10.1016/j.bmcl.2011.05.124
This study investigated the creation and evaluation of a series of pinacolyl borate-substituted stilbenes as potential inhibitors of lipogenesis. The researchers synthesized a test library of these compounds, which are derivatives of 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-(4-substituted styrylphenyl)-1,3,2-dioxaborolane. The key chemical involved in the synthesis was 4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolatophenyl)-methyltriphenylphosphine bromide (3), which reacted with various aldehydes in the presence of tBuONa in DMF to generate boron-containing stilbenes derivatives. Among these derivatives, BF102 and BF175 were shown to effectively inhibit lipogenesis by inhibiting the expression of lipogenic genes in hepatocytes. BF102 also inhibited cholesterol biosynthesis by reducing the expression of the HMG-CoA reductase gene. The study suggests that BF102 may be a promising lead for the development of the next generation of lipid-lowering drugs, with preliminary in vivo data showing no significant toxicity in mice at high doses.