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Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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ISBN: 978-0-08-101011-2
This book is dedicated to Professor John L. Neumeyer for his mentorship and his inspirational
approach to Medicinal Chemistry and to T. W. W. for his company during the many years we
spent together at university.
List of Contributors
xi
xii List of Contributors
Hybrid molecules (or multitarget-directed drugs) are stable chemical combinations of two or
more drug molecules, and they represent a comparatively new area in drug research. Their
design aims to tackle complex multifactorial diseases by polypharmacology, since these dis-
ease states cannot be adequately addressed by the classical “one target, one molecule”
strategies.
Numerous projects have aimed to design and obtain such compounds and the results are
very promising. This makes hybrid molecule design one of the hot topics in modern medici-
nal chemistry. For this book it was possible to gain some of the world-leading medicinal che-
mists and experts in the field of hybrid molecules as chapter authors, which allows this book
to cover many areas of drug development ranging from neurodegenerative disorders to can-
cer to parasitic diseases, from NO-releasing compounds to photoswitchable ones, from drug
synthesis to computational methods to in vivo studies. While not all aspects of this highly
proliferative topic could be covered in a single volume, I am confident this text will neverthe-
less illustrate and present all significant aspects enabling the reader to get both a sound over-
view as well as sufficient details on the opportunities as well as challenges for hybrid
molecule design. Numerous successful examples will be presented.
The book is intended for anyone who has an interest in hybrid compounds for medicinal
purposes, either as a drug researcher in academia or a company, or as a graduate student or
group leader who wants to apply the respective methods for successful hybrid molecule
development to their specific research problem.
I most gratefully acknowledge the time, effort, and expertise the chapter authors have
invested in their chapters. I would also like to thank Elsevier for the offer and chance to write
and edit a book on this exciting topic, and all authors express their gratitude to the universi-
ties we work at and the funding agencies that have enabled us to conduct our research on
hybrid molecules.
Michael Decker
Würzburg, Germany
November 2016
xiii
1
Introduction
Michael Decker
JULIUS MAXIMILIAN UNIVERSITY OF WÜRZBURG, W ÜRZBURG, GERM ANY
The design and discovery of novel drug candidates represents the initial and therefore
probably most crucial step in the drug development process. The identification of a hit and
subsequently a lead structure for further development is a very risky and expensive process.
There has been enormous progress in screening technologies and assay development,
and novel high-throughput methods are based on many biochemical and pharmacological
discoveries. Nevertheless, hit identification is in most cases based on random screening of
compound libraries, sometimes—and with increasing success rates—supported by virtual
screening methods. Classical combinatorial chemistry approaches have not yet brought
a breakthrough in the success rate of hit discovery.
But this is not the only bottleneck in the identification of a hit or lead structure. It is
well recognized that numerous diseases are not caused by a defect in one specific biologi-
cal target such as an enzyme or a receptor, but based on a plethora of biochemical
and physiological processes that often even occur concomitantly. Exogenous and/or
endogenous factors can contribute to the disease state. Examples for such multifactorial
diseases are idiopathic hypertension and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s
or Alzheimer’s disease. It is obvious that even the best assay and most promising hit
will only address one biological target, which is probably not sufficient to efficiently fight
multifactorial diseases.
Based on these challenges the concept of “hybrid molecules” was developed and is
the topic of this book. Hybrid molecules combine two distinct biologically active molecules
that act at different targets, into one new molecule/chemical entity to combine the effects
of each molecule. Hybrid molecules are usually defined as a structure in which a linker,
often a simple hydrocarbon chain, connects the two drug molecules that are not much
altered with regard to their initial chemical structure. Other terms used in current literature
for such experimental therapeutics are “multitarget-directed compounds,” “multifunctional
ligands,” “dual-acting compounds,” “chimeras,” and others. In the pharmacological context,
the term is “polypharmacology.”
A search of the scientific database SciFinder shows increasing interest in the development
of compounds able to address multiple targets. In this analysis (Fig. 1-1) only two major
keywords (“designed multiple ligands” and “multitarget ligands”) are represented, however,
as noted above, there are numerous other terms used to describe the ability of a drug to
address more than one target.
50
40
Number of publications
30
20
10
0
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Year
FIGURE 1-1 Research from 2000 to 2015 showing increased interest in multifunctional compounds. The lines refer
to the common keywords “designed multiple ligands” (blue) and “multitarget ligand” (red).
The idea is simple—at first glance. If a drug researcher wants to inhibit an enzyme for
treatment of a disease and at the same time block an equally important receptor, she or he
can covalently connect two known drugs (no screening of compound libraries is necessary)
into one molecule to get a hybrid or dual-acting compound. What’s the advantage of such a
hybrid molecule over administering the combination of enzyme inhibitor and receptor
antagonist? A new chemical entity with one specific pharmacokinetic profile is obtained and
thus drug drug interactions cannot occur. While these are clear advantages, there are also
some disadvantages to consider. For example, the chemical structure of both compounds
have in most cases been optimized beforehand, altering the compounds’ structure to obtain
the hybrid molecule can strongly affect their affinity and selectivity profiles, as well as their
metabolism. Furthermore, the individual compounds may have acted in very different con-
centration ranges, such as a micromolar enzyme inhibitor and a nanomolar ligand, whereas
a hybrid molecule usually requires activities in a similar concentration range. But even if the
researcher is successful in maintaining binding profiles, they may not be the appropriate
ones for the intended “dual” pharmacotherapy.
The connection of two molecules by a linker yields a fairly large molecule (in terms of
molar mass and H-bond accepting and donating moieties), which means that the hybrid
may not be sufficiently bioavailable anymore or lose its ability to pass the blood-brain
barrier. These problems are significant drawbacks as will be discussed in this volume.
As covered in the individual chapters of this book hybrids offer many more advantages
than easy design and simplified pharmacokinetics compared to drug cocktails. Hybrid mole-
cules can be much more than the sum of their components. If hybrids are successfully
Chapter 1 • Introduction 3
designed the correct combination of molecules can improve affinity and selectivity profiles,
and even new pharmacological properties can be created. There are many more advantages
that will also be discussed. Furthermore, with the arsenal of modern medicinal chemistry
disadvantages such as high molar mass can be effectively addressed (e.g., by merging two
structures into one).
As can already be seen from this short introduction, realization of a successful hybrid
molecule must take into account the complexity of the disease to be tackled and the
medicinal chemical knowledge available.
In addition to the above topics, this book will also cover state-of-the-art examples of
hybrid molecule design, describe their underlying principles, and show the versatility of the
hybrid approach to fight neurodegenerative diseases, probably the most extensively covered
therapeutic area, and to develop anticancer, and antiparasitic drugs. A chapter on in vivo
data of hybrid molecules will present the first such properties obtained for hybrids.
Other areas not categorized as “hybrids” such as NO- and CO-donating molecules as well
as photoresponsive compounds, which are hybrids of drug molecules with a photoswitchable
unit, will be covered to illustrate the versatility of these approaches. Throughout the text, the
reader will be referred to the respective original articles as well as the most recent and
important data for further research.
The chapter authors as well as the editor hope that this book will be of interest to
medicinal and organic chemists, pharmacologists and molecular biologists, and drug
researchers who are interested in this fascinating and challenging topic. We hope that the
content and the considerations given in this book will inspire the design of novel and
successful hybrids in new therapeutic areas.
2
Multitarget-Directed Antioxidants
as Therapeutic Agents: Putting the
Focus on the Oxidative Stress
Lhassane Ismaili1, Alejandro Romero2,
María do Carmo Carreiras3, José Marco-Contelles4
1
UFR OF MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES (SMP ), BESANÇON, F RANCE
2
CO MPLUTENSE UNIVERSITY OF MADRID, M ADRID, SPAIN 3 RESEARCH INSTITUT E FOR
MEDICINES AND PHARMACE UTICAL SCI ENC ES (IMED.ULISBOA), LISBON, PORTUGAL
4
INSTITUT E OF GENERAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY (CSIC); JUAN DE LA CIERVA, M ADRID, SPAIN
Abbreviations
AβOs soluble Aβ oligomers
AChE acetylcholinesterase
AChEI acetylcholinesterase inhibitor
AChE-PAS peripheral anionic site of acetylcholinesterase
AD Alzheimer’s disease
APP amyloid precursor protein
BBB blood-brain barrier
CD concentration to double activity
CR congo red
Cys cysteine
ERK1/2 extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2
FA ferulic acid
GSH glutathione
H2DCFDA 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate
HO-1 heme oxygenase
Keap1 Kelch-like Ech-associated protein 1
NAC N-acetylcysteine
nAChRs nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
Nrf2 nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2
OH-1 heme oxygenase-1
OGD oxygen and glucose deprivation
OGD/reox oxygen and glucose deprivation plus reoxygenation
OHCs organotypic hippocampal cultures
ORAC-FL oxygen-radical absorbance capacity by fluorescein
PD Parkinson’s disease
PI3K/Akt phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/protein kinase B (5Akt)
2.1 Introduction
Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is an endogenous and pleiotropic molecule, phy-
logenetically well preserved, originally discovered as a hormone synthesized mainly in the
pineal gland.1 In recent years, a number of scientific reports have shown the therapeutic
value of melatonin in mental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular dis-
eases, cancer, gastrointestinal pathologies or infectious diseases, among others.2 Evidence
has accumulated that melatonin is also produced in various extra-pineal organs including
immune system cells, brain, airway epithelium, bone marrow, gut, ovary, testes, skin, and
likely other tissues.3
Melatonin acts through nonreceptor-mediated mechanisms, serving as a powerful free
radical scavenger against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen species at millimolar
concentrations,4 or by increasing the activity and expression of antioxidant enzymes, a
response observed at nanomolar concentrations.5 However, many melatonin actions are also
mediated through interaction with two high-affinity G protein-coupled receptors, named
MT1 and MT2, whose physiological functions and pharmacological properties are well docu-
mented.6 The distribution of receptors indicates a remarkable pleiotropy of melatonin, which
may potentially affect the majority of cells, and in addition to other receptor-independent
mechanisms, may help explain the different and tissue-specific functions of melatonin.6
The natural decline of melatonin levels with age in serum and cerebrospinal fluid or
deficiencies in melatonin receptor expression contribute to dysfunctions and pathophysio-
logical changes, such as neurodegenerative disorders.7 In age-related degenerative disorders
and pathologies of the brain, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD),
Huntington’s disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis there are frequently interre-
lated processes (glutamate excitotoxicity, free radical-mediated damage, inflammation and
mitochondrial dysfunction) identified as common pathophysiological mechanisms contri-
buting to the vulnerability of neuronal systems. Its chronobiological effects against these pro-
cesses, added to its modulatory effects on circadian disturbances, would point to melatonin
as a therapeutic substance in the symptomatic treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Chapter 2 • Multitarget-Directed Antioxidants as Therapeutic Agents 7
The most important property of melatonin administration in humans, and the one that
may eventually allow it to proceed to treatment, is its lack of toxicity, even at high doses.8
Almost daily, research articles report the efficiency of melatonin to counteract the toxic
reactions of drugs and other processes that generate ROS and associated reactants. Thus
considering melatonin’s low toxicity and high efficacy, its potential usage spectrum seems to
be wide for improving human health, either as a single molecule and/or in combination
with other drugs, in the form of hybrid ligands. However, the molecular and cellular
mechanisms underlying melatonin hybrids need to be further explored.
Ferulic acid (FA) [(E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl) prop-2-enoic acid)], a caffeic acid
derivative, was first isolated in 1866 from Ferula foetida. To date, more than 2000 research
articles have evidenced the role of FA as a potent free radical scavenger and cell stress
response activator, both in in vitro and in vivo experimental models. However, this phenolic
compound, besides its antioxidant capacity, displays multiple cytoprotective actions, amelio-
rating neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases,9 serving as an antiproliferative
agent in the pathogenesis of cancer,10 as an antihypertensive and antihyperlipidemic com-
pound in cardiovascular diseases,11 or acting in the pathophysiology of cell dysfunction and
diabetes complications.12 In addition, the use of FA, by its multiplicity of functions, has been
tested in age-related pathologies such as AD, in particular. FA acts as a disaggregating agent
of amyloid structures to prevent the development and progression of AD,13 improve memory
loss in mouse after intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of Aβ,9 reduce inflammatory bio-
markers and cause downregulation of proteins involved in cell death processes, caspase-9,
-3, and -7, thus contributing to prevent neurotoxicity.14
For the second most common form of neurodegenerative disorder, PD, the neuroprotec-
tive effect through FA antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties has also been shown.15
Despite several reports showing the low toxicity FA, a few adverse effects have been seen
after oral administration.16 Another limitation is its low bioavailability, which requires new
alterations such as including FA by means of a convenient linker, but which results in a
multitarget-directed hybrid with enhanced therapeutic properties.
In this chapter, some multitarget-directed antioxidants are summarized in the context of
hybrid ligands with melatonin and/or FA. This field exposes new therapeutic strategies
against acute and chronic pathologies, where oxidative stress plays a pivotal role.
N N
R NH
NH2 HN NH
n O N
Tacrine H
O N
H OMe
Melatonin
I R′
1 n = 5, R = H, R′ = H
2 n = 6, R = H, R′ = H
3 n = 5, R = 6-Cl, R′ = H
4 n = 6, R = 6-Cl, R′ = H
5 n = 5, R = 8-Cl, R′ = H
6 n = 6, R = 6,8-di-Cl, R′ = H
7 n = 5, R = H, R′ = OMe
8 n = 6, R = H, R′ = OMe
FIGURE 2-1 Tacrinemelatonin hybrids I described by Rodríguez-Franco.19,20
6-Cl, 6,8-di-Cl, 7-F) or in indole (Rʹ 5 H, OH, OMe) rings, or even by changing the length of
the spacer (n 5 47) that connects the two pharmacophoric motifs.
In Fig. 2-1 the structures of the selected hybrids 18 are represented. According to the
oxygen-radical absorbance capacity measured by the fluorescence method (ORAC-FL),
these compounds are potent antioxidants, showing peroxyl radical absorbance capacities
in the range of 1.5- to 4-fold, the value measured for melatonin [2.3 6 0.1 trolox equiv/μM
(TE)]. Compound 5, without any substituent on the indole ring, was the most potent
(4.0 6 0.1 TE), whereas the least potent was hybrid 7, derived from 5-methoxyindole
(1.5 6 0.1 TE). Among the unsubstituted indole derivatives, the contribution of the tacrine
fragment to the antioxidant properties could be resumed as follows: the best radical scav-
enger 5 bears a chlorine atom attached to position 8; the unsubstituted tacrines 1 and 2
displayed ORAC values of 3.6 and 3.3 TE, respectively, whereas the activity of the 6,8-
dichlorotacrine 6 and 6-chloro- derivatives 3 and 4 clearly dropped to 2.2 and 2.1 TE,
respectively. It is worth noting that the most potent antioxidant serotonin derivative
(Rʹ 5 OMe) was 8 (2.7 TE).
Furthermore, tacrine-melatonin hybrids 2, 3, and 8 displayed neuroprotective properties
in a human neuroblastoma cell line against cell death induced by various toxic insults such
as Aβ2535, H2O2, and rotenone/olygomycin (rot/olig). In particular, hybrid 2 exerted moder-
ate (19%) neuroprotection at 0.3 μM against H2O2, and hybrid 3 gave the same neuroprotec-
tion (30%) as catalase against rot/olig at 0.3 μM. Further pharmacological analysis showed
that hybrids 18 have very strong inhibitory activity, ranging from 0.008 to 0.87 nM and
from 1.5 to 175 nM against human acetycholinesterase (hAChE) and human butyrylcholines-
terase (hBuChE), respectively. Moreover, hybrids 2, 3, and 8 efficiently inhibited Aβ1240 self-
aggregation in a range varying from 47% to 63%, in good agreement with the molecular
modeling studies showing that these hybrids bind both to the catalytic active site (CAS) and
Chapter 2 • Multitarget-Directed Antioxidants as Therapeutic Agents 9
the peripheral anionic site (PAS) of hAChE. In a comprehensive study,21 direct intracerebral
administration of hybrid 2 decreased the amyloid β peptide-induced cell death and the amy-
loid burden in the brain parenchyma of APP/Ps1 mice. This reduction was accompanied by
recovery in cognitive function. Finally, the new tacrinemelatonin hybrids were assesed in
the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay/blood-brain barrier (PAMPA-BBB) test,
which showed that they are permeabale and can reach their biological targets located at the
central nervous system (CNS).
Related tacrinemelatonin hybrids22 have been designed by incorporating a carbamate at
O(C5) of the melatonin moiety linked to tacrine by spacers of different length (n 5 211),
leading to the new target 3-[2-(acetylamino)ethyl]-1H-indol-5-yl[4-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridin-
9-ylamino)yl] carbamates. Unfortunately, no investigation has been conducted to evaluate
the antioxidant activities of these heterodimers. However, these compounds showed potent
cholinesterase inhibitory activity, with IC50 values lower than 1.18 nM for hAChE and
0.24 nM for hBuChE.
O − O −
Cl Br R O
O N N
+ O + H MeO N
OMe O N H
O N
OMe OMe NH H
Berberine Melatonin
9 R=H
10 R = Me
11 R = OMe
FIGURE 2-2 Berberinmelatonin hybrids I described by Li.26
10 DESIGN OF HYBRID MOLECULES FOR DRUG DEVELOPMENT
Me Me
N OMe OMe
O R2 N H
n N H
O O N
O
N N
H H
Melatonin
II (R = H, OH; n = 1-5)
R1
R
Tamoxifen (R = H, R2 = Me)
1
MeO
O OH
MeO OMe
H
N
HO OH HN
O
Curcumin Melatonin
O O NH
O O NH
R1
N
H N
H
R2
OMe HO
OMe
12 R1 = OMe, R2 = OH 16
13 R1 = OMe, R2 = H
14 R1 = H, R2 = OH
15 R1, R2 = H
FIGURE 2-4 Curcuminmelatonin hybrids described by Zhang et al.31
properties, whereas the acetamide group of melatonin is important for its antioxidant and
free radical scavenging properties.
Five hybrid derivatives 1216 (Fig. 2-4) were designed and synthesized as potential neu-
roprotectants for AD. Compounds 1215 incorporate the β-diketone of curcumin and a
β-ketone component instead of the acetamide group of melatonin. The indole ring of mela-
tonin was also used to replace one of the phenyl rings of curcumin. Compounds 1315, ana-
logues of 12, were designed to evaluate the importance of the 4-OH and 3-OMe substitutions
on the curcumin part of 12, since structural modifications on the phenyl ring of curcumin
may significantly affect its biological activity.
Thus the neuroprotective activities of compounds 1215 were assessed in MC65 cells,
which represents a well-established AD model for Aβ and oxidative stress-induced cellular
toxicities under tetracycline removal (-TC) conditions.32 Compound 12 was shown to protect
MC65 cells from -TC induced cell death (B61% increase in cell viability). Removal of 4-OH
from 12 as demonstrated by compound 13 led to a complete loss of neuroprotection in
MC65 cells, while removal of 3-OMe did not affect its biological activity as compound 14
showed significant neuroprotection in MC65 cells. These results clearly indicate the 4-OH
group is essential to the neuroprotective activity of 12. This assumption is further supported
by the results of the unsubstituted analogue 15, which exhibited reduced protections of
MC65 cells. Further, compound 16 was synthesized in order to evaluate the role of the dou-
ble bond between the phenyl ring and the β-ketone. In fact, 16 showed significant and com-
parable neuroprotection of MC65 cells with 14, suggesting that the double bond and the
12 DESIGN OF HYBRID MOLECULES FOR DRUG DEVELOPMENT
conjugation system with the phenyl ring is not necessary to produce neuroprotection for
these analogues. Hence, dose-response studies of 12, 14, and 16 determined an EC50 of
134.2 6 4.5, 23.05 6 5.23, and 27.60 6 9.4 nM), respectively, for their neuroprotection of
MC65 cells. Multiple in vitro assay results established that hybrid 16 displays moderate
inhibitory effects on the production of amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs) in MC65 cells, but not on
the aggregation of Aβ species. Compounds 14 and 16 have been shown to suppress dose-
dependent intracellular oxidative stress, with an IC50 of B63 andB68 nM, respectively. In
addition, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and Trolox were assessed in the same conditions as com-
pound 16 for protection of M65 cells. The study demonstrated that like 16, Trolox signifi-
cantly protected cells from -TC induced cytotoxicity at concentrations as low as 10 μM. NAC
only partially rescued cell viability at 8 and 16 mM concentrations.
MeO
N
H MeO CH3
N
HN MeO O O
O
Melatonin AP2238
R2
H N
N
CH3 R1
HN
O
17 R1, =H
R2 24 R1 = 3-Cl, R2 = H
18 R1 = H, R2 = 5-OH 25 R1 = 3-Cl, R2 = 5-OMe
19 R1 = H, R2 = 5-OMe 26 R1 = 3-Cl, R2 = 6-OMe
20 R1 = H, R2 = 6-OMe 27 R1 = 2-OMe, R2 = H
21 R1 = H, R2 = 6-F 28 R1 = 2-OMe, R2 = 5-OMe
22 R1 = 2-Cl, R2 = H 29 R1 = 3-OMe, R2 = H
23 R1 = 2-Cl, R2 = 5-OMe 30 R1 = 3-OMe, R2 = 5-OMe
FIGURE 2-5 N,N-dibenzyl(N-methyl)aminemelatonin hybrids described by Rodríguez-Franco et al.33
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forme e d’espressione! Non mai gli era parsa così degna d’essere
amata, d’esser preposta a supremo scopo d’un’esistenza mortale!
Ella non era più la fanciulla, ch’egli ben conosceva: era il simbolo
della grazia, l’incarnazione tipica dell’Eterna Bellezza, era l’Unica,
era l’Eletta, era la Dea. — Oh, uno sguardo, un solo sguardo
lusinghevole di lei! Egli avrebbe sacrificato tutta la sua vita per uno
sguardo lusinghevole di lei, che fosse venuto in quel momento
solenne a ricercarlo!
Ma la giovinetta pareva che lo avesse affatto dimenticato, pareva
che ignorasse la sua presenza alla festa familiare: tremante di
commozione, guardava fisa il padre o la madre con occhi pieni di
gratitudine e d’affetto, e non si stancava di scoccare su le loro
guance quei baci sonori, che avevano nell’anima del giovine un’eco
spasimosa.
Quando la signora Teresa si levò e uscì dalla stanza, Aurelio anche
si mosse: fece qualche passo verso la finestra quasi cercando un
soffio d’aria libera, poi, vedendosi inosservato, infilò pianamente la
porta e riparò solo nel salotto.
Si lasciò cader di peso sul divano. Si prese il capo fra le palme, con
atto disperato. Un ardore molesto gli infocava le tempia. Il cuore gli
pulsava in petto con una violenza non mai avuta. I fumi del vino si
spandevan torbidi e foschi intorno a lui, annebbiandogli la visione
delle cose, dandogli a intervalli il senso ingrato della vertigine. —
Egli si sentiva solo, affranto e desolato: egli soffriva terribilmente, e
nessuno era presso di lui a confortarlo! Il suo dolore si dissipava
inutile e indifferente nell’impassibilità dello spazio, come quello d’un
qualunque bruto ferito a morte in una foresta!... Egli, certo, avrebbe
potuto spegnersi così, senza che un’anima buona fosse accorsa in
suo aiuto, senza turbare con il suo gemito indistinto la gioja
romorosa di coloro che gli eran vicini!....
Impeti subitanei di collera sorgevano nel suo spirito a ogni scoppio
d’ilarità nella stanza contigua; supremi abbattimenti lo prendevano
appena l’ira cessava. E intanto un desiderio folle si faceva strada tra
le tenebre di quel tumulto selvaggio dell’anima, usciva a poco a poco
dal caos delle imagini oscure, si rischiarava, splendeva, scintillava
come astro solitario in un cielo tempestoso: il desiderio di Flavia,
d’una parola benevola di lei, d’una sua carezza su la fronte accesa,
d’uno di quei baci inebrianti, ch’ella aveva pocanzi prodigati con
tanto trasporto a’ suoi parenti. — Oh, perchè ella non veniva?
perchè tardava tanto? Non sapeva ella forse ch’era là, solo, triste,
afflitto da un’angoscia senza nome, ad aspettarla? E la sua pietà,
sempre sì docile all’appello dei sofferenti, non si risvegliava dunque
per la prima volta al suo grido disperato di soccorso?
Un passo leggero che s’avvicinava lo fece sussultare di sgomento e
di giubilo. Egli non respirava più: il suo sangue pareva si fosse d’un
tratto arrestato nelle vene. Era lei? Certo, era lei; doveva esser lei.
La gioja ineffabile del suo cuore non poteva ingannarlo. Egli l’aveva
invocata; ella, ecco, accorreva. — Oh, caderle ai piedi e morire!....
Qualcuno era entrato nel salotto.
Aurelio tolse con lento atto il viso alterato e livido dalla stretta delle
mani, e guardò d’innanzi a sè, come un sonnambulo strappato
repentinamente al suo sogno.
— Signor Aurelio, che cos’ha? — disse spaurita Luisa, avvicinandosi
a lui con vivacità.
Egli continuava a fissarla senza parlare. — Ohimè, l’ultima speranza
andava miseramente tradita. Il mondo non aveva più luce! La sua
vita non aveva più scopo! L’inganno era mortale e palese: un riso
acuto, a lui ben noto, si levò nella stanza vicina e venne a colpirlo
d’improvviso come un’irrisione del Destino.
Luisa sedette al suo fianco, gli prese amorevolmente la mano.
— Signor Aurelio, per carità risponda: si sente male? Ha bisogno di
qualche cosa? Risponda!
— Grazie, signorina, grazie! — egli riuscì a mormorare, rialzando il
capo — Non è nulla: un po’ d’emicrania....
— Faceva forse troppo caldo nella sala da pranzo. Io stessa non ne
poteva più! Vuole che apra le finestre? L’aria libera le farà bene.
Vuole che le ordini qualche cosa di caldo? Vuole che chiami donna
Marta?....
Ella parlava concitatamente, assai commossa, con una specie
d’affanno appassionato nella voce e nel respiro. E intanto gli
stringeva forte la mano, e lo guardava con gli occhi inumiditi, gonfii di
pietà e di tenerezza. «Non è lei! Non è lei! Non è lei!» ripeteva
spasimando l’anima del giovine, mentre quelle dolci parole si
disperdevano vane e sciupate, come semi sparsi sopra un terreno
sterile. — Oh, fosse stata Flavia, la consolatrice! Su la Terra non vi
sarebbe stato un uomo più divinamente felice di lui!
— Grazie, è inutile, signorina, — disse Aurelio, levandosi
d’improvviso in piedi. — Proverò a uscire, proverò a far due passi nel
cortile.... Grazie!
Studiando il passo, senza più rivolgersi, s’avviò verso la porta.
L’aperse. Vide le tenebre spalancate d’innanzi a sè; vi si gittò
perdutamente come in un abisso.
IX.
Il Sogno.