INVESTIGATIONS ON DONEPEZIL AS hHCN1 CHANNEL BLOCKER USING COMPUTATIONAL
AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Ivabradine is the only FDA-approved HCN channel
blocker. This study aims to identify FDA-approved drugs for repurposing
as HCN channel blockers, focusing on their effects on hHCN1 channel
kinetics, blocking mechanisms, and binding site identification.
Experimental Approach: FDA-approved drugs were screened using two
criteria: bradycardia as a side effect and structural similarity to
known HCN blockers. Selected compounds were docked on hHCN1 channels in
closed conformation and open conformation homology model. Based on the
established criteria and the additional neuroprotective effects,
donepezil was selected for electrophysiological investigation. Molecular
docking and site-directed mutagenesis were utilized to determine the
residues interacting with donepezil. Key Results: Molecular docking
studies on closed conformation of hHCN1 channels showed no binding poses
for donepezil inside the pore, while all poses were located within the
pore when docked onto the open conformation. Electrophysiological
experiments revealed that donepezil effectively blocked hHCN1 channels
in dose-dependent manner with a moderate potency, slowed activation
kinetics, caused a hyperpolarizing shift in activation curve, and
exhibited use-dependent, reversible blockade. Effective blocking
required channel cycling between open and closed states. Molecular
docking and site-directed mutagenesis identified L357, A383, Y386, and
A387 as key residues for binding. Conclusion and Implications:
Considering our results and the known neuroprotective effects of
donepezil, our findings suggest that donepezil has the potential to be
repurposed as a therapeutic hHCN1 channel blocker. This study also
highlights the potential of drug repurposing in identifying novel HCN
channel inhibitors, paving the way for future drug design targeting HCN
channels.