PDE-10A inhibitors as insulin secretagogues

Medicinal chemistry strategies for the development of phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) inhibitors - An update of recent progress

Phosphodiesterase 10A is a member of Phosphodiesterase (PDE)-superfamily of the enzyme which is responsible for hydrolysis of cAMP and cGMP to their inactive forms 5'-AMP and 5'-GMP, respectively. PDE10A is highly expressed in the brain, particularly in the putamen and caudate nucleus. PDE10A plays an important role in the regulation of localization, duration, and amplitude of the cyclic nucleotide signalling within the subcellular domain of these regions, and thereby modulation of PDE10A enzyme can give rise to a new therapeutic approach in the treatment of schizophrenia and other neurodegenerative disorders. Limitation of the conventional therapy of schizophrenia forced the pharmaceutical industry to move their efforts to develop a novel treatment approach with reduced side effects. In the past decade, considerable developments have been made in pursuit of PDE10A centric antipsychotic agents by several pharmaceutical industries due to the distribution of PDE10A in the brain and the ability of PDE10A inhibitors to mimic the effect of D2 antagonists and D1 agonists. However, no selective PDE10A inhibitor is currently available in the market for the treatment of schizophrenia. The present compilation concisely describes the role of PDE10A inhibitors in the therapy of neurodegenerative disorders mainly in psychosis, the structure of PDE10A enzyme, key interaction of different PDE10A inhibitors with human PDE10A enzyme and recent medicinal chemistry developments in designing of safe and effective PDE10A inhibitors for the treatment of schizophrenia. The present compilation also provides useful information and future direction to bring further improvements in the discovery of PDE10A inhibitors.

Role of Phosphodiesterase in the Biology and Pathology of Diabetes

Glucose metabolism is the initiator of a large number of molecular secretory processes in β cells. Cyclic nucleotides as a second messenger are the main physiological regulators of these processes and are functionally divided into compartments in pancreatic cells. Their intracellular concentration is limited by hydrolysis led by one or more phosphodiesterase (PDE) isoenzymes. Literature data confirmed multiple expressions of PDEs subtypes, but the specific roles of each in pancreatic β-cell function, particularly in humans, are still unclear. Isoforms present in the pancreas are also found in various tissues of the body. Normoglycemia and its strict control are supported by the appropriate release of insulin from the pancreas and the action of insulin in peripheral tissues, including processes related to homeostasis, the regulation of which is based on the PDE- cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling pathway. The challenge in developing a therapeutic solution based on GSIS (glucose-stimulated insulin secretion) enhancers targeted at PDEs is the selective inhibition of their activity only within β cells. Undeniably, PDEs inhibitors have therapeutic potential, but some of them are burdened with certain adverse effects. Therefore, the chance to use knowledge in this field for diabetes treatment has been postulated for a long time.

Phosphodiesterase 10 (PDE10) inhibitors: an updated patent review (2014-present)

Introduction: Phosphodiesterase 10 (PDE10) is one of at least 11 different PDE families, which are the enzymes that degrade adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and/or guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) by hydrolyzing the phosphodiester bonds. Inhibition of PDE10A represents a molecular target in the treatment of conditions that would benefit from the increase of the level of cAMP and/or cGMP such as neurological and psychiatric disorders, cancer, and diabetes.Areas covered: The present article reviews the patent literature on PDE10A inhibitors (PDE10AIs) from 2014 to present and PDE10AI chemotypes from different chemical classes: heteroaryl- and aryl-nitrogen-heterocyclic compounds, unsaturated nitrogen-heterocyclic compounds with specific substituents such as pyrazolopyrimidine, aryloxymethyl cyclopropane, pyridizinone, imidazopyridine, triazoles and imidazo[2,1-a]isoidole. The article presents the potency of PDE10AIs, their efficacy in animal models, and their clinical utility in the treatment of schizophrenia. Therapeutic patents for the treatment of cancers, precancerous conditions, and diabetes were also collected.Expert opinion: Several potent PDE10AIs have been described so far; however, clinical trials have shown that without preclinical optimization, the benefit of PDE10AIs in the treatment of schizophrenia is confounded by a high placebo effect. Understanding of the requirements for PDE10AIs constitutes a challenging but promising field of drug discovery and development.

Inhibition of SNAT5 Induces Incretin-Responsive State From Incretin-Unresponsive State in Pancreatic β-Cells: Study of β-Cell Spheroid Clusters as a Model

β-Cell-β-cell interactions are required for normal regulation of insulin secretion. We previously found that formation of spheroid clusters (called K20-SC) from MIN6-K20 clonal β-cells lacking incretin-induced insulin secretion (IIIS) under monolayer culture (called K20-MC) drastically induced incretin responsiveness. Here we investigated the mechanism by which an incretin-unresponsive state transforms to an incretin-responsive state using K20-SC as a model. Glutamate production by glucose through the malate-aspartate shuttle and cAMP signaling, both of which are critical for IIIS, were enhanced in K20-SC. SC formed from β-cells deficient for aspartate aminotransferase 1, a critical enzyme in the malate-aspartate shuttle, exhibited reduced IIIS. Expression of the sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 5 (SNAT5), which is involved in glutamine transport, was downregulated in K20-SC and pancreatic islets of normal mice but was upregulated in K20-MC and islets of rodent models of obesity and diabetes, both of which exhibit impaired IIIS. Inhibition of SNAT5 significantly increased cellular glutamate content and improved IIIS in islets of these models and in K20-MC. These results suggest that suppression of SNAT5 activity, which results in increased glutamate production, and enhancement of cAMP signaling endows incretin-unresponsive β-cells with incretin responsiveness.

A novel thermoregulatory role for PDE10A in mouse and human adipocytes

Phosphodiesterase type 10A (PDE10A) is highly enriched in striatum and is under evaluation as a drug target for several psychiatric/neurodegenerative diseases. Preclinical studies implicate PDE10A in the regulation of energy homeostasis, but the mechanisms remain unclear. By utilizing small-animal PET/MRI and the novel radioligand [(18)F]-AQ28A, we found marked levels of PDE10A in interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) of mice. Pharmacological inactivation of PDE10A with the highly selective inhibitor MP-10 recruited BAT and potentiated thermogenesis in vivo In diet-induced obese mice, chronic administration of MP-10 caused weight loss associated with increased energy expenditure, browning of white adipose tissue, and improved insulin sensitivity. Analysis of human PET data further revealed marked levels of PDE10A in the supraclavicular region where brown/beige adipocytes are clustered in adults. Finally, the inhibition of PDE10A with MP-10 stimulated thermogenic gene expression in human brown adipocytes and induced browning of human white adipocytes. Collectively, our findings highlight a novel thermoregulatory role for PDE10A in mouse and human adipocytes and promote PDE10A inhibitors as promising candidates for the treatment of obesity and diabetes.

Pharmacological evaluation of a novel phosphodiesterase 10A inhibitor in models of antipsychotic activity and cognition

In this study, we report the pharmacological effects of a novel PDE10A inhibitor, SEP-39. SEP-39 is a potent (1.0nM) inhibitor of human PDE10A in vitro, with good selectivity (>16000-fold) against other PDEs. In an in vivo occupancy study, the RO50 value was determined to be 0.7mg/kg (p.o.), corresponding to plasma and brain exposures of 28ng/mL and 43ng/g, respectively. Using microdialysis, we show that 3mg/kg (p.o.) SEP-39 significantly increased rat striatal cGMP concentrations. Furthermore, SEP-39 inhibits PCP-induced hyperlocomotion at doses of 1 and 3mg/kg (p.o.) corresponding to 59-86% occupancy. At similar doses in a catalepsy study, the time on the bar was increased but the maximal effect was less than that seen with haloperidol. In an EEG study, 3 and 10mg/kg (p.o.) SEP-39 suppressed REM intensity and increased the latency to REM sleep. We also demonstrate the procognitive effects of SEP-39 in the rat novel object recognition assay. These effects appear to require less PDE10A inhibition than the reversal of PCP-induced hyperlocomotion or EEG effects, as improvements in recognition index were seen at doses of 0.3mg/kg and above. Our data demonstrate that SEP-39 is a potent, orally active PDE10A inhibitor with therapeutic potential in a number of psychiatric indications.

Phosphodiesterase 10A inhibitors: analysis of US/EP patents granted since 2012

Phosphodiesterases are enzymes that metabolically inactivate the intracellular second messengers 3′,5′-cyclic adenosine and guanosine monophosphate contributing to the control of multiple biological processes. Among them, PDE10A has the most restricted distribution with high expression in striatal medium spiny neurons. Dysfunction of this key brain circuit has been associated with different psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. The unique role of PDE10A, together with its increased pharmacological characterization, have prompted enormous interest in investigating the potential of inhibitors of this enzyme as potential novel therapeutic agents This article reviews PDE10A related patents issued in the period 2012–2014 in the USA and Europe offering also a perspective on potential avenues for the future clinical development of phosphodiesterase 10A inhibitors.

Resveratrol and curcumin enhance pancreatic β-cell function by inhibiting phosphodiesterase activity

Resveratrol (RES) and curcumin (CUR) are polyphenols that are found in fruits and turmeric, and possess medicinal properties that are beneficial in various diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Results from recent studies have indicated that their therapeutic properties can be attributed to their anti-inflammatory effects. Owing to reports stating that they protect against β-cell dysfunction, we studied their mechanism(s) of action in β-cells. In T2DM, cAMP plays a critical role in glucose- and incretin-stimulated insulin secretion as well as overall pancreatic β-cell health. A potential therapeutic target in the management of T2DM lies in regulating the activity of phosphodiesterases (PDEs), which degrade cAMP. Both RES and CUR have been reported to act as PDE inhibitors in various cell types, but it remains unknown if they do so in pancreatic β-cells. In our current study, we found that both RES (0.1-10 μmol/l) and CUR (1-100 pmol/l)-regulated insulin secretion under glucose-stimulated conditions. Additionally, treating β-cell lines and human islets with these polyphenols led to increased intracellular cAMP levels in a manner similar to 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, a classic PDE inhibitor. When we investigated the effects of RES and CUR on PDEs, we found that treatment significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of most of the 11 PDE isozymes, including PDE3B, PDE8A, and PDE10A, which have been linked previously to regulation of insulin secretion in islets. Furthermore, RES and CUR inhibited PDE activity in a dose-dependent manner in β-cell lines and human islets. Collectively, we demonstrate a novel role for natural-occurring polyphenols as PDE inhibitors that enhance pancreatic β-cell function.

Discovery of clinical candidate 1-(4-(3-(4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazole-2-carbonyl)phenoxy)pyrazin-2-yl)piperidin-1-yl)ethanone (AMG 579), a potent, selective, and efficacious inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A)

We report the identification of a PDE10A clinical candidate by optimizing potency and in vivo efficacy of promising keto-benzimidazole leads 1 and 2. Significant increase in biochemical potency was observed when the saturated rings on morpholine 1 and N-acetyl piperazine 2 were changed by a single atom to tetrahydropyran 3 and N-acetyl piperidine 5. A second single atom modification from pyrazines 3 and 5 to pyridines 4 and 6 improved the inhibitory activity of 4 but not 6. In the in vivo LC-MS/MS target occupancy (TO) study at 10 mg/kg, 3, 5, and 6 achieved 86-91% occupancy of PDE10A in the brain. Furthermore, both CNS TO and efficacy in PCP-LMA behavioral model were observed in a dose dependent manner. With superior in vivo TO, in vivo efficacy and in vivo PK profiles in multiple preclinical species, compound 5 (AMG 579) was advanced as our PDE10A clinical candidate.

Genetic deletion and pharmacological inhibition of phosphodiesterase 10A protects mice from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance

Phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) is a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of schizophrenia. Here we report a novel role of PDE10A in the regulation of caloric intake and energy homeostasis. PDE10A-deficient mice are resistant to diet-induced obesity (DIO) and associated metabolic disturbances. Inhibition of weight gain is due to hypophagia after mice are fed a highly palatable diet rich in fats and sugar but not a standard diet. PDE10A deficiency produces a decrease in caloric intake without affecting meal frequency, daytime versus nighttime feeding behavior, or locomotor activity. We tested THPP-6, a small molecule PDE10A inhibitor, in DIO mice. THPP-6 treatment resulted in decreased food intake, body weight loss, and reduced adiposity at doses that produced antipsychotic efficacy in behavioral models. We show that PDE10A inhibition increased whole-body energy expenditure in DIO mice fed a Western-style diet, achieving weight loss and reducing adiposity beyond the extent seen with food restriction alone. Therefore, chronic THPP-6 treatment conferred improved insulin sensitivity and reversed hyperinsulinemia. These data demonstrate that PDE10A inhibition represents a novel antipsychotic target that may have additional metabolic benefits over current medications for schizophrenia by suppressing food intake, alleviating weight gain, and reducing the risk for the development of diabetes.

Cyclic AMP dynamics in the pancreatic β-cell

Insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells is tightly regulated by glucose and other nutrients, hormones, and neural factors. The exocytosis of insulin granules is triggered by an elevation of the cytoplasmic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) and is further amplified by cyclic AMP (cAMP). Cyclic AMP is formed primarily in response to glucoincretin hormones and other G(s)-coupled receptor agonists, but generation of the nucleotide is critical also for an optimal insulin secretory response to glucose. Nutrient and receptor stimuli trigger oscillations of the cAMP concentration in β-cells. The oscillations arise from variations in adenylyl cyclase-mediated cAMP production and phosphodiesterase-mediated degradation, processes controlled by factors like cell metabolism and [Ca(2+)](i). Protein kinase A and the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Epac2 mediate the actions of cAMP in β-cells and operate at multiple levels to promote exocytosis and pulsatile insulin secretion. The cAMP signaling system contains important targets for pharmacological improvement of insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes.

Discovery of selective biaryl ethers as PDE10A inhibitors: improvement in potency and mitigation of Pgp-mediated efflux

We report the discovery of a novel series of biaryl ethers as potent and selective PDE10A inhibitors. Structure-activity studies improved the potency and decreased Pgp-mediated efflux found in the initial compound 4. X-ray crystallographic studies revealed two novel binding modes to the catalytic site of the PDE10A enzyme.

Discovery of 4-hydroxy-1,6-naphthyridine-3-carbonitrile derivatives as novel PDE10A inhibitors

A series of 1,6-naphthyridine-based compounds was synthesized as potent phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) inhibitors. Structure-based chemical modifications of the discovered chemotype served to further improve potency and selectivity over DHODH, laying the foundation for future optimization efforts.

Phosphodiesterase 10A upregulation contributes to pulmonary vascular remodeling

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) modulate the cellular proliferation involved in the pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension (PH) by hydrolyzing cAMP and cGMP. The present study was designed to determine whether any of the recently identified PDEs (PDE7-PDE11) contribute to progressive pulmonary vascular remodeling in PH. All in vitro experiments were performed with lung tissue or pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) obtained from control rats or monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertensive (MCT-PH) rats, and we examined the effects of the PDE10 inhibitor papaverine (Pap) and specific small interfering RNA (siRNA). In addition, papaverine was administrated to MCT-induced PH rats from day 21 to day 35 by continuous intravenous infusion to examine the in vivo effects of PDE10A inhibition. We found that PDE10A was predominantly present in the lung vasculature, and the mRNA, protein, and activity levels of PDE10A were all significantly increased in MCT PASMCs compared with control PASMCs. Papaverine and PDE10A siRNA induced an accumulation of intracellular cAMP, activated cAMP response element binding protein and attenuated PASMC proliferation. Intravenous infusion of papaverine in MCT-PH rats resulted in a 40%-50% attenuation of the effects on pulmonary hypertensive hemodynamic parameters and pulmonary vascular remodeling. The present study is the first to demonstrate a central role of PDE10A in progressive pulmonary vascular remodeling, and the results suggest a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of PH.

Expression and regulation of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in human and rat pancreatic islets

As shown by transgenic mouse models and by using phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3) inhibitors, PDE3B has an important role in the regulation of insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells. However, very little is known about the regulation of the enzyme. Here, we show that PDE3B is activated in response to high glucose, insulin and cAMP elevation in rat pancreatic islets and INS-1 (832/13) cells. Activation by glucose was not affected by the presence of diazoxide. PDE3B activation was coupled to an increase as well as a decrease in total phosphorylation of the enzyme. In addition to PDE3B, several other PDEs were detected in human pancreatic islets: PDE1, PDE3, PDE4C, PDE7A, PDE8A and PDE10A. We conclude that PDE3B is activated in response to agents relevant for β-cell function and that activation is linked to increased as well as decreased phosphorylation of the enzyme. Moreover, we conclude that several PDEs are present in human pancreatic islets.

Cyclic AMP signaling in pancreatic islets

Cyclic 3'5'AMP (cAMP) is an important physiological amplifier of glucose-induced insulin secretion by the pancreatic islet beta-cell, where it is formed by the activity of adenylyl cyclases, which are stimulated by glucose, through elevation in intracellular calcium concentrations, and by the incretin hormones (GLP-1 and GIP). cAMP is rapidly degraded in the pancreatic islet beta-cell by various cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) enzymes. Many steps involved in glucose-induced insulin secretion are modulated by cAMP, which is also important in regulating pancreatic islet beta-cell differentiation, growth and survival. This chapter discusses the formation, destruction and actions of cAMP in the islets with particular emphasis on the beta-cell.

The role of the PDE4D cAMP phosphodiesterase in the regulation of glucagon-like peptide-1 release

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Increases in intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) augment the release/secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). As cAMP is hydrolysed by cAMP phosphodiesterases (PDEs), we determined the role of PDEs and particularly PDE4 in regulating GLP-1 release.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

GLP-1 release, PDE expression and activity were investigated using rats and GLUTag cells, a GLP-1-releasing cell line. The effects of rolipram, a selective PDE4 inhibitor both in vivo and in vitro and stably overexpressed catalytically inactive PDE4D5 (D556A-PDE4D5) mutant in vitro on GLP-1 release were investigated.

KEY RESULTS

Rolipram (1.5 mg x kg(-1) i.v.) increased plasma GLP-1 concentrations approximately twofold above controls in anaesthetized rats and enhanced glucose-induced GLP-1 release in GLUTag cells (EC(50) approximately 1.2 nmol x L(-1)). PDE4D mRNA transcript and protein were detected in GLUTag cells using RT-PCR with gene-specific primers and Western blotting with a specific PDE4D antibody respectively. Moreover, significant PDE activity was inhibited by rolipram in GLUTag cells. A GLUTag cell clone (C1) stably overexpressing the D556A-PDE4D5 mutant, exhibited elevated intracellular cAMP levels and increased basal and glucose-induced GLP-1 release compared with vector-transfected control cells. A role for intracellular cAMP/PKA in enhancing GLP-1 release in response to overexpression of D556A-PDE4D5 mutant was demonstrated by the finding that the PKA inhibitor H89 reduced both basal and glucose-induced GLP-1 release by 37% and 39%, respectively, from C1 GLUTag cells.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

PDE4D may play an important role in regulating intracellular cAMP linked to the regulation of GLP-1 release.

A Survey of Solvents for the Conrad-Limpach Synthesis of 4-Hydroxyquinolones

A study on the synthesis of a 4-hydroxyquinoline derivative using the Conrad-Limpach reaction led to the identification of inexpensive and user-friendly solvents for this thermal condensation.

Small-molecule ghrelin receptor antagonists improve glucose tolerance, suppress appetite, and promote weight loss

Ghrelin, through action on its receptor, GH secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHS-R1a), exerts a variety of metabolic functions including stimulation of appetite and weight gain and suppression of insulin secretion. In the present study, we examined the effects of novel small-molecule GHS-R1a antagonists on insulin secretion, glucose tolerance, and weight loss. Ghrelin dose-dependently suppressed insulin secretion from dispersed rat islets. This effect was fully blocked by a GHS-R1a antagonist. Consistent with this observation, a single oral dose of a GHS-R1a antagonist improved glucose homeostasis in an ip glucose tolerance test in rat. Improvement in glucose tolerance was attributed to increased insulin secretion. Daily oral administration of a GHS-R1a antagonist to diet-induced obese mice led to reduced food intake and weight loss (up to 15%) due to selective loss of fat mass. Pair-feeding experiments indicated that weight loss was largely a consequence of reduced food intake. The impact of a GHS-R1a antagonist on gastric emptying was also examined. Although the GHS-R1a antagonist modestly delayed gastric emptying at the highest dose tested (10 mg/kg), delayed gastric emptying does not appear to be a requirement for weight loss because lower doses produced weight loss without an effect on gastric emptying. Consistent with the hypothesis that ghrelin regulates feeding centrally, the anorexigenic effects of potent GHS-R1a antagonists in mice appeared to correspond with their brain exposure. These observations demonstrate that GHS-R1a antagonists have the potential to improve the diabetic condition by promoting glucose-dependent insulin secretion and promoting weight loss.