In silico and in vitro screening for carcinogenic potential of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and their degradation impurities

Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2023 May 4:116541. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2023.116541. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTAccording to some clinical observations, the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) may be associated with an increased risk of cancer. The aim of the present study was to screen for the potential carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and genotoxicity of these drugs using in silico methodology. Delapril, enalapril, imidapril, lisinopril, moexipril, perindopril, ramipril, trandolapril, spirapril were thereby analyzed. In parallel, the corresponding degradation impurities, the diketopiperazine (DKP) derivatives, were also investigated. (Q)SAR computer software (VEGA-GUI and Lazar), available in the public domain, was employed. The obtained predictions suggested that none of the compounds tested (from the group of ACE-Is and DKPs) was mutagenic. Moreover, none of the ACE-Is was carcinogenic. The reliability of these predictions was high to moderate. In contrast, in the DKP group, ramipril-DKP and trandolapril-DKP were found to be potentially carcinogenic, but the reliability of this prediction was low. As for the genotoxicity screening, all compounds tested (ACE-I and DKP) were predicted to be active and genotoxic, with moexipril, ramipril, spirapril, and all DKP derivatives within the highest risk group. They were prioritized for experimental verification studies to confirm or exclude their toxic activity. On the other hand, the lowest risk of carcinogenicity was as...
Source: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology - Category: Toxicology Authors: Source Type: research