Conceptual DFT, QTAIM, and Molecular Docking Approaches to Characterize the T-Type Calcium Channel Blocker Anandamide

The anandamide is a relevant ligand due to its capacity of interacting with several proteins, including the T-type calcium channels, which play an important role in neuropathic pain and depression disorders. Hence, a detailed characterization of the chemical properties and conformational stability of anandamide may provide valuable information to understand its behavior in a biological context. Herein, conceptual DFT and QTAIM analyses were performed to theoretically characterize the chemical reactivity properties and the structural stability of conformations of anandamide, using the BP86/cc-pVTZ level of theory. Global reactivity description, based on conceptual DFT, indicates that the hardness increases and the electrophilicity index decreases for both, the hairpin and U-shape conformers relative to the extended conformers. Also, an increase in the chemical potential value and a decrease in the electronegativity and the electrophilicity index is observed in the ethanolamide open ring conformers in comparison with the corresponding closed ring structures. In addition, regarding the characterization of local reactivity descriptors, the maximum values of the Fukui and Parr functions indicate that the most probable location for a nucleophilic attack is either the hydroxyl oxygen located in the ethanolamide closed ring conformers or the carbonyl oxygen present in the open ring conformers. The most probable location for an electrophilic attack is in the alkyl double bond region in all anandamide conformers. According to the QTAIM results, the intramolecular hydrogen bond formation stabilizing the structure of anandamide has interaction energy values for the closed ring conformations of 12.33–12.46 kcal mol⁻¹, indicating a strong interaction. Lastly, molecular docking calculations determined that a region in the pore, denominate as pore-blocking, is a probable site for the interaction of anandamide with the human Ca_v3.2 isoform of the T-type calcium channel family. The pore-blocking site contains hydrophobic residues where the non-polar part in the final alkyl region of anandamide established mainly alkyl-alkyl interactions, while the polar part (the ethanolamide group) interacts with the polar residue S900. The information based on conceptual DFT presented may aid in the design of drugs with similar chemical characteristics as those identified in anandamide so as to bind anandamide-interacting proteins, including the T-type calcium channels.