Feasible Synthesis of Antagonist of GPR40 by Constructing 2-Thiouracil Ring viaAcid Mediated Cyclization

Synthesis of 1,3-Dicarbonyl Azepines via Photoinitiated Reactions of Aryl Azides with Carbon-Based Nucleophiles

A photoinduced one-pot method for the synthesis of azepines by the reaction of aryl azides with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds under weakly basic conditions is described. This method offers a simple route for the synthesis of 1,3-dicarbonyl-substituted azepines in good to excellent yields and high regioselectivity and was tested on 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with different acidity levels. The resulting azepines have electrophilic and nucleophilic centers of varying degrees of activity, which facilitate reactions leading to further structural transformations.

Pharmacology and physiology of gastrointestinal enteroendocrine cells

Gastrointestinal (GI) polypeptides are secreted from enteroendocrine cells (EECs). Recent technical advances and the identification of endogenous and synthetic ligands have enabled exploration of the pharmacology and physiology of EECs. Enteroendocrine signaling pathways stimulating hormone secretion involve multiple nutrient transporters and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are activated simultaneously under prevailing nutrient conditions in the intestine following a meal. The majority of studies investigate hormone secretion from EECs in response to single ligands and although the mechanisms behind how individual signaling pathways generate a hormonal output have been well characterized, our understanding of how these signaling pathways converge to generate a single hormone secretory response is still in its infancy. However, a picture is beginning to emerge of how nutrients and full, partial, or allosteric GPCR ligands differentially regulate the enteroendocrine system and its interaction with the enteric and central nervous system. So far, activation of multiple pathways underlies drug discovery efforts to harness the therapeutic potential of the enteroendocrine system to mimic the phenotypic changes observed in patients who have undergone Roux-en-Y gastric surgery. Typically obese patients exhibit ∼30% weight loss and greater than 80% of obese diabetics show remission of diabetes. Targeting combinations of enteroendocrine signaling pathways that work synergistically may manifest with significant, differentiated EEC secretory efficacy. Furthermore, allosteric modulators with their increased selectivity, self-limiting activity, and structural novelty may translate into more promising enteroendocrine drugs. Together with the potential to bias enteroendocrine GPCR signaling and/or to activate multiple divergent signaling pathways highlights the considerable range of therapeutic possibilities available. Here, we review the pharmacology and physiology of the EEC system.

Discovery of a series of 2-(pyridinyl)pyrimidines as potent antagonists of GPR40

A series of 2-(pyridinyl)pyrimidines were identified as potent GPR40 antagonists.

Activation of GPR40 as a therapeutic target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes

The stimulation of insulin secretion by glucose can be modulated by multiple nutritive, hormonal, and pharmacological inputs. Fatty acids potentiate insulin secretion through the generation of intracellular signaling molecules and through the activation of cell surface receptors. The G-protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40), also known as free fatty acid receptor 1 (we will use GPR40 in this review), has emerged as an important component in the fatty acid augmentation of insulin secretion. By signaling predominantly through Gαq/11, GPR40 increases intracellular calcium and activates phospholipases to generate diacylglycerols resulting in increased insulin secretion. Synthetic small-molecule agonists of GPR40 enhance insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent manner in vitro and in vivo with a mechanism similar to that found with fatty acids. GPR40 agonists have shown efficacy in increasing insulin secretion and lowering blood glucose in rodent models of type 2 diabetes. Recent phase I and phase II clinical trials in humans have shown that the GPR40 agonist TAK-875 reduces fasting and postprandial blood glucose and lowers HbA1c with efficacy equal to that of the sulfonylurea glimepiride without inducing hypoglycemia or evidence of tachyphylaxis. These data suggest that targeting the GPR40 receptor can be a viable therapeutic option for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

GPR40: a therapeutic target for mediating insulin secretion (review)

G-protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40), known as free fatty acid receptor 1, is mainly expressed in pancreatic β-cells and activated by medium- and long-chain fatty acids. Increasing evidence indicates that the activation of GPR40 in cells causes insulin secretion, and GPR40 has become an attractive therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes. Recently, certain novel GPR40 agonists have been identified that regulate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, leading to the development of new drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In this review, we focus on progress in the physiological role of GPR40 and potential drugs targeting GPR40 over the past decade.