Fluorinated Diaryl Sulfonamides: Molecular Modeling, Synthesis, and In Vitro Validation as New CETP Inhibitors

Background: Hyperlipidemia, a cardiovascular disease risk factor, is characterized by a rise in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides and total cholesterol, and a decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) enables the transfer of cholesteryl ester from HDL to LDL and very low-density lipoprotein. Objectives: CETP inhibition is a promising approach to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. By inhibiting lipid transport activity, it increases HDL levels and decreases LDL levels. Materials and Method: Herein, diaryl sulfonamides 6a-6g and 7a-7g were prepared, and the structure of these compounds was fully determined using different spectroscopic techniques. Results: These compounds underwent biological evaluation in vitro and showed different inhibitory activities against CETP; 100% inhibitory activity was observed for compounds 7a-7g, while activities of compounds 6a-6g ranged up to 42.6% at 10 μM concentration. Pharmacophore mapping agreed with the bioassay results where the four aromatic ring compounds 7a-7g possessed higher fit values against Hypo4/8 and the shape-complemented Hypo4/8 in comparison to compounds 6a-6g. Conclusion: Docking of the synthesized compounds using libdock and ligandfit engines revealed that compounds 7a-7g formed п-п stacking and hydrophobic interactions with the binding pocket, while compounds 6a-6g missed these hydrophobic interactions with amino acids Leu206, Phe265, and Phe263.