M.Biava et al./ Bioorg.Med.Chem.11 (2003) 515–520
519
mmol), formaldehyde (5.6 mmol) (40% in water) and 5
mL of acetic acid was added dropwise. After the addi-
tion was complete the mixture was stirred at room tem-
perature for 3 h. The mixture was then treated with a
solution of sodium hydroxide (20%, w/v) and extracted
with ethyl acetate. The organic extracts were combined,
washed with water and dried. After removal of solvent,
the residue was purified by column chromatography.
The eluates were combined after TLC control and the
solvent was removed to give the pure product.
MIC was defined as the lowest concentration of drug
that yielded an absence of visual torbidity. Stock solu-
tions of substances were prepared by dissolving a
known weight of agent in DMSO. The stock solutions
were sterilized by passage throught a 0.2 mm Nylon
membrane filter. Serial 2-fold dilutions of the com-
pounds with water were prepared. The tubes were incu-
bated at 37 ꢀC for 3–21 days. A control tube without
any drug was included in each experiment. Isoniazid
(INH), Streptomycin and pyrrolnitrin were used as
controls.
Physicochemical data are reported in Table 5.
Inhibitory activity of BM 212 and 2 on multidrug-resis-
tant and intramacrophagic mycobacteria. The myco-
bacteria used were M.tuberculosis 15, M.tuberculosis
150, M.tuberculosis 585, M.tuberculosis 535 and M.
tuberculosis 541. The MIC of the compound BM 212
was tested on multiresistant M.tuberculosis strain in
Middlebrook 7119 broth enriched with 10% ADC
(Difco) using the macrodilution broth method. The
bactericidal activity of BM 212 on intracellular
mycobacteria was studied on U937 cells (INC-
FLOW), a human histiocytic cell line. The cells were
differentiated into macrophages with 20 ng/mL of
phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, Sigma) and grown
in RPMI 1640 medium with 10% fetal calf serum.
1
1: H NMR (CDCl3) d: 1.98 (s, 3H, N–CH3), 2.29 (s,
3H, pyrrole 2-CH3), 2.45 (m, 8H, N-methylpiperazine 2
and 3-CH2), 3.42 (s, 2H, CH2–N), 6.30 (s, 1H, pyrrole
4H), 7.1–7.34 (m, 10H, aromatic protons).
1
2: H NMR (CDCl3) d: 1.97 (s, 3H, pyrrole 2-CH3),
2.56–2.69 (m, thiomorpholine 8H), 3.39 (s, 2H, 3-CH2-
thiomorph), 6.24 (s, 1H, pyrrole 4H), 6.83–7.29 (m, 9H,
aromatic protons).
Microbiology
Compounds. All compounds 1–10 and drug references
were dissolved in DMSO at a concentration of 10 mg/
mL and stored cold until used.
Antimycotic activity. Antiyeast activity was tested with a
broth microdilution method12 and the minimal inhibi-
tory concentration (MIC), the range of MICs and the
mean susceptibility (nX) have been calculated as descri-
bed elsewhere.13 Ketoconazole and miconazole were
used for comparative studies.
Antimycobacterial activity. All compounds were pre-
liminarily assayed against two freshly isolated clinical
strains, M.fortuitum CA10 and M.tuberculosis B814,
according to the dilution method in agar.11 Growth
media were Mueller–Hinton (Difco) containing 10% of
OADC (oleic acid, albumine and dextrose complex) for
M.fortuitum and Middlebrook 7H11 agar (Difco) with
10% of OADC (albumine dextrose complex) for M.
tuberculosis. Substances were tested at the single dose of
100 mg/mL. The active compounds were then assayed for
inhibitory activity against a variety of mycobacterium
strains in Middlebrook 7H9 broth using the NCCLS
procedure. They are reported in Tables 1 and 2. The
mycobacterium species used were M.tuberculosis
103471 and among the atypical mycobacteria M.smeg-
matis 103599, M.gordonae 6427, M.marinum 6423 and
M.avium 103317 (from the Institute Pasteur collection).
Antiviral activity. Antiviral activity was assayed on
VERO cell monolayers infected with Herpes simplex
virus type 2 (HSV2) and Poliovirus type 1 (1S) (all from
NIH, USA). VERO cells in 24-cell culture plates were
infected with the viruses at a ratio of about 1000 cells/
viral infectious unit. After 48 h of incubation, the viral
cytopathic effect was detected under a light microscope
and the antiviral effect of drugs was reported as the dose
which inhibited by 50% the cytopathic effect of viruses
(ID50). Foscarnet was used as control.
Computational methods
In all cases, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs
in mg/mL) for each compound were determined. The
All calculations and graphic manipulations were per-
formed on a Silicon Graphics O2 workstation by means
of the Catalyst 4.6 software package.
Table 5. Chemical–physical data of compounds 1–10
All the compounds used in this study were built using
the 2D–3D sketcher of the program. A representative
family of conformations was generated for each mole-
cule using the poling algorithm and the ‘best quality
conformational analysis’ method.10 The parameter set
employed to perform all the conformational calcula-
tions derives from the CHARMm force field,14 oppor-
tunely modified and corrected.15
Compound
Mp (ꢀC)
Yield (%)
Formula (MW)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
137–140
95–97
102–105
107–110
115–118
90–93
109–111
110–111
59–60
60
54
58
50
35
85
68
88
80
50
C23H26N3F (363.47)
C22H23N2SF (366.43)
C23H26N3F (363.47)
C22H23N2SF (366.43)
C23H25N3FCl (397.91)
C22H22N2SFCl (400.92)
C23H25N3F2 (381.46)
C22H22N2SF2 (384.47)
C23H25N3FCl (397.91)
C22H22N2SFCl (400.92)
The best quality conformational analysis approach has
been selected because it provides the best possible
conformational coverage within the catalyst.16
149–150