Discovery of Aryl Formyl Piperidine Derivatives as Potent, Reversible, and Selective Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibitors

J Med Chem. 2020 Jun 11;63(11):5783-5796. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b02137. Epub 2020 May 29.

Abstract

Most of the current monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) inhibitors function by an irreversible mechanism of action, causing a series of side effects. Herein, starting from irreversible inhibitors, 25 compounds were synthesized and evaluated in vitro for MAGL inhibition, among which, compound 36 showed the most potent inhibitory activity (IC50 = 15 nM). Crucially, docking studies demonstrated that the m-chlorine-substituted aniline fragment occupied a hydrophobic subpocket enclosed by side chains of Val191, Tyr194, Val270, and Lys273, which creatively identify a new key anchoring point for the development of new MAGL inhibitors. Furthermore, in vivo evaluation innovatively revealed that this reversible inhibitor 36 significantly ameliorated depressive-like behaviors induced by reserpine. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that reversible inhibitors of MAGL were developed to support MAGL as a potential therapeutic target for depression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Drug Design
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Half-Life
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Mice
  • Microsomes, Liver / metabolism
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Monoacylglycerol Lipases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Monoacylglycerol Lipases / metabolism
  • Piperidines / chemistry*
  • Piperidines / metabolism
  • Piperidines / pharmacology
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Rats
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Piperidines
  • Monoacylglycerol Lipases