Hun Yeong Koh

KST5468, a new T-type calcium channel antagonist, has an antinociceptive effect on inflammatory and neuropathic pain models

The T-type Ca(2+) channel is a low-voltage-activated Ca(2+) channel related to nociceptive stimuli. Increases in Ca(2+) due to calcium channel activation enhance pain sensitivity through both peripheral and central pain pathways. We have developed a novel compound, KST5468, which is a T-type calcium channel antagonist. The new synthetic compound may have an antinociceptive effect, and thus we evaluated KST5468 as a putative analgesic in a hot plate test, a formalin test, and two neuropathic pain models. KST5468 caused a significant increase in latency in the hot plate test at 30min after a 10mg/kg peritoneal injection of the compound. Interestingly, in the second phase of formalin test, KST5468 decreased pain behaviors in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, in two neuropathic pain models induced by chronic constriction and spared nerve injury, KST5468 significantly increased the mechanical pain threshold. Using immunohistochemistry, expression of two well known pain-related molecular markers, c-Fos and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and phosphorylated extracellular signal-related kinase (p-ERK) were found to be decreased in the laminae I-II layers of the ipsilateral L4-L5 spinal dorsal horn in KST5468 treated mice. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that KST5468 may be an effective antinociceptive agent for neuropathic pain.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of oxazole derivatives as T-type calcium channel blockers

T-type calcium channel is one of therapeutic targets for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and neuropathic pain. In this study, as a part of our ongoing efforts to develop potent T-type calcium channel blockers, we designed oxazole derivatives substituted with arylpiperazinylalkylamines. The oxazoles were synthesized in a convenient convergent synthetic method, and biologically evaluated against alpha(1G) (Ca(V)3.1) T-type calcium channel. Among total 41 oxazole compounds synthesized, the most active one was the compound 10-35 with an IC(50) value of 0.65 microM, which is comparable with that of mibefradil.

Synthesis and evaluation of aryl-substituted diarylpropionitriles, selective ligands for estrogen receptor β, as positron-emission tomographic imaging agents

We have investigated halogen-substituted non-steroidal estrogens with selective binding affinity for the estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta that might be used for imaging the levels of this ER-subtype in breast tumors by positron emission tomography (PET). Based on diarylpropionitrile (DPN, 1a), a compound previously reported that has a 72-fold binding selectivity for ERbeta, we developed a series of DPN analogs having methyl-, hydroxyl-, and halogen substituents, including fluoroethyl and fluoropropyl groups. In competitive radiometric binding assays with [(3)H]estradiol, all of these DPN analogs showed high ERbeta/ERalpha selectivity; while the selectivity varied, in some cases it reached nearly 300-fold (RBA: ERalpha, 0.023%; ERbeta, 6.25%). The absolute ERbeta binding affinities, however, were not sufficient to merit further consideration for developing these ligands as PET imaging agents.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of aryl isoxazole derivatives as metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 antagonists: a potential treatment for neuropathic pain.

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter and known to activate the metabotropic and ionotropic glutamate receptors in the brain. Among these glutamate receptors, metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) has been implicated in various brain disorders including anxiety, schizophrenia and chronic pain. Several studies demonstrated that the blockade of mGluR1 signaling reduced pain responses in animal models, suggesting that mGluR1 is a promising target for the treatment of neuropathic pain. In this study, we have developed mGluR1 antagonists with an aryl isoxazole scaffold, and identify several compounds that are orally active in vivo. We believe that these compounds can serve as a useful tool for the investigation of the role of mGluR1 and a promising lead for the potential treatment of neuropathic pain.