Regiospecific Introduction of Halogens on the 2-Aminobiphenyl Subunit Leading to Highly Potent and Selective M3 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Antagonists and Weak Inverse Agonists

J Med Chem. 2020 Apr 23;63(8):4349-4369. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00297. Epub 2020 Apr 9.

Abstract

Muscarinic M3 receptor antagonists and inverse agonists displaying high affinity and subtype selectivity over the antitarget M2 are valuable pharmacological tools and may enable improved treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, or urinary incontinence. On the basis of known M3 antagonists comprising a piperidine or quinuclidine unit attached to a biphenyl carbamate, 5-fluoro substitution was responsible for M3 subtype selectivity over M2, while 3'-chloro substitution substantially increased affinity through a σ-hole interaction. Resultantly, two piperidinyl- and two quinuclidinium-substituted biphenyl carbamates OFH243 (13n), OFH244 (13m), OFH3911 (14n), and OFH3912 (14m) were discovered, which display two-digit picomolar affinities with Ki values from 0.069 to 0.084 nM, as well as high selectivity over the M2 subtype (46- to 68-fold). While weak inverse agonistic properties were determined for the biphenyl carbamates 13m and 13n, neutral antagonism was observed for 14m and 14n and tiotropium under identical assay conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aminobiphenyl Compounds / chemistry*
  • Aminobiphenyl Compounds / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Drug Inverse Agonism*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Halogens / chemistry*
  • Halogens / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Molecular Docking Simulation / methods
  • Muscarinic Agonists / chemistry*
  • Muscarinic Agonists / metabolism
  • Muscarinic Agonists / pharmacology
  • Muscarinic Antagonists / chemistry*
  • Muscarinic Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Protein Binding / physiology
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M3 / agonists*
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M3 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M3 / metabolism

Substances

  • Aminobiphenyl Compounds
  • CHRM3 protein, human
  • Halogens
  • Muscarinic Agonists
  • Muscarinic Antagonists
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M3
  • 2-aminodiphenyl