3-hydroxymethyl-7-(N-substituted aminosulfonyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline inhibitors of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase that display remarkable potency and selectivity

J Med Chem. 2005 Jan 13;48(1):134-40. doi: 10.1021/jm049368n.

Abstract

Six 3-hydroxymethyl-7-(N-substituted aminosulfonyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines (16-21) were synthesized and evaluated for their phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) inhibitory potency and affinity for the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor. The addition of nonpolar substituents to the sulfonamide nitrogen of 9 (3-CH(2)OH-7-SO(2)NH(2)-THIQ) led to inhibitors (16-21) that have high PNMT inhibitory potency and high selectivity, and most of these (16-21) are predicted, on the basis of their calculated log P values, to be able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Compounds N-trifluoroethyl sulfonamide 20 (PNMT K(i) = 23 nM) and N-trifluoropropyl sulfonamide 21 (PNMT K(i) = 28 nM) are twice as potent at inhibiting PNMT compared to 9 and display excellent selectivity (alpha(2) K(i)/PNMT K(i) > or = 15,000).

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Biochemistry / methods
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / methods
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Male
  • Models, Molecular
  • Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase / metabolism
  • Protein Conformation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / metabolism
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Sulfonamides / chemistry
  • Sulfonamides / pharmacology
  • Tetrahydroisoquinolines / chemistry
  • Tetrahydroisoquinolines / pharmacology

Substances

  • 7-aminosulfonyl-3-hydroxymethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2
  • Sulfonamides
  • Tetrahydroisoquinolines
  • Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase