A substituted 3,4-dihydropyrimidinone derivative (compound D22) prevents inflammation mediated neurotoxicity; role in microglial activation in BV-2 cells.

A novel synthetic 3,4-dihydropyrimidinone derivative, compound D22 (ethyl 6-methyl-4-(3-phenoxyphenyl)-2-thioxo-3,4-dihydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate), was found to exert anti-inflammatory properties in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated microglial BV-2 cells. Compound D22 reduced the pro-inflammatory factors such as nitric oxide, prostaglandin E(2), tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β. Moreover, it suppressed the expressions of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. Compound D22 inhibited the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases. When compound D22-conditioned media from BV-2 cells were applied to N2a cells, neuronal cell death was inhibited via suppression of caspase-3 activation and regulation of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins expression. These results suggest that compound D22 may be useful for treating neurodegenerative diseases related with neuroinflammation.