Utilization of active learning approaches in medicinal chemistry and subsequent correlations with North American Licensure Examination and Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment scores.

INTRODUCTION: Student perceptions of active learning methods in medicinal chemistry education and correlation of those perceptions with academic performance measures have not been well studied. METHODS: Perceived usefulness of six active-learning activities (study guides, team activities, assignments/quizzes, make your own questions, and two types of in-class live polls) was evaluated by survey. Correlations between perceived usefulness, active-learning activity grade, course grade, first-time North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) score, and Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) score were examined. RESULTS: Students perceived study guides as the most preferred activity while in-class live polls were least preferred. However, students agreed that all methods were useful to varying degrees. Although no significant correlation was seen between perceived utility of active-learning and course grades, positive correlations were observed between active-learning grades and NAPLEX (0.32), active-learning grades and PCOA (0.311), course grades and PCOA (0.449), and course grades and NAPLEX (0.483). Furthermore, correlation of PCOA and NAPLEX scores (0.456) was in line with previously published studies. CONCLUSIONS: Students found active-learning approaches to be useful to varying degrees. Active-learning activity and course grades had moderate, positive correlations with both NAPLEX and PCOA scores, suggesting that these active-learning activities may contribute to success on standardized exams.

A novel benzazepinone sodium channel blocker with oral efficacy in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

A series of benzazepinones were synthesized and evaluated for block of Nav1.7 sodium channels. Compound 30 from this series displayed potent channel block, good selectivity versus other targets, and dose-dependent oral efficacy in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

Improved Cav2.2 Channel Inhibitors through a gem-Dimethylsulfone Bioisostere Replacement of a Labile Sulfonamide.

We report the investigation of sulfonamide-derived Cav2.2 inhibitors to address drug-metabolism liabilities with this lead class of analgesics. Modification of the benzamide substituent provided improvements in both potency and selectivity. However, we discovered that formation of the persistent 3-(trifluoromethyl)benzenesulfonamide metabolite was an endemic problem in the sulfonamide series and that the replacement of the center aminopiperidine scaffold failed to prevent this metabolic pathway. This issue was eventually addressed by application of a bioisostere strategy. The new gem-dimethyl sulfone series retained Cav2.2 potency without the liability of the circulating sulfonamide metabolite.

Aminopiperidine sulfonamide Cav2.2 channel inhibitors for the treatment of chronic pain.

The voltage-gated calcium channel Ca(v)2.2 (N-type calcium channel) is a critical regulator of synaptic transmission and has emerged as an attractive target for the treatment of chronic pain. We report here the discovery of sulfonamide-derived, state-dependent inhibitors of Ca(v)2.2. In particular, 19 is an inhibitor of Ca(v)2.2 that is selective over cardiac ion channels, with a good preclinical PK and biodistribution profile. This compound exhibits dose-dependent efficacy in preclinical models of inflammatory hyperalgesia and neuropathic allodynia and is devoid of ancillary cardiovascular or CNS pharmacology at the doses tested. Importantly, 19 exhibited no efficacy in Ca(v)2.2 gene-deleted mice. The discovery of metabolite 26 confounds further development of members of this aminopiperidine sulfonamide series. This discovery also suggests specific structural liabilities of this class of compounds that must be addressed.

Characterization of the substituted N-triazole oxindole TROX-1, a small-molecule, state-dependent inhibitor of Ca(V)2 calcium channels.

Biological, genetic, and clinical evidence provide validation for N-type calcium channels (Ca(V)2.2) as therapeutic targets for chronic pain. A state-dependent Ca(V)2.2 inhibitor may provide an improved therapeutic window over ziconotide, the peptidyl Ca(V)2.2 inhibitor used clinically. Supporting this notion, we recently reported that in preclinical models, the state-dependent Ca(V)2 inhibitor (3R)-5-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)-3-methyl-3-(pyrimidin-5-ylmethyl)-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)-1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one (TROX-1) has an improved therapeutic window compared with ziconotide. Here we characterize TROX-1 inhibition of Cav2.2 channels in more detail. When channels are biased toward open/inactivated states by depolarizing the membrane potential under voltage-clamp electrophysiology, TROX-1 inhibits Ca(V)2.2 channels with an IC(50) of 0.11 µM. The voltage dependence of Ca(V)2.2 inhibition was examined using automated electrophysiology. TROX-1 IC(50) values were 4.2, 0.90, and 0.36 µM at -110, -90, and -70 mV, respectively. TROX-1 displayed use-dependent inhibition of Ca(V)2.2 with a 10-fold IC(50) separation between first (27 µM) and last (2.7 µM) pulses in a train. In a fluorescence-based calcium influx assay, TROX-1 inhibited Ca(V)2.2 channels with an IC(50) of 9.5 µM under hyperpolarized conditions and 0.69 µM under depolarized conditions. Finally, TROX-1 potency was examined across the Ca(V)2 subfamily. Depolarized IC(50) values were 0.29, 0.19, and 0.28 µM by manual electrophysiology using matched conditions and 1.8, 0.69, and 1.1 µM by calcium influx for Ca(V)2.1, Ca(V)2.2, and Ca(V)2.3, respectively. Together, these in vitro data support the idea that a state-dependent, non-subtype-selective Ca(V)2 channel inhibitor can achieve an improved therapeutic window over the relatively state-independent Ca(V)2.2-selective inhibitor ziconotide in preclinical models of chronic pain.

Analgesic effects of a substituted N-triazole oxindole (TROX-1), a state-dependent, voltage-gated calcium channel 2 blocker.

Voltage-gated calcium channel (Ca(v))2.2 (N-type calcium channels) are key components in nociceptive transmission pathways. Ziconotide, a state-independent peptide inhibitor of Ca(v)2.2 channels, is efficacious in treating refractory pain but exhibits a narrow therapeutic window and must be administered intrathecally. We have discovered an N-triazole oxindole, (3R)-5-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)-3-methyl-3-(pyrimidin-5-ylmethyl)-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)-1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one (TROX-1), as a small-molecule, state-dependent blocker of Ca(v)2 channels, and we investigated the therapeutic advantages of this compound for analgesia. TROX-1 preferentially inhibited potassium-triggered calcium influx through recombinant Ca(v)2.2 channels under depolarized conditions (IC(50) = 0.27 microM) compared with hyperpolarized conditions (IC(50) > 20 microM). In rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, TROX-1 inhibited omega-conotoxin GVIA-sensitive calcium currents (Ca(v)2.2 channel currents), with greater potency under depolarized conditions (IC(50) = 0.4 microM) than under hyperpolarized conditions (IC(50) = 2.6 microM), indicating state-dependent Ca(v)2.2 channel block of native as well as recombinant channels. TROX-1 fully blocked calcium influx mediated by a mixture of Ca(v)2 channels in calcium imaging experiments in rat DRG neurons, indicating additional block of all Ca(v)2 family channels. TROX-1 reversed inflammatory-induced hyperalgesia with maximal effects equivalent to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and it reversed nerve injury-induced allodynia to the same extent as pregabalin and duloxetine. In contrast, no significant reversal of hyperalgesia was observed in Ca(v)2.2 gene-deleted mice. Mild impairment of motor function in the Rotarod test and cardiovascular functions were observed at 20- to 40-fold higher plasma concentrations than required for analgesic activities. TROX-1 demonstrates that an orally available state-dependent Ca(v)2 channel blocker may achieve a therapeutic window suitable for the treatment of chronic pain.

Discovery of isoxazole voltage gated sodium channel blockers for treatment of chronic pain.

A series of novel isoxazole voltage gated sodium channel blockers have been synthesized and evaluated. Substitutions on the benzylic position of benzamide were investigated to determine their effect on Na(v)1.7 inhibitory potency. The spirocyclobutyl substitution had the most significant enhancement on Na(v)1.7 inhibitory activity.

Discovery of a novel class of isoxazoline voltage gated sodium channel blockers.

Analogs of the previously reported voltage gated sodium channel blocker CDA54 were prepared in which one of the amide functions was replaced with aromatic and non-aromatic heterocycles. Replacement of the amide with an aromatic heterocycle resulted in significant loss of sodium channel blocking activity, while non-aromatic heterocycle replacements were well tolerated.

A high-throughput assay for evaluating state dependence and subtype selectivity of Cav2 calcium channel inhibitors.

Cav2.2 channels play a critical role in pain signaling by controlling synaptic transmission between dorsal root ganglion neurons and dorsal horn neurons. The Cav2.2-selective peptide blocker ziconotide (Prialt, Elan Pharmaceuticals, Dublin, Ireland) has proven efficacious in pain relief, but has a poor therapeutic index and requires intrathecal administration. This has provided impetus for finding an orally active, state-dependent Cav2.2 inhibitor with an improved safety profile. Members of the Cav2 subfamily of calcium channels are the main contributors to central and peripheral synaptic transmission, but the pharmacological effects of blocking each subtype is not yet defined. Here we describe a high-throughput fluorescent assay using a fluorometric imaging plate reader (FLIPR [Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, CA]) designed to quickly evaluate the state dependence and selectivity of inhibitors across the Cav2 subfamily. Stable cell lines expressing functional Cav2 channels (Ca(V)alpha, beta(3), and alpha(2)delta subunits) were co-transfected with an inward rectifier (Kir2.3) so that membrane potential, and therefore channel state, could be controlled by external potassium concentration. Following cell incubation in drug with varying concentrations of potassium, a high potassium trigger was added to elicit calcium influx through available, unblocked channels. State-dependent inhibitors that preferentially bind to channels in the open or inactivated state can be identified by their increased potency at higher potassium concentrations, where cells are depolarized and channels are biased towards these states. Although the Cav2 channel subtypes differ in their voltage dependence of inactivation, by adjusting pre-trigger potassium concentrations, the degree of steady-state inactivation can be more closely matched across Cav2 subtypes to assess molecular selectivity.

Imidazopyridines: a novel class of hNav1.7 channel blockers.

A series of imidazopyridines were evaluated as potential sodium channel blockers for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Several members were identified with good hNa(v)1.7 potency and excellent rat pharmacokinetic profiles. Compound 4 had good efficacy (52% and 41% reversal of allodynia at 2 and 4h post-dose, respectively) in the Chung rat spinal nerve ligation (SNL) model of neuropathic pain when dosed orally at 10mg/kg.

3-Amino-1,5-benzodiazepinones: potent, state-dependent sodium channel blockers with anti-epileptic activity.

A series of 3-amino-1,5-benzodiazepinones were synthesized and evaluated as potential sodium channel blockers in a functional, membrane potential-based assay. One member of this series displayed subnanomolar, state-dependent sodium channel block, and was orally efficacious in a mouse model of epilepsy.

Benzazepinone Nav1.7 blockers: potential treatments for neuropathic pain.

A series of benzazepinones were synthesized and evaluated as hNa(v)1.7 sodium channel blockers. Several compounds from this series displayed good oral bioavailability and exposure and were efficacious in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

Discovery of a novel class of benzazepinone Na(v)1.7 blockers: potential treatments for neuropathic pain.

A series of benzodiazepines and benzazepinones were synthesized and evaluated as potential sodium channel blockers in a functional, membrane potential-based assay. One member of the benzazepinone series, compound 47, displayed potent, state-dependent block of hNa(v)1.7, and was orally efficacious in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

ProTx-I and ProTx-II: gating modifiers of voltage-gated sodium channels.

The tarantula venom peptides ProTx-I and ProTx-II inhibit voltage-gated sodium channels by shifting their voltage dependence of activation to a more positive potential, thus acting by a mechanism similar to that of potassium channel gating modifiers such as hanatoxin and VSTX1. ProTx-I and ProTx-II inhibit all sodium channel (Nav1) subtypes tested with similar potency and represent the first potent peptidyl inhibitors of TTX-resistant sodium channels. Like gating modifiers of potassium channels, ProTx-I and ProTx-II conform to the inhibitory cystine knot motif, and ProTx-II was demonstrated to bind to sodium channels in the closed state. Both toxins have been synthesized chemically, and ProTx-II, produced by recombinant means, has been used to map the interaction surface of the peptide with the Nav1.5 channel. In comparison, beta-scorpion toxins activate sodium channels by shifting the voltage dependence of activation to more negative potentials, and together these peptides represent valuable tools for exploring the gating mechanism of sodium channels.

Blockers of the delayed-rectifier potassium current in pancreatic beta-cells enhance glucose-dependent insulin secretion.

Delayed-rectifier K+ currents (I(DR)) in pancreatic beta-cells are thought to contribute to action potential repolarization and thereby modulate insulin secretion. The voltage-gated K+ channel, K(V)2.1, is expressed in beta-cells, and the biophysical characteristics of heterologously expressed channels are similar to those of I(DR) in rodent beta-cells. A novel peptidyl inhibitor of K(V)2.1/K(V)2.2 channels, guangxitoxin (GxTX)-1 (half-maximal concentration approximately 1 nmol/l), has been purified, characterized, and used to probe the contribution of these channels to beta-cell physiology. In mouse beta-cells, GxTX-1 inhibits 90% of I(DR) and, as for K(V)2.1, shifts the voltage dependence of channel activation to more depolarized potentials, a characteristic of gating-modifier peptides. GxTX-1 broadens the beta-cell action potential, enhances glucose-stimulated intracellular calcium oscillations, and enhances insulin secretion from mouse pancreatic islets in a glucose-dependent manner. These data point to a mechanism for specific enhancement of glucose-dependent insulin secretion by applying blockers of the beta-cell I(DR), which may provide advantages over currently used therapies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Synthesis and SAR of 1,2-trans-(1-hydroxy-3-phenylprop-1-yl)cyclopentane carboxamide derivatives, a new class of sodium channel blockers.

Novel cyclopentane-based 3-phenyl-1-hydroxypropyl compounds were evaluated for inhibitory activity against the peripheral nerve sodium channel Na(V)1.7 and off-target activity against the cardiac potassium channel hERG. The stereochemistry of the hydroxyl group and substitution on the phenyl rings with either fluorinated O-alkyl or alkyl groups were found to be critical for conferring potency against Na(V)1.7. A benchmark compound from this series displayed efficacy in rat models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain.

Discovery of potent and use-dependent sodium channel blockers for treatment of chronic pain.

A new series of voltage-gated sodium channel blockers with potential for treatment of chronic pain is reported. Systematic structure-activity relationship studies, starting with compound 1, led to identification of potent analogs that displayed use-dependent block of sodium channels, were efficacious in pain models in vivo, and most importantly, were devoid of activity against the cardiac potassium channel hERG.

Novel cyclopentane dicarboxamide sodium channel blockers as a potential treatment for chronic pain.

A series of new voltage-gated sodium channel blockers were prepared based on the screening lead succinic diamide BPBTS. Replacement of the succinimide linker with the more rigid cyclic 1,2-trans-diamide linker was well tolerated. N-Methylation on the biphenylsulfonamide side of the amide moiety significantly reduced the clearance rate in rat pharmacokinetic studies.

Nodulisporic acids D-F: structure, biological activities, and biogenetic relationships.

Nodulisporic acids D, E, and F are the newest members of a family of nontremorogenic indole-diterpenoids that are potent, orally bioavailable, antiflea agents derived from a fungus belonging to the genus Nodulisporium. The four members of the D series are each devoid of an isoprene residue that is present at C-26 in the three nodulisporic acids described originally (the A series). Nodulisporic acid E (11a) has a simpler structure, which lacks not only the isoprene residue at C-26 but also two that form the A/B rings. Nodulisporic acid F is the simplest of all nodulisporic acids and is devoid of all three isoprene residues of the indole unit; as such, it represents the earliest biosynthetic intermediate in this series. A biogenetic grid based on mutation studies is proposed that encompasses all the known nodulisporic acids. Structure-activity relationships of the known natural nodulisporic acids have been elucidated. Within a series the most active compound possesses a dienoic acid chain, and overall, the end product of the biogenetic grid, i.e., nodulisporic acid A, exhibits the most potent antiflea activity. Additionally, the stereochemistries of C-3' ' and C-4' ' of nodulisporic acid D(2) and therefore of nodulisporic acids A(2), B(2), and C(2) have been assigned.

Functional assay of voltage-gated sodium channels using membrane potential-sensitive dyes.

The discovery of novel therapeutic agents that act on voltage-gated sodium channels requires the establishment of high-capacity screening assays that can reliably measure the activity of these proteins. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technology using membrane potential-sensitive dyes has been shown to provide a readout of voltage-gated sodium channel activity in stably transfected cell lines. Due to the inherent rapid inactivation of sodium channels, these assays require the presence of a channel activator to prolong channel opening. Because sodium channel activators and test compounds may share related binding sites on the protein, the assay protocol is critical for the proper identification of channel inhibitors. In this study, high throughput, functional assays for the voltage-gated sodium channels, hNa(V)1.5 and hNa(V)1.7, are described. In these assays, channels stably expressed in HEK cells are preincubated with test compound in physiological medium and then exposed to a sodium channel activator that slows channel inactivation. Sodium ion movement through open channels causes membrane depolarization that can be measured with a FRET dye membrane potential-sensing system, providing a large and reproducible signal. Unlike previous assays, the signal obtained in the agonist initiation assay is sensitive to all sodium channel modulators that were tested and can be used in high throughput mode, as well as in support of Medicinal Chemistry efforts for lead optimization.