Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of 8-(2-amino-1-hydroxyethyl)-6-hydroxy-1,4-benzoxazine-3(4H)-one derivatives as potent β2-adrenoceptor agonists

A series of β₂-adrenoceptor agonists with an 8-(2-amino-1-hydroxyethyl)-6-hydroxy-1,4-benzoxazine-3(4H)-one moiety is presented. The stimulatory effects of the compounds on human β₂-adrenoceptor and β₁-adrenoceptor were characterized by a cell-based assay. Their smooth muscle relaxant activities were tested on isolated guinea pig trachea. Most of the compounds were found to be potent and selective agonists of the β₂-adrenoceptor. One of the compounds, (R)-18c, possessed a strong β₂-adrenoceptor agonistic effect with an EC₅₀ value of 24 pM. It produced a full and potent airway smooth muscle relaxant effect same as olodaterol. Its onset of action was 3.5 min and its duration of action was more than 12 h in an in vitro guinea pig trachea model of bronchodilation. These results suggest that (R)-18c is a potential candidate for long-acting β₂-AR agonists.     

Discovery and SAR of a novel series of Natriuretic Peptide Receptor-A (NPR-A) agonists

Novel thienopyrimidine compounds 2 and 3 were discovered from high-throughput screening as Natriuretic Peptide Receptor A (NPR-A) agonists. Scaffold hopping of a thienopyrimidine ring to a quinazoline ring, introduction of the basic functional group and optimization of the substituent on the 6-position of the benzene ring of quinazoline led to improved agonistic activity. We discovered compound 48, which showed potent agonistic activity for NPR-A with an EC₅₀ value of 0.073 μM, indicating 350-fold potency compared to the hit compound 3.     

New R/S-3,4-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyrans as KATP channel openers: Modulation of the 4-position

The present work aimed at exploring a series of diversely 4-arylthiourea-substituted R/S-3,4-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-6-halo-2H-1-benzopyrans structurally related to (±)-cromakalim. These new compounds were examined in vitro as putative potassium channel openers (PCOs) on rat pancreatic islets (inhibition of insulin release) as well as on rat aorta rings (relaxation of aorta ring) and their activity was compared to that of the reference K_ATP channel activators (±)-cromakalim, (±)-pinacidil, diazoxide and of previously reported cromakalim analogues. Structure–activity relationships indicated that the most pronounced inhibitory activity on the insulin secretory process was obtained with molecules bearing a strong meta- or para-electron-withdrawing group (CN or NO₂) on the phenyl ring of the arylthiourea moiety at the 4-position of the benzopyran nucleus (compounds 12–23). Among those, R/S-6-chloro-4-(4-cyanophenylaminothiocarbonylamino)-3,4-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran (16) was found to be the most potent benzopyran-type inhibitor of insulin release ever described. Most of these original benzopyran derivatives show increased selectivity for pancreatic versus vascular tissue. Radioisotopic investigations indicated that these new compounds activated pancreatic K_ATP channels.     

Discovery of TD-8954, a clinical stage 5-HT4 receptor agonist with gastrointestinal prokinetic properties

The discovery of a series of 5-HT₄ receptor agonists based on a novel 2-alkylbenzimidazole aromatic core is described. Optimization of the 2-substituent of the benzimidazole ring led to a series of agonists with subnanomolar binding affinity and moderate-to-high intrinsic activity relative to that of 5-HT. Consistent with our previously described multivalent design approach to this target, subsequent optimization of the linker and secondary binding group regions of the series afforded compound 18 (TD-8954), a potent and selective 5-HT₄ receptor agonist in vitro with demonstrated prokinetic activity in multiple species.     

Synthesis,characterization, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity against MCF-7 cells of O-alkyl and O-acyl flavonoid derivatives

A series of O-alkyl and O-acyl flavonoid derivatives was synthesized in high efficiency. Alkylation and acylation of 5-hydroxyflavonoids showed that the low reactivity hydroxyl group, 5-OH, well reacted with strong reagents whereas with weaker reagents, the different products were obtained dependently on structural characteristic of ring C of respective flavonoid. In order to evaluate anti-inflammatory activity, all compounds were tested for in vitro inhibition of bovine serum albumin denaturation and in vivo inhibition of carrageenan-induced mouse paw edema. Among them, the compounds 3, 3b, 4b and 4c demonstrated more effective anti-inflammatory activity than standard drugs (diclofenac sodium and ketoprofen) in both tests. Meanwhile, the flavonoids 2, 2c, 3a and 4b displayed anti-proliferative activity against MCF-7 cell lines. Triacetyl derivative of hesperetin 4b inducing degradation of DNA in MCF-7 cells was observed.     

Novel N-biphenyl-2-ylmethyl 2-methoxyphenylpiperazinylalkanamides as 5-HT7R antagonists for the treatment of depression

5-HT₇ receptor (5-HT₇R) is a promising target for the treatment of depression and neuropathic pain. 5-HT₇R antagonists exhibited antidepressant effects, while the agonists produced strong anti-hyperalgesic effects. In our efforts to discover selective 5-HT₇R antagonists or agonists, N-biphenylylmethyl 2-methoxyphenylpiperazinylalkanamides 1 were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated against 5-HT₇R. Among the synthesized compounds, N-2′-chlorobiphenylylmethyl 2-methoxyphenylpiperazinylpentanamide 1–8 showed the best binding affinity with a K_i value of 8.69 nM and it was verified as a novel antagonist according to functional assays. The compound 1–8 was very selective over 5-HT_1DR, 5-HT_2AR, 5-HT₃R, 5-HT_5AR and 5-HT₆R and moderately selective over 5-HT_1AR, 5-HT_1BR and 5-HT_2CR. The novel 5-HT₇R antagonist 1–8 exhibited an antidepressant effect at a dose of 25 mg/kg in the forced swimming test in mice and showed a U-shaped dose–response curve which typically appears in 5-HT₇R antagonists such as SB-269970 and lurasidone.     

Novel 5-nitropyrimidine derivatives bearing endo-azabicyclic alcohols/amines as potent GPR119 agonists

A series of GPR119 agonists based on a 5-nitropyrimidine scaffold bearing endo-azabicyclic substituents were synthesized and evaluated for their GPR119 agonistic activities. Most compounds exhibited much stronger EC₅₀ values than that of oleoylethanolamide (OEA). Among them, derivatives from endo-azabicyclic alcohols displayed more potent GPR119 agonistic activities than compounds with endo-azabicyclic amines. Especially the optimized compounds (6, 7, 8, 12, 17) were shown to have potent biological activities and were identified as full agonists. Isopropyl carbamate compound 8 synthesized from endo-azabicyclic alcohol was observed to have the best EC₅₀ value (0.6 nM). Generally 2-fluoro substitution of the aryl group at the C4 position of 5-nitropyrimidine scaffold resulted in the increase of biological activity.     

Design,synthesis and evaluation of benzo[a]thieno[3,2-g]quinolizines as novel l-SPD derivatives possessing dopamine D1, D2 and serotonin 5-HT1A multiple action profiles

A novel scaffold derived from l-SPD with a substituted thiophene group in the D ring were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their binding affinities at dopamine (D₁, D₂ and D₃) and serotonin (5-HT_1A and 5-HT_2A) receptors. Most of the tetracyclic compounds exhibited higher affinities for D₂ and 5-HT_1A receptors than l-SPD, while compound 23e showed the highest K_i value of 7.54 nM at D₂ receptor which was 14 times more potent than l-SPD. Additionally, compounds 23d and 23e were more potent than l-SPD at D₃ receptor. According to the functional assays, 23d and 23e were demonstrated as full antagonists at D₁ and D₂ receptors and full agonists at 5-HT_1A receptor. Since the combination of D₂ antagonism and 5-HT_1A agonism is considered effective in treating both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, these novel compounds are implicated as potential therapeutic agents.     

Novel N-benzylpyridinium moiety linked to arylisoxazole derivatives as selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors: Synthesis,biological evaluation,and docking study

A novel series of N-benzylpyridinium moiety linked to arylisoxazole ring were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities. Synthesized compounds were classified into two series of 5a-i and 5j-q considering the position of positively charged nitrogen of pyridinium moiety (3- or 4- position, respectively) connected to isoxazole carboxamide group. Among the synthesized compounds, compound 5n from the second series of compounds possessing 2,4-dichloroaryl group connected to isoxazole ring was found to be the most potent AChE inhibitor (IC₅₀ = 5.96 µM) and compound 5j also from the same series of compounds containing phenyl group connected to isoxazole ring demonstrated the most promising inhibitory activity against BChE (IC₅₀ = 0.32 µM). Also, kinetic study demonstrated competitive inhibition mode for both AChE and BChE inhibitory activity. Docking study was also performed for those compounds and desired interactions with those active site amino acid residues were confirmed through hydrogen bonding as well as π-π and π-anion interactions. In addition, the most potent compounds were tested against BACE1 and their neuroprotectivity on Aβ-treated neurotoxicity in PC12 cells which depicted negligible activity. It should be noted that most of the synthesized compounds from both categories 5a-i and 5j-q showed a significant selectivity toward BChE. However, series 5j-q were more active toward AChE than series 5a-i.     

Design and synthesis of peptidic partial agonists of human neuromedin U receptor 1 with enhanced serum stability

Neuromedin U (NMU) activates two receptors (NMUR1 and NMUR2) and is a promising candidate for development of drugs to combat obesity. Previously, we obtained hexapeptides as selective full NMUR agonists. Development of a partial agonist which mildly activates receptors is an effective strategy which lead to an understanding of the functions of NMU receptors. In 2014, we reported hexapeptide 3 (CPN-124) as an NMUR1-selective partial agonist but its selectivity and serum stability were unsatisfactory. Herein, we report the development of a hexapeptide-type partial agonist (8, CPN-223) based on a peptide (3) but with higher NMUR1-selectivity and enhanced serum stability. A structure-activity relationship study of synthetic pentapeptide derivatives suggested that a hexapeptide is a minimum structure consistent with both good NMUR1-selective agonistic activity and serum stability.     

Design and synthesis of novel bis-oximinoalkanoic acids as potent PPARα agonists

Bis-oximinoalkanoic acid derivatives were designed and synthesized to aid in the characterization of selective PPARα agonists by replacing the oxazole ring with flexible oximino group in the lipophilic tail part of a previously reported compound 3. Selected compounds 9d and 9m showed excellent potency and high selectivity towards PPARα in vitro. These compounds found effective in reducing serum triglycerides (TG) in vivo.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of bivalent cannabinoid receptor ligands based on hCB2R selective benzimidazoles reveal unexpected intrinsic properties

The design of bivalent ligands targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) often leads to the development of new, highly selective and potent compounds. To date, no bivalent ligands for the human cannabinoid receptor type 2 (hCB₂R) of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) are described. Therefore, two sets of homobivalent ligands containing as parent structure the hCB₂R selective agonist 13a and coupled at different attachment positions were synthesized. Changes of the parent structure at these positions have a crucial effect on the potency and efficacy of the ligands. However, we discovered that bivalency has an influence on the effect at both cannabinoid receptors. Moreover, we found out that the spacer length and the attachment position altered the efficacy of the bivalent ligands at the receptors by turning agonists into antagonists and inverse agonists.     

Switching cannabinoid response from CB2 agonists to FAAH inhibitors

A series of 3-carboxamido-5-aryl-isoxazoles designed as CB₂ agonists were evaluated as FAAH inhibitors. The pharmacological results led to identify structure–activity relationships enabling to switch cannabinoid response from CB₂ agonists to FAAH inhibitors. Two compounds were selected for their FAAH and/or CB₂ activity, and evaluated in a colitis model for their anti-inflammatory activity. Results showed that compounds 10 and 11 inhibit the development of DSS-induced acute colitis in mice and then, are interesting leads to explore new drug candidates for IBD.     

Novel imidazoline compounds as partial or full agonists of D2-like dopamine receptors inspired by I2-imidazoline binding sites ligand 2-BFI

Based on the well known biological versatility of the imidazoline nucleus, we prepared the novel derivatives 3a–k inspired by 2-BFI scaffold to assess imidazoline molecules as D₂-like dopamine receptor ligands. Conservative chemical modifications of the lead structure, such as the introduction of an hydroxy group in the aromatic ring alone or associated with N-benzyl substitution, provided partial (3f) or nearly full (3e and 3h) agonists, all endowed with D₂-like potency comparable to that of dopamine.     

7-Sulfonamido-3-benzazepines as potent and selective 5-HT2C receptor agonists: Hit-to-lead optimization

New 7-sulfonamido-3-benzazepines 3 are disclosed as 5-HT_2C receptor agonists. Appropriate substitution of the amino group (R¹R²N–) gave compounds that were potent 5-HT_2C agonists with minimal activation of the 5-HT_2A and 5-HT_2B receptors. Furthermore, representative examples had excellent in vitro ADME properties and good selectivity over ion channel activity.     

Essential structure of orexin 1 receptor antagonist YNT-707, Part I: Role of the 4,5-epoxy ring for binding with orexin 1 receptor

The essential structure of the orexin 1 receptor (OX₁R) antagonist YNT-707 (2) was clarified, particularly the roles to OX₁R antagonist activities of the 3-OMe, the 4,5-epoxy ring, the 14-hydroxy group, and the orientation of the 6-amide side chain.The 3-OMe and 17-sulfonamide group were shown to be essential for the OX₁R antagonistic activity. The 4,5-epoxy ring plays an important role for the active orientation of the 6-amide group. The 14-hydroxy group could lower the activity of the 6β-amide isomer by the interaction of the 14-hydroxy group with the 6-amide group, which could orient the 6-amide group toward the upper side of the C-ring.Finally, we proposed the difference in the active conformation between OX₁R and κ opioid receptor (KOR), especially in the orientation of the 6-amide group which is expected to be a useful guide for medicinal chemists to design OX₁R ligands.     

Synthesis,biological evaluation and molecular modeling of 2-amino-2-phenylethanol derivatives as novel β2-adrenoceptor agonists

A novel series of 2-amino-2-phenylethanol derivatives were developed as β₂-adrenoceptor agonists. Among them, 2-amino-3-fluoro-5-(2-hydroxy-1-(isopropylamino)ethyl)benzonitrile (compound 2f) exhibited the highest activity (EC₅₀ = 0.25 nM) in stimulating β₂-adrenoceptor-mediated cellular cAMP production with a 763.6-fold selectivity over the β₁-adrenoceptor. The (S)-isomer of 2f was subsequently found to be 8.5-fold more active than the (R)-isomer. Molecular docking was performed to determine the putative binding modes of this new class of β₂-adrenoceptor agonists. Taken together, these data show that compound 2f is a promising lead compound worthy of further study for the development of β₂-adrenoceptor agonists.     

Phytochemical screening of flavonoids with their antioxidant activities from rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

Ten flavone compounds, including three new flavonoid glycosides, were isolated from defatted rapeseed, and their protective antioxidant effect on H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECV-304) was investigated. Three new flavonoid glycosides were identified as kaempferol-3-O-[(6-O-sinapoyl)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-d-glucopyranoside]-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (8), kaempferol-3,7-di-O-β-d-glucopyranoside-4'-O-(6-O-sinapoyl)-β-d-glucopyranoside (9), and kaempferol-3-O-[(3-O-sinapoyl)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-d-glucopyranoside]-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (10). The protective effects of all of the isolated compounds on H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage were assessed, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured. All of compounds had a protective effect on H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage in ECV-304 cells and the presence of a substituted sinapoyl group and its position in the structures were used to elucidate the activity differences.     

Synthesis and molecular docking study of some novel 2,3-disubstituted quinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives as potent inhibitors of urease

A new series of 2,3-disubstituted quinazolin-4(3H)-one compounds including oxadiazole and furan rings was synthesized. Their inhibitory activities on urease were assessed in vitro. All newly synthesized compounds exhibited potent urease inhibitory activity in the range of IC₅₀ = 1.55 ± 0.07–2.65 ± 0.08 µg/mL, when compared with the standard urease inhibitors such as thiourea (IC₅₀ = 15.08 ± 0.71 µg/mL) and acetohydroxamic acid (IC₅₀ = 21.05 ± 0.96 µg/mL). 2,3-Disubstituted quinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives containing furan ring (3a-e) were found to be the most active inhibitors when compared with the compounds 2a-e bearing oxadiazole ring. Compound 3a, bearing 4-chloro group on phenyl ring, was found as the most effective inhibitor of urease with the IC₅₀ value of 1.55 ± 0.11 µg/mL. The molecular docking studies of the newly synthesized compounds were performed to identify the probable binding modes in the active site of the Jack bean urease (JBU) enzymes.     

Design of hybrid molecules as antimycobacterial compounds: Synthesis of isoniazid-naphthoquinone derivatives and their activity against susceptible and resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Isoniazid-naphthoquinone hybrids were synthesized and evaluated against a susceptible (H₃₇Rv) strain and two isoniazid-resistant strains (INH_R1 and INH_R2) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The antimycobacterial activity of the derivatives was determined based on the resazurin microtiter assay and their cytotoxicity in adhered mouse monocyte macrophage J774.A1 cells (ATCC TIB-67). Of the twenty-two compounds evaluated against the three strains of M. tuberculosis, twenty-one presented some activity against the H₃₇Rv and INH_R1 (katG S315T) or INH_R2 (inhA C(−5)T) strains. Compounds 1a, 2a, and 8a were effective against the INH_R1 strain, and compounds 1a, 1b, 2a, 3a, 5a, 5b and 8a were effective against the INH_R2 strain, with MICs in the range of 3.12–6.25 µg/mL. Compounds 1b and 5b were the most active against H₃₇Rv, with MIC of 0.78 µg/mL. Based on the selectivity index, 1b and 5b can be considered safe as a drug candidate compounds. These results demonstrate that quinoidal compounds can be used as promising scaffolds for the development of new anti-TB drugs and hybrids with activity against M. tuberculosis-susceptible and INH-resistant strains.