Gee-Hong Kuo

4-Bicyclic heteroaryl-piperidine derivatives as potent, orally bioavailable stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) inhibitors: part 2. Pyridazine-based analogs.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of pyridazine-based, 4-bicyclic heteroaryl-piperidine derivatives as potent stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) inhibitors are described. In a chronic study of selected analog (3e) in Zucker fa/fa (ZF) rat, dose-dependent decrease of body weight gain and plasma fatty acid desaturation index (DI) in both C16 and C18 are also demonstrated. The results indicate that the plasma fatty acid DI may serve as an indicator for direct target engagement and biomarker for SCD1 inhibition.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of benzocyclobutane-C-glycosides as potent and orally active SGLT1/SGLT2 dual inhibitors

Synthesis and biological evaluation of benzocyclobutane-C-glycosides as potent and orally active SGLT1/SGLT2 dual inhibitors are described. Compound 19 showed high inhibitory potency at SGLT1 (IC50 = 45 nM), and excellent potency at SGLT2 (IC50 = 1 nM). It also displayed excellent PK profiles in mice, rats, dogs and monkeys (F = 78-107%). In SD rats, compound 19 treatments significantly reduced blood glucose levels in a dose-dependent manner. In ZDF rats, compound 19 displayed anti-hyperglycemic effect up to 24 h. Therefore, compound 19 may serve as valuable pharmacological tool, and potential use as a treatment for metabolic syndrome.

Potent Sodium/Glucose Cotransporter SGLT1/2 Dual Inhibition Improves Glycemic Control Without Marked Gastrointestinal Adaptation or Colonic Microbiota Changes in Rodents

The sodium/glucose cotransporters (SGLT1 and SGLT2) transport glucose across the intestinal brush border and kidney tubule. Dual SGLT1/2 inhibition could reduce hyperglycemia more than SGLT2-selective inhibition in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, questions remain about altered gastrointestinal (GI) luminal glucose and tolerability, and this was evaluated in slc5a1−/− mice or with a potent dual inhibitor (compound 8; SGLT1 Ki = 1.5 ± 0.5 nM 100-fold greater potency than phlorizin; SGLT2 Ki = 0.4 ± 0.2 nM). 13C6-glucose uptake was quantified in slc5a1−/− mice and in isolated rat jejunum. Urinary glucose excretion (UGE), blood glucose (Sprague-Dawley rats), glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels (Zucker diabetic fatty rats) were measured. Intestinal adaptation and rRNA gene sequencing was analyzed in C57Bl/6 mice. The blood 13C6-glucose area under the curve (AUC) was reduced in the absence of SGLT1 by 75% (245 ± 6 vs. 64 ± 6 mg/dl⋅h in wild-type vs. slc5a1−/− mice) and compound 8 inhibited its transport up to 50% in isolated rat jejunum. Compound 8 reduced glucose excursion more than SGLT2-selective inhibition (e.g., AUC = 129 ± 3 vs. 249 ± 5 mg/dl⋅h for 1 mg/kg compound 8 vs. dapagliflozin) with similar UGE but a lower renal glucose excretion threshold. In Zucker diabetic fatty rats, compound 8 decreased HbA1c and increased total GLP-1 without changes in jejunum SGLT1 expression, mucosal weight, or villus length. Overall, compound 8 (1 mg/kg for 6 days) did not increase cecal glucose concentrations or bacterial diversity in C57BL/6 mice. In conclusion, potent dual SGLT1/2 inhibition lowers blood glucose by reducing intestinal glucose absorption and the renal glucose threshold but minimally impacts the intestinal mucosa or luminal microbiota in chow-fed rodents.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of (2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-5-fluoro-6-(hydroxymethyl)-2-aryltetrahydro-2H-pyran-3,4-diols as potent and orally active SGLT dual inhibitors

A new series of (2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-5-fluoro-6-(hydroxymethyl)-2-aryltetrahydro-2H-pyran-3,4-diols as dual inhibitors of sodium glucose co-transporter proteins (SGLTs) were disclosed. Two methods were developed to efficiently synthesize C5-fluoro-lactones 3 and 4, which are key intermediates to the C5-fluoro-hexose based C-aryl glucosides. Compound 2b demonstrated potent hSGLT1 and hSGLT2 inhibition (IC50 = 43 nM for SGLT1 and IC50 = 9 nM for SGLT2). It showed robust inhibition of blood glucose excursion in oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and exerted pronounced antihyperglycemic effects in db/db mice and high-fat diet-fed ZDF rats when dosed orally at 10 mg/kg.