3202
T. K. Sasikumar et al. / Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 19 (2009) 3199–3203
OH
NH
NH
NH2
S
N
N
N
[O]
O
N
N
N
+
H
N
N
N
Cl
Cl
Cl
S
S
O
O
O
(11q) C18H11ClN4OS (RT = 14.1 Min)
(14) C18H11ClN4O2S (RT = 13.0 Min)
(15) C15H9ClN4OS (RT = 11.3 Min)
(16)
Mol. Wt.: 366.82
Mol. Wt.: 382.82
Mol. Wt.: 328.78
OH
O
OH
NH
OH
H2O
H
NH
N
N
N
N
N
N
S
Cl
Cl
S
O
O
(18)
(17) C18H13ClN4O3S (RT = 3.9 Min)
Mol. Wt.: 400.84
Figure 3. Metabolism of propargyl group (Mass analysis of rat bile samples, 0–24 h).
Table 6
PK Profile and in vivo activity of selected compounds
R1
R2
NH
N
α
NH
N
N
N
N
S
R
N
O
S
O
19; R1 = Me, R2 = H; h-IC50 = 314 nM
20; R1 = Me, R2 = Me; h-IC50 = 171 nM
21; R1 = Et, R2 = Et; h-IC50 = 358 nM
Parameters
R = Cl (11q)
R = OMe (11s)
Human mGluR1 IC50 (nM)
Rat mGluR1 Ki (nM)
Human mGluR5 IC50 (nM)
0.9
0.6
2.1
3.5
>3000
3.3 mg/kg po
>3000
6.4 mg/kg po
12
Figure 4. Effect of a-alkylation on human mGluR1 potency.
Rat SNL ED50
Caco-2 permeability
Efflux substrate
430 nm/s
No
427
67
690 nm/s
No
682
257
2.5
Rat PK, (10 mg/kg), AUC (ng.h/mL)18
Brain conc. @ 6 h (ng/g)
Brain/Plasma
seen in compounds 11q and 11s. These types of compounds show
moderate PK and high brain plasma ratio. It has also been found
that these compounds are inactive in the hERG assay. Further data
will be published elsewhere.
1.8
Clearance (mL/min/kg)
Bioavailability (%)
30
16
22
34
Acknowledgments
We thank Drs. Deen Tulshian, Julius Matasi and Peter Korakas
for helpful discussions. We also thank Lisa Broske’s group for ani-
mal dosing and Sam Wainhaus’ group for PK sample analysis.
was incubated with rat liver microsome for 0–24 h and the metab-
olites were identified by LC–MS methodology. The oxidation of the
carbon adjacent to the amine lead to the intermediate 14 followed
by degradation to the final molecules 15 and 16. LC–MS peak at
13 min with an observed mass of 383 is attributed to the interme-
diate 14. LC–MS analysis showed a peak at 3.9 min. with a mass of
401 could be water addition product (17) to intermediate 14 as
shown in Figure 3. The parent amino compound 15 displayed in
LC–MS at 11.3 min. This retention time of the amine 15 was inde-
pendently confirmed via analysis of pure synthetic sample. Com-
pound 15 was found to be the major metabolite in the rat bile.
The side product of this whole sequence, compound 16, is a known
glutathione scavenger described in the literature.19
In order to avoid the metabolic issues, we introduced methyl
groups adjacent to the amino group. Unfortunately monomethyla-
tion and dimethylation of our lead compounds afforded 200–300-
fold less active compounds (19–21) as shown in Figure 4. Identical
results were obtained for compounds with different substitution
on the right hand side aromatic ring.
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In summary, we have achieved a large number of single digit
nanomolar mGluR1 antagonists in the tricyclic series. This excel-
lent potency sometimes extrapolates to good in vivo efficacy as