Tricyclic compounds containing nonenolizable cyano enones. A novel class of highly potent anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective agents.

Forty-four novel tricycles containing nonenolizable cyano enones (TCEs) were designed and synthesized on the basis of a semisynthetic pentacyclic triterpenoid, bardoxolone methyl, which is currently being developed in phase II clinical trials for the treatment of severe chronic kidney disease in diabetic patients. Most of the TCEs having two different kinds of nonenolizable cyano enones in rings A and C are highly potent suppressors of induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase stimulated with interferon-γ and are highly potent inducers of the cytoprotective enzymes heme oxygenase-1 and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase-1. Among these compounds, (±)-(4bS,8aR,10aS)-10a-ethynyl-4b,8,8-trimethyl-3,7-dioxo-3,4b,7,8,8a,9,10,10a-octahydrophenanthrene-2,6-dicarbonitrile ((±)-31) is the most potent in these bioassays in our pool of drug candidates including semisynthetic triterpenoids and synthetic tricycles. These facts strongly suggest that an essential factor for potency is not a triterpenoid skeleton but the cyano enone functionality. Notably, TCE 31 reduces hepatic tumorigenesis induced with aflatoxin in rats. Further preclinical studies and detailed mechanism studies on 31 are in progress.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 1-[2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oyl]-4-ethynylimidazole. A novel and highly potent anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective agent.

To explore more potent N-acylimidazole analogues of CDDO than CDDO-Im, which is one of the most potent compounds in several widely used bioassays related to protection against inflammation and carcinogenesis; we have synthesized and evaluated five new N-acyl(acetylenic)imidazole analogues. Among them, 4-ethynylimidazole 4 is nearly equivalent to CDDO-Im in potency in these bioassays. Remarkably, the solid form of 4 is more stable than that of CDDO-Im. These findings suggest that 4 is a very promising anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective agent and its further preclinical evaluation is warranted.

Synthesis and characterization of rhenium and technetium-99m labeled insulin.

A (99m)Tc-labeled insulin analogue was synthesized through a direct labeling method in which the [(99m)Tc(CO)(3)](+) core was combined with a protected insulin derivative (9) bearing a M(I) chelate linked to the first amino acid of the B-chain (B1). Regioselective labeling was achieved by careful control over the pH and the reaction time. Following a TFA-anisole mediated deprotection step (decay-corrected yield of 30 +/- 11%, n = 4), the identity of the final (99m)Tc-labeled product was confirmed by HPLC. Displacement of (125)I-insulin from the insulin receptor (IR) by the Re analogue 6 was similar to that of native insulin (17.8 nM vs 11.7 nM, respectively). The extent of autophosphorylation and Akt activation, as indicated by production of phospho-Akt (pAkt), showed no statistical difference between 6 and native insulin in both assays. These results support the use of the reported (99m)Tc-insulin derivative as a tracer for studying insulin biochemistry in vivo.

2-Cyano-3,10-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid anhydride. A novel and highly potent anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective agent.

2-Cyano-3,10-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid anhydride (CDDO anhydride) has been synthesized, which is the first example of an oleanane triterpenoid anhydride. CDDO anhydride shows potency similar to or higher than the corresponding acid (CDDO) in various in vitro and in vivo assays related to inflammation and carcinogenesis. Notably, preliminary phamacokinetics studies show that CDDO anhydride levels are higher than CDDO levels in mouse tissues and blood. Further evaluation of CDDO anhydride is in progress.

Comprehensive radiolabeling, stability, and tissue distribution studies of technetium-99m single amino acid chelates (SAAC).

Technetium tricarbonyl chemistry has been a subject of interest in radiopharmaceutical development over the past decade. Despite the extensive work done on developing chelates for Tc(I), a rigorous investigation of the impact of changing donor groups and labeling conditions on radiochemical yields and/or distribution has been lacking. This information is crucially important if these platforms are going to be used to develop molecular imaging probes. Previous studies on the coordination chemistry of the {M(CO)(3)}(+) core have established alkylamine, aromatic nitrogen heterocycles, and carboxylate donors as effective chelating ligands. These observations led to the design of tridentate ligands derived from the amino acid lysine. Such amino acid analogues provide a tridentate donor set for chelation to the metal and an amino acid functionality for conjugation to biomolecules. We recently developed a family of single amino acid chelates (SAAC) that serve this function and can be readily incorporated into peptides via solid-phase synthesis techniques. As part of these continuing studies, we report here on the radiolabeling with technetium-99m ((99m)Tc) and stability of a series of SAAC analogues of lysine. The complexes studied include cationic, neutral, and anionic complexes. The results of tissue distribution studies with these novel complexes in normal rats demonstrate a range of distribution in kidney, liver, and intestines.

A convenient method for the preparation of fluorous tin derivatives for the fluorous labeling strategy.

A convenient method for the preparation of fluorous aryl stannanes was developed as a means of expanding the general utility of the fluorous labeling strategy (FLS). Following the synthesis of a novel fluorous distannane, a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction was used to prepare the target compounds from aryl halides. The scope of the reaction was investigated by preparing a small library of model compounds where the reaction yields were similar to those reported for the analogous procedures employing hexamethyl- or hexabutyldistannanes. The utility of the reported methodology was demonstrated through the successful synthesis of fluorous precursors to two established molecular imaging and therapy agents (FIAU, IUdR). These were radiolabeled with iodine-125 and the desired products isolated in high yield and effective specific activity.

A novel acetylenic tricyclic bis-(cyano enone) potently induces phase 2 cytoprotective pathways and blocks liver carcinogenesis induced by aflatoxin.

A novel acetylenic tricyclic bis-(cyano enone), TBE-31, is a lead compound in a series of tricyclic compounds with enone functionalities in rings A and C. Nanomolar concentrations of this potent multifunctional molecule suppress the induction of the inflammatory protein, inducible nitric oxide synthase, activate phase 2 cytoprotective enzymes in vitro and in vivo, block cell proliferation, and induce differentiation and apoptosis of leukemia cells. Oral administration of TBE-31 also significantly reduces formation of aflatoxin-DNA adducts and decreases size and number of aflatoxin-induced preneoplastic hepatic lesions in rats by >90%. Because of the two cyano enones in rings A and C, TBE-31 may directly interact with DTT and protein targets such as Keap1 that contain reactive cysteine residues. The above findings suggest that TBE-31 should also be tested for chemoprevention and chemotherapy in relevant models of cancer and against other chronic, degenerative diseases in which inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to disease pathogenesis.

Novel semisynthetic analogues of betulinic acid with diverse cytoprotective, antiproliferative, and proapoptotic activities.

Betulinic acid (BA), a pentacyclic triterpene isolated from birch bark and other plants, selectively inhibits the growth of human cancer cell lines. However, the poor potency of BA hinders its clinical development, despite a lack of toxicity in animal studies even at high concentrations. Here, we describe six BA derivatives that are markedly more potent than BA for inhibiting inducible nitric oxide synthase, activating phase 2 cytoprotective enzymes, and inducing apoptosis in cancer cells and in Bax/Bak(-/-) fibroblasts, which lack two key proteins involved in the intrinsic, mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway. Notably, adding a cyano-enone functionality in the A ring of BA enhanced its cytoprotective properties, but replacing the cyano group with a methoxycarbonyl strikingly increased potency in the apoptosis assays. Higher plasma and tissue levels were obtained with the new BA analogues, especially CBA-Im [1-(2-cyano-3-oxolupa-1,20(29)-dien-28-oyl)imidazole], compared with BA itself and at concentrations that were active in vitro. These results suggest that BA is a useful platform for drug development, and the enhanced potency and varied biological activities of CBA-Im make it a promising candidate for further chemoprevention or chemotherapeutic studies.

Novel tricyclic compounds having acetylene groups at C-8a and cyano enones in rings A and C: highly potent anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective agents.

Novel C-8a functionalized tricyclic compounds having cyano enones in rings A and C have been synthesized and biologically evaluated. Among them, compounds with acetylene groups at C-8a show extremely high potency in in vitro and in vivo bioassays for anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective activities. Both in vitro and in vivo potencies are markedly higher than those of 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO), which is being evaluated as an anticancer drug in phase I clinical trials.

Design, synthesis, and anti-inflammatory activity both in vitro and in vivo of new betulinic acid analogues having an enone functionality in ring A.

Fifteen new betulinic acid analogues were designed, synthesized, and tested for anti-inflammatory activity. Many of these analogues effectively suppress nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW cells stimulated with interferon-gamma. Analogue 10 is highly and orally active in vivo for induction of the anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective enzyme, heme oxygenase-1.

Synthesis of a novel dicyano abietane analogue: a potential antiinflammatory agent.

From a structure-activity relationship perspective, the new abietane 5 having cyano groups at C-2 and C-13 and a phenolic ring C has been synthesized and evaluated biologically because the related compound 4 has high potency in inflammation models in vitro and in vivo. Compound 5 was synthesized from 8, which was obtained in five steps from the known compound 9, via an unexpected aromatization caused by the addition of PhSeCl and subsequent oxidation/elimination of the selenated intermediate 14 with H2O2.

Photorelease of carboxylic and amino acids from N-methyl-4-picolinium esters by mediated electron transfer.

One electron reduction of N-alkyl-4-picolinium (NAP) esters initiates C-O bond scission releasing a carboxylate anion. Previous experiments have demonstrated that this process can be initiated by photoinduced electron transfer from an electron-donating sensitizer. In the present study it is demonstrated that a comparable photorelease process can be initiated by photolysis of an electron acceptor (mediator), which in turn abstracts an electron from a ground state electron donor. The resulting mediator anion radicals donate an electron to the NAP ester, triggering release of the carboxylate anion. It is demonstrated that when benzophenone is used as a mediator, higher quantum yields for ester decomposition can be achieved compared with sensitizers that do direct photoinduced electron transfer.

Photolytic release of carboxylic acids using linked donor-acceptor molecules: direct versus mediated photoinduced electron transfer to N-alkyl-4-picolinium esters.

[reaction: see text] Efficient photorelease (Phi = 0.7) of carboxylic acids is achieved with a covalently linked mediator (benzophenone) protecting group (N-alkyl-4-picolinium ester) molecule. The mechanism involves initial photoreduction of the mediator, followed by rapid electron transfer to the protecting group.

Photorelease of carboxylic acids, amino acids, and phosphates from N-alkylpicolinium esters using photosensitization by high wavelength laser dyes.

Visible light (>450 nm) is used to efficiently cleave carboxylic acids, amino acids, and phosphates from their N-methyl picolinium esters. Photolysis using pyrromethene dyes PM 546 and PM 597 and also coumarin 6 as photosensitizers effects release of carboxylic acids, N-protected amino acids, and phosphates in quantitative yields. The effective rate of photorelease by the dyes, Phiepsilon, was found to be as high as 4500 M-1 cm-1. The photorelease proceeds through photoinduced electron transfer from the dye sensitizers to the N-methyl picolinium group. Fluorescence quenching and laser flash photolysis experiments support the photoinduced electron-transfer mechanism.

Photoremovable protecting groups based on electron transfer chemistry.

Photoremovable protecting groups (also known as photolabile protecting groups, phototriggers, or caged molecules) are functional groups that are attached to a molecule in such a way as to render the latter inactive. Exposure to light releases the protecting group, restoring functionality to the molecule. The use of photoremovable protecting groups (PRPGs) allows for precise spatial and temporal control of chemical reactions. Such groups have found use in many diverse applications, ranging from time resolved studies of physiological processes, to fabrication of spatially resolved combinatorial libraries of DNA. Recent research efforts have focused on designing protecting groups that are removed through photoinduced electron transfer (PET), rather than by direct photolysis. The PET strategy allows the light absorption step to be decoupled from the bond breaking step, thus permitting more control over the wavelengths of light used in the release process. The application of these types of protecting groups to the photochemical release of amines, alcohols, ketones, and carboxylic acids is described.

C-O bond fragmentation of 4-picolyl- and N-methyl-4-picolinium esters triggered by photochemical electron transfer.

Photochemical reduction of several 4-picolyl- and N-methyl-4-picolinium esters was examined using product analysis, laser flash photolysis, and fluorescence quenching. It is demonstrated that the radical (anions) formed in these reactions readily fragment to yield a carboxylic acid and a 4-pyridylmethyl radical intermediate. The high chemical and quantum yields observed for these photoreactions suggests that these esters can be used as photolabile protecting groups.