Simplified Heterocyclic Analogues of Fluoxetine Inhibit Inducible Nitric Oxide Production in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced BV2 Cells

A series of fluoxetine, where the N-methylamino group was replaced and then simplified, were synthesized and their inhibitory effect was tested for nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 cells. Although the synthesized compounds generally revealed weaker activity or greater cytotoxicity than fluoxetine, compound 10a, in which the N-methylamino group in fluoxetine was replaced by morpholine, and the trifluoromethylphenyl ring was substituted with simple oxo group, suppressed NO production dose-dependently at 10, 20 and 40 μM concentrations with less cytotoxicity than fluoxetine, and inhibited iNOS mRNA and protein expression at the same concentrations in LPS-induced BV2 cells. The results suggested that the trifluoromethylphenyl ring moiety in fluoxetine is not necessary for the suppression of NO production and that 10a has the potential as a potent inhibitor of NO production.