Discovery of New Highly Potent Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonists, Calcium Channel Blockers, and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors

Abstract

At present, one of the most promising strategies to tackle the complex challenges posed by Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves the development of novel multitarget-directed ligands (MTDLs). To this end, we designed and synthesized nine new MTDLs using a straightforward and cost-efficient one-pot Biginelli three-component reaction. Among these newly developed compounds, one particular small molecule, named 3e has emerged as a promising MTDL. This compound effectively targets critical biological factors associated with AD, including the simultaneous inhibition of cholinesterases (ChEs), selective antagonism of H₃ receptors, and blocking voltage-gated calcium channels. Additionally, compound 3e exhibited remarkable neuroprotective activity against H₂O₂ and Aβ_1-40, and effectively restored cognitive function in AD mice treated with scopolamine in the novel object recognition task, confirming that this compound could provide a novel and innovative therapeutic approach for the effective treatment of AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Biginelli reaction; calcium channels; cholinesterase; histamine H3 receptor; neuroprotection.