Structural design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of 4-thiazolidinones against Trypanosoma cruzi

Chagas disease is an infection caused by protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, which affects approximately 8-10million people worldwide. Benznidazole is the only drug approved for treatment during the acute and asymptomatic chronic phases of Chagas disease; however, it has poor efficacy during the symptomatic chronic phase. Therefore, the development of new pharmaceuticals is needed. Here, we employed the bioisosterism to modify a potent antiparasitic and cruzain-inhibitor aryl thiosemicarbazone (4) into 4-thiazolidinones (7-21). Compounds (7-21) were prepared by using a straightforward synthesis and enabled good to excellent yields. As a chemical elucidation tool, X-ray diffraction of compound (10) revealed the geometry and conformation of this class compounds. The screening against cruzain showed that 4-thiazolidinones were less active than thiosemicarbazone (4). However, the antiparasitic activity in Y strain trypomastigotes and host cell cytotoxicity in J774 macrophages revealed that compounds (10 and 18-21) are stronger and more selective antiparasitic agents than thiosemicarbazone (4). Specifically, compounds (18-20), which carry a phenyl at position N3 of heterocyclic ring, were the most active ones, suggesting that this is a structural determinant for activity. In infected macrophages, compounds (18-20) reduced intracellular amastigotes, whereas Benznidazole did not. In T. cruzi-infected mice treated orally with 100mg/kg of compound (20), a decreased of parasitemia was observed. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the conversation of thiosemicarbazones into 4-thiazolidinones retains pharmacological property while enhances selectivity.