Substituted 3-phenylsulfonylquinazoline-2,4-dione derivatives as novel nonpeptide inhibitors of human heart chymase

A series of 3-phenylsulfonylquinazoline-2,4-dione derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated for their ability to inhibit human heart chymase. The structure-activity relationship studies on these compounds gave the following results. The phenyl moiety of quinazoline participates in a hydrophobic interaction where an optimum size is required. In this moiety, 7-chloroquinazoline is the best moiety for inhibiting chymase, chymotrypsin and cathepsin G. A 3-phenylsulfonyl moiety substituted with hydrophobic electron-withdrawing groups at the 4-position potentiated the activity. Anthranil moiety also enhanced the activity. Pyridylmethyl and N-pyridylacetamide at the 1-position gave an IC 50 in the order of 10 -8 M. Molecular modeling studies on the interaction of 7-chloro-3-(4-chlorophenylsulfonyl) quinazoline-2,4(1H, 3H)-dione (4) with the active site of human heart chymase suggested that the phenyl moiety of quinazoline interacts with the hydrophobic P 1 pocket, the 3-phenylsulfonyl moiety resides in the S 1' -S 2' subsites, the moiety at the 1-position locates in the S 2 -S 3 subsites and the 4-carbonyl and 3-sulfonyl group interact with the oxyanion hole and the His 57 side-chain of chymase, respectively.