The recent discovery of allosteric
modulators of the CB1 receptor
including PSNCBAM-1 (4) has generated significant interest
in CB1 receptor allosteric modulation. Here in the first SAR study
on 4, we have designed and synthesized a series of analogs
focusing on modifications at two positions. Pharmacological evaluation
in calcium mobilization and binding assays revealed the importance
of alkyl substitution at the 2-aminopyridine moiety and electron deficient
aromatic groups at the 4-chlorophenyl position for activity at the
CB1 receptor, resulting in several analogs with comparable potency
to 4. These compounds increased the specific binding
of [3H]CP55,940, in agreement with previous reports. Importantly, 4 and two analogs dose-dependently reduced the Emax of the agonist curve in the CB1 calcium mobilization
assays, confirming their negative allosteric modulator characteristics.
Given the side effects associated with CB1 receptor orthosteric antagonists,
negative allosteric modulators provide an alternative approach to
modulate the pharmacologically important CB1 receptor.