title: Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of N-arylrolipram derivatives as inhibitors of PDE4 isozymes.
abstract: Structure activity studies of N-phenylrolipram derivatives have led to the identification of highly potent PDE4 inhibitors. The potential of these inhibitors for cellular activity was routinely assessed in an assay of fMLP induced oxidative burst in human eosinophils. Since first generation PDE4 inhibitors have been plagued with a number of unwanted side effects, parallel structure activity studies for competition with the [3H]-rolipram binding site in rat brain were performed. In this fashion 5-[4-(3-cyclopentyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-oxo-pyrrolidin-1-yl]-3-(3-methoxybenzyloxy)benzoic acid N',N'-dimethylhydrazide (22) was identified as a potent inhibitor of PDE4 which exhibits >1000 fold selectivity versus PDE3, and is a nanomolar inhibitor in all the cellular assays tested. Studies on the stereoselectivity of PDE4 inhibition of this class of rolipram based compounds revealed, that for example (S)-11 is a more potent inhibitor than (R)-11. This effect can also be observed in primary human cells where the (S)-enantiomer is about 10 fold more potent than the corresponding (R)-enantiomer.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Disease Therapeutic Area, Novartis Horsham Research Center, West Sussex, UK.
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bray-French
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Demnitz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pombo-Villar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D015105:3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D054703:Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 4; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020889:Rolipram / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D015105:3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases; D054703:Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 4; D020889:Rolipram