Structure-directed discovery of potent non-peptidic inhibitors of human urokinase that access a novel binding subsite.

BACKGROUND: Human urokinase-type plasminogen activator has been implicated in the regulation and control of basement membrane and interstitial protein degradation. Because of its role in tissue remodeling, urokinase is a central player in the disease progression of cancer, making it an attractive target for design of an anticancer clinical agent: Few urokinase inhibitors have been described, which suggests that discovery of such a compound is in the early stages. Towards integrating structural data into this process, a new human urokinase crystal form amenable to structure-based drug design has been used to discover potent urokinase inhibitors. RESULTS: On the basis of crystallographic data, 2-naphthamidine was chosen as the lead scaffold for structure-directed optimization. This co-crystal structure shows the compound binding at the primary specificity pocket of the trypsin-like protease and at a novel binding subsite that is accessible from the 8-position of 2-napthamidine. This novel subsite was characterized and used to design two compounds with very different 8-substituents that inhibit urokinase with K(i) values of 30-40 nM. CONCLUSIONS: Utilization of a novel subsite yielded two potent urokinase inhibitors even though this site has not been widely used in inhibitor optimization with other trypsin-like proteases, such as those reported for thrombin or factor Xa. The extensive binding pockets present at the substrate-binding groove of these other proteins are blocked by unique insertion loops in urokinase, thus necessitating the utilization of additional binding subsites. Successful implementation of this strategy and characterization of the novel site provides a significant step towards the discovery of an anticancer clinical agent.

Discovery of a series of pyrrolidine-based endothelin receptor antagonists with enhanced ET(A) receptor selectivity.

Endothelins, ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3 are potent vasoconstricting and mitogenic 21-amino acid bicyclic peptides, which exert their effects upon binding to the ET(A) and ET(B) receptors. The ET(A) receptor mediates vasoconstriction and smooth muscle cell proliferation, and the ET(B) receptor mediates different effects in different tissues, including nitric oxide release from endothelial cells, and vasoconstriction in certain vascular cell types. Selective antagonists of endothelin receptor subtypes may prove useful in determining the role of endothelin in various tissue types and disease states, and hence as therapeutic agents for such diseases. The pyrrolidine carboxylic acid A-127722 has been disclosed as a potent and ET(A)-selective antagonist, and is currently undergoing clinical trials. In our efforts to find antagonists with altered selectivity (ET(A)-selective, ET(B)-selective, or nonselective), we investigated the SAR of the 2-substituent on the pyrrolidine. Compounds with alkyl groups at the 2-position possessed ET(A) selectivity improved over A-127722 (1400-fold selective), with the best of these compounds showing nearly 19,000-fold selectivity.

2,4-Diarylpyrrolidine-3-carboxylic acids--potent ETA selective endothelin receptor antagonists. 1. Discovery of A-127722.

We have discovered a novel class of endothelin (ET) receptor antagonists through pharmacophore analysis of the existing non-peptide ET antagonists. On the basis of this analysis, we determined that a pyrrolidine ring might replace the indian ring in SB 209670. The resultant compounds were readily prepared and amenable to extensive SAR studies. Thus a series of N-substituted trans,trans-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)pyrroli din e-3- carboxylic acids (8) have been synthesized and evaluated for binding at ET(A) and ET(B) receptors. Compounds with N-acyl and simple N-alkyl substituents had weak activity. Compounds with N-alkyl substituents containing ethers, sulfoxides, or sulfones showed increased activity. Much improved activity resulted from compounds where the N-substituents were acetamides. Compound 17u (A-127722) with the N,N-dibutylacetamide substituent is the best of the series. It has an IC(50)=0.36 nM for inhibition of ET-1 radioligand binding at the ET(A) receptor, with a 1000-fold selectivity for the ET(A) vs the ET(B) receptor. It is also a potent inhibitor (IC(50)=0.16 nM) of phosphoinositol hydrolysis stimulated by ET-1, and it antagonized the ET-1-induced contraction of the rabbit aorta with a pA(2)=9.20. The compound has 70% oral bioavailability in rats.

Nonpeptide renin inhibitors with good intraduodenal bioavailability and efficacy in dog.

The aim of this study was the discovery of nonpeptide renin inhibitors with much improved oral absorption, bioavailability, and efficacy, for use as antihypertensive agents. Our prior efforts led to the identification of A-74273 [1,R = 3-(4-morpholino)propyl], with a bioavailability of 26 +/- 10% [10 mg/kg intraduodenally (id), dog]. In vivo metabolism studies of A-74273 showed that the morpholino moiety underwent metabolic degradation. Computer modeling of A-74273 bound to renin indicated that the C-terminus was involved in a hydrogen-bonding network. New C-terminal groups were examined in two series of nonpeptides for effects on renin binding potency, lipophilicity (log P), and aqueous solubility. Those groups which possessed multiple hydrogen-bonding ability (3,5-diaminotriazole, cyanoguanidines, morpholino) provided particularly potent renin binding. Intraduodenal bioavailabilities of selected compounds, evaluated in rats, ferrets, and dogs, were higher for inhibitors with moderate solubility as well as moderate lipophilicity, in general. Although the absolute values varied substantially among species, the relative ordering of the inhibitors in terms of absorption and bioavailability was reasonably consistent. Such well absorbed inhibitors (e.g. 41, 44, and 51) were demonstrated as highly efficacious hypotensive agents in the salt-depleted dog. We report here the discovery of a series of efficacious nonpeptide renin inhibitors based on the 3-azaglutaramide P2-P4 replacement, the best of which showed id bioavailabilities > 50% in dog.

Cardiovascular effects and hemodynamic mechanism of action of the novel, nonpeptidic renin inhibitor A-74273 in dogs.

A-74273 is a nonpeptidic, potent inhibitor of human and canine renin (IC50 = 3.1 and 43 nM, respectively, in plasma at pH 7.4) and has been shown to be orally active in dogs. To determine the hemodynamic mechanism underlying this renin inhibitor's hypotensive activity, the cardiac and hemodynamic effects of A-74273 were studied in sodium-depleted and sodium-replete pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. Vehicle [5% dextrose in water (V, D5W), n = 8] or a single dose of A-74273 was administered intravenously (i.v.) as a bolus followed by a 30-min infusion (one tenth the bolus dose per minute). Baseline mean arterial pressure (MAP) was similar among all treatment groups, but baseline plasma renin activity (PRA) was increased in the sodium-depleted dogs as compared with the sodium-replete dogs. In sodium-depleted dogs (n = 7-8/dose), MAP decreased maximally as compared with baseline by 4 +/- 1, 19 +/- 3, and 23 +/- 3% during infusion of A-74273 at doses of 0.001, 0.01, and 0.1 mg/kg/min, respectively (p < 0.05 vs. baseline or V). The two highest infusion doses also produced significant reductions (p < 0.05 vs. baseline and V) in systemic vascular resistance (SVR, 21 +/- 2 and 25 +/- 2%) and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP, 40 +/- 8 and 47 +/- 12%). In sodium-replete dogs (n = 4/dose), an infusion dose of 0.01 mg/kg/min elicited no hemodynamic response, whereas 0.1 mg/kg/min reduced MAP by 13 +/- 2% (p < 0.05 vs. baseline) and SVR by 7 +/- 6%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of high doses of A-74273, a novel nonpeptidic and orally bioavailable renin inhibitor.

Previous studies with peptidic renin inhibitors have shown that high intravenous (i.v.) doses can induce unexpectedly large decreases in blood pressure (BP) that appear to be independent of plasma renin inhibition. A-74273 represents a new class of potent and orally bioavailable nonpeptidic renin inhibitors. We evaluated the BP effects of this renin inhibitor administered orally (p.o.) or i.v. at high doses to conscious salt-depleted dogs. Administration of A-74273 at 30 and 60 mg/kg p.o. (n = 6 per dose) produced similar maximum reductions in BP (-40 +/- 4 vs. -46 +/- 5 mm Hg) despite the occurrence of greater plasma drug concentrations at the higher dose. Duration of hypotension, however, was increased (p < 0.05) from 9 h at 30 mg/kg to 18 h at 60 mg/kg. The initial depressor response to 10 and 30 mg/kg i.v. doses of A-74273 (n = 6 per dose) was comparable, although duration and overall BP response was greater at 30 mg/kg i.v. No BP responses to A-74273 were noted in salt-replete dogs (n = 5). The hypotension produced by 30 mg/kg p.o. A-74273 was completely reversed by norepinephrine (NE 5 micrograms/kg/min; n = 5) or isotonic saline (4 ml/min/kg, n = 5) infusion. These studies demonstrate that high doses of A-74273 result in predictable BP responses that are renin-dependent and reversible. Therefore, large decreases in BP with high doses is not an attribute common to all renin inhibitors but appears to be a function of the structural characteristics specific to a particular compound.

C-terminal modifications of nonpeptide renin inhibitors: improved oral bioavailability via modification of physicochemical properties.

We describe the development of a series of soluble, potent, and bioavailable nonpeptide renin inhibitors. These inhibitors derived from a series of novel nonpeptide renin inhibitors which were recently identified in our laboratories, by alteration of the nature of the C-terminus (P2') of the molecules. Introduction of basic substituents into modified hydroxyethylene dipeptide isosteres gave inhibitors with improved solubility as well as improved potency against human plasma renin. In addition, these modifications produced inhibitors which displayed markedly improved intraduodenal bioavailability in both the ferret and cynomolgus monkey. We also present data which demonstrate excellent efficacy in the monkey for A-74273 (65), with an intraduodenal bioavailability of 16 +/- 4% in the monkey, compared to 1.7 +/- 0.5% for the dipeptide renin inhibitor enalkiren (A-64662, 75). A-74273 is an example of a nonpeptide inhibitor which possesses a good balance of the desirable properties of potency, solubility, and lipophilicity and which is well absorbed into the intestine.

Slow, tight binding to human renin of some nonpeptidic renin inhibitors containing a 4-methoxymethoxypiperidinylamide at the P4 position.

A series of nonpeptidic human renin inhibitors with a 4-methoxymethoxypiperidinylamide at the P4 position of the molecule exhibited slow tight binding to the enzyme. Replacement of the methoxymethoxy moiety on the piperidine ring with H, OH, methoxyethyl, propyloxy or n-butyl eliminated the effect. The inhibition was partially reversed by prolonged dialysis at 4 degrees C, arguing against formation of a covalent bond in the tightened complex.