Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of a new set of 1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one derivatives as adenosine receptor antagonists

In a previous paper (Colotta V. et al., J. Med. Chem. 2000, 43, 1158), we reported the synthesis and the binding activity of some 4-oxo (A) and 4-amino (B) substituted 1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-ones, bearing different substituents on the appended 2-phenyl ring (region 1), some of which were potent and selective A(1) or A(3) antagonists. To further investigate the SAR in this class of antagonists, in the present paper some 2-phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one derivatives of both series A and B, bearing simple substituents on the benzofused moiety (region 2), are reported. The binding data at bovine A(1) (bA(1)) and A(2A)(bA(2A)) and at human A(3) (hA(3)) adenosine receptors (ARs) show that in series A (compounds 1, 4-11) the presence of substituents on the benzofused moiety is, in general, not advantageous for anchoring at all three AR subtypes, while within series B (compounds 12-21) it exerts a beneficial effect for both bA(1) and hA(3) AR affinities which span the low nanomolar range. In particular, among the 4-amino derivatives 12-21, the 8-chloro-6-nitro (compound 17) and the 6-nitro (compound 18) substitutions afford, respectively, the highest bA(1) and hA(3) AR affinity. Moreover, compound 18, additionally investigated in binding assays at human A(1) (hA(1)) receptors, shows a 183-fold selectivity for hA(3) versus hA(1) receptors. Finally, the SAR studies provide some new insights about the steric and lipophilic requirements of the hA(3) receptor binding pocket which accommodates the benzofused moiety of our 4-amino-triazoloquinoxalin-1-one derivatives.     

2-aryl-8-chloro-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]quinoxalin-4-amines as highly potent A1 and A3 adenosine receptor antagonists

Some 2-aryl-8-chloro-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]quinoxaline derivatives 2-18, obtained by introducing different substituents on either the 4-amino moiety (acyl or carbamoyl groups) or the 2-phenyl ring (4-OCH3) of previously reported 8-chloro-2-phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]quinoxalin-4-amine (1), have been synthesized and tested in radioligand binding assays at bovine A1 and A(2A) and at cloned human A1 and A3 adenosine receptors. The rationally designed 8-chloro-2-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]quinoxalin-4-acetylamine (14) can be considered one of the most potent and hA3 versus hA1 selective AR antagonists reported till now. The structure-activity relationships of compounds 2-18 are in agreement with those of previously reported 2-aryl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalines (series A) and 2-arylpyrazolo[3,4-c]quinolines (series B), thus suggesting a similar AR binding mode. In fact, the importance for the A3 receptor-ligand interaction of both a strong acidic NH proton donor and a C=O proton acceptor at position-4, able to engage hydrogen-bonding interactions with specific sites on the A3 AR, has been confirmed. Using our recently published hA3 receptor model, to better elucidate our experimental results, we decided to theoretically depict the putative TM binding motif of the herein reported 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]quinoxaline derivatives on human A3 receptor. Structure-activity relationships have been explained analyzing the three-dimensional structure of the antagonist-receptor models obtained by molecular docking simulation.     

Pyrrolo- and pyrazolo-[3,4-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines as adenosine receptor antagonists

The discovery and development of adenosine receptor antagonists have represented for years an attractive field of research from the perspective of identifying new drugs for the treatment of widespread disorders such as inflammation, asthma and Parkinson's disease. The present work can be considered as an extension of our structure-activity relationship studies on the pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine (PTP) nucleus, extensively investigated by us as a useful template, in particular, for the identification of A(2A) and A(3) adenosine receptor antagonists. In order to explore the role of the nitrogen at the 7-position, we performed a new synthetic strategy for the preparation of pyrrolo[3,4-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine derivatives which can be considered as 7-deaza analogues of the parent PTPs. We also synthesised a novel series of pyrazolo[3,4-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines as junction isomers of the reference compounds. In both cases we obtained some examples of potent antagonists (K(i) in the low nanomolar range) with variable selectivity profiles in relation to the nature of substituents introduced at the C(5)-, N(8)- and/or N(9)-positions. The pyrrolo-triazolo-pyrimidine derivative 9b appeared to be a potent A(3) adenosine receptor antagonist (K(i)=10 nM) with good selectivity over hA(1) (74-fold) and hA(2A) (20-fold) adenosine receptors combined with low activity at the hA(2B) subtype (IC(50)=906 nM). Moreover, some examples of high-affinity A(1)/A(2A) dual antagonists have been identified in both series. This work constitutes a new and important contribution for the comprehension of the interaction between PTPs and adenosine receptors.     

Synthesis of 4-amino-6-(hetero)arylalkylamino-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one derivatives as potent A(2A) adenosine receptor antagonists

In previous papers (Colotta, V. et al. Arch. Pharm. Pharm. Med. Chem. 1999, 332, 39. Colotta, V. et al. J. Med. Chem. 2000, 43, 1158) we reported the synthesis and binding affinity at bovine (b) A₁ and A_2A and human (h) A₃ adenosine receptors (ARs) of the 4-amino-6-benzylamino-2-phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (compound A) which resulted in a potent and selective A_2A AR antagonist. Compound A provided the lead compound of a series of 6- or 8-(hetero)arylalkylamino-4-amino-2-phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one derivatives (compounds 1–20) which are the object of this paper. Most of the newly synthesized compounds are inactive at hA₃ ARs while they possess both nanomolar bA_2A affinities and different degrees of bA_2A versus bA₁ selectivity. The binding data show that hydrophilic substituents on the benzyl moiety are the most profitable for bA_2A receptor affinity. Furthermore, their steric hindrance seems to play an important role for the bA_2A AR interaction, thus suggesting that the 6-aralkylamino moiety of these ligands interacts with a size-limited binding pocket of this AR subtype. Thus, the SAR studies provided us some new insights about the structural requirements of the bA_2A AR recognition site.     

Comparison of inhibitory activity of isomeric triazolopyridine derivatives towards adenosine receptor subtypes or do similar structures reveal similar bioactivities?

The synthesis of an array of 8-amino-2-aryl-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine-6-carboxyl amide derivatives is described for the first time. A subset of 20 derivatives were compared to their isomeric 5-amino-2-aryl-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine-7-carboxyl amide counterparts with regard to their potential to inhibit the human adenosine 2a (hA2a) receptor and their selectivity against the human adenosine 1 (hA1) receptor. Based on the analysis of H-bond donor/acceptor capabilities of the isomeric triazolopyridine pairs it can be concluded that the H-bond donor strength of the free amino functionality is the main determinant for hA2a inhibitory activity and hA1 selectivity.     

Novel potent and highly selective human A(3) adenosine receptor antagonists belonging to the 4-amido-2-arylpyrazolo[3,4-c]quinoline series: molecular docking analysis and pharmacological studies

The study of novel 2-arylpyrazolo[3,4-c]quinolin-4-(hetero)arylamides, designed as human (h) A(3) adenosine receptor antagonists, is reported. The new derivatives are endowed with nanomolar hA(3) receptor affinity and high selectivity versus hA(1), hA(2A) and hA(2B) receptors. Among the (hetero)aroyl residues introduced on the 4-amino group, the 2-furyl and 4-pyridyl rings turned out to be the most beneficial for hA(3) affinity (K(i)=3.4 and 5.0nM, respectively). An intensive molecular docking study to a rhodopsin-based homology model of the hA(3) receptor was carried out to obtain a 'structure-based pharmacophore model' that proved to be helpful for the interpretation of the observed affinities of the new hA(3) pyrazoloquinoline antagonists.     

New strategies for the synthesis of A3 adenosine receptor antagonists

New A(3) adenosine receptor antagonists were synthesized and tested at human adenosine receptor subtypes. An advanced synthetic strategy permitted us to obtain a large amount of the key intermediate 5 that was then submitted to alkylation procedures in order to obtain the derivatives 6-8. These compounds were then functionalised into ureas at the 5-position (compounds 9-11, 18 and 19) to evaluate their affinity and selectivity versus hA(3) adenosine receptor subtype; in particular, compounds 18 and 19 displayed a value of affinity of 4.9 and 1.3 nM, respectively. Starting from 5, the synthetic methodologies employed permitted us to perform a rapid and a convenient divergent synthesis. A further improvement allowed the regioselective preparation of the N(8)-substituted compound 7. This method could be used as an helpful general procedure for the design of novel A(3) adenosine receptor antagonists without the difficulty of separating the N(8)-substituted pyrazolo[4,3-e]1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines from the corresponding N(7)-isomers.     

Synthesis, adenosine receptor binding and 3D-QSAR of 4-substituted 2-(2'-furyl)-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]quinoxalines

A collection of 25 2-(2'-furyl)-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]quinoxalines incorporating different substitution patterns at position 4 have been synthesized and their binding affinity towards human adenosine receptors (hA(1), hA(2A), hA(2B) and hA(3)) was determined. The biological data show that several potent at hA(1), but lightly selective, adenosine ligands were identified. Moreover, these results confirmed the hypothesis that the structural modifications carried out on the 4-position of the tricyclic system produces a remarkable modification of the adenosine receptorial profile. A 3D-QSAR modelling study (GRIND/ALMOND methodology) performed on the hA(1) data gave further support to the pharmacological results, and it is presented as a useful tool for the future design of ligands with better pharmacological profiles.     

Synthesis and pharmacological investigation of novel 1-substituted-4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinazolin-5(4H)-ones as a new class of H1-antihistaminic agents

A series of novel 1-substituted-4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinazolin-5(4H)-ones 7 were synthesized by the cyclization of 2-hydrazino-3-phenylquinazolin-4(3H)-one 6 with various one carbon donors. The starting material 2-hydrazino-3-phenylquinazolin-4(3H)-one 6, was synthesized from aniline 1 by a novel innovative route. When tested for their in vivo H(1)-antihistaminic activity on conscious guinea pigs all the test compounds protected the animals from histamine induced bronchospasm significantly, whereas the compound 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinazolin-5(4H)-one 7b (percentage protection 70.7%) was found to be equipotent with the reference standard chlorpheniramine maleate (percentage protection 71%). These compounds show negligible sedation ( approximately 5%) when compared to the reference standard (26%). Hence they could serve as prototype molecules for future development.     

Acute effects of 17beta -estradiol on femoral veins from adult gonadally intact and ovariectomized female pigs

Our experiments were designed to determine the acute effects of 17beta-estradiol on femoral veins from intact and ovariectomized female pigs. Rings of femoral veins with or without endothelium were suspended in organ chambers for measurement of isometric force. Concentration-response curves to 17beta-estradiol (10(-9) to 10(-5) M) were obtained in veins contracted with prostaglandin F(2alpha) in the absence and presence of inhibitors of either estrogen receptors (ICI-182780; 10(-5) M), nitric oxide synthase [N(G)-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA); 10(-4) M], soluble guanylate cyclase (1-H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one; 10(-5) M), or potassium channels (tetraethylammonium; 10(-2) M). Estrogen receptors were identified with the use of Western blotting and immunostaining in veins of both groups. 17beta-Estradiol caused acute endothelium-dependent relaxations in both groups. Relaxations to 17beta-estradiol were inhibited by l-NMMA and 1-H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one but not ICI-182780. Tetraethylammonium inhibited relaxations only in veins with endothelium from intact females. Results indicate that 17beta-estradiol causes acute endothelium-dependent relaxations in femoral veins. The relative contribution of nitric oxide and K(+) channels as mechanisms involved in relaxations to 17beta-estradiol in femoral veins is modulated by ovarian status.     

Potent and selective adenosine A(2A) receptor antagonists: [1,2,4]-triazolo[4,3-c]pyrimidin-3-ones

Antagonism of the adenosine A_2A receptor affords a possible treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In the course of investigating pyrazolo[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine A_2A antagonists, we prepared [1,2,4]-triazolo[4,3-c]pyrimidin-3-ones with potent and selective (vs A₁) A_2A antagonist activity. Structure-activity relationships are described for this series.     

1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]pyrimidines: a new kind of ligands. Structure of the silver(I) dimer with the 7-oxo derivative

This paper describes the silver dinuclear complex [Ag₂L₂(NO₃)₂] · 2H₂O, where L represents the bridging ligand 7,8-dihydro-7-oxo-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]pyrimidine, this being the first example of a coordination compound of a 1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]pyrimidine derivative. As a difference with the most studied 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives, the coordination takes place through the contiguous nitrogen atoms of the triazole ring, closing a six member Ag₂N₄ core with a higher intermetallic distance, 3.4791(3) Å. Linear coordination of silver is not possible in this geometry, so flat trigonal coordination involving also the nitrate counteranion is found instead.     

Structure-activity relationships of thiazole and thiadiazole derivatives as potent and selective human adenosine A3 receptor antagonists

4-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-2-aminothiazole and 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-aminothiadiazole derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated as selective antagonists for human adenosine A3 receptors. A methoxy group in the 4-position of the phenyl ring and N-acetyl or propionyl substitutions of the aminothiazole and aminothiadiazole templates displayed great increases of binding affinity and selectivity for human adenosine A3 receptors. The most potent A3 antagonist of the present series, N-[3-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-[1,2,4]thiadiazol-5-yl]-acetamide (39) exhibiting a Ki value of 0.79 nM at human adenosine A3 receptors, showed antagonistic property in a functional assay of cAMP biosynthesis involved in one of the signal transduction pathways of adenosine A3 receptors. Molecular modeling study of conformation search and receptor docking experiments to investigate the dramatic differences of binding affinities between two regioisomers of thiadiazole analogues, (39) and (42), suggested possible binding mechanisms in the binding pockets of adenosine receptors.     

Novel 8-amino-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]pyrazin-3-one derivatives as potent human adenosine A1 and A2A receptor antagonists. Evaluation of their protective effect against β-amyloid-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells

In this work, an enlarged series of 1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]pyrazin-3-ones was designed to target the human (h) A_2A adenosine receptor (AR) or both hA₁ and hA_2A ARs. The novel 8-amino-1,2,4-triazolopyrazin-3-one derivatives 1–25 featured a phenyl or a benzyl pendant at position 2 while different aryl/heteroaryl substituents were placed at position 6. Two compounds (8 and 10) endowed with high affinity (K_i = 7.2 and 10.6 nM) and a complete selectivity for the hA_2A AR were identified. Moreover, several derivatives possessed nanomolar affinity for both hA₁ and hA_2A ARs (both K_i < 20 nM) and different degrees of selectivity versus the hA₃ AR. Two selected compounds (10 and 25) demonstrated ability in preventing β-amyloid peptide (25–35)-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. Results of docking studies at the hA_2A and hA₁ AR crystal structures helped us to rationalize the observed affinity data and to highlight that the steric hindrance of the substituents at the 2- and 6-position of the bicyclic core affects the binding mode in the receptor cavity.     

Potent, selective, and orally active adenosine A2A receptor antagonists: arylpiperazine derivatives of pyrazolo[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines

Antagonism of the adenosine A2A receptor offers great promise in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Employing the known pyrazolo[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine A2A antagonist SCH 58261 as a starting point, we identified the potent and selective (vs. A1) antagonist 11h, orally active in the rat haloperidol-induced catalepsy model. We further optimized this lead to the methoxyethoxyethyl ether 12a (SCH 420814), which shows broad selectivity, good pharmacokinetic properties, and excellent in vivo activity.     

QSAR of adenosine A3 receptor antagonist 1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one derivatives using chemometric tools

Considering the potential of selective adenosine A3 receptor subtype ligands in the development of prospective therapeutic agents, an attempt has been made to explore physicochemical requirements of 1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one derivatives for A3 receptor binding. In this study, lipophilicity (logP), physicochemical substituent constants (pi, MR, sigma p) of phenyl ring substituents, and Wang-Ford charges of common atoms of the quinoxaline nucleus (calculated from molecular electrostatic potential surface of energy-minimized geometry using AM1 technique) were used as independent variables along with suitable dummy parameters. The best multiple linear regression (MLR) equation obtained from factor analysis (FA-MLR) as the preprocessing step could explain and predict 72.6% and 65.3%, respectively, of the variance of the binding affinity. The same equation also emerged as the best equation in the population of 100 equations obtained from genetic function approximation (GFA-MLR). The results suggested that presence of an electron-withdrawing group at the para position of the phenyl ring would be favorable for the binding affinity. Again, the presence of a nitro group at position R1 increases the binding affinity. When factor scores were used as predictor variables in the principal component regression analysis, the resultant model showed 78.6% explained variance and 63.1% predicted variance. The best equation derived from G/PLS could explain and predict 74.4% and 64.8%, respectively. The results have suggested the importance of Wang-Ford charges of atoms C15 and C19, apart from positive contributions of electron-withdrawing para substituents of the variance of the phenyl ring and nitro group at the R1 position.     

The nNos/cGMP mediation of the depressor response to NMDA receptor stimulation in the caudal ventrolateral medulla

Using in vivo voltammetry to directly measure extracellular nitric oxide (NO) levels, our previous studies suggested that the neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signal transducing systems are involved in the cardiovascular responses elicited by activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the rostral ventrolateral medulla. In this study, we examined if the depressor responses elicited by activation of NMDA receptors in the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM) also depend on the actions of nNOS and soluble guanylyl cyclase. In anesthetized cats, microinjection of NMDA into the CVLM produced hypotension and bradycardia associated with NO formation. These NMDA-induced responses were attenuated by prior injections of 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate (a NMDA receptor competitive antagonist), 7-nitroindazole (a nNOS inhibitor) and 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (an inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase). These findings suggest that NO is also involved in the NMDA-induced depressor responses of the CVLM.     

Adenosine receptors in colon carcinoma tissues and colon tumoral cell lines: focus on the A(3) adenosine subtype

Adenosine may affect several pathophysiological processes, including cellular proliferation, through interaction with A(1), A(2A), A(2B), and A(3) receptors. In this study we characterized adenosine receptors in human colon cancer tissues and in colon cancer cell lines Caco2, DLD1, HT29. mRNA of all adenosine subtypes was detected in cancer tissues and cell lines. At a protein levels low amount of A(1), A(2A), and A(2B) receptors were detected, whilst the A(3) was the most abundant subtype in both cancer tissues and cells, with a pharmacological profile typical of the A(3) subtype. All the receptors were coupled to stimulation/inhibition of adenylyl-cyclase in cancer cells, with the exception of A(1) subtype. Adenosine increased cell proliferation with an EC(50) of 3-12 microM in cancer cells. This effect was not essentially reduced by adenosine receptor antagonists. However dypiridamol, an adenosine transport inhibitor, increased the stimulatory effect induced by adenosine, suggesting an action at the cell surface. Addition of adenosine deaminase makes the A(3) agonist 2-chloro-N6-(3-iodobenzyl)-N-methyl-5'-carbamoyladenosine (Cl-IB-MECA) able to stimulate cell proliferation with an EC(50) of 0.5-0.9 nM in cancer cells, suggesting a tonic proliferative effect induced by endogenous adenosine. This effect was antagonized by 5-N-(4-methoxyphenyl-carbamoyl)amino-8-propyl-2(2furyl)-pyrazolo-[4,3e]-1,2,4-triazolo [1,5-c] pyrimidine (MRE 3008F20) 10 nM. Cl-IB-MECA-stimulated cell proliferation involved extracellular-signal-regulated-kinases (ERK1/2) pathway, as demonstrated by reduction of proliferation with 1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis-[2-amino-phenylthio]-butadiene (U0126) and by ERK1/2 phosphorylation. In conclusion this study indicates for the first time that in colon cancer cell lines endogenous adenosine, through the interaction with A(3) receptors, mediates a tonic proliferative effect.     

1,3-Dialkyl-8-(hetero)aryl-9-OH-9-deazaxanthines as potent A2B adenosine receptor antagonists: design, synthesis, structure-affinity and structure-selectivity relationships

A number of 1,3-dialkyl-8-(hetero)aryl-9-OH-9-deazaxanthines were prepared and evaluated as ligands of recombinant human adenosine receptors (hARs). Several 1,3-dipropyl derivatives endowed with nanomolar binding affinity at hA(2B) receptors, but poor selectivity over hA(2A), hA(1) and hA(3) AR subtypes were identified. A comparison with the corresponding 7-OH- and 7,9-unsubstituted-deazaxanthines revealed that 9-OH-9-deazaxanthines are more potent hA(2B) ligands with lower partition coefficients and higher water solubility compared to the other two congeneric classes of deazaxanthines. An optimization of the para-substituent of the 8-phenyl ring of 9-OH-9-deazaxanthines led to the discovery of compound 38, which exhibited outstanding hA(2B) affinity (Ki=1.0 nM), good selectivity over hA(2A), hA(1) and hA(3) (selectivity indices=100, 79 and 1290, respectively) and excellent antagonist potency in a functional assay on rat A(2B) (pA(2B)=9.33).     

Analysis of the mechanisms underlying the vasorelaxant action of angiotensin II in the isolated rat carotid

It has been suggested that low concentrations of angiotensin II cause vasoconstriction whereas high concentrations evoke vasodilation. Thus, this work aimed to functionally characterize the mechanisms underlying the relaxation induced by angiotensin II at high concentrations in isolated rat carotid rings. Experiments using standard muscle bath procedures showed that angiotensin II (0.01-3 μM) concentration dependently induces relaxation of phenylephrine-pre-contracted rings. No differences between intact or denuded endothelium were found. The angiotensin II-induced relaxation was strongly inhibited by saralasin, the non-selective antagonist of angiotensin II receptors but not by the selective antagonists of AT₁ and AT₂ receptors, losartan and PD123319, respectively. However, A-779, a selective angiotensin-(1-7) receptor antagonist, reduced the relaxation induced by angiotensin II. Administration of exogenous angiotensin-(1-7) on pre-contracted tissues produced concentration-dependent relaxation, which was also inhibited by A-779. HOE-140, the selective antagonist of the bradykinin in B₂ receptor did not produce any significant effect on angiotensin II-induced relaxation. Pre-incubation of denuded-rings with N G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) or 1H-[1,2,4] Oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) reduced angiotensin II-induced relaxation. On the other hand, neither indomethacin nor tetraethylammonium (TEA) produced any significant effect. The major new finding of this work is that high concentrations of angiotensin II induce relaxation of the rat carotid via activation of the NO-cGMP pathway through a mechanism that seems to be partially dependent on activation of angiotensin-(1-7) receptors.