The development of β2 adrenoceptor (β2AR) agonists is of increasing interest because of their wide-ranging applications in medicine, particularly for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. Regarding the relaxation of smooth muscle that lines airways of mammals, some boron-containing adducts have demonstrated greater potency and efficacy compared to well-known boron-free compounds. We herein report the design and synthesis as well as the chemical and pharmacological characterization of a new boron-containing compound: ((R)-6-((S)-2-(tert-butylammonio)-1-hydroxyethyl)-2-hydroxy-2-isobutyl-4H-benzo[d][1,3,2] dioxaborinin-2-uide). Compared to its precursor (salbutamol), this compound induced relaxation of smooth muscle in guinea pig tracheal rings with greater potency and efficacy (EC50⩽28.02nM). Theoretical studies suggest the potential selectivity of this boron containing compound on the orthosteric site of beta adrenoceptors and/or signaling pathways, as well as the importance of the tetracoordinated boron atom in its structure for binding recognition properties.
Keywords: Boron; Bronchodilator; Docking; GPCRs; Guinea pig; β(2) adrenoceptor agonist.
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