Design and synthesis of 4-heteroaryl 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines as triple reuptake inhibitors

A series of 4-bicyclic heteroaryl 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline inhibitors of the serotonin transporter (SERT), norepinephrine transporter (NET), and dopamine transporter (DAT) was discovered. The synthesis and structure-activity relationship (SAR) of these triple reuptake inhibitors (TRIs) will be discussed. Compound 10i (AMR-2), a very potent inhibitor of SERT, NET, and DAT, showed efficacy in the rat forced-swim and mouse tail suspension models with minimum effective doses of 0.3 and 1 mg/kg (po), respectively. At efficacious doses in these assays, 10i exhibited substantial occupancy levels at the three transporters in both rat and mouse brain. The study of the metabolism of 10i revealed the formation of a significant active metabolite, compound 13.

Discovery of trisubstituted cyclohexanes as potent CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) antagonists

A series of trisubstituted cyclohexanes was designed, synthesized and evaluated as CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) antagonists. This led to the identification of two distinct substitution patterns about the cyclohexane ring as potent and selective CCR2 antagonists. Compound 36 exhibited excellent binding (CCR2 IC(50)=2.4 nM) and functional antagonism (calcium flux IC(50)=2.0 nM and chemotaxis IC(50)=5.1 nM).

Design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of novel 2-substituted pyrazinoylguanidine epithelial sodium channel blockers: drugs for cystic fibrosis and chronic bronchitis

Amiloride (1), the prototypical epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) blocker, has been administered with limited success as aerosol therapy for improving pulmonary function in patients with the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis. This study was conducted to synthesize and identify more potent, less reversible ENaC blockers, targeted for aerosol therapy and possessing minimal systemic renal activity. A series of novel 2-substituted acylguanidine analogues of amiloride were synthesized and evaluated for potency and reversibility on bronchial ENaC. All compounds tested were more potent and less reversible at blocking sodium-dependent short-circuit current than amiloride. Compounds 30-34 showed the greatest potency on ENaC with IC(50) values below 10 nM. A regioselective difference in potency was found (compounds 30, 39, and 40), whereas no stereospecific (compounds 33, 34) difference in potency on ENaC was displayed. Lead compound 32 was 102-fold more potent and 5-fold less reversible than amiloride and displayed the lowest IC(50) value ever reported for an ENaC blocker.

Design of a new class of orally active fibrinogen receptor antagonists

The integrin receptor recognition sequence Arg-Gly-Asp was successfully used as a template from which to develop a series of potent, selective, orally active, peptide-based fibrinogen receptor antagonists with a long duration of action. Simple modifications centered on the Arg and Gly residues quickly led to a modified peptide (1) with significantly enhanced ability to inhibit in vitro platelet aggregation. Substitution of the guanidino group in 1 by piperidine provided 3, which showed not only a further increase in potency but also a modest degree of oral efficacy. Finally, exploration of the nature of the C-terminal amino acid, with respect to its side-chain functionality and the carboxy terminus, yielded a group of molecules that showed excellent in vitro potency for inhibiting platelet aggregation, excellent integrin selectivity, a high level of oral efficacy, and an extended duration of action.

The gastrin/cholecystokinin-B receptor antagonist L-365,260 reduces basal acid secretion and prevents gastrointestinal damage induced by aspirin, ethanol and cysteamine in the rat

L-365,260, a nonpeptide antagonist of gastrin/CCK-B receptors, was evaluated in receptor binding, antisecretory and gastrointestinal damage assays. L-365,260 binds potently and stereo-selectively to gastrin and CCK-B sites in guinea pig tissue. In contrast, L-365,260 binds to the isolated canine parietal cell gastrin receptor weakly, and without stereoselectivity. In the pylorus-ligated rat, low doses of L-365,260, given i.v., attenuated pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion, whereas higher doses were required to inhibit both histamine-stimulated and basal acid secretion. In an aspirin-induced gastric damage model, L-365,260 was 2.4-fold less potent than the standard histamine H2 antagonist cimetidine in preventing gastric damage when given i.v., and was 8.3-fold less potent than cimetidine when given p.o. Moreover, the ED50 value for L-365,260, given i.v., in prevention of aspirin-induced gastric damage (11.5 mg/kg) agreed well with its ED50 value for inhibition of basal acid secretion (12.6 mg/kg). At doses as great as 100 mg/kg p.o., neither L-365,260 nor cimetidine had an effect on ethanol-induced gastric damage. L-365,260, although p.o. less bioavailable relative to cimetidine in the aspirin gastric damage model, was as potent as cimetidine in the prevention of cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcers in the rat. We conclude that the gastrin/CCK-B receptor antagonist L-365,260, at doses supramaximal for the inhibition of pentagastrin-stimulated secretory responses in vivo, inhibits gastrointestinal damage in models of peptic ulcer disease by an antisecretory mechanism of action.