Abstract
In this work, a new series of 2-((1,5-diphenyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio)-N-phenylacetamide derivatives (9a–k) were synthesized and then evaluated for their antiepileptic activity against pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures in mice. The most potent synthesized compound was 3-chloro derivative, 9e, with an average latency time of 825 ± 281 seconds (mean ± SEM) and zero mortality. Moreover, compound 9e was more active than phenytoin (p < 0.1) but weaker than phenobarbital (p < 0.05) in the PTZ test. Further, a molecular docking study was performed to investigate the modes of interactions between the GABAA receptor and the synthesized compounds. Docking results indicate that all of the synthesized compounds place well into the active site of the GABAA receptor. In addition, compound 9e, with the highest anticonvulsant properties, demonstrates proper interactions and forms strong hydrogen bonds with key amino acid residues in the active site of the GABAA receptor. Additionally, it has exhibited higher binding energy in the docking study compared to phenobarbital and phenytoin as the standard antiepileptic agents.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Mehdi Gholami at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, for kind assistance in providing laboratory facilities for this research.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.