QSAR analysis of caffeoyl naphthalene sulfonamide derivatives as HIV-1 integrase inhibitors

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase is a potential target for anti-HIV therapy. It is an essential enzyme required for replication of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) virus. Caffeoyl naphthalene sulfonamide derivatives act against HIV integrase and thus have the potential to become a part of an anti-HlV drug regimen. Although caffeoyl naphthalene sulfonamide derivatives have all the features required of good anti-HIV agents such as the presence of bis-catechol moieties, polyaromatic rings, and a central linker, they do [GRAPHICS] not perform well as anti-HIV agents in cell-based assays, that is, they do not stop viral replication at nontoxic concentration. We carried out a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study of caffeoyl naphthalene sulfonamide derivatives via the software WIN CAChe 6.1. and STATISTICA to improve its activity. QSAR reveals that if partition coefficient, connectivity index, and shape index of these molecules are altered, the activity is likely to increase. On the basis of the QSAR model, we designed a new series of compounds, calculated the activities, and found that they were more potent than the existing compounds.