Pharmacological Investigation of a Novel Resveratrol-like SIRT1 Activator Endowed with a Cardioprotective Profile

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is an NAD⁺-dependent deacetylase implicated in various physiological and pathological processes, including cardiovascular diseases. The lead compound for SIRT1, resveratrol (1), as well as natural-derived and synthetic SIRT1-activating compounds demonstrated to exert cardioprotective effects. In the present work, we evaluated a small series of diarylimidazoles, of which 4 emerged, in in vitro enzymatic assays, as an activator of SIRT1 endowed with a similar potency compared with that of 1. Therefore, 4 was subjected to pharmacological investigation, where it was proven to reduce myocardial damage induced by ischemia/reperfusion injury in isolated rat hearts, thus demonstrating its cardioprotective properties. An in silico study suggested the binding mode of this derivative within SIRT1 in the presence of the p53-AMC-peptide. These promising results could pave the way to further expand and optimize this chemical class of new SIRT1 activators as potential cardioprotective agents.