Design and synthesis of tricyclic imidazo[4,5-b]pyridin-2-ones as corticotropin-releasing factor-1 antagonists

Design, synthesis, structural optimization, SAR, in silico prediction of physicochemical properties and pharmacological evaluation of novel & potent thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidine corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) receptor antagonists

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a 41-amino-acid neuropeptide secreted from the hypothalamus and is the main regulator of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. CRF is the master hormone which modulates physiological and behavioral responses to stress. Many disorders including anxiety, depression, addictive disorders and others are related to over activation of the CRF system. This suggests that new molecules which can interfere with CRF binding to its receptors may be potential candidates for neuropsychiatric drugs to treat stress-related disorders. Previously, three series of pyrimidine and fused pyrimidine CRF₁ receptor antagonists were synthesized by our group and specific binding assays, competitive binding studies and determination of the ability to antagonize the agonist-stimulated accumulation of cAMP (the second messenger for CRF receptors) were reported. In continuation of our efforts in this direction, in the current manuscript, we report the synthesis & biological evaluation of a new series of CRF₁ receptor antagonists. Seven compounds showed promising binding affinity with the best two compounds (compounds 6 & 43) displaying a superior binding affinity to all of our previous compounds. Compounds 6 & 43 have only 4 times and 2 times less binding affinity than the standard CRF antagonist antalarmin, respectively. Thus, our two best lead compounds (compound 6 & 43) can be considered potent CRF receptor antagonists with binding affinity of 41.0 & 19.2 nM versus 9.7 nM for antalarmin.

Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 4-allyl-6-bromo-2-(4-chloro-phen-yl)-4H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine

The title compound, C15H11BrClN3, is built up from a planar imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine unit linked to phenyl and allyl substituents. The allyl substituent is rotated significantly out of the imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine plane, while the benzene ring is inclined by 3.84 (6)° to the ring system. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked via a pair of weak inter-molecular C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming an inversion dimer with an R 2 2(20) ring motif. The dimers are further connected by π-π stacking inter-actions between the imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine ring systems [centroid-centroid distances = 3.7161 (13) and 3.8478 (13) Å]. The important contributions to the Hirshfeld surface are H⋯H (35.9%), H⋯Cl/Cl⋯H (15.0%), H⋯C/C⋯H (12.4%), H⋯Br/Br⋯H (10.8%), H⋯N/N⋯H (7.5%), C⋯Br/Br⋯C (5.9%), C⋯C (5.5%) and C⋯N/N⋯C (4.0%) contacts.

Ethyl 2-(6-bromo-2-phenyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridin-1-yl)acetate

In the title compound, C16H14BrN3O2, the fused-ring system is essentially planar, with the largest deviation from the mean plane being 0.0216 (15) Å for the substituted N atom of the five-membered ring, the plane of which makes dihedral angles of 28.50 (7) and 77.48 (7)° with the terminal phenyl ring and the ethoxycarbonylmethyl group mean planes, respectively. In the crystal, C—H...N hydrogen bonds link the molecules into inversion dimers. These combine with weak C—H...N contacts to stack the molecules into columns along theb-axis direction.

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of 6-Bromo-2-(furan-2-yl)-3-(prop-2-ynyl)-3H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine

The crystal and molecular structure of 6-bromo-2-(furan-2-yl)-3-(prop-2-ynyl)-3H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (C13H8BrN3O) has been investigated from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. The primary focus is to investigate the molecular geometry of this compound in the solid state along with the associated intermolecular hydrogen bonding and relatedπ-πinteractions present in the crystal packing. This compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space groupP21/nwith cell parameters:a= 4.39655(19) Å,b= 13.5720(5) Å,c= 20.0471(5) Å,β= 94.753(3),V= 1192.10(7) Å3,D= 1.683 g·cm−3, andZ= 4. The crystal structure is stabilized byπ-πinteractions and intermolecular C–H⋯N and C–H⋯O interactions.

Discovery of N-(1-ethylpropyl)-[3-methoxy-5-(2-methoxy-4-trifluoromethoxyphenyl)-6-methyl-pyrazin-2-yl]amine 59 (NGD 98-2): an orally active corticotropin releasing factor-1 (CRF-1) receptor antagonist

The design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of a novel series of pyrazines, acting as corticotropin releasing factor-1 (CRF-1) receptor antagonists, are described. Synthetic methodologies were developed to prepare a number of substituted pyrazine cores utilizing regioselective halogenation and chemoselective derivatization. Noteworthy, an efficient 5-step synthesis was developed for the lead compound 59 (NGD 98-2), which required no chromatography. Compound 59 was characterized as an orally bioavailable, brain penetrant, and highly selective CRF-1 receptor antagonist. Occupancy of rat brain CRF-1 receptors was quantified using ex vivo receptor occupancy assays, using both brain tissue homogenates as well as brain slices receptor autoradiography. Behaviorally, oral administration of 59 significantly antagonized CRF-induced locomotor activity at doses as low as 10 mg/kg and dose-dependently reduced the restraint stress-induced ACTH increases.

Corticotropin-releasing factor receptor antagonists

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) coordinates the neural, endocrine and immune responses of the body to stress. Therefore, CRF receptors are important targets for the design of drugs for depression, anxiety and stress-related disorders. Several laboratories have published extensive preclinical and limited clinical research into the role of CRF in human disease. This review covers developments in the patent literature during 2002 - 2006 and outlines the prospects for CRF-based therapy for mental illness.

Progress in corticotropin-releasing factor-1 antagonist development

Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) receptor antagonists have been sought since the stress-secreted peptide was isolated in 1981. Although evidence is mixed concerning the efficacy of CRF(1) antagonists as antidepressants, CRF(1) antagonists might be novel pharmacotherapies for anxiety and addiction. Progress in understanding the two-domain model of ligand-receptor interactions for CRF family receptors might yield chemically novel CRF(1) receptor antagonists, including peptide CRF(1) antagonists, antagonists with signal transduction selectivity and nonpeptide CRF(1) antagonists that act via the extracellular (rather than transmembrane) domains. Novel ligands that conform to the prevalent pharmacophore and exhibit drug-like pharmacokinetic properties have been identified. The therapeutic utility of CRF(1) antagonists should soon be clearer: several small molecules are currently in Phase II/III clinical trials for depression, anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome.

Synthesis, structure-activity relationships, and in vivo evaluation of N3-phenylpyrazinones as novel corticotropin-releasing factor-1 (CRF1) receptor antagonists

Evidence suggests that corticotropin-releasing factor-1 (CRF(1)) receptor antagonists may offer therapeutic potential for the treatment of diseases associated with elevated levels of CRF such as anxiety and depression. A pyrazinone-based chemotype of CRF(1) receptor antagonists was discovered. Structure-activity relationship studies led to the identification of numerous potent analogues including 12p, a highly potent and selective CRF(1) receptor antagonist with an IC(50) value of 0.26 nM. The pharmacokinetic properties of 12p were assessed in rats and Cynomolgus monkeys. Compound 12p was efficacious in the defensive withdrawal test (an animal model of anxiety) in rats. The synthesis, structure-activity relationships and in vivo properties of compounds within the pyrazinone chemotype are described.

CRF1 receptor activation increases the response of neurons in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala to afferent stimulation

The basolateral nucleus (BLA) of the amygdala contributes to the consolidation of memories for emotional or stressful events. The nucleus contains a high density of CRF1 receptors that are activated by corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). Modulation of the excitability of neurons in the BLA by CRF may regulate the immediate response to stressful events and the formation of associated memories. In the present study, CRF was found to increase the amplitude of field potentials recorded in the BLA following excitatory afferent stimulation, in vitro. The increase was mediated by CRF1 receptors, since it could be blocked by the selective, non-peptide antagonists, NBI30775 and NBI35583, but not by the CRF2-selective antagonist, astressin 2B. Furthermore, the CRF2-selective agonist, urocortin II had no effect on field potential amplitude. The increase induced by CRF was long-lasting, could not be reversed by subsequent administration of NBI35583, and required the activation of protein kinase C. This effect of CRF in the BLA may be important for increasing the salience of aversive stimuli under stressful conditions, and for enhancing the consolidation of associated memories. The results provide further justification for studying the efficacy of selective antagonists of the CRF1 receptor to reduce memory formation linked to emotional or traumatic events, and suggest that these compounds might be useful as prophylactic treatments for stress-related illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

The design, synthesis and structure-activity relationships of 1-aryl-4-aminoalkylisoquinolines: a novel series of CRF-1 receptor antagonists

The design, synthesis and structure-activity relationships of a novel series of CRF-1 receptor antagonist, the 1-aryl-4-alkylaminoisoquinolines, is described. The effects of substitution on the aromatic ring, the amino group and the isoquinoline core on CRF-1 receptor binding were investigated.