Two Asymmetric Syntheses of AMG 221, an Inhibitor of 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1

Novel 2-(Adamantan-1-ylamino)Thiazol-4(5H)-One Derivatives and Their Inhibitory Activity towards 11β-HSD1-Synthesis, Molecular Docking and In Vitro Studies

A common mechanism in which glucocorticoids participate is suggested in the pathogenesis of such metabolic diseases as obesity, metabolic syndrome, or Cushing’s syndrome. The enzyme involved in the control of the availability of cortisol, the active form of the glucocorticoid for the glucocorticoid receptor, is 11β-HSD1. Inhibition of 11β-HSD1 activity may bring beneficial results for the alleviation of the course of metabolic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome or type 2 diabetes. In this work, we obtained 10 novel 2-(adamantan-1-ylamino)thiazol-4(5H)-one derivatives containing different substituents at C-5 of thiazole ring and tested their activity towards inhibition of two 11β-HSD isoforms. For most of them, over 50% inhibition of 11β-HSD1 and less than 45% inhibition of 11β-HSD2 activity at the concentration of 10 µM was observed. The binding energies found during docking simulations for 11β-HSD1 correctly reproduced the experimental IC₅₀ values for analyzed compounds. The most active compound 2-(adamantan-1-ylamino)-1-thia-3-azaspiro[4.5]dec-2-en-4-one (3i) inhibits the activity of isoform 1 by 82.82%. This value is comparable to the known inhibitor-carbenoxolone. The IC₅₀ value is twice the value determined by us for carbenoxolone, however inhibition of the enzyme isoform 2 to a lesser extent makes it an excellent material for further tests.

Synthesis of the N-methyl Derivatives of 2-Aminothiazol-4(5H)-one and Their Interactions with 11βHSD1-Molecular Modeling and in Vitro Studies

11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) is an enzyme that affects the body's cortisol levels. The inhibition of its activity can be used in the treatment of Cushing's syndrome, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. In this study, we synthesized new derivatives of 2-(methylamino)thiazol-4(5H)-one and tested their activity towards inhibition of 11β-HSD1 and its isoform - 11β-HSD2. The results were compared with the previously tested allyl derivatives. We found out that methyl derivatives are weaker inhibitors of 11β-HSD1 in comparison to their allyl analogs. Due to significant differences in the activity of the compounds, molecular modeling was performed, which was aimed at comparing the interactions between 11β-HSD1 and ligands differing by substituent at the amine group (allyl vs. methyl). Modeling showed that the absence of the allyl group can lead to the rotation of whole ligand molecule which affects its interaction with the enzyme.

The crystal structure of zwitterionic 2-{[(4-imin-iumyl-3-methyl-1,4-di-hydro-pyridin-1-yl)meth-yl]carbamo-yl}benzoate hemihydrate

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C15H15N3O3·0.5H2O, comprises two 2-{[(4-iminiumyl-3-methyl-1,4-di-hydro-pyridin-1-yl)meth-yl]carbamo-yl}benzoate zwitterions (A and B) and a water mol-ecule. The dihedral angles between the pyridine and phenyl rings in the zwitterions are 53.69 (10) and 73.56 (11)° in A and B, respectively. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by N-H⋯O, O-H⋯O, C-H⋯O and C-H⋯π(ring) hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional network. The crystal structure also features π-π inter-actions involving the centroids of the pyridine and phenyl rings [centroid-centroid distances = 3.5618 (12) Å in A and 3.8182 (14) Å in B].

11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1: translational and therapeutic aspects

11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) interconverts the inactive glucocorticoid cortisone and its active form cortisol. It is widely expressed and, although bidirectional, in vivo it functions predominantly as an oxoreductase, generating active glucocorticoid. This allows glucocorticoid receptor activation to be regulated at a prereceptor level in a tissue-specific manner. In this review, we will discuss the enzymology and molecular biology of 11β-HSD1 and the molecular basis of cortisone reductase deficiencies. We will also address how altered 11β-HSD1 activity has been implicated in a number of disease states, and we will explore its role in the physiology and pathologies of different tissues. Finally, we will address the current status of selective 11β-HSD1 inhibitors that are in development and being tested in phase II trials for patients with the metabolic syndrome. Although the data are preliminary, therapeutic inhibition of 11β-HSD1 is also an exciting prospect for the treatment of a variety of other disorders such as osteoporosis, glaucoma, intracranial hypertension, and cognitive decline.

11beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitors: novel agents for the treatment of metabolic syndrome and obesity-related disorders?

OBJECTIVE

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and Cushing's syndrome share common features. It has been proposed that increased glucocorticoid activity at peripheral tissues may play a role in the pathogenesis of MetS and obesity-related disorders. It is well-known that intracellular cortisol concentrations are determined not only by plasma levels but also by the activity of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) which catalyzes the conversion of inactive cortisone to active cortisol, especially in the liver and adipose tissue. Another isoenzyme exists, the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, which acts in the opposite direction inactivating cortisol to cortisone in the kidney. This review considers the significance of the 11β-HSD1 inhibition in the treatment of several features of MetS and provides current data about the development of 11β-HSD1 inhibitors, as new agents for this purpose.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Using PubMed, we searched for publications during the last 20years regarding the development of 11β-HSD1 inhibitors.

RESULTS

Emerging data from animal and human studies indicate an association of 11β-HSD1 over-expression with obesity and disorders in glucose and lipid metabolism. This has led to the hypothesis that selective inhibition of 11β-HSD1 could be used to treat MetS and diabetes. Indeed, natural products and older agents such as thiazolidinediones and fibrates seem to exert an inhibitory effect on 11β-HSD1, ameliorating the cardiometabolic profile. In view of this concept, novel compounds, such as adamantyltriazoles, arylsulfonamidothiazoles, anilinothiazolones, BVT2733, INCB-13739, MK-0916 and MK-0736, are currently under investigation and the preliminary findings from both experimental and human studies show a favourable effect on glucose and lipid metabolism, weight reduction and adipokine levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Many compounds inhibiting 11β-ΗSD1 are under development and preliminary data about their impact on glucose metabolism and obesity-related disorders are encouraging.

Novel therapeutics and targets for the treatment of diabetes

The microvascular complications of insufficiently controlled diabetes (neuropathy, retinopathy and nephropathy) and the marked increased risk of macrovascular events (e.g., stroke and myocardial infarction) have a dire impact on society in both human and economic terms. In Type 1 diabetes total β-cell loss occurs. In Type 2 diabetes, partial β-cell loss occurs before diagnosis, and the progressive β-cell loss during the life of the patient increases the severity of the disease. In patients with diabetes, increased insulin resistance in the muscle and liver are key pathophysiologic defects. In addition, defects in metabolic processes in the fat, GI tract, brain, pancreatic α-cells and kidney are detrimental to the overall health of the patient. This review addresses novel therapies for these deficiencies in clinical and preclinical evaluation, emphasizing their potential to address glucose homeostasis, β-cell mass and function, and the comorbidities of cardiovascular disease and obesity.

The Arabidopsis glucosyltransferase UGT76B1 conjugates isoleucic acid and modulates plant defense and senescence

Plants coordinate and tightly regulate pathogen defense by the mostly antagonistic salicylate (SA)- and jasmonate (JA)-mediated signaling pathways. Here, we show that the previously uncharacterized glucosyltransferase UGT76B1 is a novel player in this SA-JA signaling crosstalk. UGT76B1 was selected as the top stress-induced isoform among all 122 members of the Arabidopsis thaliana UGT family. Loss of UGT76B1 function leads to enhanced resistance to the biotrophic pathogen Pseudomonas syringae and accelerated senescence but increased susceptibility toward necrotrophic Alternaria brassicicola. This is accompanied by constitutively elevated SA levels and SA-related marker gene expression, whereas JA-dependent markers are repressed. Conversely, UGT76B1 overexpression has the opposite effect. Thus, UGT76B1 attenuates SA-dependent plant defense in the absence of infection, promotes the JA response, and delays senescence. The ugt76b1 phenotypes were SA dependent, whereas UGT76B1 overexpression indicated that this gene possibly also has a direct effect on the JA pathway. Nontargeted metabolomic analysis of UGT76B1 knockout and overexpression lines using ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry and activity assays with the recombinant enzyme led to the ab initio identification of isoleucic acid (2-hydroxy-3-methyl-pentanoic acid) as a substrate of UGT76B1. Exogenously applied isoleucic acid increased resistance against P. syringae infection. These findings indicate a novel link between amino acid-related molecules and plant defense that is mediated by small-molecule glucosylation.

Pyrrolidine-pyrazole ureas as potent and selective inhibitors of 11β-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase type 1

A High Throughput Screening campaign allowed the identification of a novel class of ureas as 11β-HSD1 inhibitors. Rational chemical optimization provided potent and selective inhibitors of both human and murine 11β-HSD1 with an appropriate ADME profile and ex vivo activity in target tissues.