Discovery of novel, potent, selective, and orally active human glucagon receptor antagonists containing a pyrazole core

Copper-Catalyzed Alkynylation of In Situ-Generated Azoalkenes: An Umpolung Approach to Pyrazoles

A straightforward umpolung approach to regioselectively N-protected polysubstituted pyrazoles starting from aromatic α-halohydrazones and terminal alkynes has been developed. In this process, azoalkenes generated in situ from α-halohydrazones are involved in the Cu(I)-catalyzed Michael addition with alkynes to give α-alkynyl-substituted hydrazones that cyclize to give the target pyrazoles in 37-85% yield. The method employs readily available starting materials and features good functional group compatibility (nitro, sulfonyl, cyano, trimethylsilyl, and primary bromoalkyl groups, esters, and alcohols are tolerated) and scalability.

Pyrazole scaffold-based derivatives: A glimpse of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, SAR, and route of synthesis

The α-glucosidase is a validated target to develop drugs for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus. The existing α-glucosidase inhibitors have certain shortcomings related to side effects and route of synthesis. Accordingly, it is inevitable to develop new chemical templates as α-glucosidase inhibitors. Pyrazole derivatives have a special place in medicinal chemistry because of various biological activities. Recently, pyrazole-based heterocyclic compounds have emerged as a promising scaffold to develop α-glucosidase inhibitors. This study focuses on the recently reported pyrazole-based α-glucosidase inhibitors, including their biological activity (in vivo, in vitro, and in silico), structure-activity relationship, and ways of synthesis. The literature revealed the development of several promising pyrazole-based α-glucosidase inhibitors and new synthetic routes for their preparation. The encouraging α-glucosidase inhibitory results of the pyrazole-based heterocyclic compounds make them an attractive target for further research. The authors also foresee the arrival of the pyrazole-based α-glucosidase inhibitors in clinical practice.

Design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular modeling studies of pyrazole-benzofuran hybrids as new α-glucosidase inhibitor

In this work, new derivatives of biphenyl pyrazole-benzofuran hybrids were designed, synthesized and evaluated in vitro through enzymatic assay for inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase activity. Newly identified inhibitors were found to be four to eighteen folds more active with IC₅₀ values in the range of 40.6 ± 0.2-164.3 ± 1.8 µM, as compared to the standard drug acarbose (IC₅₀ = 750.0 ± 10.0 μM). Limited Structure-activity relationship was established. A kinetic binding study indicated that most active compound 8e acted as the competitive inhibitors of α-glucosidase with K_i = 38 μM. Molecular docking has also been performed to find the interaction modes responsible for the desired inhibitory activity. As expected, all pharmacophoric features, used in the design of the hybrid, are involved in the interaction with the active site of the enzyme. In addition, molecular dynamic simulations showed compound 8e oriented vertically into the active site from mouth to the bottom and stabilized the enzyme domains by interacting with the interface of domain A and domain B and the back side of the active site while acarbose formed non-binding interaction with the residue belong to the domain A of the enzyme.

Design and synthesis of novel pyrazole-phenyl semicarbazone derivatives as potential α-glucosidase inhibitor: Kinetics and molecular dynamics simulation study

A series of novel pyrazole-phenyl semicarbazone derivatives were designed, synthesized, and screened for in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Given the importance of hydrogen bonding in promoting the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, pharmacophore modification was established. The docking results rationalized the idea of the design. All newly synthesized compounds exhibited excellent in vitro yeast α-glucosidase inhibition (IC₅₀ values in the range of 65.1-695.0 μM) even much more potent than standard drug acarbose (IC₅₀ = 750.0 μM). Among them, compounds 8o displayed the most potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 65.1 ± 0.3 μM). Kinetic study of compound 8o revealed that it inhibited α-glucosidase in a competitive mode (Ki = 87.0 μM). Limited SAR suggested that electronic properties of substitutions have little effect on inhibitory potential of compounds. Cytotoxic studies demonstrated that the active compounds (8o, 8k, 8p, 8l, 8i, and 8a) compounds are also non-cytotoxic. The binding modes of the most potent compounds 8o, 8k, 8p, 8l and 8i was studied through in silico docking studies. Molecular dynamic simulations have been performed in order to explain the dynamic behavior and structural changes of the systems by the calculation of the root mean square deviation (RMSD) and root mean square fluctuation (RMSF).

GSK-3-associated signaling is crucial to virus infection of cells

Signal transduction pathways play important roles in virus infection, replication, and associated pathogenesis. Some of the best understood cell signaling networks are crucial to virus infections such the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase C (PKC), and the WNT/β-catenin pathways. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a lesser known signaling molecule in the field of virus research. Interestingly, GSK-3 forms the crux of multiple cell signaling pathways. However, recent studies indicate that GSK-3 may perform key roles in the response to viral infection, replication and pathogenesis. The effects of activated or inactivated forms of GSK-3 on virus infection are still not yet clearly understood phenomenon. The comprehension of the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of GSK-3-associated signaling pathways in terms of different stages of virus replication could be important not only to understand the pathogenesis of virus, but also possibly leading to new therapeutic targets. This review will focus on recent advances in understanding the roles of GSK-3 on viral replication, pathogenesis and the immune responses.

A novel series of 4-methyl substituted pyrazole derivatives as potent glucagon receptor antagonists: Design, synthesis and evaluation of biological activities

A novel series of 4-methyl substituted pyrazole derivatives were designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated as potent glucagon receptor (GCGR) antagonists. In this study, compounds 9q, 9r, 19d and 19e showed high GCGR binding (IC₅₀ = 0.09 μM, 0.06 μM, 0.07 μM and 0.08 μM, respectively) and cyclic-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) activities (IC₅₀ = 0.22 μM, 0.26 μM, 0.44 μM and 0.46 μM, respectively) in cell-based assays. Most importantly, the docking experiment demonstrated that compound 9r formed extensive hydrophobic interactions with the receptor binding pocket, making it justifiable to further investigate the potential of becoming a GCGR antagonist.

Synthesis and Pharmacological Activities of Pyrazole Derivatives: A Review

Pyrazole and its derivatives are considered a pharmacologically important active scaffold that possesses almost all types of pharmacological activities. The presence of this nucleus in pharmacological agents of diverse therapeutic categories such as celecoxib, a potent anti-inflammatory, the antipsychotic CDPPB, the anti-obesity drug rimonabant, difenamizole, an analgesic, betazole, a H2-receptor agonist and the antidepressant agent fezolamide have proved the pharmacological potential of the pyrazole moiety. Owing to this diversity in the biological field, this nucleus has attracted the attention of many researchers to study its skeleton chemically and biologically. This review highlights the different synthesis methods and the pharmacological properties of pyrazole derivatives. Studies on the synthesis and biological activity of pyrazole derivatives developed by many scientists around the globe are reported.

Synthesis and Pharmacological Activities of Pyrazole Derivatives: A Review

Pyrazole and its derivatives are considered a pharmacologically important active scaffold that possesses almost all types of pharmacological activities. The presence of this nucleus in pharmacological agents of diverse therapeutic categories such as celecoxib, a potent anti-inflammatory, the antipsychotic CDPPB, the anti-obesity drug rimonabant, difenamizole, an analgesic, betazole, a H2-receptor agonist and the antidepressant agent fezolamide have proved the pharmacological potential of the pyrazole moiety. Owing to this diversity in the biological field, this nucleus has attracted the attention of many researchers to study its skeleton chemically and biologically. This review highlights the different synthesis methods and the pharmacological properties of pyrazole derivatives. Studies on the synthesis and biological activity of pyrazole derivatives developed by many scientists around the globe are reported.

Triclinic and monoclinic polymorphs of meso-(E,E)-1,1'-[1,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane-1,2-diyl]bis(phenyldiazene): the high-yield synthesis of an unexpected product, concomitant polymorphism and configurational disorder

Pyrazolidine-3,5-diones and their derivatives exhibit a wide range of biological activities. Seeking to explore the effect of combining a hydrocarbyl ring substituent, as present in sulfinpyrazone (used to treat gout), with a chlorinated aryl ring, as present in muzolimine (a diuretic), we explored the reaction between 1-phenylpyrazolidine-3,5-dione and 4-chlorobenzaldehyde under mildly basic conditions in the expectation of producing the simple condensation product 4-(4-chlorobenzylidene)-1-phenylpyrazolidine-3,5-dione. However, the reaction product proved to be meso-(E,E)-1,1'-[1,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane-1,2-diyl]bis(phenyldiazene), C26H20Cl2N4, and a tentative mechanism is proposed. Crystallization from ethanol produces two concomitant polymorphs, i.e. a triclinic form, (I), in the space group P-1, and a monoclinic form, (II), in the space group C2/c. In both polymorphs, the molecules lie across centres of inversion, but in (II), the molecules are subject to whole-molecule disorder equivalent to configurational disorder with occupancies of 0.6021 (19) and 0.3979 (19). There are no hydrogen bonds in the crystal structure of polymorph (I), but the molecules of polymorph (II) are linked by C-H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds into complex chains, which are further linked into sheets by C-H...N interactions.

A monoclinic polymorph of 4-(2H-1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-1-(4-methyl-phen-yl)-1H-pyrazol-5-amine

The title compound, C17H15N3O2, is a monoclinic polymorph (P21/c with Z' = 1) of the previously reported triclinic (P-1 with Z' = 2) form [Gajera et al. (2013 ▸). Acta Cryst. E69, o736-o737]. The mol-ecule in the monoclinic polymorph features a central pyrazolyl ring with an N-bound p-tolyl group and a C-bound 1,3-benzodioxolyl fused-ring system on either side of the C atom bearing the amino group. The dihedral angles between the central ring and the N- and C-bound rings are 50.06 (5) and 27.27 (5)°, respectively. The angle between the pendent rings is 77.31 (4)°, indicating the mol-ecule has a twisted conformation. The five-membered dioxolyl ring has an envelope conformation with the methyl-ene C atom being the flap. The relative disposition of the amino and dioxolyl substituents is syn. One of the independent mol-ecules in the triclinic form has a similar syn disposition but the other has an anti arrangement of these substituents. In the crystal structure of the monoclinic form, mol-ecules assemble into supra-molecular helical chains via amino-pyrazolyl N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds. These are linked into layers via C-H⋯π inter-actions, and layers stack along the a axis with no specific inter-actions between them.

Recent Progress in the Use of Glucagon and Glucagon Receptor Antago-nists in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

Glucagon is an important pancreatic hormone, released into blood circulation by alpha cells of the islet of Langerhans. Glucagon induces gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis in hepatocytes, leading to an increase in hepatic glucose production and subsequently hyperglycemia in susceptible individuals. Hyperglucagonemia is a constant feature in patients with T2DM. A number of bioactive agents that can block glucagon receptor have been identified. These glucagon receptor antagonists can reduce the hyperglycemia associated with exogenous glucagon administration in normal as well as diabetic subjects. Glucagon receptor antagonists include isoserine and beta-alanine derivatives, bicyclic 19-residue peptide BI-32169, Des-His1-[Glu9] glucagon amide and related compounds, 5-hydroxyalkyl-4-phenylpyridines, N-[3-cano-6- (1,1 dimethylpropyl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-benzothien-2-yl]-2-ethylbutamide, Skyrin and NNC 250926. The absorption, dosage, catabolism, excretion and medicinal chemistry of these agents are the subject of this review. It emphasizes the role of glucagon in glucose homeostasis and how it could be applied as a novel tool for the management of diabetes mellitus by blocking its receptors with either monoclonal antibodies, peptide and non-peptide antagonists or gene knockout techniques.

4-(2H-1,3-Benzodioxol-5-yl)-1-(4-methyl-phenyl)-1H-pyrazol-5-amine

In the title compound, C17H15N3O2, two independent mol-ecules (A and B) comprise the asymmetric unit. The major conformational difference arises in the relative orientation of the pyrazole ring amine and dioxole substituents which are anti in A and syn in B. The five-membered dioxole ring in each mol-ecule has an envelope conformation with the methyl-ene C atom as the flap. The mean plane through the benzodioxole and benzene groups make dihedral angles of 31.67 (8) and 68.22 (9)°, respectively, with the pyrazole ring in A; the equivalent values for B are 47.18 (7) and 49.08 (9)°. In the crystal, supra-molecular zigzag chains along the b-axis direction arise as a result of N-H⋯N hydrogen bonding. These are consolidated into supra-molecular double chains via C-H⋯O and C-H⋯π inter-actions.

Anti-diabetic efficacy and impact on amino acid metabolism of GRA1, a novel small-molecule glucagon receptor antagonist

Hyperglucagonemia is implicated in the pathophysiology of hyperglycemia. Antagonism of the glucagon receptor (GCGR) thus represents a potential approach to diabetes treatment. Herein we report the characterization of GRA1, a novel small-molecule GCGR antagonist that blocks glucagon binding to the human GCGR (hGCGR) and antagonizes glucagon-induced intracellular accumulation of cAMP with nanomolar potency. GRA1 inhibited glycogenolysis dose-dependently in primary human hepatocytes and in perfused liver from hGCGR mice, a transgenic line of mouse that expresses the hGCGR instead of the murine GCGR. When administered orally to hGCGR mice and rhesus monkeys, GRA1 blocked hyperglycemic responses to exogenous glucagon. In several murine models of diabetes, acute and chronic dosing with GRA1 significantly reduced blood glucose concentrations and moderately increased plasma glucagon and glucagon-like peptide-1. Combination of GRA1 with a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor had an additive antihyperglycemic effect in diabetic mice. Hepatic gene-expression profiling in monkeys treated with GRA1 revealed down-regulation of numerous genes involved in amino acid catabolism, an effect that was paralleled by increased amino acid levels in the circulation. In summary, GRA1 is a potent glucagon receptor antagonist with strong antihyperglycemic efficacy in preclinical models and prominent effects on hepatic gene-expression related to amino acid metabolism.

Small-Molecule Inhibitors of GSK-3: Structural Insights and Their Application to Alzheimer's Disease Models

The world health organization (WHO) estimated that 18 million people are struck by Alzheimer's disease (AD). The USA, France, Germany, and other countries launched major programmes targeting the identification of risk factors, the improvement of caretaking, and fundamental research aiming to postpone the onset of AD. The glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) is implicated in multiple cellular processes and has been linked to the pathogenesis of several diseases including diabetes mellitus, cancer, and AD. Inhibition of GSK-3 leads to neuroprotective effects, decreased β-amyloid production, and a reduction in tau hyperphosphorylation, which are all associated with AD. Various classes of small molecule GSK-3 inhibitors have been published in patents and original publications. Herein, we present a comprehensive summary of small molecules reported to interact with GSK-3. We illustrate the interactions of the inhibitors with the active site. Furthermore, we refer to the biological characterisation in terms of activity and selectivity for GSK-3, elucidate in vivo studies and pre-/clinical trials.

Discovery of a novel glucagon receptor antagonist N-[(4-{(1S)-1-[3-(3, 5-dichlorophenyl)-5-(6-methoxynaphthalen-2-yl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]ethyl}phenyl)carbonyl]-β-alanine (MK-0893) for the treatment of type II diabetes

A potent, selective glucagon receptor antagonist 9m, N-[(4-{(1S)-1-[3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-5-(6-methoxynaphthalen-2-yl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]ethyl}phenyl)carbonyl]-β-alanine, was discovered by optimization of a previously identified lead. Compound 9m is a reversible and competitive antagonist with high binding affinity (IC(50) of 6.6 nM) and functional cAMP activity (IC(50) of 15.7 nM). It is selective for glucagon receptor relative to other family B GPCRs, showing IC(50) values of 1020 nM for GIPR, 9200 nM for PAC1, and >10000 nM for GLP-1R, VPAC1, and VPAC2. Compound 9m blunted glucagon-induced glucose elevation in hGCGR mice and rhesus monkeys. It also lowered ambient glucose levels in both acute and chronic mouse models: in hGCGR ob/ob mice it reduced glucose (AUC 0-6 h) by 32% and 39% at 3 and 10 mpk single doses, respectively. In hGCGR mice on a high fat diet, compound 9m at 3, and 10 mpk po in feed lowered blood glucose levels by 89% and 94% at day 10, respectively, relative to the difference between the vehicle control and lean hGCGR mice. On the basis of its favorable biological and DMPK properties, compound 9m (MK-0893) was selected for further preclinical and clinical evaluations.

Synthesis of diversely 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazoles via 5-exo-dig cyclization

5-Exo-dig cyclocondensation of alk-3-yn-1-ones with hydrazines, in the presence of montmorillonite K-10, provides an effective method with a high atom economy for the synthesis of diversely 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazoles. The microwave-accelerated reaction proceeds in the absence of solvent and leads to 5-benzyl substituted pyrazoles with good yields (72-91%). The regiochemistry of the process was confirmed by the X-ray crystallographic structure determination of 1-(2-fluorophenyl)-5-(4-methylbenzyl)-3-phenyl-1H-pyrazole.