Discovery of novel thiourea derivatives as potent and selective beta3-adrenergic receptor agonists

Bioorg Med Chem. 2009 Aug 1;17(15):5510-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2009.06.031. Epub 2009 Jun 21.

Abstract

In the search for potent and selective human beta3-adrenergic receptor (AR) agonists as potential drugs for the treatment of obesity and noninsulin-dependent (type II) diabetes, we prepared a novel series of phenoxypropanolamine derivatives containing the thiourea moiety and evaluated their biological activities at human beta3-, beta2-, and beta1-ARs. Among these compounds, 4-nitrophenylthiourea (18i) and 3-methoxyphenylthiourea (18k) derivatives were found to exhibit potent agonistic activity at the beta3-AR, with EC(50) values of 0.10 and 0.16 microM, respectively, and no agonistic activity for either the beta1- or beta2-AR. In addition, they showed significant hypoglycemic activity in a rodent diabetic model.

MeSH terms

  • Adrenergic Agonists / chemical synthesis
  • Adrenergic Agonists / chemistry*
  • Adrenergic Agonists / pharmacology
  • Adrenergic Agonists / therapeutic use*
  • Adrenergic beta-3 Receptor Antagonists
  • Animals
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / drug therapy*
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / chemistry*
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / pharmacology
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Mice
  • Molecular Structure
  • Obesity / drug therapy
  • Phenoxypropanolamines / chemical synthesis
  • Phenoxypropanolamines / chemistry*
  • Phenoxypropanolamines / pharmacology
  • Phenoxypropanolamines / therapeutic use*
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3 / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Thiourea / chemical synthesis
  • Thiourea / chemistry
  • Thiourea / pharmacology
  • Thiourea / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Adrenergic Agonists
  • Adrenergic beta-3 Receptor Antagonists
  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • Phenoxypropanolamines
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3
  • Thiourea