title: 4-benzyl-1H-imidazoles with oxazoline termini as histamine H3 receptor agonists.
abstract: Research on the therapeutic applications of the histamine H3 receptor (H3R) has traditionally focused on antagonists/inverse agonists. In contrast, H3R agonists have received less attention despite their potential use in several disease areas. The lower availability of H3R agonists not only hampers their full therapeutic exploration, it also prevents an unequivocal understanding of the structural requirements for H3R activation. In the light of these important issues, we present our findings on 4-benzyl-1H-imidazole-based H3R agonists. Starting from two high throughput screen hits (10 and 11), the benzyl side chain was altered with lipophilic groups using combinatorial and classical chemical approaches (compounds 12-31). Alkyne- or oxazolino-substituents gave excellent affinities and agonist activities up to the single digit nM range. Our findings further substantiate the growing notion that basic ligand sidechains are not necessary for H 3R activation and reveal the oxazolino group as a hitherto unexplored functional group in H3R research.
authors.affiliation: Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Exact Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maikel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wijtmans
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Celanire
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Snip
authors.forename: Michel R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gillard
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gelens
authors.forename: Philippe P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Collart
authors.forename: Bastiaan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Venhuis
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Christophe
authors.forename: Saskia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hulscher
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van der Goot
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lebon
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Timmerman
authors.forename: Remko A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.forename: Bénédicte I L F
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Lallemand
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leurs
authors.forename: Patrice E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Talaga
authors.forename: Iwan J P
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: de Esch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D020650:Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D015195:Drug Design; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D017442:Histamine Agonists / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010080:Oxazoles / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D011485:Protein Binding; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D018100:Receptors, Histamine H3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D017442:Histamine Agonists; D007093:Imidazoles; D010080:Oxazoles; D018100:Receptors, Histamine H3; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System