1-[2-(1-Cyclobutylpiperidin-4-yloxy)-6,7-dihydro-4H-thiazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-5-yl]propan-1-one: a Histamine H3 Receptor Inverse Agonist with Efficacy in Animal Models of Cognition.

A series of chemical optimizations, which was guided by in vitro affinity at histamine H3 receptor (H3 R), modulation of lipophilicity, ADME properties and preclinical efficacy resulted in the identification of 1-[2-(1-cyclobutylpiperidin-4-yloxy)-6,7-dihydro-4H-thiazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-5-yl]propan-1-one (45 e) as a potent and selective (Ki =4.0 nM) H3 R inverse agonist. Dipsogenia induced by (R)-α-methylhistamine was dose dependently antagonized by 45 e, confirming its functional antagonism at H3 R. It is devoid of hERG and phospholipidosis issues. Compound 45 e has adequate oral exposures and favorable half-life in both rats and dogs. It has demonstrated high receptor occupancy (ED80 =0.22 mg/kg) and robust efficacy in object recognition task and, dose dependently increased acetylcholine levels in brain. The sub-therapeutic doses of 45 e in combination with donepezil significantly increased acetylcholine levels. The potent affinity, selectivity, in vivo efficacy and drug like properties together with safety, warrant for further development of this molecule for potential treatment of cognitive disorders associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Shining light on the histamine H2 receptor: Synthesis of carbamoylguanidine-type agonists as a pharmacological tool to study internalization.

So far, only little is known about the internalization process of the histamine H2 receptor (H2R). One promising approach to study such dynamic processes is the use of agonistic fluorescent ligands. Therefore, a series of carbamoylguanidine-type H2R agonists containing various fluorophores, heterocycles, and linkers (28-40) was synthesized. The ligands were pharmacologically characterized in several binding and functional assays. These studies revealed a significantly biased efficacy (Emax) for some of the compounds, e.g. 32: whereas 32 acted as strong partial (Emax: 0.77, mini-Gs recruitment) or full agonist (Emax: 1.04, [35S]GTPγS binding) with respect to G protein activation, it was only a weak partial agonist regarding ß-arrestin1/2 recruitment (Emax: 0.09-0.12) and failed to promote H2R internalization (confocal microscopy). On the other hand, H2R internalization was observed for compounds that exhibited moderate agonistic activity in the ß-arrestin1/2 pathways (Emax ≥ 0.22). The presented differently-biased fluorescent ligands are versatile molecular tools for future H2R studies on receptor trafficking and internalization e.g. using fluorescence microscopy.

Abolishing Dopamine D2long/D3 Receptor Affinity of Subtype-Selective Carbamoylguanidine-Type Histamine H2 Receptor Agonists.

3-(2-Amino-4-methylthiazol-5-yl)propyl-substituted carbamoylguanidines are potent, subtype-selective histamine H2 receptor (H2R) agonists, but their applicability as pharmacological tools to elucidate the largely unknown H2R functions in the central nervous system (CNS) is compromised by their concomitant high affinity toward dopamine D2-like receptors (especially to the D3R). To improve the selectivity, a series of novel carbamoylguanidine-type ligands containing various heterocycles, spacers, and side residues were rationally designed, synthesized, and tested in binding and/or functional assays at H1-4 and D2long/3 receptors. This study revealed a couple of selective candidates (among others 31 and 47), and the most promising ones were screened at several off-target receptors, showing good selectivities. Docking studies suggest that the amino acid residues (3.28, 3.32, E2.49, E2.51, 5.42, and 7.35) are responsible for the different affinities at the H2- and D2long/3-receptors. These results provide a solid base for the exploration of the H2R functions in the brain in further studies.

Development of New Synthetic Reactions Using Hetero-Heavy Atoms and Their Application to Synthesis of Biofunctional Molecules.

Novel reactions using hetero-heavy atoms (P, S, Si, Se, and Sn) were developed and applied to the synthesis of biofunctional molecules and some medicine-candidates, in which the following items are covered. 1) Development of introduction of C1-unit using cyanophosphates (CPs). 2) Carbene-generation under neutral condition from CPs and its application to organic synthesis. 3) [3,3]Sigmatropic rearrangement-ring expansion reactions of medium-sized cyclic thionocarbonates containing a sulfur atom and their application to natural product synthesis. 4) Stereoselective synthesis of novel ß-imidazole C-nucleosides via diazafulvene intermediates and their application to investigating ribozyme reaction mechanism. 5) Developments of novel histamine H3- and H4-receptor ligands using new synthetic methods involving Se or Sn atoms.

Covalent Inhibition of the Histamine H3 Receptor.

Covalent binding of G protein-coupled receptors by small molecules is a useful approach for better understanding of the structure and function of these proteins. We designed, synthesized and characterized a series of 6 potential covalent ligands for the histamine H3 receptor (H3R). Starting from a 2-amino-pyrimidine scaffold, optimization of anchor moiety and warhead followed by fine-tuning of the required reactivity via scaffold hopping resulted in the isothiocyanate H3R ligand 44. It shows high reactivity toward glutathione combined with appropriate stability in water and reacts selectively with the cysteine sidechain in a model nonapeptide equipped with nucleophilic residues. The covalent interaction of 44 with H3R was validated with washout experiments and leads to inverse agonism on H3R. Irreversible binder 44 (VUF15662) may serve as a useful tool compound to stabilize the inactive H3R conformation and to study the consequences of prolonged inhibition of the H3R.

4-(3-Aminoazetidin-1-yl)pyrimidin-2-amines as High-Affinity Non-imidazole Histamine H3 Receptor Agonists with in Vivo Central Nervous System Activity.

Despite the high diversity of histamine H3 receptor (H3R) antagonist/inverse agonist structures, partial or full H3R agonists have typically been imidazole derivatives. An in-house screening campaign intriguingly afforded the non-imidazole 4-(3-azetidin-1-yl)pyrimidin-2-amine 11b as a partial H3R agonist. Here, the design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of 11b analogues are described. This series yields several non-imidazole full agonists with potencies varying with the alkyl substitution pattern on the basic amine following the in vitro evaluation of H3R agonism using a cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-luciferase reporter gene assay. The key compound VUF16839 (14d) combines nanomolar on-target activity (pKi = 8.5, pEC50 = 9.5) with weak activity on cytochrome P450 enzymes and good metabolic stability. The proposed H3R binding mode of 14d indicates key interactions similar to those attained by histamine. In vivo evaluation of 14d in a social recognition test in mice revealed an amnesic effect at 5 mg/kg intraperitoneally. The excellent in vitro and in vivo pharmacological profiles and the non-imidazole structure of 14d make it a promising tool compound in H3R research.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of heteroalicyclic cyanoguanidines at histamine receptors.

Recent studies on histamine receptor (HR) subtypes identified imidazolyl butyl cyanoguanidines, like UR-PI376, as highly potent agonists at the human histamine H4 receptor (hH4 R). While imidazole-containing compounds display drawbacks in pharmacokinetics, we studied the possibility of replacing the heteroaromatic cycle by nonaromatic six-membered heterocycles (piperidine, morpholine, thiomorpholine, and N-methylpiperazine) as potential bioisosteres. Beyond that, this approach should give more information about the indispensability of the aromatic ring as a basic head group. Besides these changes, a variation of the spacer length (C3 -C5 ) connecting the heterocycle and the cyanoguanidine moiety has been made to possibly trigger the selectivity towards the respective HRs. Investigations in radioligand-binding assays exhibited only very weak activity at the hH1 R and hH3 R, while nearly all compounds were inactive at the hH2 R and hH4 R. In the case of piperidine-containing compounds, moderate affinities at the hH3 R over the single-digit micromolar range were detected.

A Photoswitchable Agonist for the Histamine H3 Receptor, a Prototypic Family A G-Protein-Coupled Receptor.

Spatiotemporal control over biochemical signaling processes involving G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is highly desired for dissecting their complex intracellular signaling. We developed sixteen photoswitchable ligands for the human histamine H3 receptor (hH3 R). Upon illumination, key compound 65 decreases its affinity for the hH3 R by 8.5-fold and its potency in hH3 R-mediated Gi protein activation by over 20-fold, with the trans and cis isomer both acting as full agonist. In real-time two-electrode voltage clamp experiments in Xenopus oocytes, 65 shows rapid light-induced modulation of hH3 R activity. Ligand 65 shows good binding selectivity amongst the histamine receptor subfamily and has good photolytic stability. In all, 65 (VUF15000) is the first photoswitchable GPCR agonist confirmed to be modulated through its affinity and potency upon photoswitching while maintaining its intrinsic activity, rendering it a new chemical biology tool for spatiotemporal control of GPCR activation.

The 6π-azaelectrocyclization of azatrienes. Synthetic applications in natural products, bioactive heterocycles, and related fields.

Covering: 2006 to 2018 The application of the 6π-azaelectrocyclization of azatrienes as a key strategy for the synthesis of natural products, their analogs and related bioactive or biomedically-relevant compounds (from 2006 to date) is comprehensively reviewed. Details about reaction optimization studies, relevant reaction mechanisms and conditions are also discussed.

Discovery of novel steroidal histamine H3 receptor antagonists/inverse agonists.

Emerging from an HTS campaign, novel steroid-based histamine H3 receptor antagonists were identified and characterized. Structural moieties of the hit compounds were combined to improve binding affinities which resulted in compound 4 as lead molecule. During the lead optimization due to the versatile modifications of diamino steroid derivatives, several in vitro potent compounds with subnanomolar binding affinities to histamine H3 receptors were found. The unfavorable binding to rat muscarinic receptors was successfully reduced by tuning the basicity. Compound 20 showed significant in vivo activity in the rat dipsogenia model and could serve as a pharmacological tool in the future.

2,4-Diaminopyrimidines as dual ligands at the histamine H1 and H4 receptor-H1/H4-receptor selectivity.

Distinct diaminopyrimidines, for example, 4-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-5,6-dihydrobenzo[h]quinazolin-2-amine are histamine H4 receptor (H4R) antagonists and show high affinity to the H4R, but only a moderate affinity to the histamine H1 receptor (H1R). Within previous studies it was shown that an aromatic side chain with a distinct distance to the basic amine and aromatic core is necessary for affinity to the human H1R (hH1R). Thus, a rigid aminopyrimidine with a tricyclic core was used as a lead structure. There, (1) the flexible aromatic side chain was introduced, (2) the substitution pattern of the pyrimidine core was exchanged and (3) rigidity was decreased by opening the tricyclic core. Within the present study, two compounds with similar affinity in the one digit µM range to the human H1R and H4R were identified. While the affinity at the hH1R increased about 4- to 8-fold compared to the parent diaminopyrimidine, the affinity to the hH4R decreased about 5- to 8-fold. In addition to the parent diaminopyrimidine, two selected compounds were docked into the H1R and H4R and molecular dynamic studies were performed to predict the binding mode and explain the experimental results on a molecular level. The two new compounds may be good lead structures for the development of dual H1/H4 receptor ligands with affinities in the same range.

Dimeric carbamoylguanidine-type histamine H2 receptor ligands: A new class of potent and selective agonists.

The bioisosteric replacement of the acylguanidine moieties in dimeric histamine H2 receptor (H2R) agonists by carbamoylguanidine groups resulted in compounds with retained potencies and intrinsic activities, but considerably improved stability against hydrolytic cleavage. These compounds achieved up to 2500 times the potency of histamine when studied in [(35)S]GTPγS assays on recombinant human and guinea pig H2R. Unlike 3-(imidazol-4-yl)propyl substituted carbamoylguanidines, the corresponding 2-amino-4-methylthiazoles revealed selectivity over histamine receptor subtypes H1R, H3R and H4R in radioligand competition binding studies. H2R binding studies with three fluorescent compounds and one tritium-labeled ligand, synthesized from a chain-branched precursor, failed due to pronounced cellular accumulation and high non-specific binding. However, the dimeric H2R agonists proved to be useful pharmacological tools for functional studies on native cells, as demonstrated for selected compounds by cAMP accumulation and inhibition of fMLP-stimulated generation of reactive oxygen species in human monocytes.

Synthesis and functional characterization of imbutamine analogs as histamine H3 and H4 receptor ligands.

Imbutamine (4-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)butanamine) is a potent histamine H3 (H3R) and H4 receptor (H4R) agonist (EC50 values: 3 and 66 nM, respectively). Aiming at improved selectivity for the H4R, the imidazole ring in imbutamine was methyl-substituted or replaced by various differently substituted heterocycles (1,2,3-triazoles, 1,2,4-triazoles, pyridines, pyrimidines) as potential bioisosteres. Investigations in [(35)S]GTPγS binding assays using membranes of Sf9 insect cells expressing the respective human histamine receptor subtype revealed only very weak activity of most of the synthesized hetarylalkylamines at both receptors. By contrast, the introduction of substituents at the 4-imidazolyl ring was most effective regarding H4R selectivity. This holds for methyl substitution in position 2 and, especially, in position 5. 5-Methylimbutamine (H4R: EC50 = 59 nM, α = 0.8) was equipotent with imbutamine at the hH4R, but revealed about 16-fold selectivity for the hH4R compared to the hH3R (EC50 980 nM, α = 0.36), whereas imbutamine preferred the hH3R. The functional activities were in agreement with radioligand binding data. The results support the hypothesis that, by analogy with histamine, methyl substitution in histamine homologs offers a way to shift the selectivity in favor of the H4R.

Discovery of novel lead in the group of N-substituted piperazine ether derivatives with potential histamine H3 receptor activity.

The search for novel lead from the group of various substituted N-piperazine ether derivatives was performed. Acyl- and pyridylpiperazine ethyl/propyl ethers were obtained via three different synthetic pathways. Affinity to histamine H3 receptor was established, as well as, for selected compounds, selectivity towards histamine H4R. Docking studies to the histamine H3R homology model strengthened the position of (4-(3-(4-(3-chlorobenzoyl)piperazin-1- yl)propoxy)phenyl)(cyclopropyl)methanone (compound 26) as a novel lead for further studies on histamine H3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist.

Synthesis of constrained benzocinnolinone analogues of CEP-26401 (irdabisant) as potent, selective histamine H3 receptor inverse agonists.

A novel class of benzocinnolinones analogs of irdabisant were designed and synthesized as histamine H3R antagonists/inverse agonists. Modifications to the pyridazinone portion of the core and linker led to the identification of molecules with excellent target potency and selectivity with improved rat pharmacokinetic properties and reduced potential hERG liabilities.

Radiosynthesis and evaluation of an (18)F-labeled positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand for brain histamine subtype-3 receptors based on a nonimidazole 2-aminoethylbenzofuran chemotype.

A known chemotype of H(3) receptor ligand was explored for development of a radioligand for imaging brain histamine subtype 3 (H(3)) receptors in vivo with positron emission tomography (PET), namely nonimidazole 2-aminoethylbenzofurans, represented by the compound (R)-(2-(2-(2-methylpyrrolidin-1-yl)ethyl)benzofuran-5-yl)(4-fluorophenyl)methanone (9). Compound 9 was labeled with fluorine-18 (t(1/2) = 109.7 min) in high specific activity by treating the prepared nitro analogue (12) with cyclotron-produced [(18)F]fluoride ion. [(18)F]9 was studied with PET in mouse and in monkey after intravenous injection. [(18)F]9 showed favorable properties as a candidate PET radioligand, including moderately high brain uptake with a high proportion of H(3) receptor-specific signal in the absence of radiodefluorination. The nitro compound 12 was found to have even higher H(3) receptor affinity, indicating the potential of this chemotype for the development of further promising PET radioligands.

2-(Pyrrolidin-1-yl)ethyl-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-1(2H)-one derivatives as potent and selective histamine-3 receptor antagonists.

On the basis of the previously reported benzimidazole 1,3'-bipyrrolidine benzamides (1), a new class of 2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)ethyl-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-1(2H)-one derivatives (3-50) were synthesized and evaluated as potent H(3) receptor antagonists. In particular, compound 39 exhibited potent in vitro binding and functional activities at the H(3) receptor, good selectivities against other neurotransmitter receptors and ion channels, acceptable pharmacokinetic properties, and a favorable in vivo profile.

The bivalent ligand approach leads to highly potent and selective acylguanidine-type histamine H2 receptor agonists.

Bivalent histamine H(2) receptor (H(2)R) agonists were synthesized by connecting pharmacophoric 3-(2-amino-4-methylthiazol-5-yl)-, 3-(2-aminothiazol-5-yl)-, 3-(imidazol-4-yl)-, or 3-(1,2,4-triazol-5-yl)propylguanidine moieties by N(G)-acylation with alkanedioic acids of various chain lengths. The compounds were investigated for H(2)R agonism in GTPase and [(35)S]GTPγS binding assays at guinea pig (gp) and human (h) H(2)R-Gsα(S) fusion proteins including various H(2)R mutants, at the isolated gp right atrium, and in GTPase assays for activity on recombinant H(1), H(3), and H(4) receptors. The bivalent ligands are H(2)R partial or full agonists, up to 2 orders of magnitude more potent than monovalent acylguanidines and, with octanedioyl or decanedioyl spacers, up to 4000 times more potent than histamine at the gpH(2)R. In contrast to their imidazole analogues, the aminothiazoles are highly selective for H(2)R vs other HR subtypes. Compounds with (theoretically) sufficient spacer length (20 CH(2) groups) to simultaneously occupy two orthosteric binding sites in H(2)R dimers are nearly inactive, whereas the highest potency resides in compounds with considerably shorter spacers. Thus, there is no evidence for interaction with H(2)R dimers. The high agonistic potency may result from interaction with an accessory binding site at the same receptor protomer.

4,5-dihydropyridazin-3-one derivatives as histamine H3 receptor inverse agonists.

H(3)R structure-activity relationships for a new class of 4,5-dihydropyridazin-3-one H(3)R antagonists/inverse agonists are disclosed. Modification of the 4,5-dihydropyridazinone moiety to block in vivo metabolism identified 4,4-dimethyl-6-{4-[3-((R)-2-methyl-pyrrolidin-1-yl)-propoxy]-phenyl}-4,5-dihydro-2H-pyridazin-3-one 22 as a lead candidate demonstrating potent in vivo functional H(3)R antagonism in the rat dipsogenia model and robust wake promoting activity in the rat EEG/EMG model.

Optimization of 5-pyridazin-3-one phenoxypropylamines as potent, selective histamine H3 receptor antagonists with potent cognition enhancing activity.

Previous studies have shown that (5-{4-[3-(R)-2-methylpyrrolin-1-yl-propoxy]phenyl}-2H-pyridazin-3-one) 2 had high affinity for both the human (hH(3)R K(i) = 2.8 nM) and rat H(3)Rs (rH(3)R K(i) = 8.5 nM) but displayed low oral bioavailability in the rat. Optimization of the 5-pyridazin-3-one R(2) and R(6) positions to improve the pharmacokinetic properties over 2 led to the identification of 5-{4-[3-(R)-2-methylpyrrolidin-1-yl)propoxy]phenyl}-2-pyridin-2-yl-2H-pyridazin-3-one 29. Compound 29 displayed high affinity for both human and rat H(3)Rs (hH(3)R K(i) = 1.7 nM, rH(3)R K(i) = 3.7 nM) with a greater than 1000-fold selectivity over the other histamine receptor subtypes and favorable pharmacokinetic properties across species (F = 78% rat, 92% dog, 96% monkey). It showed low binding to human plasma proteins, weakly inhibited cytochrome P450 isoforms, and displayed an excellent safety profile for a CNS-active compound. 29 displayed potent H(3)R antagonist activity in the brain in a rat dipsogenia model and demonstrated enhancement of cognitive function in a rat social recognition model at low doses. However, the development of compound 29 was discontinued because of genotoxicity.