The design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of a new class of potent and orally active non-peptide dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4) inhibitors, 3-aminomethyl-1,2-dihydro-4-phenyl-1-isoquinolones, are described. We hypothesized that the 4-phenyl group of the isoquinolone occupies the S1 pocket of the enzyme, the 3-aminomethyl group forms an electrostatic interaction with the S2 pocket, and the introduction of a hydrogen bond donor onto the 6- or 7-substituent provides interaction with the hydrophilic region of the enzyme. Based on this hypothesis, intensive research focused on developing new non-peptide DPP-4 inhibitors has been carried out. Among the compounds designed in this study, we identified 2-[(3-aminomethyl-2-(2-methylpropyl)-1-oxo-4-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-6-isoquinolinyl)o xy]acetamide (35a) as a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable DPP-4 inhibitor, which exhibited in vivo efficacy in diabetic model rats. Finally, X-ray crystallography of 35a in a complex with the enzyme validated our hypothesized binding mode and identified Lys554 as a new target-binding site available for DPP-4 inhibitors.
Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4) inhibition is a validated therapeutic option for type 2 diabetes, exhibiting multiple antidiabetic effects with little or no risk of hypoglycemia. In our studies involving non-covalent DPP-4 inhibitors, a novel series of quinoline-based inhibitors were designed based on the co-crystal structure of isoquinolone 2 in complex with DPP-4 to target the side chain of Lys554. Synthesis and evaluation of designed compounds revealed 1-[3-(aminomethyl)-4-(4-methylphenyl)-2-(2-methylpropyl)quinolin-6-yl]piperazine- 2,5-dione (1) as a potent, selective, and orally active DPP-4 inhibitor (IC(5)(0)=1.3 nM) with long-lasting ex vivo activity in dogs and excellent antihyperglycemic effects in rats. A docking study of compound 1 revealed a hydrogen-bonding interaction with the side chain of Lys554, suggesting this residue as a potential target site useful for enhancing DPP-4 inhibition.
