Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: inhibition of human cytosolic isozyme II and mitochondrial isozyme V with a series of benzene sulfonamide derivatives

Among the 14 human isozymes of carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) presently known, the cytosolic hCA II is the most active and plays a host of physiological functions, whereas the mitochondrial hCA V is unique due to its role in several biosynthetic reactions. An inhibition study of these isozymes with a series of sulfonamides is reported here, with the scope to detect lead molecules for the design of isozyme-specific CA inhibitors (CAIs) targeting the mitochondrial isoform. Indeed, recently it has been shown that CA V is a novel target for the drug design of anti-obesity agents among others. Compounds included in this study were mainly ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted-benzenesulfonamides, together with several halogeno-substituted sulfanilamides and disubstituted-benzene-1,3-disulfonamide derivatives. Isozyme V showed an inhibition profile with these sulfonamides different of that of hCA II. Thus, IC50 values in the range of 80 nM to 74 μM against hCA II, and 0.78–63.7 μM against hCA V with these derivatives have been obtained. Only one compound, 2-carboxymethyl-benzenesulfonamide, was more active against hCA V over hCA II (selectivity ratio of 1.39), whereas all other derivatives investigated here were much better hCA II inhibitors (selectivity ratios CA II/CA V in the range of 0.0008–0.73) than hCA V inhibitors.