Synthesis and evaluation of pharmacological profile of 1-aryl-6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline-2(1H)-sulfonamides.

In previous studies we identified several 1-aryl-6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives displaying potent anticonvulsant effects in different animal models of epilepsy. With the aim to deepen the structure-activity relationships (SAR) for this class of compounds and identify novel anticonvulsant agents we synthesized a series of 1-aryl-6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline-2(1H)-sulfonamides. The new compounds incorporate the main features of the above-mentioned anticonvulsants and a sulfonamide function capable to inhibit the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1), which represents an attractive target in epilepsy. Pharmacological effects were evaluated in vivo against audiogenic seizures in DBA/2 mice and in vitro against several CA isoforms. Some of the new molecules showed anticonvulsant properties better than topiramate, but weak inhibitory activity and low selectivity in enzymatic assay.