Design synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of JDTic analogs to examine the significance of replacement of the 3-hydroxyphenyl group with pyridine or thiophene bioisosteres

摘要

The potent and selective KOR antagonist JDTic was derived from the N-substituted trans-3,4-dimethyl-4-(3-hydroxyphenyl)piperidine class of pure opioid antagonists. In previous studies we reported that compounds that did not have a hydroxyl on the 3-hydroxyphenyl group and did not have methyl groups at the 3- and 4-position of the piperidine ring were still potent and selective KOR antagonists. In this study we report JDTic analogs >2, >3a-b, >4a-b, and >5, where the 3-hydroxyphenyl ring has been replaced by a 2-, 3-, or 4-pyridyl or 3-thienyl group and do not have the 3-methyl or 3,4-dimethyl groups, remain potent and selective KOR antagonists. Of these, (3R)-7-hydroxy-N-(1S)-2-methyl-[4-methyl-4-pyridine-3-yl-carboxamide (>3b) had the best overall binding potency and selectivity in a [³⁵S] GTPγS functional assay, with a Ke = 0.18 nM at the KOR and 273- and 16,700-fold selectivity for the KOR relative to the MOR and DOR, respectively. Calculated physiochemical properties for >3b suggest that it will cross the blood-brain barrier.