Diarylsulfones, a novel class of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase inhibitors

A majority of reported human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase (HIV-1 IN) inhibitors are polyhydroxylated aromatic compounds containing two phenyl rings separated by aliphatic or aromatic linkers. Most inhibitors possessing a catechol moiety exhibit considerable toxicity in cellular assays. In an effort to identify nonhydroxylated analogs, a series of aromatic sulfones were tested for their ability to inhibit the 3' processing and strand transfer steps that are necessary for HIV replication. Several aromatic sulfones have previously been shown to have moderate activity against HIV-1 reverse transcriptase in cellular assays; however, their inhibitory potencies against IN have not been explored. In the present study, the inhibitory effect of a series of sulfones and sulfonamides against IN was determined. Among 52 diaryl sulfones tested, 4 were determined to be highly potent (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50], 0.8 to 10 micrograms/ml), 5 had good potencies (IC50, 11 to 50 micrograms/ml), 10 showed moderate potencies (IC50, 51 to 100 micrograms/ml), and 33 were inactive (IC50, > 100 micrograms/ml) against IN. All of the active compounds exhibited similar potencies against HIV-2 IN. Sulfa drugs, used extensively in treating Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in AIDs patients, were also examined. Among 19 sulfonamides tested, sulfasalazine (IC50, 50 micrograms/ml) was the most potent. We conclude that potent inhibitors of IN can be designed based on the results presented in this study.