Design, synthesis and biological activity of novel asymmetric C66 analogs as anti-inflammatory agents for the treatment of acute lung injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in critically-ill patients. Previously, we reported that a symmetric mono-carbonyl analog of curcumin, (C66), exhibits enhanced stability and was found to have efficacy and be involved in potential cytokines inhibition. In the present study, a series of novel asymmetric C66 analogs were designed and synthesized. A majority of them effectively inhibited the LPS-induced expression of TNF-alpha and IL-6. Significantly, compound 4b2 was found to effectively reduce LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation, as reflected by reductions in concentration of total protein, inflammatory cell count as well as the lung W/D ratio in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Furthermore, in vivo administration of 4b2 resulted in remarkable improvement in histopathological changes of lung in rats. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.