The discovery and optimization of Δ-5 desaturase (D5D) inhibitors are described. Investigation of the 1,3-oxazolidin-2-one scaffold was inspired by a pharmacophore model constructed from the common features of several hit compounds, resulting in the identification of 3,5-diphenyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-one 5h as a novel lead showing potent in vitro activity. Subsequent optimization focused on the modification of two metabolic sites, which provided (4S,5S)-5i, a derivative with improved metabolic stability. Moreover, adding a substituent into the upper phenyl moiety further enhanced the intrinsic activity, which led to the discovery of 5-[(4S,5S)-5-(4fluorophenyl)-4-methyl-2-oxo-1,3-oxazolidin-3-yl]benzene-1,3-dicarbonitrile (4S,5S)-5n, endowed with excellent D5D binding affinity, cellular activity, and high oral bioavailability in a mouse. It exhibited robust in vivo hepatic arachidonic acid/dihomo-γ-linolenic acid ratio reduction (a target engagement marker) in an atherosclerosis mouse model. Finally, an asymmetric synthetic procedure for this compound was established.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) metabolites reflect biochemical diffusion/export from the brain and possibly serve as biomarkers related to brain disease severity, pathophysiology, and therapeutic efficacy/toxicity. Metabolomic studies using blood matrices have demonstrated interindividual and preanalytical variation of blood metabolites, whereas those of CSF metabolites remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to delineate the postprandial effects on CSF metabolites because fasting of patients with brain-related disorders is challenging. We collected pre- and postprandial (1.5, 3, and 6 h) plasma and CSF from nine healthy subjects. Using a mass-spectrometry-based global metabolomics approach, 150 and 130 hydrophilic metabolites and 263 and 340 lipids were detected in CSF and plasma, respectively. Principal component analysis of CSF hydrophilic metabolites and lipids primarily classified individual subjects at any time point, suggesting that the postprandial effects had a lower impact than interindividual variations on CSF metabolites. Individually, less than 10% of the CSF metabolites were putatively altered by postprandial effects (with either significant differences or over 2-fold changes, but not both) at any time point. Thus, global CSF metabolite levels are not directly associated with food intake, and except for several putatively altered CSF metabolites, postprandial effects are not a major concern when applying CSF metabolomics to screen biomarkers.

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In addition to their potent antidiabetic effects, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogs lower body weight in humans. Hence, agonistic targeting of the GLP-1 receptor could be a valid approach to target obesity. However, quantitative analyses of the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationship between GLP-1 analogs and their antiobesity effect have not been reported in either animals or humans. Therefore, the present study was performed to establish a mechanism-based PK/PD model of GLP-1 receptor agonists using the GLP-1 analog exenatide for the development of promising new antiobesity drugs. Exenatide was administered to high-fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice via subcutaneous bolus and continuous infusion. Food intake and body-weight reductions were observed and depended on the plasma concentrations of exenatide. The homeostatic feedback model, in which food intake is assumed to be regulated by appetite control signals, described the relationship among the plasma concentration-time profile of exenatide, food intake, and body weight. The estimated IC of exenatide against food intake was 2.05 pM, which is similar to the reported K value of exenatide in rat brain and the estimated EC value for augmentation of insulin secretion in humans. The PK/PD model simulation indicated that subcutaneous infusion would show a stronger effect on body-weight reduction than bolus dosing would. This novel, quantitative PK/PD model could be used for antiobesity research and development of GLP-1 analogs, GLP-1 secretagogues, GLP-1 degradation inhibitors, and combinations thereof by allowing the estimation of appropriate pharmacokinetic profiles and dosing regimens.

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