The metabolism and disposition of GSK2140944 in healthy human subjects.

1. GSK2140944 is a novel bacterial topoisomerase inhibitor in development for the treatment of bacterial infections. The metabolism and disposition in healthy human subjects was investigated. 2. Six male subjects received [(14)C] GSK2140944 orally (2000 mg) and as a single 2-hour i.v. infusion (1000 mg). Urinary elimination (59%) was major by the i.v. route, whereas fecal elimination (53%) pre-dominated via the oral route. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was used for the analysis of plasma and bile samples due to the low level of radioactivity in samples (low specific activity of the doses). Unchanged GSK2140944 was the predominant circulating component (>60% DRM), with the main circulating metabolite M4 formed by oxidation of the triazaacenaphthylene moiety representing 10.8% (considered major) and 8.6% drug-related material by the oral and i.v. route, respectively. Approximately 50% of the oral dose was absorbed and eliminated mainly as unchanged GSK2140944 in urine (∼20% of dose). Elimination via metabolism (∼13% of dose) was relatively minor. The facile oxidation of GSK2140944 to metabolite M4 was believed to be a result of activation by adjacent electron withdrawing groups. 3. This study demonstrates the use of AMS to overcome radioprofiling challenges presented by low specific activity resulted from high doses administration.

Metabolism, excretion, and mass balance of the HIV-1 integrase inhibitor dolutegravir in humans.

The pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and excretion of dolutegravir, an unboosted, once-daily human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase inhibitor, were studied in healthy male subjects following single oral administration of [(14)C]dolutegravir at a dose of 20 mg (80 µCi). Dolutegravir was well tolerated, and absorption of dolutegravir from the suspension formulation was rapid (median time to peak concentration, 0.5 h), declining in a biphasic fashion. Dolutegravir and the radioactivity had similar terminal plasma half-lives (t1/2) (15.6 versus 15.7 h), indicating metabolism was formation rate limited with no long-lived metabolites. Only minimal association with blood cellular components was noted with systemic radioactivity. Recovery was essentially complete (mean, 95.6%), with 64.0% and 31.6% of the dose recovered in feces and urine, respectively. Unchanged dolutegravir was the predominant circulating radioactive component in plasma and was consistent with minimal presystemic clearance. Dolutegravir was extensively metabolized. An inactive ether glucuronide, formed primarily via UGT1A1, was the principal biotransformation product at 18.9% of the dose excreted in urine and the principal metabolite in plasma. Two minor biotransformation pathways were oxidation by CYP3A4 (7.9% of the dose) and an oxidative defluorination and glutathione substitution (1.8% of the dose). No disproportionate human metabolites were observed.

Identification of phenylsulfone-substituted quinoxaline (WYE-672) as a tissue selective liver X-receptor (LXR) agonist.

A series of phenyl sulfone substituted quinoxaline were prepared and the lead compound 13 (WYE-672) was shown to be a tissue selective LXR Agonist. Compound 13 demonstrated partial agonism for LXRbeta in kidney HEK-293 cells but did not activate Gal4 LXRbeta fusion proteins in huh-7 liver cells. Although 13 showed potent binding affinity to LXRbeta (IC(50) = 53 nM), it had little binding affinity for LXRalpha (IC(50) > 1.0 microM) and did not recruit any coactivator/corepressor peptides in the LXRalpha multiplex assay. However, compound 13 showed good agonism in THP-1 cells with respect to increasing ABCA1 gene expression and good potency on cholesterol efflux in THP-1 foam cells. In an eight-week lesion study in LDLR -/- mice, compound 13 showed reduction of aortic arch lesion progression and no plasma or hepatic triglyceride increase. These results suggest quinoxaline 13 may have an improved biological profile for potential use as a therapeutic agent.

Metabolism of intravenous methylnaltrexone in mice, rats, dogs, and humans.

Methylnaltrexone (MNTX), a selective mu-opioid receptor antagonist, functions as a peripherally acting receptor antagonist in tissues of the gastrointestinal tract. This report describes the metabolic fate of [(3)H]MNTX or [(14)C]MNTX bromide in mice, rats, dogs, and humans after intravenous administration. Separation and identification of plasma and urinary MNTX metabolites was achieved by high-performance liquid chromatography-radioactivity detection and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The structures of the most abundant human metabolites were confirmed by chemical synthesis and NMR spectroscopic analysis. Analysis of radioactivity in plasma and urine showed that MNTX underwent two major pathways of metabolism in humans: sulfation of the phenolic group to MNTX-3-sulfate (M2) and reduction of the carbonyl group to two epimeric alcohols, methyl-6alpha-naltrexol (M4) and methyl-6beta-naltrexol (M5). Neither naltrexone nor its metabolite 6beta-naltrexol were detected in human plasma after administration of MNTX, confirming an earlier observation that N-demethylation was not a metabolic pathway of MNTX in humans. The urinary metabolite profiles in humans were consistent with plasma profiles. In mice, the circulating and urinary metabolites included M5, MNTX-3-glucuronide (M9), 2-hydroxy-3-O-methyl MNTX (M6), and its glucuronide (M10). M2, M5, M6, and M9 were observed in rats. Dogs produced only one metabolite, M9. In conclusion, MNTX was not extensively metabolized in humans. Conversion to methyl-6-naltrexol isomers (M4 and M5) and M2 were the primary pathways of metabolism in humans. MNTX was metabolized to a higher extent in mice than in rats, dogs, and humans. Glucuronidation was a major metabolic pathway in mice, rats, and dogs, but not in humans. Overall, the data suggested species differences in the metabolism of MNTX.

3-(Arylamino)-3-phenylpropan-2-olamines as a new series of dual norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

A series of 3-(arylamino)-3-phenylpropan-2-olamines was prepared and screened for their ability to inhibit monoamine reuptake. A number of analogues displayed significant dual norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibition. Compounds in this class exhibited minimal affinity for the dopamine transporter.

Evaluating indole-related derivatives as precursors in the directed biosynthesis of diazepinomicin analogues.

The effectiveness of precursor-directed biosynthesis to generate diazepinomicin (1) analogues with varied ring-A substitutents was investigated by feeding commercially available, potential ring-A precursors such as fluorinated tryptophans, halogenated anthranilates, and various substituted indoles into growing actinomycete culture DPJ15 (genus Micromonospora). Two new monofluorinated diazepinomicin analogues (2 and 3) were identified and characterized by spectroscopic methods. Both derivatives showed modest antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive coccus Staphylococcus aureus with MIC values in the range 8-32 microg/mL.

Efficient, regioselective palladium-catalyzed tandem Heck-isomerization reaction of aryl bromides and non-allylic benzyl alcohols.

An efficient and mild method to couple aryl bromides and activated non-allylic alcohols in a Heck reaction with tandem isomerization to selectively afford high yields of 1,5-diarylalkan-1-ones has been developed. Mechanistic insight was gained through NMR studies of products derived from deuterium-labeled intermediates.

Unexpected rearrangement of enantiomerically pure 3-aminoquinuclidine as a simple way of preparing diastereomeric octahydropyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridine derivatives.

Reaction of (S)- or (R)-3-aminoquinuclidine with 2-chloropyrimidine or 2-bromopyrimidine led to an unexpected formation of both cis- and trans-octahydropyrrolo [2,3]pyridine derivatives. A single-step synthesis of two of the four stereoisomers of these octahydropyrrolo[2,3]pyridine derivatives provides a convenient way of generating stereochemically defined isomers. Optimization of reaction conditions was carried out by (1)H NMR monitoring. The relative and absolute stereochemistry of all four stereoisomers was determined by a combination of (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N NMR spectroscopy and vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy.

Modulation of Wnt signaling through inhibition of secreted frizzled-related protein I (sFRP-1) with N-substituted piperidinyl diphenylsulfonyl sulfonamides.

The diphenylsulfonyl sulfonamide scaffold represented by 1 (WAY-316606) are small molecule inhibitors of the secreted protein sFRP-1, an endogenous antagonist of the secreted glycoprotein Wnt. Modulators of the Wnt pathway have been proposed as anabolic agents for the treatment of osteoporosis or other bone-related disorders. Details of the structure-activity relationships and biological activity from the first structural class of this scaffold will be discussed.

Parallel synthesis of 2-aryl-4-aminobenzimidazoles and their evaluation as gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonists.

2-Trifluoromethyl-4-aminobenzimidazoles were previously identified by screening to be active antagonists of the gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor (GnRH-R). Structure activity relationships and diversity oriented synthesis are shown here in greater detail. 2-Substituted benzimidazoles were synthesized in parallel by the coupling of carboxylic acids with a latent intermediate diamine monomer to yield the desired benzimidazoles in fair yields. A catch and release strategy was employed as a product isolation technique, followed by RP-HPLC to obtain products of desired purity for biological evaluation. Two libraries were prepared and screened to determine the optimal substitution for inhibitory activity against GnRH-R. The initial library focused on substituted phenyl, pyridine, and thiophenes. The follow-up library focused on substitution patterns observed in the initial library members and generated compounds with IC(50) values lower than 100 nM at the GnRH-R.

In vitro glucuronidation of thyroxine and triiodothyronine by liver microsomes and recombinant human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases.

Glucuronidation, which may take place on the phenolic hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, is a major pathway of metabolism for thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). In this study, a liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method was developed to separate phenolic and acyl glucuronides of T4 and T3. The method was used to collect the phenolic glucuronide of T4 for definitive characterization by NMR and to determine effects of incubation pH, species differences, and human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) involved in the formation of the glucuronides. Formation of T4 phenolic glucuronide was favored at pH 7.4, whereas formation of T4 acyl glucuronide was favored at pH 6.8. All the UGTs examined catalyzed the formation of T4 phenolic glucuronide except UGT1A4; the highest activity was detected with UGT1A3, UGT1A8, and UGT1A10, followed by UGT1A1 and UGT2B4. Formation of T3 phenolic glucuronide was observed in the order of UGT1A8 > UGT1A10 > UGT1A3 > UGT1A1; trace activity was observed with UGT1A6 and UGT1A9. UGT1A3 was the major isoform catalyzing the formation of T4 and T3 acyl glucuronides. In liver microsomes, phenolic glucuronidation was the highest in mice for T4 and in rats for T3 and lowest in monkeys for both T4 and T3. Acyl glucuronidation was highest in humans and lowest in mice for T4 and T3. Phenolic glucuronidation was higher than acyl glucuronidation for T4 in humans; in contrast, the acyl glucuronidation was slightly higher than phenolic glucuronidation for T3. UGT activities were lower toward T3 than T4 in all the species. The LC/MS method was a useful tool in studying glucuronidation of T4 and T3.

Enantiomeric separation and determination of absolute stereochemistry of asymmetric molecules in drug discovery: building chiral technology toolboxes.

The application of Chiral Technology, or the (extensive) use of techniques or tools for the determination of absolute stereochemistry and the enantiomeric or chiral separation of racemic small molecule potential lead compounds, has been critical to successfully discovering and developing chiral drugs in the pharmaceutical industry. This has been due to the rapid increase over the past 10-15 years in potential drug candidates containing one or more asymmetric centers. Based on the experiences of one pharmaceutical company, a summary of the establishment of a Chiral Technology toolbox, including the implementation of known tools as well as the design, development, and implementation of new Chiral Technology tools, is provided.

Stereochemical identification of (R)- and (S)-ibuprofen using residual dipolar couplings, NMR, and modeling.

In this work, we describe an NMR-based method that utilizes an orientation media composed of the chiral polypeptide liquid crystal poly-gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate (PBLG) dissolved in CDCl(3), to measure the (1)H-(1)H, (1)H-(13)C and (13)C-(13)C residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) of (R) and (S)-ibuprofen. Calculated RDCs, obtained from the lowest energy conformers, are then compared with the experimentally measured RDCs to predict the stereochemistry of each enantiomer. Excellent agreement between calculated and experimental RDCs was found when the lowest energy structure of each enantiomer, obtained in a simulated PBLG/CDCl(3) environment, was used to back-calculate the RDCs. This method is generally useful for small molecular weight molecules that possess either one or two chiral centers, are soluble in low viscosity organic solvents, and will not crystallize (Clegg, Crystal Structure Analysis. Principles and Practice. New York: Oxford University Press; 2002) or cannot be derivatized with a Mosher's reagent (Dale and Mosher, J Am Chem Soc 1973;95:512-519).

Regioselective synthesis of substituted pyrroles: efficient palladium-catalyzed cyclization of internal alkynes and 2-amino-3-iodoacrylate derivatives.

The first efficient and regioselective palladium-catalyzed cyclization of internal alkynes and 2-amino-3-iodoacrylates to give moderate to excellent yields of highly functionalized pyrroles has been developed. This approach is applicable to a range of alkynes and affords the deacylated pyrrole under reaction conditions for most substrates. [reaction: see text]

Proton NMR spectroscopy shows lipids accumulate in skeletal muscle in response to burn trauma-induced apoptosis.

Burn trauma triggers hypermetabolism and muscle wasting via increased cellular protein degradation and apoptosis. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy can detect mobile lipids in vivo. To examine the local effects of burn in skeletal muscle, we performed in vivo 1H NMR on mice 3 days after burn trauma; and ex vivo, high-resolution, magic angle spinning (1)H NMR on intact excised mouse muscle samples before and 1 and 3 days after burn. These samples were then analyzed for apoptotic nuclei using a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay. To confirm our NMR and cell biology results, we used transcriptome analysis to demonstrate that burn trauma alters the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and apoptosis. Our results demonstrate that burn injury results in a localized intramyocellular lipid accumulation, which in turn is accompanied by burn-induced apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction, as seen by the up-regulation of apoptotic genes and down-regulation of genes that encode lipid oxidation and the peroxisomal proliferator activator receptor gamma coactivator PGC-1beta. Moreover, the increased levels of bisallylic methylene fatty acyl protons (2.8 ppm) and vinyl protons (5.4 ppm), in conjunction with the TUNEL assay results, further suggest that burn trauma results in apoptosis. Together, our results provide new insight into the local physiological changes that occur in skeletal muscle after severe burn trauma.

Simultaneous determination of 1H-1H and 1H-13C residual dipolar couplings in a chiral liquid crystal solvent using a natural abundance HSQC experiment.

A high-resolution, phase-sensitive, natural abundance F2-coupled 1H-13C HSQC (F2HSQC) NMR experiment was developed to measure simultaneously both (n)D(HH) and 1D(CH) residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) of small molecules present in a chiral polypeptide liquid crystal solvent system composed of poly-gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate (PBLG) in CDCl3. Because this is an indirect-detection NMR experiment, the relatively small amount of sample (7.5 mg in this study) and short acquisition times (5 h) that are required make this HSQC experiment well suited for samples that are either limited in solubility or in quantity or require short analysis times. The F2HSQC experiment can be performed without any specialized equipment or sample modification and can enhance our ability to measure RDCs accurately and rapidly in polypeptide liquid crystal solvents.