Discovery and characterization of a novel dihydroisoxazole class of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor potentiators.

Positive allosteric modulators ("potentiators") of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors (AMPAR) enhance excitatory neurotransmission and may improve the cognitive deficits associated with various neurological disorders. The dihydroisoxazole (DHI) series of AMPAR potentiators described herein originated from the identification of 7 by a high-throughput functional activity screen using mouse embryonic stem (mES) cell-derived neuronal precursors. Subsequent structure-based drug design using X-ray crystal structures of the ligand-binding domain of human GluA2 led to the discovery of both PF-04725379 (11), which in tritiated form became a novel ligand for characterizing the binding affinities of subsequent AMPAR potentiators in rat brain homogenate, and PF-04701475 (8a), a prototype used to explore AMPAR-mediated pharmacology in vivo. Lead series optimization provided 16a, a functionally potent compound lacking the potentially bioactivatable aniline within 8a, but retaining desirable in vitro ADME properties.

Nonpeptidic lysosomal modulators derived from z-phe-ala-diazomethylketone for treating protein accumulation diseases.

Lysosomes are involved in protein turnover and removing misfolded species, and their enzymes have the potential to offset the defect in proteolytic clearance that contributes to the age-related dementia Alzheimer's disease (AD). The weak cathepsin B and L inhibitor Z-Phe-Ala-diazomethylketone (PADK) enhances lysosomal cathepsin levels at low concentrations, thereby eliciting protective clearance of PHF-τ and Aß42 in the hippocampus and other brain regions. Here, a class of positive modulators is established with compounds decoupled from the cathepsin inhibitory properties. We utilized PADK as a departure point to develop nonpeptidic structures with the hydroxyethyl isostere. The first-in-class modulators SD1002 and SD1003 exhibit improved levels of cathepsin up-regulation but almost complete removal of cathepsin inhibitory properties as compared to PADK. Isomers of the lead compound SD1002 were synthesized, and the modulatory activity was determined to be stereoselective. In addition, the lead compound was tested in transgenic mice with results indicating protection against AD-type protein accumulation pathology.

Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis of human CYP51 inhibitors.

CYP51 fulfills an essential requirement for all cells, by catalyzing three sequential mono-oxidations within the cholesterol biosynthesis cascade. Inhibition of fungal CYP51 is used as a therapy for treating fungal infections, whereas inhibition of human CYP51 has been considered as a pharmacological approach to treat dyslipidemia and some forms of cancer. To predict the interaction of inhibitors with the active site of human CYP51, a three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship model was constructed. This pharmacophore model of the common structural features of CYP51 inhibitors was built using the program Catalyst from multiple inhibitors (n = 26) of recombinant human CYP51-mediated lanosterol 14alpha-demethylation. The pharmacophore, which consisted of one hydrophobe, one hydrogen bond acceptor, and two ring aromatic features, demonstrated a high correlation between observed and predicted IC(50) values (r = 0.92). Validation of this pharmacophore was performed by predicting the IC(50) of a test set of commercially available (n = 19) and CP-320626-related (n = 48) CYP51 inhibitors. Using predictions below 10 microM as a cutoff indicative of active inhibitors, 16 of 19 commercially available inhibitors (84%) and 38 of 48 CP-320626-related inhibitors (79.2%) were predicted correctly. To better understand how inhibitors fit into the enzyme, potent CYP51 inhibitors were used to build a Cerius(2) receptor surface model representing the volume of the active site. This study has demonstrated the potential for ligand-based computational pharmacophore modeling of human CYP51 and enables a high-throughput screening system for drug discovery and data base mining.

Establishment of correlation between in vitro enzyme binding potency and in vivo pharmacological activity: application to liver glycogen phosphorylase a inhibitors.

In drug discovery, establishing a correlation between in vitro potency and in vivo activity is critical for the validation of the selected target and for developing confidence in the in vitro screening strategy. The present study developed a competition equilibrium dialysis assay using a 96-well dialysis technique to determine the intrinsic Kd for 13 inhibitors of human liver glycogen phosphorylase a (GPa) in the presence of liver homogenate to mimic the physiological environment. The results provided evidence that binding of an inhibitor to GPa was affected by extra cofactors present in the liver homogenate. A good correlation was demonstrated between the in vitro Kd determined under liver homogenate environment and free liver concentration of an inhibitor at the minimum efficacious dose in diabetic ob/ob mice. This study revealed important elements (such as endogenous cofactors missing from the in vitro assay and free concentration at the target tissue) that contributed to a better understanding of the linkage between in vitro and in vivo activity. The approach developed here may be applied to many drugs in pharmacology studies in which the correlation between in vitro and in vivo activities for the target tissue (such as solid tumors, brain, and liver) is critical.

Dual-action hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic agents that inhibit glycogen phosphorylase and lanosterol demethylase.

Diabetic dyslipidemia requires simultaneous treatment with hypoglycemic agents and lipid-modulating drugs. We recently described glycogen phosphorylase inhibitors that reduce glycogenolysis in cells and lower plasma glucose in ob/ob mice (J. Med. Chem., 41: 2934, 1998). In evaluating the series prototype, CP-320626, in dogs, up to 90% reduction in plasma cholesterol was noted after 2 week treatment. Cholesterol reductions were also noted in ob/ob mice and in rats. In HepG2 cells, CP-320626 acutely and dose-dependently inhibited cholesterolgenesis without affecting fatty acid synthesis. Inhibition occurred together with a dose-dependent increase in the cholesterol precursor, lanosterol, suggesting that cholesterolgenesis inhibition was due to lanosterol 14alpha-demethylase (CYP51) inhibition. In ob/ob mice, acute treatment with CP-320626 resulted in a decrease in hepatic cholesterolgenesis with concomitant lanosterol accumulation, further implicating CYP51 inhibition as the mechanism of cholesterol lowering in these animals. CP-320626 and analogs directly inhibited rhCYP51, and this inhibition was highly correlated with HepG2 cell cholesterolgenesis inhibition (R2 = 0.77). These observations indicate that CP-320626 inhibits cholesterolgenesis via direct inhibition of CYP51, and that this is the mechanism whereby CP-320626 lowers plasma cholesterol in experimental animals. Dual-action glycogenolysis and cholesterolgenesis inhibitors therefore have the potential to favorably affect both the hyperglycemia and the dyslipidemia of type 2 diabetes.

Structure-activity analysis of the purine binding site of human liver glycogen phosphorylase.

Human liver glycogen phosphorylase (HLGP) catalyzes the breakdown of glycogen to maintain serum glucose levels and is a therapeutic target for diabetes. HLGP is regulated by multiple interacting allosteric sites, each of which is a potential drug binding site. We used surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to screen for compounds that bind to the purine allosteric inhibitor site. We determined the affinities of a series of compounds and solved the crystal structures of three representative ligands with K(D) values from 17-550 microM. The crystal structures reveal that the affinities are partly determined by ligand-specific water-mediated hydrogen bonds and side chain movements. These effects could not be predicted; both crystallographic and SPR studies were required to understand the important features of binding and together provide a basis for the design of new allosteric inhibitors targeting this site.