CaV1.3-selective L-type calcium channel antagonists as potential new therapeutics for Parkinson's disease

Nat Commun. 2012:3:1146. doi: 10.1038/ncomms2149.

Abstract

L-type calcium channels expressed in the brain are heterogeneous. The predominant class of L-type calcium channels has a Ca(V)1.2 pore-forming subunit. L-type calcium channels with a Ca(V)1.3 pore-forming subunit are much less abundant, but have been implicated in the generation of mitochondrial oxidant stress underlying pathogenesis in Parkinson's disease. Thus, selectively antagonizing Ca(V)1.3 L-type calcium channels could provide a means of diminishing cell loss in Parkinson's disease without producing side effects accompanying general antagonism of L-type calcium channels. However, there are no known selective antagonists of Ca(V)1.3 L-type calcium channel. Here we report high-throughput screening of commercial and 'in-house' chemical libraries and modification of promising hits. Pyrimidine-2,4,6-triones were identified as a potential scaffold; structure-activity relationship-based modification of this scaffold led to 1-(3-chlorophenethyl)-3-cyclopentylpyrimidine-2,4,6-(1H,3H,5H)-trione (8), a potent and highly selective Ca(V)1.3 L-type calcium channel antagonist. The biological relevance was confirmed by whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. These studies describe the first highly selective Ca(V)1.3 L-type calcium channel antagonist and point to a novel therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Barbiturates / pharmacology*
  • Barbiturates / therapeutic use
  • Calcium Channel Blockers / chemistry
  • Calcium Channel Blockers / pharmacology*
  • Calcium Channel Blockers / therapeutic use
  • Calcium Channels, L-Type / drug effects*
  • Crystallography
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / methods
  • HEK293 Cells / drug effects
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays / methods
  • Humans
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy*
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques
  • Rabbits
  • Rats
  • Small Molecule Libraries
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • 1-(3-chlorophenethyl)-3-cyclopentylpyrimidine-2,4,6-(1H,3H,5H)-trione
  • Barbiturates
  • CACNA1D protein, human
  • Calcium Channel Blockers
  • Calcium Channels, L-Type
  • Small Molecule Libraries

Associated data

  • PubChem-Substance/144219986
  • PubChem-Substance/144219987
  • PubChem-Substance/144219988
  • PubChem-Substance/144219989
  • PubChem-Substance/144219990
  • PubChem-Substance/144219991
  • PubChem-Substance/144219992
  • PubChem-Substance/144219993
  • PubChem-Substance/144219994
  • PubChem-Substance/144219995