Recent progress in the development of subtype selective nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ligands.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are pentameric ligand gated ion channels, which are found at the neuromuscular junction and in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The channels can be assembled from fourteen known subunits. The exact combination and function of all the channels are still not determined but in the CNS certain combinations have been identified which appear to modulate the release of specific neurotransmitters. Non-specific nAChR agonists like nicotine and epibatidine, have been shown to have interesting pharmacology but their clinical value is limited by their undesirable side effects. Selective ligands for different receptor subtypes have been reported and these compounds are probably the best tools for determining the function of the subtypes. The expectation is that some receptor subtype selective nAChR ligands will be clinically useful for the treatment of a broad range of CNS disorders. The development of stable cell lines functionally expressing specific combinations of subunits has greatly improved our understanding of ligand specificity. There have also been advances in the modelling of the ligand binding site, thanks to the discovery of a homologous snail ACh binding protein the X-ray structure of which was determined in 2001. These techniques should lead to rapid advances in the development of truly subtype selective ligands. In this review we describe recent progress in the area and describe the first 1000 fold selective low molecular weight ligands from the AstraZeneca group. We also comment on the first subtype specific channel modulators.

Diamine containing VLA-4 antagonists.

Design and synthesis of a library as potential VLA-4 antagonists has been accomplished, based around a proposed pharmacophoric model. Compounds possessing submicromolar potency were identified and structure-activity relationships were seen across the library. Further derivatisation produced compounds with IC(50)'s <10 nmol for inhibiting the VLA-4 mediated binding of fibronectin to RAMOS cells, providing an ideal starting point for a lead optimisation Programme.

Selective ET(A) antagonists. 5. Discovery and structure-activity relationships of phenoxyphenylacetic acid derivatives.

The fifth paper in this series describes the culmination of our investigations into the development of a potent and selective ET(A) receptor antagonist for the treatment of diseases mediated by ET-1. Receptor site mapping of several ET(A) antagonists prepared previously identified a common cationic binding site which prompted synthesis of phenoxyphenylacetic acid derivative 13a, which showed good in vitro activity (IC(50) 59 nM, rat aortic ET(A)). Optimization of 13a led to the identification of 27b, which exhibited an IC(50) of 4 nM. Although this did not translate into the expected in vivo potency, a compound of comparable in vitro activity, 27a (RPR118031A), showed a far better pharmacokinetic profile and in vivo potency (75 micromol/kg) and was duly proposed and accepted as a development candidate.

Selective endothelin A receptor antagonists. 3. Discovery and structure-activity relationships of a series of 4-phenoxybutanoic acid derivatives.

The third in this series of papers describes our further progress into the discovery of a potent and selective endothelin A (ETA) receptor antagonist for the potential treatment of diseases in which a pathophysiological role for endothelin has been implicated. These include hypertension, ischemic diseases, and atherosclerosis. In earlier publications we have outlined the discovery and structure-activity relations of two moderately potent series of nonpeptide ETA receptor antagonists. In this paper, we describe how a pharmacophore model for ETA receptor binding was developed which enabled these two series of compounds to be merged into a single class of 4-phenoxybutanoic acid derivatives. The subsequent optimization of in vitro activity against the ETA receptor led to the discovery of (R)-4-[2-cyano-5-(3-pyridylmethoxy)phenoxy]-4-(2-methylphenyl)b utanoi c acid (12m). This compound exhibits low-nanomolar binding to the ETA receptor and a greater than 1000-fold selectivity over the ETB receptor. Data are presented to demonstrate that 12m is orally bioavailable in the rat and is a functional antagonist in vitro and in vivo of ET-1-induced vasoconstriction.

Selective endothelin A receptor antagonists. 4. Discovery and structure-activity relationships of stilbene acid and alcohol derivatives.

This publication describes the synthesis and optimization of a novel series of stilbene endothelin antagonists. Analysis of the SAR established for previous papers in this series prompted the design and synthesis of (Z)-4-phenyl-5-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)pent-4-enoic acid 3 which was found to be a moderately active inhibitor of the binding of [125I]ET-1 to ETA receptors with an IC50 of 6 microM. More interestingly, the intermediate compound (E)-2-phenyl-3-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)propenoic acid 5 was equiactive with 3. Optimization of 5 resulted in the preparation of (E)-2-phenyl-3-(2-cyano-5-(thien-3-ylmethoxy))phenylprope noic acid 18 (RPR111723) which had an IC50 in the binding assay of 80 nM on the ETA receptor and a pKB of 6.5 in the functional assay, measured on rat aortic strips. Reduction of the acid group of 5 gave the first nonacidic ETA antagonist in our series, (E)-2-phenyl-3-(3-benzyloxyphenoxy)prop2-enol 6 with an IC50 of 20 microM. Optimization of 6 resulted in the preparation of 2-(2-methylphenyl)-3-(2-cyano-5-(thien-3-ylmethyl)phenyl)pro p-2-enol 33 with an IC50 of 300 nM on the ETA receptor.

Acyl-CoA:Cholesterol O-acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitors. 2. 2-(1,3-Dioxan-2-yl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazoles as potent inhibitors of ACAT.

The second in this series of papers concerns our further investigations into the search for a potent bioavailable acyl-CoA:cholesterol O-acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor suitable for the treatment of atherosclerosis. The design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationship for a series of ACAT inhibitors based on the 2-(1,3-dioxan-2-yl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazole pharmacophore are described. Compounds such as 13a bearing simple alkyl or hydroxymethyl substituents at the 5-position of the 1,3-dioxane ring are potent bioavailable inhibitors of the rat hepatic microsomal enzyme in vitro (IC50 < 100 nM) but are only weak inhibitors of the human hepatic enzyme. We have found however that 1,3-dioxanes substituted at the 5-cis position with pyrazolylalkyl or aminoalkyl groups are potent inhibitors in vitro of human macrophage ACAT, the potency depending on the nature of the terminal heterocycle and the length of the alkyl chain. An ex vivo bioassay herein demonstrates that potent inhibitors such as 13t (IC50 = 10 nM) which contain lipophilic terminal heterocycles do not appear to be systematically available. Less potent but more water soluble compounds such as 13h (IC50 = 60 nM) and 13n (IC50 = 70 nM) are absorbed following oral dosing and achieve plasma levels significantly in excess of their IC50 for ACAT inhibition. These compounds are therefore possible candidates for further investigation as oral antiatherosclerotic agents.