Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is an enzyme constitutively expressed in the mammalian brain and skeletal muscles. The excessive activation of nNOS in the neurons results in oxidative and nitrosative stress associated with neuronal loss in various neurological disorders. Several nNOS inhibitors have been reported to limit the excessive activation of nNOS. In the present work, we have designed and carried the synthesis of benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl-methyl-4-(substituted)-piperazine-1-carbothioamide as novel neuronal nitric oxide inhibitors (5-28, twenty-four compounds). Stably transfected HEK 293 cells expressing NOS isoforms treated with the compounds (5-28) showed that the eight compounds exhibited > 95% cell survival in the MTT assay. nNOS inhibition assay of the eight compounds illustrated that the compound 18 was most selective for nNOS (nNOS=66.73 ± 1.51; eNOS=28.70 ± 1.39; iNOS =13.26 ± 1.01) in HEK 293 cells expressing NOS isoforms. 6-OHDA-induced unilaterally lesioned rats treated with the compound 18 showed the improvement in motor and non-motor functions. Furthermore, the compound 18 showed the increased levels of dopamine and decreased levels of glutamate and nitrite ions in the isolated rat brain. In the docking analysis, the compound 18 showed the significant binding affinity with the nNOS binding site (the ∆G value = - 9.0 kcal/mol). Overall results demonstrated that the N-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylmethyl)-4-(4-nitrophenyl) piperazine-1-carbothioamide (the compound 18) possessed significant nNOS inhibiting activity and neuroprotecting potential in 6-OHDA-induced unilaterally lesioned rat model of PD and more work will be required to establish the role of the compound 18 in the therapy of PD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Keywords: 6-OHDA; 7-NI; MTT assay; Molecular modeling; NNOS inhibitors; Nitric oxide assay; Parkinson’s Disease.
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