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(d) Russell, M. G. N.; Dias, R. Curr. Top. Med. Chem. 2002, 2, 643.
2. For reviews on 5-HT6 receptor ligands and their biological functions, see:
Glennon, R. A. J. Med. Chem. 2003, 46, 2795; Holenz, J.; Pauwels, P. J.; Diaz, J. L.;
Merce, R.; Codony, X.; Buschmann, H. Drug Discovery Today 2006, 11, 283; Liu,
K. G.; Robichaud, A. J. Drug Dev. Res. 2009, 70, 145.
3. (a) Tsai, Y.; Dukat, M.; Slassi, A.; MacLean, N.; Demchyshyn, L.; Savage, J. E.;
Roth, B. L.; Hufesein, S.; Lee, M.; Glennon, R. A. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2000, 10,
2295; (b) Russell, M. G. N.; Baker, R. J.; Barden, L.; Beer, M. S.; Bristow, L.;
Broughton, H. B.; Knowles, M.; McAllister, G.; Patel, S.; Castro, J. L. J. Med. Chem.
2001, 44, 3881; (c) Cole, D. C.; Lennox, W. J.; Lombardi, S.; Ellingboe, J. W.;
Bernotas, R. C.; Tawa, G.; Mazandarani, H.; Smith, D. L.; Zhang, G.; Coupet, J.;
Schechter, L. E. J. Med. Chem. 2005, 48, 353.
4. Bernotas, R. C.; Lenicek, S.; Antane, S.; Zhang, G. M.; Smith, D.; Coupet, J.;
Harrison, B.; Schechter, L. E. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2004, 14, 5499.
5. Bernotas, R. C.; Lenicek, S.; Antane, S.; Cole, D. C.; Harrison, B.; Robichaud, A.;
Zhang, G.-M.; Smith, D. L.; Platt, B.; Lin, Q.; Li, P.; Coupet, J.; Rosenzweig-Lipson,
S.; Beyer, C. E.; Schechter, L. E. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2009, 17, 5153.
6. (a) Makosza, M.; Glinka, T.; Kinowski, A. Tetrahedron 1984, 40, 1863; (b)
Wojciechowski, K.; Makosza, M. Synthesis 1986, 651; (c) Wojciechowski, K.;
Makosza, M. Tetrahedron Lett. 1984, 25, 4793.
ment to provide compounds with respectable Ki values at 5-HT6
receptors (<10 nM). Compounds with a primary amine side chain
(6h–k) in place of the N,N-dimethylamine were also examined. A
modest increase in affinity was observed, comparing 6b to 6h, but
this effect was relatively weak compared to the effect of introducing
a methoxy group to the aryl ring. Incorporation of a 6-Cl-imi-
dazo[2,1-b][1,3]thiazo-5-yl-sulfonyl group, which had provided a
high affinity, potent 5-HT6 agonist in the 1-arylsulfonyl-tryptamine
series (1),12 did not improve 5-HT6 receptor affinity for 6k.
Several compounds (6e–i) with good 5-HT6 affinity were tested
in an adenylyl cyclase assay to determine the ligands’ ability to
modulate 5-HT6 function in vitro.12 We expected these com-
pounds, like regioisomeric analogs 3a–b, to function as agonists
in this assay. Instead, they proved to be only weak, full antagonists,
with the exception of the primary amines 6h and 6i, which pos-
sessed weak agonist function.
Three regioisomeric series of 1-(2-aminoethyl)-3-(arylsulfonyl)-
1H-pyrrolopyridines, based on the high affinity 1-(aminoethyl)-3-
(arylsulfonyl)-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridines3, werepreparedusingfive
synthetic routes. Three approaches incorporated a key VNS reaction,
demonstrating the versatility of this approach. In contrast to pyrrol-
o[2,3-b]pyridines 3, pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridine 4b and pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyr-
idine 5 had significantly weaker affinity for 5-HT6 receptors. More
promising were pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyridines 6, with optimized ligands
possessing excellent affinity for the target receptors (e.g., 6f and 6g
with 5-HT6 binding Ki = 3.9 nM and 1.7 nM, respectively). However,
these compounds were functionally weak agonists or antagonists as
demonstrated in the adenylyl cyclase assay.
7. Antane, S.; Bernotas, R.; McDevitt, R.; Yan, Y.; Li, Y. Synth. Commun. 2004, 34,
2443.
8. Makosza, M.; Chylinska, B.; Mudryk, B. Liebigs Ann. Chem. 1984, 8.
9. New compounds provided satisfactory 1H NMR (300 or 400 MHz) and MS data.
Final compounds (4a–b, 5, and 6a–k) were isolated as hydrochlorides and
generally provided satisfactory CHN analysis though often as partial hydrates
or solvates. Compounds 6h–k were analyzed by 1H NMR and MS. For additional
synthetic details, see: Bernotas, R. C.; Lenicek, S. E.; Antane, S. A. U.S. Patent
6,825,212.
10. Katz, R. B.; Voyle, M. Synthesis 1989, 314.
11. Webb, K. S. Tetrahedron Lett. 1994, 35, 3457.
12. Binding assays were performed using cloned human 5-HT6 receptors stably
transfected into HeLa cells using [3H]-LSD as the radioligand. For the adenylyl
cyclase assay, HeLa cells transfected with the human 5-HT6 receptor were
used. The% efficacy is relative to serotonin. For detailed assay conditions, see:
Cole, D. C.; Stock, J. R.; Lennox, W. J.; Bernotas, R. C.; Ellingboe, J. W.; Boikess, S.;
Coupet, J.; Smith, D. L.; Leung, L.; Zhang, G. M.; Feng, X. D.; Kelly, M. F.; Galante,
R.; Huang, P. Z.; Dawson, L. A.; Marquis, K.; Rosenzweig-Lipson, S.; Beyer, C. E.;
Schechter, L. J. Med. Chem. 2007, 50, 5535.
References and notes
1. a Foley, A. G.; Murphy, K. J.; Hirst, W. D.; Gallagher, H. C.; Hagan, J. J.; Upton, N.;
Walsh, F. S.; Regan, C. M. Neuropsychopharmacology 2004, 29, 93; (b) Lindner,