New series of monoquaternary pyridinium oximes: Synthesis and reactivation potency for paraoxon-inhibited electric eel and recombinant human acetylcholinesterase

The preparation of a series of monoquaternary pyridinium oximes bearing either a heterocyclic side chain or a functionalized aliphatic side chain and the corresponding in vitro evaluation for reactivation of paraoxon-inhibited electric eel acetylcholinesterase (EeAChE) and recombinant human acetylcholinesterase (rHuAChE) are reported. Several newly synthesized compounds efficiently reactivated inhibited EeAChE, but were poor reactivators of inhibited rHuAChE. Compounds bearing a thiophene ring in the side chain (20, 23, 26 and 29) showed better reactivation (24–37% for EeAChE and 5–9% for rHuAChE) compared to compounds with furan and isoxazole heterocycles (0–8% for EeAChE and 2–3% for rHuAChE) at 10−5 M. The N-pyridyl-CH2COOH analog 8 reactivated EeAChE (36%) and rHuAChE (15%) at 10−4 M with a kr value better than 2-pyridine aldoxime methiodide (2-PAM) for rHuAChE.