Tumiatti_2004_J.Med.Chem_47_6490

In the present paper we expanded SAR studies of 3, the ethyl analogue of the AChE inhibitor caproctamine (2), by investigating the role of its octamethylene spacer separating the two amide functions through the replacement with dipiperidine and dianiline moieties. Compounds 4 and 8 were the most interesting of the two series of compounds. Compound 4 was the most potent AChE inhibitor with a pIC50 value of 8.48 +/- 0.02, while displaying also significant muscarinic M2 antagonistic activity (pKb value of 6.18 +/- 0.20). The availability of a suitable assay allowed us to verify whether 2, 3, 4, and 8 inhibit AChE-induced Abeta aggregation. Although all four derivatives caused a mixed type of AChE inhibition (active site and PAS), only 4 and 8, which bear an inner constrained spacer, were able to inhibit AChE-induced Abeta aggregation to a greater extent than donepezil. Clearly, the ability of an AChE inhibitor, based on a linear polyamine backbone, to bind both AChE sites may not be a sufficient condition to inhibit also AChE-induced Abeta aggregation. Dipiperidine derivative 4 emerged as a valuable pharmacological tool and a promising lead compound for new ligands to investigate and, hopefully, treat Alzheimer's disease.