Kiminori Ohta

Design and Synthesis of Androgen Receptor Full Antagonists Bearing a p-Carborane Cage: Promising Ligands for Anti-Androgen Withdrawal Syndrome

Pure androgen receptor (AR) full antagonists are candidates to treat anti-androgen refractory prostate cancers. We previously developed a carborane-containing AR antagonist, 3-(12-hydroxymethyl-1,12-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane-1-yl)benzonitrile (BA341), which was more potent than hydroxyflutamide (4) but acted as an agonist toward LNCaP prostate cancer cells expressing T877A AR mutant. Here, we designed and synthesized novel AR full antagonists structurally based upon the clinically used AR full antagonist (R)-bicalutamide (5) to test our hypothesis that the carborane cage is suitable as a hydrophobic pharmacophore for AR ligands. Compounds 7b and 8b showed good biological profiles in AR binding and transactivation assays and dose-dependently inhibited the testosterone-induced proliferation of LNCaP cells, as well as SC-3 cells. The IC(50) values of compounds 7b and 8b were 3.8 x 10(-7) and 4.2 x 10(-7) M, respectively [5, 8.7 x 10(-7) M]. Since compounds 7b and 8b did not show any agonistic activity in functional assays, they seem to be pure AR full antagonists and are therefore candidates for treatment of anti-androgen withdrawal syndrome.

Promising core structure for nuclear receptor ligands: design and synthesis of novel estrogen receptor ligands based on diphenylamine skeleton.

Novel diphenylamine-type estrogen receptor ligands were designed and synthesized, and their biological activities were evaluated by means of binding assays for estrogen receptor-alpha and -beta and cell proliferation assay using MCF-7 cells. Compounds 4f, 11b, 12c, and 8 showed moderate estrogenic activities. We propose that the diphenylamine skeleton may be a privileged structure for various nuclear receptor ligands, including RAR, RXR, and AR ligands.

Retinoid X Receptor Gamma Is Implicated in Docosahexaenoic Acid Modulation of Despair Behaviors and Working Memory in Mice

BACKGROUND Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have antidepressant and promnemonic functions. The mechanisms of such activities are still elusive and may involve retinoid X receptors (RXRs), transcription factors known to bind DHA in vitro. METHODS Promnemonic and antidespair activities of acute DHA treatment were tested in BALBcByJ mice using spontaneous alternation and forced swim test, respectively. The involvement of retinoid receptors in such DHA activities was investigated using RXR and/or retinoic acid receptor (RAR) agonists to mimic DHA activities or a synthetic pan-RXR antagonist to block them. Involvement of RXR isotypes was analyzed using the same tasks and delayed nonmatch to place for working memory in RXRγ knockout mice. RESULTS Docosahexaenoic acid decreased despair behavior and improved working memory in BALBcByJ mice. Such effects were suppressed by co-treatment with BR1211, a pan-RXR antagonist, whereas a pan-RXR agonist, UVI2108, mimicked DHA activities. Retinoic acid (RA), a natural ligand of RXRs, also reduced despair behavior and improved working memory and such activities did not require activation of RARs, as RA effects were abolished by co-treatment with BR1211 and they were not reproduced by TTNPB, a pan-RAR agonist. The RXRγ knockout mice displayed increased despair and deficits in working memory, which were insensitive to DHA and pan-RXR agonist treatments, whereas DHA or UVI2108 reversed these deficits in RXRγ heterozygous mice. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that RXRs are a converging point in mediating DHA and RA modulations of despair behavior and working memory and that RXRγ is the predominant RXR isotype in these regulations.

Acidic heterocycles as novel hydrophilic pharmacophore of androgen receptor ligands with a carborane core structure.

A novel series of androgen receptor (AR) ligands bearing an acidic heterocycle with hydrogen-bonding ability as the terminal polar group was developed. Since most non-steroidal AR ligands so far known are structurally limited to nitro- or cyanobenzanilide as the polar pharmacophore, development of alternative hydrogen-bonding components is required to obtain novel AR ligands. Various acidic heterocycles were introduced into a hydrophobic phenylcarborane (1-phenyl-1,12-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane) core structure to provide a moiety that could interact effectively with the critical basic arginine residue of the AR ligand binding domain. The most potent compounds, 1,2,4-oxadiazole-5-thione derivatives 21a and 21b, exhibited higher affinity for hAR than did the well-known anti-androgen hydroxyflutamide. The results suggest that this heterocyclic functionality is potential bioisoster of the nitro and cyano groups forming the polar pharmacophores of known non-steroidal AR ligands.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of p-carborane bisphenols and their derivatives: structure-activity relationship for estrogenic activity.

p-Carborane bisphenols and their derivatives were prepared and evaluated for binding affinity to estrogen receptor alpha. Their estrogenic activity was evaluated by means of transcriptional assay and cell proliferation assay using MCF-7 cell lines. 1,12-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,12-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane 4a showed potent estrogenic activity, approaching that of 17beta-estradiol, in transactivation assay. The activity of isomers 5a and 6a was drastically affected by the change in the position of one of the hydroxyl groups; 6a (ortho-OH in one ring) was about 1000 times less potent than 4a. Modification of this hydroxyl group with alkyl groups decreased the estrogenic activity in all isomers. Compound 4a also showed potent MCF-7 cell proliferation-enhancing activity.

Structural effects in three-ring mesogenic derivatives of p-carborane and their hydrocarbon analogues

Several series of structurally related three-ring esters containing benzene, cyclohexane, bicyclo[2.2.2]octane and p-carborane rings were synthesized and their mesogenic properties investigated using thermal analysis and optical microscopy. Carborane derivatives show only nematic phases, while the richest smectic polymorphism (up to three phases) was observed in the biphenyl series D. The structure–property relationships were studied by comparison of T NI between series. The ring effectiveness in stabilization of nematic phases generally follows the order carborane<benzene∼cyclohexane<bicyclo[2.2.2]octane. The results indicate that fill fraction plays a significant role in the stabilization of the mesophase. A notable positional effect of the carborane ring on T NI was also observed.

Design and synthesis of carborane-containing androgen receptor (AR) antagonist bearing a pyridine ring.

We previously developed carborane-containing potent AR antagonists, BA321 and BA341, on the basis of our hypothesis that the carborane cage would be an excellent hydrophobic pharmacophore in place of steroidal C and D rings. As an extension of that work, we designed and synthesized carborane-containing AR antagonist candidates with a pyridine ring. Compound 6b, which has a pyridine ring directly bound to the p-carborane cage at the 3-position, exhibited potent AR-antagonistic activity in transcriptional activation assay using NIH3T3 cells transfected with a hAR-expression plasmid. In addition, it showed more potent antiandrogenic activity than that of the well-known antiandrogen flutamide and comparable activity to that of (R)-bicalutamide in SC-3 cell proliferation assay.

Crystal structure, docking study and structure-activity relationship of carborane-containing androgen receptor antagonist 3-(12-hydroxymethyl-1,12-dicarba-closo-dodecaboran-1-yl)benzonitrile.

A potent androgen receptor (AR) antagonist, 3-(12-hydroxymethyl-1,12 dicarba-closo-dodecaboran-1-yl)benzonitrile (3a, BA341), contains a p-carborane cage as a hydrophobic pharmacophore. We elucidated the structural properties of 3a by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and conducted a docking study of 3a with hAR LBD. The cyano group of 3a formed hydrogen bonds with Gln711 and Arg752 and the hydroxymethyl group did so with Asn705 and Thr877 in hAR LBD. The bulky p-carborane cage was accommodated in the hydrophobic pocket of hAR LBD. To understand the structure-activity relationship around the hydroxymethyl group of 3a, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated the biological activities of various novel AR ligands. Since the biological activities of carbonyl compounds 8a, 8b, and 8c were similar to or weaker than those of the parent hydroxyl compounds 3a, 7a, and 7b, it seems to be necessary to have not only a hydrogen bonding acceptor, but also a hydrogen bonding donor adjacent to the hydroxymethyl group of 3a for efficient interaction with hAR LBD.

p-Carborane-based androgen antagonists active in LNCaP cells with a mutated androgen receptor

Development of antagonists for a mutated androgen receptor (AR) is important for treatment of anti-androgen-refractory prostate cancers. We describe here application of the p-carborane cage as a hydrophobic core structure for novel anti-androgens active toward LNCaP human prostate cancer cells with mutated AR. These compounds are expected to be versatile lead compounds not only for development of AR pan-antagonists, but also for discovery of mutant-selective anti-androgens.

Novel estrogen receptor (ER) modulators: carbamate and thiocarbamate derivatives with m-carborane bisphenol structure.

Novel carborane-containing estrogen receptor (ER) modulators, carbamate and thiocarbamate derivatives 5 and 6, were designed and synthesized based upon the m-carborane bisphenol skeleton. Their activities were evaluated by competitive binding assay with recombinant human ERalpha, transcriptional activation assay and cell proliferation assay. All test compounds dose-dependently bound to human ERalpha and showed potent estrogenic activity. The binding affinities of thiocarbamates 6a and 6b are higher than those of the alkyl carbamates 5a-5d and are similar to that of the phenyl carbamate 5e. The binding affinity was well correlated with the acidity of the NH proton, indicating the existence of an interaction between the NH proton and amino acid residue(s) of the ERalpha ligand binding domain. The amino acid residue(s) interacting with the NH proton appears to be different from Asp351, which is known to play an important role in the expression of antiestrogenic activity. The side chain of the m-carborane bisphenol structure strictly controls the balance of estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities, and the (thio)carbamates can be classified as an agonist group.