Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Tetrahydroindazole-Based Sulfonamides as Potential Multi-Target Anti-Inflammatory Agents

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The dual inhibition of the COX-2 and 5-LOX pathways, in addition to sEH inhibition, presents a superior approach to managing inflammation while mitigating the cardiovascular adverse effects typically associated with conventional NSAIDs. These multi-target agents are safer and more efficient as they inhibit the synthesis of pro-inflammatory leukotrienes while preserving cardioprotective epoxyeicosatrienoic acids. Methods: This study reports the development of multi-target inhibitors to mitigate inflammatory and cardiovascular conditions. We examined a series of tetrahydroindazole-sulfonamide hybrids (3a–g and 4a–e) against the enzymes COX-1/2, 5-LOX, and sEH. Results: Compound 3b outperformed celecoxib as a multi-target agent, inhibiting COX-2 (IC50 = 0.08 µM, SI = 82), 5-LOX (IC50 = 0.46 µM), and sEH (IC50 = 21.95 nM) in many metrics. In cellular experiments, 3b showed strong cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects, significantly reducing TNF-α (65.58%), LDH (76.26%), and CK-MB (76.76%) levels compared to LPS-treated controls. Molecular docking validated these findings, indicating that 3b was comparable to celecoxib at the COX-2 site via a thorough six hydrogen-bond network and achieves considerable sEH affinity through specialized halogen bonding and aromatic stacking. These results indicate that 3b effectively provides dual anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective effects. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that targeting the COX/5-LOX/sEH pathways simultaneously offers a balanced multi-target profile for treating complex inflammatory diseases while minimizing cardiovascular risks.