New esters of succinic acid and mixed molecules formed by such esters and a meglitinide analog: study of their insulinotropic potential.

Eighteen novel esters of succinic acid, including three mixed molecules formed of both succinic acid and nateglinide, were examined for their insulinotropic efficiency in isolated rat pancreatic islets. The secretory response to these esters at increasing concentrations of both d -glucose and the ester itself allowed to identify five esters judged of potential interest for further investigations. They include three molecules with CH(3)-O-CO-CH(2)-CH(2)-CO-NH-CH(R)-CO-O- sequence and two mixed molecules with a nateglinide moiety. The effects of the most potent molecule in the first group and that of two of the esters with a nateglinide moiety upon islet biosynthetic activity in vitro and insulin release in vivo, after either oral or intravenous administration were also investigated. The results suggested that mixed molecules formed of both a succinic acid ester and a meglitinide analog may efficiently stimulate proinsulin biosynthesis and/or insulin release. Further work is required, however, to improve their modality of in vivo administration.

Comparison between the insulinotropic potential of ten new esters of succinic acid.

Selected esters of succinic acid are currently under investigation as insulinotropic tools for the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The aim of the present study was to investigate, in isolated rat pancreatic islets, the insulin secretory response to ten novel esters of succinic acid. According to six different methods of comparison, the following hierarchy in insulinotropic potential was established: 4-tert-butyl-succinate < or = glycerol-1,2-dimethylsuccinate-3-hydrogenosuccinate < or = threitol-3-succinoyl-1,2,4-trimethylsuccinate < or = ethanediol-1,2-diethylsuccinate < or = glycerol-1,2-dimethylsuccinate < or = glycerol-3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethylsuccinate < or = arabitol-5-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetramethylsuccinate < or = threitol-1,2,4-trimethylsuccinate < or = ethanediol-1,2-dimethylsuccinate < propanediol-1,2-dimethylsuccinate. There was a close correlation (r = 0.823) between the insulinotropic potential and the minimal effective concentration, which ranged between the extreme values of 10 microM and 2.5 mM. In the presence of the esters, the concentration-response relationship for glucose-stimulated insulin release was changed from its typically sigmoidal shape to a hyperbolic pattern, with most agents enhancing insulin output at a low hexose concentration (2.8 mM) but failing to do so at a high glucose level (16.7 mM). Highly potent insulinotropic esters have several advantages over other antidiabetic agents in clinical use.

Stimulation of biosynthetic activity by novel succinate esters in rat pancreatic islets.

Selected esters of succinic acid are currently under investigation as possible insulinotropic agents for the treatment of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of ten novel esters of succinic acid upon biosynthetic activity in rat pancreatic islets. In the absence of any other exogenous nutrient, glycerol-3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethyl succinate (0.5 mM), D-arabitol-5-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetramethylsuccinate (0.5 mM), and 4-tert-butylsuccinate (2.5 mM) exerted little or no effect upon L-[4-3H]phenylalanine incorporation into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable material. A modest but significant increase in biosynthetic activity to approximately 150% of basal value was found in the presence of L-threitol-1,2,4-trimethylsuccinate (2.0 mM) and ethanediol-1,2-diethylsuccinate (2.5 mM). A two- to five-fold increase in protein biosynthesis was observed in islets exposed to propanediol-1,2-dimethylsuccinate, glycerol-1,2-dimethylsuccinate-3-hydrogenosuccinate, L-threitol-3-succinoyl-1,2,4-trimethylsuccinate, glycerol-1,2-dimethylsuccinate or ethanediol-1,2-dimethylsuccinate (2.5 mM each), these esters being mentioned in order of increasing biological efficiency. There was a significant correlation between these results and the insulinotropic action of the same esters. The present findings thus reinforce the view that such esters act as nutrients in islet cells and, therefore, offer the advantage over pharmacological agents currently used for the treatment of type-2 diabetes in stimulating both the biosynthetic and secretory activity of insulin-producing B-cells.

Discovery of OT4003, a novel, potent, and orally active cys-LT1 receptor antagonist.

The present paper describes the structural modifications leading to the discovery of a new series of quinoline-containing cys-LT1 receptor (LTD4 receptor) antagonists. A structural optimization with respect to the in vitro receptor binding, the in vivo brochoconstriction, and the toxicological effect in the form of peroxisomal proliferation was performed in order to achieve the target compound OT4003. OT4003 ((S)-(+)-E-2-(3-(2-(7- chloroquinolin-2-yl)ethenyl)phenylaminomethyl)-phenoxyl++ +-hexanoic acid) was found to be a potent and selective inhibitor of [3H]LTD4 specific binding to guinea pig lung membranes (IC50 2.4 +/- 1.0 nM), and also a potent, orally active, antagonist of LTD4 induced bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs [ED50 0.14 (ED16 0.1-ED84 0.4) mg/kg; 4 h pretreatment]. The enantiomerically pure OT4003 was prepared using a short convergent synthesis, including an enzymatic resolution step.