N-(2,7-dimethyl-2-alkyl-2H-chromen-6-yl)sulfonamide derivatives as selective serotonin 5-HT6 receptor antagonists: Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation

Abstract

Serotonin 5-HT6 receptor, which is predominantly expressed in the central nervous system, is a valuable therapeutic target. Serotonin 5-HT6 receptor antagonists have potential for the treatment of various diseases that include psychotic disorders, dementia, depression, and obesity. In this study, we designed and synthesized the N-(2,7-dimethyl-2-alkyl-2H-chromen-6-yl)sulfonamide-based library as a potential serotonin 5-HT6 receptor antagonist. The library was subjected to a series of binding affinity tests to identify the lead compound, and check the selectivity of test compounds towards the 5-HT6 receptor. Accordingly, compound 6m was identified as the most active compound, with IC50 = 87 nM. The binding affinity of 95.3% of 6m (10 μM) with the 5-HT6 receptor among other serotonin 5-HT1a, 5-HT2a, 5-HT2c, and 5-HT7, and dopamine receptors D1, D2, D3, and D4, demonstrated the high selectivity of 6m towards the 5-HT6 receptor.