Discovery of novel orally bioavailable GPR40 agonists

The GPR40 (FFA1) has emerged as an attractive target for a novel insulin secretagogue with glucose dependency. A series of novel orally bioavailable GPR40 agonists was discovered. SAR study and structural optimization led to identification of compounds 28a and 30a as potent GPR40 agonists with superior physiochemical properties and robust in vivo efficacy in rhesus monkeys.     

Design and optimization of 2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxine propanoic acids as novel GPR40 agonists with improved pharmacokinetic and safety profiles

GPR40 has become a new potential therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetes due to its role in mediating the enhancement of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic β cells with a low risk of hypoglycemia. As an effort to extend the chemical space and identify structurally distinct GPR40 agonists with improved liver safety, a novel series of fused-ring phenyl propanoic acid analogues were designed. Comprehensive structure-activity relationship studies around novel scaffolds were conducted and led to several analogues exhibited potent GPR40 agonistic activities and high selectivity against other fatty acid receptors. Further evaluation of pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles and in vivo efficacy identified compound 40a with excellent PK properties and significant glucose-lowering efficacy during an oral glucose tolerance test. In addition, compound 40a displayed lower hepatobiliary transporter inhibition and favorable druggability. All results indicate that compound 40a is a promising candidate for further development.     

A Potent Class of GPR40 Full Agonists Engages the EnteroInsular Axis to Promote Glucose Control in Rodents

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by impaired glucose homeostasis due to defects in insulin secretion, insulin resistance and the incretin response. GPR40 (FFAR1 or FFA1) is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), primarily expressed in insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells and incretin-producing enteroendocrine cells of the small intestine. Several GPR40 agonists, including AMG 837 and TAK-875, have been disclosed, but no GPR40 synthetic agonists have been reported that engage both the insulinogenic and incretinogenic axes. In this report we provide a molecular explanation and describe the discovery of a unique and potent class of GPR40 full agonists that engages the enteroinsular axis to promote dramatic improvement in glucose control in rodents. GPR40 full agonists AM-1638 and AM-6226 stimulate GLP-1 and GIP secretion from intestinal enteroendocrine cells and increase GSIS from pancreatic islets, leading to enhanced glucose control in the high fat fed, streptozotocin treated and NONcNZO10/LtJ mouse models of type 2 diabetes. The improvement in hyperglycemia by AM-1638 was reduced in the presence of the GLP-1 receptor antagonist Ex(9–39)NH₂.     

Discovery of novel benzo[b]thiophene tetrazoles as non-carboxylate GPR40 agonists

GPR40 partial agonism is a promising new mechanism for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with clinical proof of concept. Most of the GPR40 agonists in the literature have a carboxylic acid functional group, which may pose a risk for idiosyncratic drug toxicity. A novel series of GPR40 agonists containing a tetrazole as a carboxylic acid bioisostere was identified. This series of compounds features a benzo[b]thiophene as the center ring, which is prone to oxidation during phase 1 metabolism. Following SAR optimization targeting GPR40 agonist activity and intrinsic clearance in microsomes (human and rat), potent and metabolically stable compounds were selected for in vivo evaluation. The compounds are efficacious at lowering blood glucose in a SD rat oGTT model.     

Discovery of N-arylpyrroles as agonists of GPR120 for the treatment of type II diabetes

The discovery of a novel series of N-arylpyrroles as agonists of GPR120 (FFAR4) is discussed. One lead compound is a potent GPR120 agonist, has good selectivity for related receptor GPR40 (FFAR1), has acceptable PK properties, and is active in 2 models of Type 2 Diabetes in mice.     

Solid phase synthesis and SAR of small molecule agonists for the GPR40 receptor

The discovery, synthesis and structure-activity relationship (SAR) of novel carboxylic acid agonists for GPR40 are described. Aryl propionic acid 1, identified from a high throughput screen, was selected for chemical exploration. Compound 2 was identified as our lead molecule through efficient solid phase combinatorial array chemistry and had an attractive in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic profile in rat. These ligands may prove useful in establishing a role for GPR40 in insulin regulation.     

Novel agonists of free fatty acid receptor 1 (GPR40) based on 3-(1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)propanoic acid scaffold

1,3,4-Thiadiazole was explored as a more polar, heterocyclic replacement for the phenyl ring in the 3-arylpropionic acid pharmacophore present in the majority of GPR40 agonists. Out of 13 compounds synthesized using a flexible, three-step protocol (involving no chromatographic purification), four compounds were confirmed to activate the target in micromolar concentration range. While the potency of the series should be subject of further optimization, the remarkable aqueous solubility and microsomal stability observed for the lead compound (8g) apparently attests to this new scaffold’s high promise in the GPR40 agonist field.     

Lipid derivatives activate GPR119 and trigger GLP-1 secretion in primary murine L-cells

Aims/hypothesisGlucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone derived from proglucagon, which is released from intestinal L-cells and increases insulin secretion in a glucose dependent manner. GPR119 is a lipid derivative receptor present in L-cells, believed to play a role in the detection of dietary fat. This study aimed to characterize the responses of primary murine L-cells to GPR119 agonism and assess the importance of GPR119 for the detection of ingested lipid.MethodsGLP-1 secretion was measured from murine primary cell cultures stimulated with a panel of GPR119 ligands. Plasma GLP-1 levels were measured in mice lacking GPR119 in proglucagon-expressing cells and controls after lipid gavage. Intracellular cAMP responses to GPR119 agonists were measured in single primary L-cells using transgenic mice expressing a cAMP FRET sensor driven by the proglucagon promoter.ResultsL-cell specific knockout of GPR119 dramatically decreased plasma GLP-1 levels after a lipid gavage. GPR119 ligands triggered GLP-1 secretion in a GPR119 dependent manner in primary epithelial cultures from the colon, but were less effective in the upper small intestine. GPR119 agonists elevated cAMP in ∼70% of colonic L-cells and 50% of small intestinal L-cells.Conclusions/interpretationGPR119 ligands strongly enhanced GLP-1 release from colonic cultures, reflecting the high proportion of colonic L-cells that exhibited cAMP responses to GPR119 agonists. Less GPR119-dependence could be demonstrated in the upper small intestine. In vivo, GPR119 in L-cells plays a key role in oral lipid-triggered GLP-1 secretion.     

Diphenyl Ether Derivatives as Novel GPR120 Agonists for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious disease affecting human health. Numerous attempts have been made to develop safe and effective new antidiabetic drugs. Recently, a series of G protein-coupled receptors for free fatty acids (FFAs) have been described and characterized, and small molecule agonists and antagonists of these receptors show considerable promise for managing diabetes and related complications. FFA-activated GPR120 could stimulate the release of glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1), which can enhance the glucose-dependent secretion of insulin from pancreatic β cells. GPR120 is a promising target for treating type 2 DM (T2DM). Herein we designed and synthesized a series of novel GPR120 agonists based on the structure of TUG-891, which was the first potent and selective GPR120 agonist. Among the designed compounds, 18 f showed excellent GPR120 activation activity and high selectivity for GPR40 in vitro. Compound 18 f dose-dependently improved glucose tolerance in normal mice, and no hypoglycemic side effects were observed at high dose. In addition, compound 18 f increased insulin release and displayed good antidiabetic effect in diet-induced obese mice. Molecular simulations illustrated that compound 18 f could enter the active site of GPR120 and interact with Arg99. Based on these observations, compound 18 f may be a promising lead compound for the design of novel GPR120 agonists to treat T2DM.     

Discovery of 3-aryl-3-ethoxypropanoic acids as orally active GPR40 agonists

The G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) mediates enhancement of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic β cells. The GPR40 agonist has been attracting attention as a novel insulin secretagogue with glucose dependency for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The optimization study of compound 1 led to a potent and bioavailable GPR40 agonist 24, which showed insulin secretion and glucose lowering effects in rat OGTT. Compound 24 is a potential lead compound for a novel insulin secretagogue with a low risk of hypoglycemia.     

Synthesis and SAR of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-1-ones as novel G-protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) antagonists

The development of a series of novel 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-1-ones as antagonists of G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) is described. The synthesis, in vitro inhibitory values for GPR40, in vitro microsomal clearance and rat in vivo clearance data are discussed. Initial hits displayed high rat in vivo clearances that were higher than liver blood flow. Optimization of rat in vivo clearance was achieved and led to the identification of 15i, whose rat oral pharmacokinetic data is reported.     

Discovery of novel pyrrole derivatives as potent agonists for the niacin receptor GPR109A

Novel pyrrole derivatives were discovered as potent agonists of the niacin receptor, GPR109A. During the derivatization, compound 16 was found to be effective both in vitro and in vivo. The compound 16 exhibited a significant reduction of the non-esterified fatty acid in human GPR109A transgenic rats, and the duration of its in vivo efficacy was much longer than niacin.     

β-Arrestin Recruitment and Biased Agonism at Free Fatty Acid Receptor 1

FFAR1/GPR40 is a seven-transmembrane domain receptor (7TMR) expressed in pancreatic β cells and activated by FFAs. Pharmacological activation of GPR40 is a strategy under consideration to increase insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes. GPR40 is known to signal predominantly via the heterotrimeric G proteins G_q/11. However, 7TMRs can also activate functionally distinct G protein-independent signaling via β-arrestins. Further, G protein- and β-arrestin-based signaling can be differentially modulated by different ligands, thus eliciting ligand-specific responses (“biased agonism”). Whether GPR40 engages β-arrestin-dependent mechanisms and is subject to biased agonism is unknown. Using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer-based biosensors for real-time monitoring of cell signaling in living cells, we detected a ligand-induced GPR40-β-arrestin interaction, with the synthetic GPR40 agonist TAK-875 being more effective than palmitate or oleate in recruiting β-arrestins 1 and 2. Conversely, TAK-875 acted as a partial agonist of G_q/11-dependent GPR40 signaling relative to both FFAs. Pharmacological blockade of G_q activity decreased FFA-induced insulin secretion. In contrast, knockdown or genetic ablation of β-arrestin 2 in an insulin-secreting cell line and mouse pancreatic islets, respectively, uniquely attenuated the insulinotropic activity of TAK-875, thus providing functional validation of the biosensor data. Collectively, these data reveal that in addition to coupling to G_q/11, GPR40 is functionally linked to a β-arrestin 2-mediated insulinotropic signaling axis. These observations expose previously unrecognized complexity for GPR40 signal transduction and may guide the development of biased agonists showing improved clinical profile in type 2 diabetes.     

Novel GPR40 agonist AS2575959 exhibits glucose metabolism improvement and synergistic effect with sitagliptin on insulin and incretin secretion

Aims

GPR40 is a free fatty acid receptor that regulates glucose-dependent insulin secretion at pancreatic β-cells and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), one of the major incretins, secretion at the endocrine cells of the gastrointestinal tract. We investigated the synergistic effect of AS2575959, a novel GPR40 agonist, in combination with sitagliptin, a major dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitor, on glucose-dependent insulin secretion and GLP-1 secretion. In addition, we investigated the chronic effects of AS2575959 on whole-body glucose metabolism.

Main methods

We evaluated acute glucose metabolism on insulin and GLP-1 secretion using an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) as well as assessed the chronic glucose metabolism in diabetic ob/ob mice following the repeated administration of AS2575959.

Key findings

We discovered the novel GPR40 agonist sodium [(3S)-6-({4′-[(3S)-3,4-dihydroxybutoxy]-2,2′,6′-trimethyl[1,1′-biphenyl]-3-yl}methoxy)-3H-spiro[1-benzofuran-2,1′-cyclopropan]-3-yl]acetate (AS2575959) and found that the compound influenced glucose-dependent insulin secretion both in vitro pancreas β-cell-derived cells and in vivo mice OGTT. Further, we observed a synergistic effect of AS2575959 and DPP-IV inhibitor on insulin secretion and plasma GLP-1 level. In addition, we discovered the improvement in glucose metabolism on repeated administration of AS2575959.

Significance

To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate the synergistic effect of a GPR40 agonist and DPP-IV inhibitor on the glucose-dependent insulin secretion and GLP-1 concentration increase. These findings suggest that GPR40 agonists may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, particularly when used in combination with DPP-IV inhibitors.     

Assessment of cell line competence for studies of pharmacological GPR30 modulation

Context/objective: Cell lines used to study the role of the G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) or G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) as a mediator of estrogen responses have yielded conflicting results. This work identified a simple assay to predict cell line competence for pharmacological studies of GPR30.

Materials and methods: The phosphorylation or expression levels of ERK1/2, Akt, c-Fos and eNOS were evaluated to assess GPR30 activation in response to known agonists (17β-estradiol and G-1) in MCF-7 and T-47D breast cancer cell lines and in bovine aortic endothelial cells. GPR30 expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blot with two distinct antibodies directed at its carboxy and amino terminals.

Results: None of the agonists, at any of the concentrations tested, activated any of those target proteins. Additional experiments excluded the disruption of the signaling pathway, interference of phenol red in the culture medium and constitutive proteasome degradation of GPR30 as possible causes for the lack of response of the three cell lines. Analysis of receptor expression showed the absence of clearly detectable GPR30 species of 44 and 50–55?kDa previously identified in cell lines that respond to 17β-estradiol and G-1.

Discussion and conclusion: Cells that do not express the 44 and 50–55?kDa species do not respond to GPR30 agonists. Thus, the presence or absence of these GPR30 species is a simple and rapid manner to determine whether a given cell line is suitable for pharmacological or molecular studies of GPR30 modulation.     

Differential requirements of arrestin-3 and clathrin for ligand-dependent and -independent internalization of human G protein-coupled receptor 40

G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) is believed to be an attractive target to enhance insulin secretion in patients with type 2 diabetes. GPR40 has been found to couple to Gq protein, leading to the activation of phospholipase C and subsequent increases in the intracellular Ca^2 + level. However, the underlying mechanisms that regulate the internalization and desensitization of GPR40 remain to be elucidated. In the present study, a construct of GPR40 fused with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) at its C-terminus was constructed for direct imaging of the localization and internalization of GPR40 by confocal microscopy. In stably transfected HEK-293 cells, GPR40 receptors underwent rapid agonist-induced internalization and constitutive ligand-independent internalization. Our data demonstrated that the agonist-mediated internalization of GPR40 was significantly blocked by hypertonic sucrose treatment and by siRNA mediated depletion of the heavy chain of clathrin. In contrast, constitutive GPR40 internalization was not affected by hypertonic sucrose or by knock-down of clathrin expression, but it was affected by treatment with methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) and nystatin. Furthermore, our results using an arrestin-3-EGFP redistribution assay and siRNA-mediated knock-down of arrestin-3 and GRK2 expression revealed that arrestin-3 and GRK2 play an essential role in the regulation of agonist-mediated GPR40 internalization, but are not involved in the regulation of constitutive GPR40 internalization. Additionally, our observation showed that upon activation by agonist, the internalized GPR40 receptors were rapidly recycled back to the plasma membrane via Rab4/Rab5 positive endosomes, whereas the constitutively internalized GPR40 receptors were recycled back to the cell surface through Rab5 positive endosomes. Because FFA receptors exhibit a high level of homology, our observations could be applicable to other members of this family.     

Discovery and optimization of arylsulfonyl 3-(pyridin-2-yloxy)anilines as novel GPR119 agonists

We describe the discovery of a series of arylsulfonyl 3-(pyridin-2-yloxy)anilines as GPR119 agonists derived from compound 1. Replacement of the three methyl groups in 1 with metabolically stable moieties led to the identification of compound 34, a potent and efficacious GPR119 agonist with improved pharmacokinetic (PK) properties.     

Label-free phenotypic profiling identified D-luciferin as a GPR35 agonist

Fluorescent and luminescent probes are essential to both in vitro molecular assays and in vivo imaging techniques, and have been extensively used to measure biological function. However, little is known about the biological activity, thus potential interferences with the assay results, of these probe molecules. Here we show that D-luciferin, one of the most widely used bioluminescence substrates, is a partial agonist for G protein-coupled receptor-35 (GPR35). Label-free phenotypic profiling using dynamic mass redistribution (DMR) assays showed that D-luciferin led to a DMR signal in native HT-29 cells, whose characteristics are similar to those induced by known GPR35 agonists including zaprinast and pamoic acid. DMR assays further showed that D-luciferin is a partial agonist competitive to several known GPR35 agonists and antagonists. D-luciferin was found to cause the phosphorylation of ERK that was suppressed by known GPR35 antagonists, and also result in β-arrestin translocation signal but with low efficacy. These results not only suggest that D-luciferin is a partial agonist of GPR35, but also will evoke careful interpretation of biological data obtained using molecular and in vivo imaging assays when these probe molecules are used.     

Novel Zn2+ Modulated GPR39 Receptor Agonists Do Not Drive Acute Insulin Secretion in Rodents

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) occurs when there is insufficient insulin release to control blood glucose, due to insulin resistance and impaired β-cell function. The GPR39 receptor is expressed in metabolic tissues including pancreatic β-cells and has been proposed as a T2D target. Specifically, GPR39 agonists might improve β-cell function leading to more adequate and sustained insulin release and glucose control. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that GPR39 agonism would improve glucose stimulated insulin secretion in vivo. A high throughput screen, followed by a medicinal chemistry program, identified three novel potent Zn²⁺ modulated GPR39 agonists. These agonists were evaluated in acute rodent glucose tolerance tests. The results showed a lack of glucose lowering and insulinotropic effects not only in lean mice, but also in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice and Zucker fatty rats. It is concluded that Zn²⁺ modulated GPR39 agonists do not acutely stimulate insulin release in rodents.     

Discovery, optimisation and in vivo evaluation of novel GPR119 agonists

GPR119 is increasingly seen as an attractive target for the treatment of type II diabetes and other elements of the metabolic syndrome. During a programme aimed at developing agonists of the GPR119 receptor, we identified compounds that were potent with reduced hERG liabilities, that had good pharmacokinetic properties and that displayed excellent glucose-lowering effects in vivo. However, further profiling in a GPR119 knock-out (KO) mouse model revealed that the biological effects were not exclusively due to GPR119 agonism, highlighting the value of transgenic animals in drug discovery programs.