Discovery of Multi-Functional Lead Compounds Originating from Traditional Chinese Medicine for Developing Anti-Depressive Agents via Virtual Screening

Abstract

Background:: The increasing prevalence of depression has become a global health issue. Currently approved anti-depressive including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), triple reuptake inhibitors (TRIs) and glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists have limited effects because of their insufficient efficacy and/or slow onset of action. Developing multifunctional antidepressants that can modulate 5-HT, DA, NE, and NMDA simultaneously can potentially overcome the current drug defects. Objective:: This study aimed to explore leads for the development of multi-functional anti-depressive agents that simultaneous triple reuptake inhibitory and NMDA-GluN2B receptor antagonistic activities objective: This study aimed to explore leads for the development of multi-functional anti-depressive agents that simultaneous triple reuptake inhibitory and NMDA-GluN2B receptor antagonistic activities. Methods:: Potential leads were screened virtually from the TCMSP database based on the 3D-Pharmacophore model of TRIs followed by the molecular docking into NMDA-GluN2B receptor, BBB score, and the in-silico toxicity evaluation. The biological activities of discovered leads on 5-HT, NE, and DA reuptake and their effect on the NMDA-GluN2B receptor were evaluated via radio-labeled neurotransmitters and competition radio-ligand binding experiment with [3H] ifenprodil, respectively. Lastly, the antidepressant effect of these potential leads was determined in vivo through the forced swim test in mice Results:: Two compounds were attained as potential leads after the aforementioned experiments. Further in vitro biological evaluation identified Hit-2 as a promising lead that exerted favorable triple 5-HT/DA/NE reuptake inhibitory activity (66.98% inhibition rate at 10μM against hNET, 73.01% inhibition rate at 1μM against hDAT and 86.27% inhibition rate at 1μM against hSERT), as well as potent NMDA-GluN2B receptor antagonistic activity (Ki=115.73±3.54nM). The antidepressant activity of Hit-2 was confirmed through in vivo experiments Conclusion:: Hit-2 not only simultaneously inhibited the reuptake of 5-HT, DA, and NE, and acted as an NMDA-GluN2B receptor antagonist in vitro but also showed in vivo antidepressant activity. These findings may serve as a structural basis for the further development of multi-functional anti-depressive agents. other: none