Vol. 63, Issue 2, 450-455, February 2003

A Novel Family of Hydroxamate-Based Acylating Inhibitors of Cyclooxygenase

C. M. Dooley, M. Devocelle, B. McLoughlin, K. B. Nolan, D. J. Fitzgerald, and C. T. Sharkey

Departments of Clinical Pharmacology (C.M.D., B.M.L., D.J.F., C.T.S.) and Chemistry (M.D., K.B.N.), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

Aspirin irreversibly inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX) by acetylating a serine residue in the active site. We synthesized a series of novel acylating agents based on our previously reported acetylating compound, O-acetylsalicylhydroxamic acid. One of these, triacetylsalicylhydroxamic acid (TriAcSHA) was more effective than aspirin and O-acetylsalicylhydroxamic acid in inactivating both COX-1 and COX-2. Preincubation of COX-1 with inhibitor for 5 min yielded IC₅₀ values of 18 µM for TriAcSHA and 60 µM for acetylsalicylic acid. Inhibition was time-dependent, with complete inhibition within 10 min at a concentration of 50 µM. As with aspirin, mutation of the serine 530 of COX-1 to alanine abolished the activity of the TriAcSHA. Mutation of the alanine 119 to a glutamine markedly reduced the sensitivity to TriAcSHA, suggesting that this residue was necessary for the interaction with the enzyme. TriAcSHA was also more effective than aspirin as an inhibitor of platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid. The diacetylated phenylhydroxamates N-methyl-O,O-diacetylsalicylhydroxamic acid, N,O-diacetylbenzohydroxamic acid, and 2-methyl-O,N-diacetylbenzohydroxamic acid showed reduced or absent activity against COX-1. In addition, we synthesized a series of triacylsalicylhydroxamic acids with progressively longer acyl groups (three to six carbons). All of the compounds inhibited COX-1 and demonstrated progressively greater COX-1 selectivity with increasing number of carbons. Hence, salicylhydroxamic acid provides a versatile backbone for the generation of a family of acylating inhibitors of cyclooxygenase.