[4-{3-[4-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)piperazin-1-yl]-2-hydroxypropoxy}-
phenyl)ethanone (3b): yield 52.8%; mp (HCl): 224–2258C; H NMR
1
(200 MHz, CDCl3): d=2.23 (s, 3H), 2.29 (s, 3H), 2.49 (s, 3H), 2.53–
2.91 (m, 10H), 3.47–3.70 (br, 1H, OH), 3.94–4.18 (m, 3H), 6.77–7.02
(m, 5H), 7.95 ppm (d, J=9.0 Hz, 2H); 13C NMR (50 MHz, CDCl3): d=
14.3, 21.0, 26.7, 52.6, 54.2, 60.7, 65.7, 70.8, 114.6, 117.0, 125.5, 126.2,
131.0, 138.4, 151.7, 163.0 ppm; IR (KBr): n˜ =3440, 2941, 2817, 2360,
1675, 1600, 1509, 1473, 1455 cmꢀ1; MS (EI, 70 eV): m/z (%): 382 (3)
[M+], 203 (52), 189 (100), 146 (23), 118 (29), 91 (15), 70 (56); Anal.
calcd for C23H30N2O3: C 72.22, H 7.91, N 7.32, found: C 71.96, H
7.96, N 7.57.
Estimation of half-maximal inhibition of hERG channels: hERG
channel block was estimated as peak tail current inhibition (Figur-
e 1A,B). The concentration–inhibition curves were fitted using the
Hill equation:
IhERG;drug
IhERG;control
100 ꢀ A
¼
þ A
C
nH
1 þ ðIC
Þ
50
1-[2-{3-[4-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]-2-hydroxypropoxy}-
in which IC50 is the concentration at which hERG inhibition is half-
maximal, C is the applied drug concentration, A is the fraction of
hERG current that is not blocked, and nH is the Hill coeffi-
cient.[15,19,44]
phenyl]-3-phenylpropan-1-one (3c): yield 63.4%; mp (HCl): 165–
1
1668C; H NMR (CDCl3): d=2.21 (s, 3H), 2.27 (s, 3H), 2.38–2.85 (m,
10H), 2.97 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 2H), 3.35 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 2H), 3.05–3.85 (br,
1H, OH), 3.89–4.05 (m, 3H), 6.82–7.31 (m, 10H), 7.39 (dt, J=1.5,
7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.63 ppm (dd, J=1.5, 7.8 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (50 MHz,
CDCl3): d=14.3, 21.0, 30.7, 46.1, 52.6, 54.0, 61.3, 65.6, 71.2, 113.0,
117.0, 121.4, 125.5, 126.2, 126.3, 128.6, 128.8, 130.9, 131.6, 133.9,
138.4, 142.1, 151.7, 158.2, 201.6 ppm; IR (KBr): n˜ =3460, 2818, 2350,
1668, 1597, 1473, 1450 cmꢀ1; MS (EI, 70 eV): m/z (%): 472 (2) [M+],
203 (100), 189 (28), 160 (17), 132 (13), 91 (17), 70 (65); Anal. calcd
Molecular modeling and docking studies
Preparation of molecular structures: The structures of propafe-
none and its derivatives were built in MOL2 format using the
sketcher module of Sybyl, and Gasteiger–Hꢃckel charges were as-
ChemMedChem 2010, 5, 436 – 442
ꢁ 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
441