Here, we describe the synthesis of the first C13-N-substituted STX derivatives 4, 5, and 6 bearing a guanidine, a urea group, and an acetamide, respectively, via the fully protected saxitoxinol derivative 8. These compounds are of interest because a previous docking study of saxitoxin (STX) with voltage-gated sodium channels (NaVCh) suggested that the C13 carbamoyl group of STX interacts with residue E403 in the pore region of NaVCh. In a cell-based assay with Neuro-2a cells, the NaVCh-inhibitory activities of 4 and 5 were more than 20- to 50-fold weaker than that of decarbamoyl-STX (3), which is 10-fold less potent than STX. On the other hand, 6 was 1000 times less potent than 3. The electrostatic analysis of C13 in STX and its analogs 4–6 using EON calculations suggested that the NaVCh-inhibitory activity of these derivatives is influenced by both the hydrophilicity and the charge balance of the substituent at C13.
You have access to this article
Please wait while we load your content...
Something went wrong. Try again?