Novel irreversible butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors: 2-chloro-1-(substituted-phenyl)ethylphosphonic acids

2-Chloroethylphosphonic acid (ethephon) as the dianion phosphorylates butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) at its active site. In contrast, the classical organophosphorus esterase inhibitors include substituted-phenyl dialkylphosphates (e.g., paraoxon) with electron-withdrawing aryl substituents. The chloroethyl and substituted-phenyl moieties are combined in this study as 2-chloro-1-(substituted-phenyl)ethylphosphonic acids (1) to define the structure--activity relationships and mechanism of BChE inhibition by ethephon and its analogues. Phenyl substituents considered are 3- and 4-nitro, 3- and 4-dimethylamino, and 3- and 4-trimethylammonium. Phosphonic acids were synthesized via the corresponding O,O-diethyl phosphonate precursors followed by deprotection with trimethylsilyl bromide. They decompose under basic conditions about 100-fold faster than ethephon to yield the corresponding styrene derivatives. Electron-withdrawing substituents on the phenyl ring decrease the hydrolysis rate while electron-donating substituents increase the rate. The 4-trimethylammonium analogue has the highest affinity (K(i)=180 microM) and potency (IC(50)=19 microM) in first binding reversibly at the substrate site (possibly with stabilization in a dianion--monoanion environment) and then progressively and irreversibly inhibiting the enzyme activity. These observations suggest dissociation of chloride as the first and rate-limiting step both in the hydrolysis and by analogy in phosphorylation of BChE by bound at the active site.