Influence of imidazole replacement in different structural classes of histamine H(3)-receptor antagonists

Research progress and perspectives of dual-target inhibitors

The occurrence and development of diseases are complex, and single-target drugs that affect only a single target or pathway often fail to achieve the expected therapeutic effect. The simultaneous effect on two key targets could not only increase patient tolerance but also accelerate disease remission. Dual-target inhibitors have already been studied the most intensively in the development of dual-target drugs. This article briefly introduces the function of drug therapy targets, and mainly summarizes the design strategies and research progress of dual-target inhibitors in neurodegenerative diseases, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases and cardiovascular diseases.

Synthesis and clinical application of new drugs approved by NMPA in 2023

The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China plays a crucial role in regulating drug approval and ensuring the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products. In 2023, the NMPA authorized the approval of 82 novel therapeutic agents, including 48 chemical drugs, 22 biological drugs, 4 vaccines, and 8 traditional Chinese medicines. These approvals span a broad spectrum of therapeutic areas, with a strong focus on oncology, central nervous system disorders, anti-infective treatments, hematology, cardiovascular diseases, ophthalmology, and immunomodulation. The review discusses the synthetic routes and clinical application of representative 36 new drugs, offering insights into the design, development, and optimization of these drugs. Our objective is to inspire innovation and contribute to the establishment of novel, efficient, and scalable synthetic approaches, thereby advancing the frontiers of pharmaceutical research and development.

Histamine H3 receptor antagonists/inverse agonists: a patent review (October 2017 - December 2023) documenting progress

INTRODUCTION

Histamine H3 receptor antagonists/inverse agonists, since the discovery of histamine H3 receptor (H3R), are important ligands in the search for new potential drugs. The most interesting are CNS diseases as these receptors are mainly there present.

AREAS COVERED

The current review covers patent applications/patents that were published during the last 6 years (October 2017 - December 2023). Documents were found in two free available patent databases: Espacenet and PatentScope and divided into three basic categories such as methods, compounds, and therapeutic indications. It provides an overview of 51 patent applications/patents. Many pharmaceutical compositions with H3R antagonists/inverse agonists have been claimed. Furthermore, PubMed, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials databases were searched for literature to prepare this review.

EXPERT OPINION

Interest in the H3R field is still high and has remained almost unchanged over the last 10 years in the number of publications, but the type of publications has changed (fewer new ligands, more pharmacological studies). Currently, the search for new H3R ligands is focused on multi-target compounds. The first crystal structure of H3R with a ligand appeared. New therapeutic indications, such as autism, fatigue, and Prader-Willi syndrome, are verified in clinical trials.

Novel benzothiazole derivatives as multitargeted-directed ligands for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) are multifactorial with several different pathologic mechanisms. Therefore, it is assumed that multitargeted-directed ligands (MTDLs) which interact with different biological targets relevant to the diseases, might offer an improved therapeutic alternative than using the traditional "one-target, one-molecule" approach. Herein, we describe new benzothiazole-based derivatives as a privileged scaffold for histamine H₃ receptor ligands (H₃R). The most affine compound, the 3-(azepan-1-yl)propyloxy-linked benzothiazole derivative 4b, displayed a K_i value of 0.012 μM. The multitargeting potential of these H₃R ligands towards AChE, BuChE and MAO-B enzymes was evaluated to yield compound 3s (pyrrolidin-1-yl-(6-((5-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pentyl)oxy)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)methanone) as the most promising MTDL with a K_i value of 0.036 μM at H₃R and IC₅₀ values of 6.7 µM, 2.35 µM, and 1.6 µM towards AChE, BuChE, and MAO-B, respectively. These findings suggest that compound 3s can be a lead structure for developing new multi-targeting anti-AD agents.

Dual-targeting Approach on Histamine H3 and Sigma-1 Receptor Ligands as Promising Pharmacological Tools in the Treatment of CNS-linked Disorders

With the recent market approval of Pitolisant (Wakix®), the interest in clinical application for novel multifunctional histamine H3 receptor antagonists has clearly increased. Several combinations of different H3R pharmacophores with pharmacophoric elements of other G-protein coupled receptors, transporters, or enzymes have been synthesized by numerous pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions. Since central nervous system disorders are characterized by diverse physiological dysfunctions and deregulations of a complex network of signaling pathways, optimal multipotent drugs should simultaneously and peculiarly modulate selected groups of biological targets. Interestingly, very recent studies have shown that some clinically evaluated histamine H3 receptor antagonists possess a nanomolar affinity for sigma-1 receptor binding sites, suggesting that this property might play a role in their overall efficacy. The sigma-1 receptor, unusual and yet obscure protein, is supposed to be involved in numerous CNS pathologies through neuroprotection and neuroplasticity. These two different biological structures, histamine H3 and sigma-1 receptors, combined, can represent a potential fruitful target for therapeutic developments in tackling numerous human diseases.

Pitolisant and Other Histamine-3 Receptor Antagonists-An Update on Therapeutic Potentials and Clinical Prospects

Background: Besides its well-known role as a peripheral chemical mediator of immune, vascular, and cellular responses, histamine plays major roles in the central nervous system, particularly in the mediation of arousal and cognition-enhancement. These central effects are mediated by the histamine-3 auto receptors, the modulation of which is thought to be beneficial for the treatment of disorders that impair cognition or manifest with excessive daytime sleepiness. Methods: A database search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and clinicaltrials.gov was performed in June 2020. Full-text articles were screened and reviewed to provide an update on pitolisant and other histamine-3 receptor antagonists. Results: A new class of drugs—histamine-3 receptor antagonists—has emerged with the approval of pitolisant for the treatment of narcolepsy with or without cataplexy. At the recommended dose, pitolisant is well tolerated and effective. It has also been evaluated for potential therapeutic benefit in Parkinson disease, epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. Limited studies have shown pitolisant to lack abuse potential which will be a major advantage over existing drug options for narcolepsy. Several histamine-3 receptor antagonists are currently in development for a variety of clinical indications. Conclusions: Although limited clinical studies have been conducted on this new class of drugs, the reviewed literature showed promising results for future additions to the clinical indications of pitolisant, and the expansion of the list of approved drugs in this class for a variety of indications.

Epigenetics meets GPCR: inhibition of histone H3 methyltransferase (G9a) and histamine H3 receptor for Prader-Willi Syndrome

The role of epigenetic regulation is in large parts connected to cancer, but additionally, its therapeutic claim in neurological disorders has emerged. Inhibition of histone H3 lysine N-methyltransferase, especially G9a, has been recently shown to restore candidate genes from silenced parental chromosomes in the imprinting disorder Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). In addition to this epigenetic approach, pitolisant as G-protein coupled histamine H3 receptor (H3R) antagonist has demonstrated promising therapeutic effects for Prader-Willi syndrome. To combine these pioneering principles of drug action, we aimed to identify compounds that combine both activities, guided by the pharmacophore blueprint for both targets. However, pitolisant as selective H3R inverse agonist with FDA and EMA-approval did not show the required inhibition at G9a. Pharmacological characterization of the prominent G9a inhibitor A-366, that is as well an inhibitor of the epigenetic reader protein Spindlin1, revealed its high affinity at H3R while showing subtype selectivity among subsets of the histaminergic and dopaminergic receptor families. This work moves prominent G9a ligands forward as pharmacological tools to prove for a potentially combined, symptomatic and causal, therapy in PWS by bridging the gap between drug development for G-protein coupled receptors and G9a as an epigenetic effector in a multi-targeting approach.

Novel pyrrolidinone derivative lacks claimed histamine H3 receptor stimulation in receptor binding and functional studies

Since the discovery and early characterization of the histamine H₃ receptor (H₃R) in the 1980's, predominantly imidazole-based agonists were presented to the scientific community such as N^α-methylhistamine (N^α-MeHA) or (R)-α-methylhistamine ((R)α-MeHA). Whereas therapeutic applications have been prompted for H₃R agonists such as treatment of pain, asthma and obesity, several drawbacks associated with imidazole-containing ligands makes the search for new agonists for this receptor demanding. Accordingly, high interest arose after publication of several pyrrolidindione-based, highly affine H₃R agonists within this journal that avoid the imidazole moiety and thus, presenting a novel type of potential pharmacophores (Ghoshal, Anirban et al., 2018). In our present study performed in two independent laboratories, we further evaluated the exposed lead-compound (EC₅₀ = 0.1 nM) of the previous research project with regards to pharmacological behavior at H₃R. Thereby, no binding affinity was observed in neither [³H]N^α-MeHA nor bodilisant displacement assays that contradicts the previously published activity. Additional functional exploration employing GTPγ[³⁵S], cAMP-accumulation assay and cAMP response element (CRE)-driven reporter gene assays exhibited slight partial agonist properties of such pyrrolidindiones but acting apart from the reported concentration range. We conclude, that the previously reported actions of such pyrrolidindiones result from an overestimation based on the method of measurement and thus, we cast doubt on the new pharmacophores with H₃R agonist activity.

Processing of NMR and MS metabolomics data using chemometrics methods: a global tool for fungi biotransformation reactions monitoring

INTRODUCTION

Biotransformation constitutes an important aspect of the drug discovery process, to mimic human metabolism of active principal ingredient but also to generate new chemical entities. Several microorganisms such as fungi are well adapted to transform drug, whether at the stage of screening or for large-scale production.

OBJECTIVES

Due to the high chemical complexity of the biotransformation media, it seems attractive to develop new analytical strategies in order to guarantee an adequate monitoring and optimize the production of targeted metabolites or drug candidates.

METHODS

The model designed for this purpose concerns the biotransformation of a potential histamine H3 antagonist (S38093) in order to produce phase I metabolites. MS, NMR and chemometrics tools were used to monitor biotransformation reactions.

RESULTS

First, a screening of eleven filamentous fungi was carried out by UHPLC-UV-MS and principal component analysis to select the best candidates. Subsequently, MS (t_R, m/z) and NMR (¹H, JRES) fingerprints associated with Consensus OPLS-DA multiblock approach were used to better understand the bioreaction mechanisms in terms of nutrient consumption and hydroxylated metabolites production. Then an experimental design was set up to optimize the production conditions (pH, kinetic) of these target metabolites.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates how NMR and MS acquisitions combined with chemometric methods offer an innovative analytical strategy to have a grasp of functionalization mechanisms, and identify metabolites and other compounds (amino acids, nutrients, etc.) in complex biotransformation mixtures.

Histamine H3 receptor antagonists/inverse agonists: Where do they go?

Since the discovery of the histamine H₃ receptor in 1983, tremendous advances in the pharmacological aspects of H₃ receptor antagonists/inverse agonists have been accomplished in preclinical studies. At present, there are several drug candidates that reached clinical trial studies for various indications. However, entrance of these candidates to the pharmaceutical market is not free from challenges, and a variety of difficulties is engaged with their developmental process. In this review, the potential role of H₃ receptors in the pathophysiology of various central nervous system, metabolic and allergic diseases is discussed. Thereafter, the current status for H₃ receptor antagonists/inverse agonists in ongoing clinical trial studies is reviewed and obstacles in developing these agents are emphasized.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel oxadiazole- and thiazole-based histamine H3R ligands

Histamine H₃ receptor (H₃R) is largely expressed in the CNS and modulation of the H₃R function can affect histamine synthesis and liberation, and modulate the release of many other neurotransmitters. Targeting H₃R with antagonists/inverse agonists may have therapeutic applications in neurodegenerative disorders, gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases. This prompted us to design and synthesize azole-based H₃R ligands, i.e. having oxadiazole- or thiazole-based core structures. While ligands of oxadiazole scaffold were almost inactive, thiazole-based ligands were very potent and several exhibited binding affinities in a nanomolar concentration range. Ligands combining 4-cyanophenyl moiety as arbitrary region, para-xylene or piperidine carbamoyl linkers, and/or pyrrolidine or piperidine basic heads were found to be the most active within this series of thiazole-based H₃R ligands. The most active ligands were in silico screened for ADMET properties and drug-likeness. They fulfilled Lipinski's and Veber's rules and exhibited potential activities for oral administration, blood-brain barrier penetration, low hepatotoxicity, combined with an overall good toxicity profile.

The histamine H3 receptor inverse agonist pitolisant reduces body weight in obese mice

The pharmacological profile of pitolisant, a histamine H₃ receptor antagonist/inverse agonist, indicates that this compound might reduce body weight and metabolic disturbances. Therefore, we studied the influence of pitolisant on body weight, water and sucrose intake as well as metabolic disturbances in the high-fat and high-sugar diet-induced obesity model in mice. To induce obesity, male CD-1 mice were fed a high-fat diet consisting of 40% fat blend for 14 weeks, water and 30% sucrose solution available ad libitum. Glucose tolerance test was performed at the beginning of week 15. Insulin tolerance was tested the day after. At the end of study, plasma levels of triglycerides and cholesterol were determined. Pitolisant at dose of 10 mg/kg bw (ip) was administrated during 14 days, starting from the beginning of week 13. Metformin at dose of 100 mg/kg bw (ip) was used as reference drug. Mice fed with high-fat diet and sucrose solution showed more weight gain throughout the 12-week period of inducing obesity. Animals fed with high-fat diet and treated with pitolisant (for the next 14 days) showed significantly less weight gain than mice from the control group consuming a high-fat feed. In the group treated with pitolisant, glucose levels were significantly lower than glucose levels of control obese mice after glucose load. The plasma triglyceride levels in pitolisant-treated mice were significantly lower compared with those in control obese group. In conclusion, pitolisant has a favorable influence of body weight and improves glucose tolerance and the lipid profile in obese mice.

Anticonvulsant evaluation of novel non-imidazole histamine H3R antagonists in different convulsion models in rats

Novel non-imidazole histamine H3 receptor (H3R) antagonists (2-8) were developed and assessed for in-vitro antagonist binding affinities at the human histamine H1-H4R. These novel H3R antagonists (2-8) were examined in-vivo for anticonvulsant effects in three different convulsion models in male adult rats. Compound 6 significantly and dose-dependently exhibited decreased duration of tonic hind limb extension (THLE) in the maximal electroshock (MES)- and fully protected animals against pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced convulsion, following acute systemic administration (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg, i.p.). Contrary, all compounds 2-8 showed moderate protection in the strychnine (STR)-induced convulsion model following acute pretreatment (10 mg/kg, i.p.). Moreover, the acute systemic administration of H3R antagonist 6 (10 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly prolonged latency time for MES convulsions. Furthermore, the anticonvulsant effect observed with compound 6 in MES-model was entirely abrogated when rats were co-injected with the brain penetrant H1R antagonist pyrilamine (PYR) but not the brain penetrant H2R antagonist zolantidine (ZOL). However, PYR and ZOL failed to abolish the full protection provided by the H3R antagonist 6 in PTZ- and STR-models. No mutagenic or antiproliferative effects or potential metabolic interactions were shown for compound 6 when assessing its antiproliferative activities and metabolic profiling applying in-vitro methods. These findings demonstrate the potential of non-imidazole H3R antagonists as novel antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) either for single use or in addition to currently available epilepsy medications.

Novel indanone derivatives as MAO B/H3R dual-targeting ligands for treatment of Parkinson's disease

The design of multi-targeting ligands was developed in the last decades as an innovative therapeutic concept for Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. As the monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) and the histamine H₃ receptor (H₃R) are promising targets for dopaminergic regulation, we synthetized dual-targeting ligands (DTLs) as non-dopaminergic receptor approach for the treatment of PD. Three series of compounds were developed by attaching the H₃R pharmacophore to indanone-related MAO B motifs, leading to development of MAO B/H₃R DTLs. Among synthesized indanone DTLs, compounds bearing the 2-benzylidene-1-indanone core structure showed MAO B preferring inhibition capabilities along with nanomolar hH₃R affinity. Substitution of C5 and C6 position of the 2-benzylidene-1-indanones with lipophilic substituents revealed three promising candidates exhibiting inhibitory potencies for MAO B with IC₅₀ values ranging from 1931 nM to 276 nM and high affinities at hH₃R (K_i < 50 nM). Compound 3f ((E)-5-((4-bromobenzyl)oxy)-2-(4-(3-(piperidin-1-yl)propoxy)benzylidene)-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-one, MAO B IC₅₀ = 276 nM, hH₃R K_i = 6.5 nM) showed highest preference for MAO B over MAO A (SI > 36). Interestingly, IC₅₀ determinations after preincubation of enzyme and DTLs revealed also nanomolar MAO B potency for 3e (MAO B IC₅₀ = 232 nM), a structural isomer of 3f, and 3d (MAO B IC₅₀ = 541 nM), suggesting time-dependent inhibition modes. Reversibility of inhibition for all three compounds were confirmed by dilution studies in excess of substrate. Thus, indanone-substituted derivatives are promising lead structures for the design of MAO B/hH₃R DTLs as novel therapeutic approach of PD therapy.

The Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonist DL77 Ameliorates MK801-Induced Memory Deficits in Rats

The role of Histamine H3 receptors (H3Rs) in memory, and the prospective of H3R antagonists in pharmacological control of neurodegenerative disorders, e.g., Alzheimer disease (AD) is well-accepted. For that reason, the procognitive effects of the H3R antagonist DL77 on cognitive impairments induced with MK801 were tested in an inhibitory passive avoidance paradigm (PAP) and novel object recognition (NOR) task in adult male rats, using donepezil (DOZ) as a standard drug. Acute systemic pretreatment with DL77 (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly ameliorated memory deficits induced with MK801 in PAP (all P < 0.05, n = 7). The ameliorative effect of most promising dose of DL77 (5 mg/kg, i.p.) was reversed when rats were co-injected with the H3R agonist R-(α)-methylhistamine (RAMH, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) (p = 0.701 for MK801-amnesic group vs. MK801+DL77+RAMH group, n = 6). In the NOR paradigm, DL77 (5 mg/kg, i.p.) counteracted long-term memory (LTM) deficits induced with MK801 (P < 0.05, n = 6-8), and the DL77-provided effect was similar to that of DOZ (p = 0.788, n = 6-8), and was reversed when rats were co-injected with RAMH (10 mg/kg, i.p.) (p = 0.877, n = 6, as compared to the (MK801)-amnesic group). However, DL77 (5 mg/kg, i.p.) did not alter short-term memory (STM) impairment in NOR test (p = 0.772, n = 6-8, as compared to (MK801)-amnesic group). Moreover, DL77 (5 mg/kg) failed to modify anxiety and locomotor behaviors of animals innate to elevated-plus maze (EPM) (p = 0.67 for percentage of time spent exploring the open arms, p = 0.52 for number of entries into the open arms, p = 0.76 for percentage of entries into the open arms, and p = 0.73 number of closed arm entries as compared to saline-treated groups, all n = 6), demonstrating that the procognitive effects observed in PAP or NOR tests were unconnected to alterations in emotions or in natural locomotion of tested animals. These results signify the potential involvement of H3Rs in modulating neurotransmitters related to neurodegenerative disorders, e.g., AD.

The Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonist E159 Reverses Memory Deficits Induced by Dizocilpine in Passive Avoidance and Novel Object Recognition Paradigm in Rats

The involvement of histamine H3 receptors (H3Rs) in memory is well known, and the potential of H3R antagonists in therapeutic management of neuropsychiatric diseases, e.g., Alzheimer disease (AD) is well established. Therefore, the effects of histamine H3 receptor (H3R) antagonist E159 (2.5–10 mg/kg, i.p.) in adult male rats on dizocilpine (DIZ)-induced memory deficits were studied in passive avoidance paradigm (PAP) and in novel object recognition (NOR) using pitolisant (PIT) and donepezil (DOZ) as standard drugs. Upon acute systemic pretreatment of E159 at three different doses, namely 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg, i.p., 2.5 and 5 but not 10 mg/kg of E159 counteracted the DIZ (0.1 mg)-induced memory deficits, and this E159 (2.5 mg)-elicited memory-improving effects in DIZ-induced amnesic model were moderately abrogated after acute systemic administration of scopolamine (SCO), H2R antagonist zolantidine (ZOL), but not with H1R antagonist pyrilamine to the animals. Moreover, the observed memory-enhancing effects of E159 (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) were strongly abrogated when animals were administered with a combination of SCO and ZOL. Furthermore, the E159 (2.5 mg)-provided significant memory-improving effect of in DIZ-induced short-term memory (STM) impairment in NOR was comparable to the DOZ-provided memory-enhancing effect, and was abolished when animals were injected with the CNS-penetrant histamine H3R agonist R-(α)-methylhistamine (RAMH). However, E159 at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg failed to exhibit procognitive effect on DIZ-induced long-term memory (LTM) in NOR. Furthermore, the results observed revealed that E159 (2.5 mg/kg) did not alter anxiety levels and locomotor activity of animals naive to elevated-plus maze (EPM), demonstrating that improved performances with E159 (2.5 mg/kg) in PAP or NOR are unrelated to changes in emotional responding or in spontaneous locomotor activity. These results provide evidence for the potential of drugs targeting H3Rs for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, e.g., AD.

Non-imidazole-based histamine H3 receptor antagonists with anticonvulsant activity in different seizure models in male adult rats

A series of twelve novel non-imidazole-based ligands (3–14) was developed and evaluated for its in vitro binding properties at the human histamine H3 receptor (hH3R). The novel ligands were investigated for their in vivo protective effects in different seizure models in male adult rats. Among the H3R ligands (3–14) tested, ligand 14 showed significant and dose-dependent reduction in the duration of tonic hind limb extension in maximal electroshock (MES)-induced seizure model subsequent to acute systemic administration (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), whereas ligands 4, 6, and 7 without appreciable protection in MES model were most promising in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) model. Moreover, the protective effect observed for ligand 14 in MES model was lower than that observed for the reference drug phenytoin and was entirely abrogated when rats were co-administered with the brain-penetrant H1R antagonist pyrilamine (PYR) but not the brain-penetrant H2R antagonist zolantidine (ZOL), demonstrating that histaminergic neurotransmission by activation of postsynaptically located H1Rs seems to be involved in the protective action. On the contrary, PYR and ZOL failed to abrogate the full protection provided by 4 in PTZ model and the moderate protective effect by 14 in strychnine (STR) model. Moreover, the experimental and in silico estimation of properties such as metabolism was performed for five selected test compounds. Also, lipophilicity using planar reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography method was included for better understanding of the molecular properties of the tested compounds. Additionally, the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination and toxicity parameters were evaluated for the most promising compounds 2, 4, 6, 7, and 14 utilizing in vitro methods. These interesting results highlight the potential of H3R ligands as new antiepileptic drugs or as adjuvants to available epilepsy medications.

Anticonvulsant effects of isomeric nonimidazole histamine H3 receptor antagonists

Phenytoin (PHT), valproic acid, and modern antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), eg, remacemide, loreclezole, and safinamide, are only effective within a maximum of 70%–80% of epileptic patients, and in many cases the clinical use of AEDs is restricted by their side effects. Therefore, a continuous need remains to discover innovative chemical entities for the development of active and safer AEDs. Ligands targeting central histamine H₃ receptors (H₃Rs) for epilepsy might be a promising therapeutic approach. To determine the potential of H₃Rs ligands as new AEDs, we recently reported that no anticonvulsant effects were observed for the (S)-2-(4-(3-(piperidin-1-yl)propoxy)benzylamino)propanamide (1). In continuation of our research, we asked whether anticonvulsant differences in activities will be observed for its R-enantiomer, namely, (R)-2-(4-(3-(piperidin-1-yl)propoxy)benzylamino)propaneamide (2) and analogs thereof, in maximum electroshock (MES)-, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-, and strychnine (STR)-induced convulsion models in rats having PHT and valproic acid (VPA) as reference AEDs. Unlike the S-enantiomer (1), the results show that animals pretreated intraperitoneally (ip) with the R-enantiomer 2 (10 mg/kg) were moderately protected in MES and STR induced models, whereas proconvulsant effect was observed for the same ligand in PTZ-induced convulsion models. However, animals pretreated with intraperitoneal doses of 5, 10, or 15 mg/kg of structurally bulkier (R)-enantiomer (3), in which 3-piperidinopropan-1-ol in ligand 2 was replaced by (4-(3-(piperidin-1-yl)propoxy)phenyl)methanol, and its (S)-enantiomer (4) significantly and in a dose-dependent manner reduced convulsions or exhibited full protection in MES and PTZ convulsions model, respectively. Interestingly, the protective effects observed for the (R)-enantiomer (3) in MES model were significantly greater than those of the standard H₃R inverse agonist/antagonist pitolisant, comparable with those observed for PHT, and reversed when rats were pretreated with the selective H₃R agonist R-(α)-methyl-histamine. Comparisons of the observed antagonistic in vitro affinities among the ligands 1–6 revealed profound stereoselectivity at human H₃Rs with varying preferences for this receptor subtype. Moreover, the in vivo anticonvulsant effects observed in this study for ligands 1–6 showed stereoselectivity in different convulsion models in male adult rats.

Histamine H3 receptor as a potential target for cognitive symptoms in neuropsychiatric diseases

The potential contributions of the brain histaminergic system in neurodegenerative diseases, and the possiblity of histamine-targeting treatments is attracting considerable interests. The histamine H3 receptor (H3R) is expressed mainly in the central nervous system, and is, consequently, an attractive pharmacological target. Although recently described clinical trials have been disappointing in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia (SCH), numerous H3R antagonists, including pitolisant, demonstrate potential in the treatment of narcolepsy, excessive daytime sleepiness associated with cognitive impairment, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This review focuses on the recent preclinical as well as clinical results that support the relevance of H3R antagonists for the treatment of cognitive symptoms in neuropsychiatric diseases, namely AD, epilepsy and SCH. The review summarizes the role of histaminergic neurotransmission with focus on these brain disorders, as well as the effects of numerous H3R antagonists on animal models and humans.

Role of the Histamine H3 Receptor in the Central Nervous System

The G_i/o protein-coupled histamine H₃ receptor is distributed throughout the central nervous system including areas like cerebral cortex, hippocampus and striatum with the density being highest in the posterior hypothalamus, i.e. the area in which the histaminergic cell bodies are located. In contrast to the other histamine receptor subtypes (H₁, H₂ and H₄), the H₃ receptor is located presynaptically and shows a constitutive activity. In detail, H₃ receptors are involved in the inhibition of histamine release (presynaptic autoreceptor), impulse flow along the histaminergic neurones (somadendritic autoreceptor) and histamine synthesis. Moreover, they occur as inhibitory presynaptic heteroreceptors on serotoninergic, noradrenergic, dopaminergic, glutamatergic, GABAergic and perhaps cholinergic neurones. This review shows for four functions of the brain that the H₃ receptor represents a brake against the wake-promoting, anticonvulsant and anorectic effect of histamine (via postsynaptic H₁ receptors) and its procognitive activity (via postsynaptic H₁ and H₂ receptors). Indeed, H₁ agonists and H₃ inverse agonists elicit essentially the same effects, at least in rodents; these effects are opposite in direction to those elicited by brain-penetrating H₁ receptor antagonists in humans. Although the benefit for H₃ inverse agonists for the symptomatic treatment of dementias is inconclusive, several members of this group have shown a marked potential for the treatment of disorders associated with excessive daytime sleepiness. In March 2016, the European Commission granted a marketing authorisation for pitolisant (Wakix^R) (as the first representative of the H₃ inverse agonists) for the treatment of narcolepsy.

Chlorophenoxy aminoalkyl derivatives as histamine H(3)R ligands and antiseizure agents

A series of twenty new chlorophenoxyalkylamine derivatives (9-28) was synthesized and evaluated on their binding properties at the human histamine H3 receptor (hH3R). The spacer alkyl chain contained five to seven carbon atoms. The highest affinities have shown the 4-chloro substituted derivatives 10 and 25 (Ki=133 and 128 nM, respectively) classified as antagonists in cAMP accumulation assay (EC50=72 and 75 nM, respectively). Synthesized compounds were also evaluated for anticonvulsant activity in Antiepileptic Screening Program (ASP) at National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (USA). Two compounds (4-chloro substituted derivatives: 20 and 26) were the most promising and showed in the MES seizure model in rats (after ip administration) ED50 values of 14 mg/kg and 13.18 mg/kg, respectively. Protective indexes (PI=TD50/ED50) were 3.2 for 20 and 3.8 for 26. Moreover, molecular modeling and docking studies were undertaken to explain affinity at hH3R of target compounds, and the experimentally and in silico estimation of properties like lipophilicity and metabolism was performed. Antiproliferative effects have been also investigated in vitro for selected compounds (10 and 25). These compounds neither possessed significant antiproliferative and antitumor activity, nor modulated CYP3A4 activity up to concentration of 10 μM.

Cherry-picked ligands at histamine receptor subtypes

Histamine, a biogenic amine, is considered as a principle mediator of multiple physiological effects through binding to its H1, H2, H3, and H4 receptors (H1-H4Rs). Currently, the HRs have gained attention as important targets for the treatment of several diseases and disorders ranging from allergy to Alzheimer's disease and immune deficiency. Accordingly, medicinal chemistry studies exploring histamine-like molecules and their physicochemical properties by binding and interacting with the four HRs has led to the development of a diversity of agonists and antagonists that display selectivity for each HR subtype. An overview on H1-R4Rs and developed ligands representing some key steps in development is provided here combined with a short description of structure-activity relationships for each class. Main chemical diversities, pharmacophores, and pharmacological profiles of most innovative H1-H4R agonists and antagonists are highlighted. Therefore, this overview should support the rational choice for the optimal ligand selection based on affinity, selectivity and efficacy data in biochemical and pharmacological studies. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Histamine Receptors'.

Anticonvulsant and procognitive properties of the non-imidazole histamine H3 receptor antagonist DL77 in male adult rats

It has become clear that histamine H3 receptors (H3Rs) are implicated in modulating epilepsy and memory in laboratory animals. The new non-imidazole H3R antagonist DL77 has excellent selectivity profile and shows high in-vivo potency as well as in-vitro antagonist affinity with ED50 values of 2.1 ± 0.2 mg/kg and 8.4 ± 1.3 [nM], respectively. In the present study, the anticonvulsant effects of DL77 on maximal electroshock (MES)-, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-, and strychnine (STR)-induced seizure models were investigated. Moreover, the procognitive properties of DL77 were tested on acquisition, consolidation and retrieval processes in a one-trial inhibitory avoidance task in male Wistar rats. The results indicate that DL77 (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly and dose-dependently reduced MES-induced seizure duration, whereas no protection was observed in PTZ- or STR-induced seizures. Importantly, the protective action observed for DL77 in MES-induced seizure was comparable to that of the reference antiepileptic drug (AED) phenytoin (PHT), and was also reversed when rats were pretreated with the CNS penetrant pyrilamine (PYR) (10 mg/kg, i.p.), or with the selective H3R agonist R-(α)-methyl-histamine (RAMH) (10 mg/kg, i.p.). Furthermore, the procognitive studies indicate that acute pre-training systemic administration of DL77 (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) facilitated acquisition, whereas pre-testing acute administration of DL77 (5 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) improved retrieval. Interestingly, the procognitive effect of DL77 on retrieval was completely abrogated when rats were pretreated with the centrally-acting H2R antagonist zolantidine (ZOL) but not the centrally acting H1R antagonist PYR, indicating that histaminergic pathways through activation of H2Rs appear to be participating in neuronal circuits involved in retrieval processes. Taken together, our results show that DL77 demonstrates anticonvulsant properties in the MES-induced seizure model and improves cognitive performance through actions on different memory stages. Therefore, H3Rs may have implications for the treatment of degenerative disorders associated with impaired memory function and may represent a novel therapeutic pharmacological target to tackle cognitive problems associated with the chronic use of antiepileptic drugs. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Histamine Receptors'.

The novel non-imidazole histamine H3 receptor antagonist DL77 reduces voluntary alcohol intake and ethanol-induced conditioned place preference in mice

It has become clear that histamine H3 receptors (H3R) have been implicated in modulating ethanol intake and preference in laboratory animals. The novel non-imidazole H3R antagonist DL77 with excellent selectivity profile shows high in-vivo potency as well as in-vitro antagonist affinity with ED50 of 2.1 ± 0.2 mg/kg and pKi=8.08, respectively. In the present study, and applying an unlimited access two-bottle choice procedure, the anti-alcohol effects of the H3R antagonist, DL77 (0, 3, 10 and 30 mg/kg; i.p.), were investigated in adult mice. In this C57BL/6 line, effects of DL77 on voluntary alcohol intake and preference, as well as on total fluid intake were evaluated. Results have shown that DL77, dose-dependently, reduced both ethanol intake and preference. These effects were very selective as both saccharin and quinine, used to control for taste sensitivity, and intakes were not affected following DL77 pre-application. More importantly, systemic administration of DL77 (10 mg/kg) during acquisition inhibited ethanol-induced conditioned-place preference (EtOH-CPP) as measured using an unbiased protocol. The anti-alcohol activity observed for DL77 was abrogated when mice were pretreated with the selective H3R agonist R-(α)-methyl-histamine (RAMH) (10 mg/kg), or with the CNS penetrant H1R antagonist pyrilamine (PYR) (10mg/kg). These results suggest that DL77 has a predominant role in two in vivo effects of ethanol. Therefore, signaling via H3R is essential for ethanol-related consumption and conditioned reward and may represent a novel therapeutic pharmacological target to tackle ethanol abuse and alcoholism.

International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. XCVIII. Histamine Receptors

Histamine is a developmentally highly conserved autacoid found in most vertebrate tissues. Its physiological functions are mediated by four 7-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors (H1R, H2R, H3R, H4R) that are all targets of pharmacological intervention. The receptors display molecular heterogeneity and constitutive activity. H1R antagonists are long known antiallergic and sedating drugs, whereas the H2R was identified in the 1970s and led to the development of H2R-antagonists that revolutionized stomach ulcer treatment. The crystal structure of ligand-bound H1R has rendered it possible to design new ligands with novel properties. The H3R is an autoreceptor and heteroreceptor providing negative feedback on histaminergic and inhibition on other neurons. A block of these actions promotes waking. The H4R occurs on immuncompetent cells and the development of anti-inflammatory drugs is anticipated.

Drug-likeness approach of 2-aminopyrimidines as histamine H3 receptor ligands

A small series of compounds containing derivatives of 2,4-diamino- and 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine (compounds 2–7) was synthesized and tested for binding affinity to human histamine H₃ receptors (hH₃Rs) stably expressed in HEK-293 cells and human H₄Rs (hH₄Rs) co-expressed with Gα_i2 and Gβ₁γ₂ subunits in Sf9 cells. Working in part from the lead compound 6-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-N⁴-(3-(piperidin-1-yl)propyl)pyrimidine-2,4-diamine (compound 1) with unsatisfactory affinity and selectivity to hH₃Rs, our structure-activity relationship studies revealed that replacement of 4-methylpiperazino by N-benzylamine and substitution of an amine group at the 2-position of the 2-aminopyrimidine core structure with 3-piperidinopropoxyphenyl moiety as an hH₃R pharmacophore resulted in N⁴-benzyl-N²-(4-(3-(piperidin-1-yl)propoxy)phenyl)pyrimidine-2,4-diamine (compound 5) with high hH₃R affinity (k_i =4.49±1.25 nM) and H₃R receptor subtype selectivity of more than 6,500×. Moreover, initial metric analyses were conducted based on their target-oriented drug-likeness for predictively quantifying lipophilicity, ligand efficiency, lipophilicity-dependent ligand efficiency, molecular size-independent efficiency, and topological molecular polar surface. As to the development of potential H₃R ligands, results showed that integration of the hH₃R pharmacophore in hH₄R-affine structural scaffolds resulted in compounds with high hH₃R affinity (4.5–650 nM), moderate to low hH₄R affinity (4,500–30,000 nM), receptor subtype selectivity (ratio hH₄R/hH₃R; 8–6,500), and promising calculated drug-likeness properties.

Scaffold variations in amine warhead of histamine H₃ receptor antagonists

The histamine H₃ receptor (H₃R) is involved in numerous regulatory neurotransmission processes and there-fore, is a prominent target for centrally occurring disease with some promising clinical candidates. Previous research resulted in the identification of a core pharmacophore blueprint for H₃R antagonists/inverse agonists, which when inserted in a molecule, mostly ensures acceptable affinity. Nevertheless, variations of scaffold and peripheral areas can increase potency and pharmacokinetic profile of drug candidates. The variations in amine scaffolds of antagonists for this aminergic GPCR are of special importance.

Studies on molecular properties prediction and histamine H3 receptor affinities of novel ligands with uracil-based motifs

The histamine H3 receptor (H3R) plays a role in cognitive and memory processes and is involved in different neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and narcolepsy. Therefore, several hH3R antagonists/inverse agonists entered clinical phases for a broad spectrum of mainly centrally occurring diseases. However, many other promising candidates failed due to their pharmacokinetic profile, mostly because of their strong lipophilicity accompanied with low solubility. Analysis of previous potential H3R selective antagonists/inverse agonists, e.g. pitolisant, revealed promising results concerning physicochemical properties and drug-likeness. Herein, a series of new hH3R ligands 8-20 consisting of piperidin-1-yl or piperidin-1-yl-propoxyphenyl coupled to different uracil, thymine, and 5,6-dimethyluracil related moieties, were synthesized, evaluated on their binding properties at the hH3R and the estimation of different physicochemical and drug-likeness properties. Due to the coupling to various positions at pyrimidine-2,4-(1H,3H)-dione, affinity at hH3Rs and drug-likeness parameters have been improved. For instance, compound 9 showed in addition to high affinity at the hH3R (pKi (hH3R) = 8.14) clog S, clog P, LE, LipE, and drug-likeness score values of -4.36, 3.47, 0.34, 4.63, and 1.54, respectively. Also, the methyl substituted analog 17 (pKi (hH3R) = 8.15) revealed LE, LipE and drug-likeness score values of -3.29, 2.47, 0.49, 5.52, and 1.76, respectively.

Benzylpiperidine variations on histamine H3 receptor ligands for improved drug-likeness

Several hH3R antagonists/inverse agonists entered clinical phases for a broad spectrum of mainly centrally occurring diseases. Nevertheless, many promising candidates failed due to their pharmacokinetic profile, mostly because of their strong lipophilicity and their dibasic character. Analysis of previously, as potential PET ligands synthesized compounds (ST-889, ST-928) revealed promising results concerning physicochemical properties and drug-likeness. Herein, the synthesis, the evaluation of the binding properties at the hH3R and the estimation of different physicochemical and drug-likeness properties of further novel benzylpiperidine variations on H3R antagonists is described. Due to the introduction of various small hydrophilic moieties in the structure, drug-likeness parameters have been improved. For instance, compound 12 (ST-1032) showed in addition to high affinity at the H3R (pKi (hH3R)=9.3) clogS, clogP, LE, LipE, and LELP values of -2.48, 2.18, 0.44, 7.14, and 4.95, respectively. Also, the keto derivative 5 (ST-1703, pKi (hH3R)=8.6) revealed LipE and LELP values of 5.25 and 6.84, respectively.

Non-imidazole histamine H3 receptor ligands incorporating antiepileptic moieties

A small series of histamine H3 receptor (H3R) ligands (1-5) incorporating different antiepileptic structural motifs has been newly synthesized. All compounds exhibited moderate to high in vitro hH3R affinities up to a sub-nanomolar concentration range with pKi values in the range of 6.25-9.62 with varying preferences for this receptor subtype. The compounds (1-5) were further investigated in vivo on anticonvulsant effects against maximum electroshock (MES)-induced and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-kindled convulsions in rats having phenytoin (PHT) as the reference antiepileptic drug (AED). Surprisingly, animals pretreated with 1 mg/kg, i.p. of 5,5-diphenyl-3-(3-(piperidin-1-yl)propyl)imidazolidine-2,4-dione (4) were only moderately protected and no protection was observed for compounds 1-3 and 5 in three different doses (1 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg/kg i.p.). Compound 4 (1 mg/kg, i.p.) failed to modify PTZ-kindled convulsion. However, a dose of 10 mg/kg significantly reduced convulsions in both models. In contrast, 5,5-diphenyl-3-(4-(3-(piperidin-1-yl)propoxy)benzyl)imidazolidine-2,4-dione (5) (1, 5, and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) showed proconvulsant effects in the MES model with further confirmation of these results in the PTZ model as no protection was observed against convulsion in the doses tested (1 and 10 mg/kg). In addition, compound 4 (10 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly prolonged myoclonic latency time and shortened total convulsion duration when compared to control, PHT or standard H3R inverse agonist/antagonist pitolisant (PIT). Our results showed that H3R pharmacophores could successfully be structurally combined to antiepileptic moieties, especially phenytoin partial structures, maintaining the H3R affinity. However, the new derivatives for multiple-target approaches in epilepsy models are complex and show that pharmacophore elements are not easily pharmacologically combinable.

Non-imidazole histamine H3 ligands: part V. synthesis and preliminary pharmacological investigation of 1-[2-thiazol-4-yl- and 1-[2-thiazol-5-yl-(2-aminoethyl)]-4-n-propylpiperazine derivatives

Series of 1-[2-thiazol-4-yl-(2-aminoethyl)]- and 1-[2-thiazol-5-yl-(2-aminoethyl)]-4-n-propylpiperazine derivatives have been prepared and in vitro tested as H3-receptor antagonists (the electrically evoked contraction of the guinea-pig jejunum). It appeared that by comparison of homologous pairs, the 1-[2-thiazol-5-yl-(2-aminoethyl)]-4-n-propylpiperazines (3a,b and 4a-d) have much higher potency than their analogous 1-[2-thiazol-4-yl-(2-aminoethyl)]-4-n-propylpiperazines (2a-k). Based on the obtained results, we observed the 5-position of 2-methyl-2-R-aminoethyl substituents in the thiazole ring is favourable for histamine H3 receptor antagonist activity, whereas its presence in position 4 leads, almost in each case, to strong decrease of activity.

Overdose of the histamine H₃ inverse agonist pitolisant increases thermal pain thresholds

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN

Pitolisant (BF2.649) is a selective inverse agonist for the histamine H(3) receptor and was developed for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in Parkinson disease, narcolepsy, and schizophrenia. Since H(3)-ligands can decrease inflammatory pain, we tested Pitolisant in inflammatory and neuropathic pain models. MATERIALS AND TREATMENTS: Behavioral effects of pitolisant and the structural different H(3) receptor inverse agonists ciproxifan and ST-889 were tested in zymosan-induced inflammation and the spared nerve injury model for neuropathic pain.

METHODS

Responses to mechanical and thermal stimuli were determined. Calcium imaging was performed with primary neuronal cultures of dorsal root ganglions.

RESULTS

Clinically relevant doses of pitolisant (10 mg/kg) had no relevant effect on mechanical or thermal pain thresholds in all animal models. Higher doses (50 mg/kg) dramatically increased thermal but not mechanical pain thresholds. Neither ciproxifan nor ST-889 altered thermal pain thresholds. In peripheral sensory neurons high concentrations of pitolisant (30-500 μM), but not ciproxifan, partially inhibited calcium increases induced by capsaicin, a selective activator of transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1). High doses of pitolisant induced a strong hypothermia.

CONCLUSION

The data show a dramatic effect of high dosages of pitolisant on the thermosensory system, which appears to be H(3) receptor-independent.

Novel chalcone-based fluorescent human histamine h(3) receptor ligands as pharmacological tools

Novel fluorescent chalcone-based ligands at human histamine H₃ receptors (hH₃R) have been designed, synthesized, and characterized. Compounds described are non-imidazole analogs of ciproxifan with a tetralone motif. Tetralones as chemical precursors and related fluorescent chalcones exhibit affinities at hH₃R in the same concentration range like the reference antagonist ciproxifan (hH₃R pK_i value of 7.2). Fluorescence characterization of our novel ligands shows emission maxima about 570 nm for yellow fluorescent chalcones and ≥600 nm for the red fluorescent derivatives. Interferences to cellular autofluorescence could be excluded. All synthesized chalcone compounds could be used to visualize hH₃R proteins in stably transfected HEK-293 cells using confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy. These novel fluorescent ligands possess high potential to be used as pharmacological tools for hH₃R visualization in different tissues.

Several down, a few to go: histamine H3 receptor ligands making the final push towards the market?

INTRODUCTION

The histamine H(3) receptor (H(3)R) plays a pivotal role in a plethora of therapeutic areas. Blocking the H(3)R with antagonists/inverse agonists has been postulated to be of broad therapeutic use. Indeed, H(3)R antagonists/inverse agonists have been extensively evaluated in the clinic.

AREAS COVERED

Here, we address new developments, insights obtained and challenges encountered in the clinical evaluations. For recent H(3)R clinical candidates, the status and results of the corresponding clinical trial(s) will be discussed along with preclinical data.

MAIN FINDINGS

In all, it becomes evident that clinical evaluation of H(3)R antagonists/inverse agonists is characterized by mixed results. On one hand, Pitolisant has successfully passed several Phase II trials and seems to be the most advanced compound in the clinic now, being in Phase III. On the other hand, some compounds (e.g., PF-03654647 and MK-0249) failed at Phase II clinical level for several indications.

EXPERT OPINION

A challenging feature in H(3)R research is the multifaceted role of the receptor at a molecular/biochemical level, which can complicate targeting by small molecules at several (pre)clinical levels. Accordingly, H(3)R antagonists/inverse agonists require further testing to pinpoint the determinants for clinical efficacy and to aid in the final push towards the market.

Histamine H1, H3 and H4 receptors are involved in pruritus

Histamine has long been recognised as a classical inducer of pruritus. However, the specific mechanism of histamine-induced itch has still not been fully understood. The H1 and H4 receptor appear to be key components in the induction of itch. The specific role of the H3 receptor in histamine-induced itch remains unclear. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of the four known histamine receptors (H1-4) in acute itch in mice. Intradermal injection of the selective H3R inverse agonist pitolisant induced strong itch in mice. Pitolisant (50 nmol/injection)-induced pruritus could be completely blocked by a combined treatment with the H1R antagonist cetirizine (15 mg/kg) and the H4R antagonist JNJ 7777120 (15 mg/kg), whereas the H2R antagonist ranitidine (15 mg/kg) failed to inhibit the scratch response. Next, expression and function of histamine receptors on sensory neurons isolated from dorsal root ganglia of mice were investigated. As the itch sensation results from the excitation of sensory nerves in the skin, we further focused on skin specific sensory neurons. Therefore, neurons were retrograde labelled from the skin by means of a fluorescent tracer. Expression of H1R, H3R and H4R on skin innervating sensory neurons was detected. By single-cell calcium imaging, it was demonstrated that histamine induces a calcium increase in a subset of (skin-specific) sensory neurons via activation of the H1R and H4R as well as inhibition of the H3R. It is assumed that the decreased threshold in response to H3R antagonism activates H1R and H4R on sensory neurons, which in turn results in the excitation of histamine-sensitive afferents and therefore elicits the sensation of itch.

Kojic acid derivatives as histamine H(3) receptor ligands

The histamine H(3) receptor (H(3)R) is a promising target in the development of new compounds for the treatment of mainly centrally occurring diseases. However, emerging novel therapeutic concepts have been introduced and some indications in the H(3)R field, e.g. migraine, pain or allergic rhinitis, might take advantage of peripherally acting ligands. In this work, kojic acid-derived structural elements were inserted into a well established H(3)R antagonist/inverse agonist scaffold to investigate the bioisosteric potential of γ-pyranones with respect to the different moieties of the H(3)R pharmacophore. The most affine compounds showed receptor binding in the low nanomolar concentration range. Evaluation and comparison of kojic acid-containing ligands and their corresponding phenyl analogues (3-7) revealed that the newly integrated scaffold greatly influences chemical properties (S Log P, topological polar surface area (tPSA)) and hence, potentially modifies the pharmacokinetic profile of the different derivatives. Benzyl-1-(4-(3-(piperidin-1-yl)propoxy)phenyl)methanamine ligands 3 and 4 belong to the centrally acting diamine-based class of H(3)R antagonist/inverse agonist, whereas kojic acid analogues 6 and 7 might act peripherally. The latter compounds state promising lead structures in the development of H(3)R ligands with a modified profile of action.

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of 2-(1,4'-bipiperidin-1'-yl)thiazolopyridine as H3 receptor antagonists

A series of 2-(1,4'-bipiperidine-1'-yl)thiazolopyridines was synthesized and evaluated as a new lead of non-imidazole histamine H(3) receptor antagonists. Introduction of diversity at the 6-position of the pyridine ring was designed to enhance in vitro potency and decrease hERG activity. The structure-activity relationships for these new thiazolopyridine antagonists are discussed.