Interaction of Oxicam Derivatives with the Artificial Models of Biological Membranes-Calorimetric and Fluorescence Spectroscopic Study

The modified 1,2-benzothiazine analogues designed as new drug candidates and discussed in this paper are oxicam derivatives. Oxicams are a class of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Their biological target is cyclooxygenase (COX), a membrane protein associated with the phospholipid bilayer. In recent decades, it has been proven that the biological effect of NSAIDs may be closely related to their interaction at the level of the biological membrane. These processes are often complicated and the biological membranes themselves are very complex. Therefore, to study these mechanisms, simplified models of biological membranes are used. To characterize the interaction of six oxicam derivatives with DPPC, DMPC and EYPC, artificial models of biological membranes (multi-bilayers or liposomes), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and fluorescence spectroscopy techniques were applied. In spectroscopic measurements, two fluorescent probes (Laurdan and Prodan) localized in different membrane segments were used. All tested oxicam derivatives interacted with the lipid bilayers and may penetrate the artificial models of biological membranes. They intercalated into the lipid bilayers and were located in the vicinity of the polar/apolar membrane interface. Moreover, a good drug candidate should not only have high efficiency against a molecular target but also exhibit strictly defined ADMET parameters, therefore these activities of the studied compounds were also estimated.

Diosgenin-induced physicochemical effects on phospholipid bilayers in comparison with cholesterol

Diosgenin (DGN), which is a sterol occurring in plants of the Dioscorea family, has attracted increasing attention for its various pharmacological activities. DGN has a structural similarity to cholesterol (Cho). In this study we investigated the effects of the common tetracyclic cores and the different side chains on the physicochemical properties of lipid bilayer membranes. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that DGN and Cho reduce the phase transition enthalpy to a similar extent. In ²H NMR, deuterated-DGN/Cho and POPC showed similar ordering in POPC bilayers, which revealed that DGN is oriented parallel to the membrane normal like Cho. It was suggested that the affinity of DGN-Cho in membrane is stronger than that of DGN-DGN or Cho-Cho interaction. ³¹P NMR of POPC in bilayers revealed that, unlike Cho, DGN altered the interactions of POPC headgroups at 30 mol%. These results suggest that DGN below 30 mol% has similar effects with Cho on basic biomembrane properties.

An averaged polarizable potential for multiscale modeling in phospholipid membranes

A set of average atom-centered charges and polarizabilities has been developed for three types of phospholipids for use in polarizable embedding calculations. The lipids investigated are 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phospho-L-serine given their common use both in experimental and computational studies. The charges, and to a lesser extent the polarizabilities, are found to depend strongly on the molecular conformation of the lipids. Furthermore, the importance of explicit polarization is underlined for the description of larger assemblies of lipids, that is, membranes. In conclusion, we find that specially developed polarizable parameters are needed for embedding calculations in membranes, while common non-polarizable point-charge force fields usually perform well enough for structural and dynamical studies. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Electric dipole moments of the fluorescent probes Prodan and Laurdan: experimental and theoretical evaluations

Several experimental and theoretical approaches can be used for a comprehensive understanding of solvent effects on the electronic structure of solutes. In this review, we revisit the influence of solvents on the electronic structure of the fluorescent probes Prodan and Laurdan, focusing on their electric dipole moments. These biologically used probes were synthesized to be sensitive to the environment polarity. However, their solvent-dependent electronic structures are still a matter of discussion in the literature. The absorption and emission spectra of Prodan and Laurdan in different solvents indicate that the two probes have very similar electronic structures in both the ground and excited states. Theoretical calculations confirm that their electronic ground states are very much alike. In this review, we discuss the electric dipole moments of the ground and excited states calculated using the widely applied Lippert-Mataga equation, using both spherical and spheroid prolate cavities for the solute. The dimensions of the cavity were found to be crucial for the calculated dipole moments. These values are compared to those obtained by quantum mechanics calculations, considering Prodan in vacuum, in a polarizable continuum solvent, and using a hybrid quantum mechanics-molecular mechanics methodology. Based on the theoretical approaches it is evident that the Prodan dipole moment can change even in the absence of solute-solvent-specific interactions, which is not taken into consideration with the experimental Lippert-Mataga method. Moreover, in water, for electric dipole moment calculations, it is fundamental to consider hydrogen-bonded molecules.

Highly Solvatochromic 7-Aryl-3-hydroxychromones

Introduction of the dialkylaminophenyl group in position 7 of 3-hydroxychromone changes the orientation of the excited-state dipole moment and leads to superior solvatochromic properties (>170 nm emission shift in aprotic media). The excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) reaction of 7-aryl-3-hydroxychromones is almost completely inhibited in most solvents. Methylation of the 3-OH abolishes ESIPT completely and also leads to improved photostability. The probes exhibit a ∼100-fold increase in fluorescence intensity and large Stokes shifts upon binding to membranes, reflecting differences in membrane phase and charge by a >40 nm spread in the emission band position.