Marietta Tóth

New inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase as potential antidiabetic agents.

The protein glycogen phosphorylase has been linked to type 2 diabetes, indicating the importance of this target to human health. Hence, the search for potent and selective inhibitors of this enzyme, which may lead to antihyperglycaemic drugs, has received particular attention. Glycogen phosphorylase is a typical allosteric protein with five different ligand binding sites, thus offering multiple opportunities for modulation of enzyme activity. The present survey is focused on recent new molecules, potential inhibitors of the enzyme. The biological activity can be modified by these molecules through direct binding, allosteric effects or other structural changes. Progress in our understanding of the mechanism of action of these inhibitors has been made by the determination of high-resolution enzyme inhibitor structures (both muscle and liver). The knowledge of the three-dimensional structures of protein-ligand complexes allows analysis of how the ligands interact with the target and has the potential to facilitate structure-based drug design. In this review, the synthesis, structure determination and computational studies of the most recent inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase at the different binding sites are presented and analyzed.

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of C-glycosylated oxadiazoles as inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase

A series of per-O-benzoylated 5-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-2-substituted-1,3,4-oxadiazoles was prepared by acylation of the corresponding 5-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)tetrazole. As an alternative, oxidation of 2,6-anhydro-aldose benzoylhydrazones by iodobenzene I,I-diacetate afforded the same oxadiazoles. 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxides to per-O-benzoylated beta-D-glucopyranosyl cyanide gave the corresponding 5-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-3-substituted-1,2,4-oxadiazoles. The O-benzoyl protecting groups were removed by base-catalyzed transesterification. The 1,3,4-oxadiazoles were practically inefficient as inhibitors of rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase b while the 1,2,4-oxadiazoles displayed inhibitory activities in the micromolar range. The best inhibitors were the 5-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-3-(4-methylphenyl- and -2-naphthyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazoles (K(i)=8.8 and 11.6 microM, respectively). A detailed analysis of the structure-activity relationships is presented.

Synthesis of variously coupled conjugates of d-glucose, 1,3,4-oxadiazole, and 1,2,3-triazole for inhibition of glycogen phosphorylase

5-(O-Perbenzoylated-β-D-glucopyranosyl)tetrazole was obtained from O-perbenzoylated-β-D-glucopyranosyl cyanide by Bu(3)SnN(3) or Me(3)SiN(3)-Bu(2)SnO. This tetrazole was transformed into 5-ethynyl- as well as 5-chloromethyl-2-(O-perbenzoylated-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoles by acylation with propiolic acid-DCC or chloroacetyl chloride, respectively. The chloromethyl oxadiazole gave the corresponding azidomethyl derivative on treatment with NaN(3). These compounds were reacted with several alkynes and azides under Cu(I) catalysed cycloaddition conditions to give, after removal of the protecting groups by the Zemplén protocol, β-D-glucopyranosyl-1,3,4-oxadiazolyl-1,2,3-triazole, β-D-glucopyranosyl-1,2,3-triazolyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole, and β-D-glucopyranosyl-1,3,4-oxadiazolylmethyl-1,2,3-triazole type compounds. 5-Phenyltetrazole was also transformed under the above conditions into a series of aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazolyl-1,2,3-triazoles, aryl-1,2,3-triazolyl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles, and aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazolylmethyl-1,2,3-triazoles. The new compounds were assayed against rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase b and the best inhibitors had inhibition constants in the upper micromolar range (2-phenyl-5-[1-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole 36: K(i)=854μM, 2-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-5-[1-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole 47: K(i)=745μM).

New synthesis of 3-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-5-substituted-1,2,4-triazoles, nanomolar inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase.

O-Perbenzoylated 5-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)tetrazole was reacted with N-benzyl carboximidoyl chlorides to give the corresponding 4-benzyl-3-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-5-substituted-1,2,4-triazoles. Removal of the O-benzoyl and N-benzyl protecting groups by base catalysed transesterification and catalytic hydrogenation, respectively, furnished a series of 3-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-5-substituted-1,2,4-triazoles with aliphatic, mono- and bicyclic aromatic, and heterocyclic substituents in the 5-position. Enzyme kinetic studies revealed these compounds to inhibit rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase b: best inhibitors were the 5-(4-aminophenyl)- (Ki 0.67 μM) and the 5-(2-naphthyl)-substituted (Ki 0.41 μM) derivatives. This study uncovered the C-glucopyranosyl-1,2,4-triazoles as a novel skeleton for nanomolar inhibition of glycogen phosphorylase.

C-Glycopyranosyl Arenes and Hetarenes: Synthetic Methods and Bioactivity Focused on Antidiabetic Potential

This Review summarizes close to 500 primary publications and surveys published since 2000 about the syntheses and diverse bioactivities of C-glycopyranosyl (het)arenes. A classification of the preparative routes to these synthetic targets according to methodologies and compound categories is provided. Several of these compounds, regardless of their natural or synthetic origin, display antidiabetic properties due to enzyme inhibition (glycogen phosphorylase, protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B) or by inhibiting renal sodium-dependent glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2). The latter class of synthetic inhibitors, very recently approved as antihyperglycemic drugs, opens new perspectives in the pharmacological treatment of type 2 diabetes. Various compounds with the C-glycopyranosyl (het)arene motif were subjected to biological studies displaying among others antioxidant, antiviral, antibiotic, antiadhesive, cytotoxic, and glycoenzyme inhibitory effects.

Systematic study on free radical hydrothiolation of unsaturated monosaccharide derivatives with exo- and endocyclic double bonds

Exo- and endocyclic double bonds of glycals and terminal double bonds of enoses were reacted with various thiols by irradiation with UV light in the presence of a cleavable photoinitiator. The photoinduced radical-mediated hydrothiolation reactions showed highly varying overall conversions depending not only on the substitution pattern and electron-density of the double bond but also on the nature and substitution pattern of the thiol partner. Out of the applied thiols thiophenol, producing the highly stabilized thiyl radical, exhibited the lowest reactivity toward each type of alkene. In most cases, the hydrothiolations took place with full regio- and stereoselectivities. Successful addition of 1,2 : 3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-6-thio-α-d-galactopyranose to a 2,3-unsaturated N-acetylneuraminic acid derivative, providing a (3 → 6)-S-linked pseudodisaccharide, demonstrated that the endocyclic double bond of Neu5Ac-2-ene, bearing an electron-withdrawing substituent, shows sufficient reactivity in the photoinduced thiol-ene coupling reaction.

Synthesis of new glycosyl biuret and urea derivatives as potential glycoenzyme inhibitors

O-peracetylated 1-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-5-phenylbiuret was prepared in the reaction of O-peracetylated beta-D-glucopyranosylisocyanate and phenylurea. The reaction of O-peracetylated N-beta-D-glucopyranosylurea with phenylisocyanate furnished the corresponding 1-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-3,5-diphenyl- as well as 3-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-1,5-diphenyl biurets besides 1-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-3-phenylurea. O-Peracetylated 1-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-5-(beta-D-glycopyranosyl)biurets were obtained in one-pot reactions of O-peracetylated beta-D-glucopyranosylamine with OCNCOCl followed by a second glycopyranosylamine of beta-D-gluco, beta-D-galacto and beta-D-xylo configurations. O-Acyl protected 1-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-3-(beta-D-glycopyranosylcarbonyl)ureas were obtained from the reaction of beta-D-glucopyranosylisocyanate with C-(glycopyranosyl)formamides of beta-D-gluco and beta-D-galacto configurations. The O-acyl protecting groups were removed under acid- or base-catalyzed transesterification conditions, except for the N-acylurea derivatives where the cleavage of the N-acyl groups was faster than deprotection. Some of the new compounds exhibited moderate inhibition against rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase b and human salivary alpha-amylase.

Preparation of 2,6-anhydro-aldose acylhydrazones, -semicarbazones and -oximes from 2,6-anhydro-aldononitriles (glycosyl cyanides)

Reductive transformation of per-O-acylated 2,6-anhydro-aldononitriles (glycopyranosyl cyanides of the D-galacto, D-gluco, D-xylo, and D-arabino configuration) with Raney-nickel-NaH(2)PO(2) in pyridine-AcOH-water solvent mixture in the presence of benzoylhydrazine, ethyl carbazate, and semicarbazide gave the corresponding anhydro-aldose benzoylhydrazones, -ethoxycarbonylhydrazones, and -semicarbazones, respectively. Acid catalyzed transimination of the semicarbazones with thiosemicarbazide, hydroxylamine, and O-benzylhydroxylamine, resulted in the formation of anhydro-aldose thiosemicarbazones, and E/Z mixtures of anhydro-aldose oximes, and O-benzyl-(anhydro-aldose)-oximes, respectively.

Synthesis of 5-aryl-3-C-glycosyl- and unsymmetrical 3,5-diaryl-1,2,4-triazoles from alkylidene-amidrazones

Among 1,2,4-triazole derivatives with versatile biological activities 3-C-glucopyranosyl-5-substituted-1,2,4-triazoles belong to the most efficient inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase, and are thus potential antidiabetic agents. In seeking new synthetic methods for this class of compounds oxidative ring closures of N1-alkylidene carboxamidrazones were studied. O-Peracylated N1-(β-D-glycopyranosylmethylidene)-arenecarboxamidrazones were prepared from the corresponding glycosyl cyanides and amidrazones by Raney-Ni® reduction in the presence of NaH2PO2. Bromination of the so obtained compounds by NBS gave hydrazonoyl bromide type derivatives which were ring closed to 3-C-glycosyl-5-substituted-1,2,4-triazoles in pyridine or by NH4OAc in AcOH. Under the same conditions O-perbenzoylated N1-arylidene-C-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-formamidrazones gave the expected 1,2,4-triazoles as minor products only. N1-Arylidene-arenecarboxamidrazones were also transformed into 3,5-diaryl-1,2,4-triazoles with NBS/NH4OAc in AcOH indicating high functional group tolerance and general applicability of the method.

Thio-click approach to the synthesis of stable glycomimetics

Carbon-sulfur-bridged glycomimetics were prepared by free radical hydrothiolation of the exocyclic double bond of unsaturated sugars. Reaction between benzoyl-substituted pyranoid-exoglycal and a range of thiols including peptide, 1-thioglycerol and 1-thiosugar derivatives gave β-D-configured carbon-sulfur-linked glycoconjugates with full stereoselectivity. Addition of a panel of thiols to a 3-exomethylene-glucofuranose derivative also proceeded in a stereoselective manner and afforded a series of D-allo-configured 3-deoxy-3-C-S-bridged glycoconjugates.