Building a Chemical Toolbox for Human Pregnane X Receptor Research: Discovery of Agonists, Inverse Agonists, and Antagonists Among Analogs Based on the Unique Chemical Scaffold of SPA70

J Med Chem. 2021 Feb 11;64(3):1733-1761. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02201. Epub 2021 Jan 26.

Abstract

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) plays roles in detoxification and other physiological processes. PXR activation may enhance drug metabolism (leading to adverse drug reactions) or inhibit inflammation. Therefore, PXR agonists, antagonists, and inverse agonists may serve as research tools and drug candidates. However, a specific PXR modulator with an associated structure-activity relationship is lacking. Based on the scaffold of specific human PXR (hPXR) antagonist SPA70 (10), we developed 81 SPA70 analogs and evaluated their receptor-binding and cellular activities. Interestingly, analogs with subtle structural differences displayed divergent cellular activities, including agonistic, dual inverse agonistic and antagonistic, antagonistic, and partial agonistic/partial antagonistic activities (as in compounds 111, 10, 97, and 42, respectively). We generated a pharmacophore model that represents 81 SPA70 analogs, and docking models that correlate strong interactions between the compounds and residues in the AF-2 helix with agonistic activity. These compounds are novel chemical tools for studying hPXR.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Design
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Molecular Structure
  • Pregnane X Receptor / agonists*
  • Pregnane X Receptor / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • NR1I2 protein, human
  • Pregnane X Receptor