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Zhao H, Liu Y, Cai N, Liao X, Tang L, Wang Y. Endocannabinoid Hydrolase Inhibitors: Potential Novel Anxiolytic Drugs. Drug Des Devel Ther 2024; 18:2143-2167. [PMID: 38882045 PMCID: PMC11179644 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s462785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, the idea of targeting the endocannabinoid system to treat anxiety disorders has received increasing attention. Previous studies focused more on developing cannabinoid receptor agonists or supplementing exogenous cannabinoids, which are prone to various adverse effects due to their strong pharmacological activity and poor receptor selectivity, limiting their application in clinical research. Endocannabinoid hydrolase inhibitors are considered to be the most promising development strategies for the treatment of anxiety disorders. More recent efforts have emphasized that inhibition of two major endogenous cannabinoid hydrolases, monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), indirectly activates cannabinoid receptors by increasing endogenous cannabinoid levels in the synaptic gap, circumventing receptor desensitization resulting from direct enhancement of endogenous cannabinoid signaling. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the anxiolytic effects of MAGL and FAAH inhibitors and their potential pharmacological mechanisms, highlight reported novel inhibitors or natural products, and provide an outlook on future directions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongqing Zhao
- Science & Technology Innovation Center, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yang Liu
- Science & Technology Innovation Center, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Na Cai
- Outpatient Department, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaolin Liao
- Science & Technology Innovation Center, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin Tang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuhong Wang
- Science & Technology Innovation Center, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
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Mikkelsen JD, Aripaka SS, Egilmez CB, Pazarlar BA. Binding of the monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) radiotracer [ 3H]T-401 in the rat brain after status epilepticus. Neurochem Int 2024; 175:105717. [PMID: 38447759 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2024.105717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is a cytosolic serine hydrolase considered a potential novel drug target for the treatment of CNS disorders including epilepsy. Here we examined MAGL levels in a rat model of epilepsy. METHODS Autoradiography has been used to validate the binding properties of the MAGL radiotracer, [3H]T-401, in the rat brain, and to explore spatial and temporal changes in binding levels in a model of temporal lobe epilepsy model using unilateral intra-hippocampal injections of kainic acid (KA) in rats. RESULTS Specific and saturable binding of [3H]T-401 was detected in both cortical grey and subcortical white matter. Saturation experiments revealed a KD in the range between 15 nM and 17 nM, and full saturation was achieved at concentrations around 30 nM. The binding could be completely blocked with the cold ligand (Ki 44.2 nM) and at higher affinity (Ki 1.27 nM) with another structurally different MAGL inhibitor, ABD 1970. Bilateral reduction in [3H]T-401 binding was observed in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus few days after status epilepticus that further declined to a level of around 30% compared to the control. No change in binding was observed in either the hypothalamus nor the white matter at any time point. Direct comparison to [3H]UCB-J binding to synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 A (SV2A), another protein localized in the pre-synapse, revealed that while binding to MAGL remained low in the chronic phase, SV2A was increased significantly in some cortical areas. SIGNIFICANCE These data show that MAGL is reduced in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in a chronic epilepsy model and indicate that MAGL inhibitors may further reduce MAGL activity in the treatment resistant epilepsy patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens D Mikkelsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Institute of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Sanjay S Aripaka
- Neurobiology Research Unit, University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Cansu B Egilmez
- Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Burcu A Pazarlar
- Neurobiology Research Unit, University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Institute of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
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He Y, Krämer SD, Grether U, Wittwer MB, Collin L, Kuhn B, Topp A, Heer D, O'Hara F, Honer M, Pavlovic A, Richter H, Ritter M, Rombach D, Keller C, Gobbi L, Mu L. Identification of ( R)-[ 18F]YH134 for Monoacylglycerol Lipase Neuroimaging and Exploration of Its Use for Central Nervous System and Peripheral Drug Development. J Nucl Med 2024; 65:300-305. [PMID: 38164615 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.123.266426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate (R)-[18F]YH134 as a novel PET tracer for imaging monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL). Considering the ubiquitous expression of MAGL throughout the whole body, the impact of various MAGL inhibitors on (R)-[18F]YH134 brain uptake and its application in brain-periphery crosstalk were explored. Methods: MAGL knockout and wild-type mice were used to evaluate (R)-[18F]YH134 in in vitro autoradiography and PET experiments. To explore the impact of peripheral MAGL occupancy on (R)-[18F]YH134 brain uptake, PET kinetics with an arterial input function were studied in male Wistar rats under baseline and blocking conditions. Results: In in vitro autoradiography, (R)-[18F]YH134 revealed a heterogeneous distribution pattern with high binding to MAGL-rich brain regions in wild-type mouse brain slices, whereas the radioactive signal was negligible in MAGL knockout mouse brain slices. The in vivo brain PET images of (R)-[18F]YH134 in wild-type and MAGL knockout mice demonstrated its high specificity and selectivity in mouse brain. A Logan plot with plasma input function was applied to estimate the distribution volume (V T) of (R)-[18F]YH134. V T was significantly reduced by a brain-penetrant MAGL inhibitor but was unchanged by a peripherally restricted MAGL inhibitor. The MAGL target occupancy in the periphery was estimated using (R)-[18F]YH134 PET imaging data from the brain. Conclusion: (R)-[18F]YH134 is a highly specific and selective PET tracer with favorable kinetic properties for imaging MAGL in rodent brain. Our results showed that blocking of the peripheral target influences brain uptake but not the V T of (R)-[18F]YH134. (R)-[18F]YH134 can be used for estimating the dose of MAGL inhibitor at half-maximal peripheral target occupancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingfang He
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; and
| | - Stefanie D Krämer
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; and
| | - Uwe Grether
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matthias B Wittwer
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ludovic Collin
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Bernd Kuhn
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Topp
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dominik Heer
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fionn O'Hara
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Honer
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anto Pavlovic
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hans Richter
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Ritter
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Didier Rombach
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Keller
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; and
| | - Luca Gobbi
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Linjing Mu
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; and
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