ABSTRACT
Long hydrocarbon chain derivatives with bis-terminal hydroxyl or carboxyl groups and various central moieties (ketone, ether, ester, amide, carbamate, etc.) have been synthesized and evaluated for their effects on the de novo incorporation of radiolabeled acetate into lipids in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes as well as for their effects on lipid, glycemic and body weight variables in female obese Zucker fatty rats following one and two weeks of oral administration. The most active compounds were found to be symmetrical with four to five methylene groups separating the ether or ketone central functionality from the gem dimethyl, cycloalkyl or methyl/aryl substituents. Cycloalkyl substitution alpha to the carboxyl group in keto-acids lowered the in vitro activity to micromolar values. Furthermore, in vivo biological activity was found to be greatest for cyclopropyl-substituted ketone derivatives, particularly the ketodiacid with five methylene groups on each side of the central ketone functionality, which was identified as an HDL elevator and was also found to reduce insulin and glucose.
