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A series of potent, selective, and highly permeable human neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitors (hnNOS), based on a difluorobenzene ring linked to a 2-aminopyridine scaffold with different functionalities at the 4-position, is reported. In our efforts to develop novel nNOS inhibitors for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, we discovered 17, which showed excellent potency toward both rat (Ki 15 nM) and human nNOS (Ki 19 nM), with 1075-fold selectivity over human eNOS and 115-fold selectivity over human iNOS. 17 also showed excellent permeability (Pe = 13.7 × 10-6 cm s-1), a low efflux ratio (ER 0.48), along with good metabolic stability in mouse and human liver microsomes, with half-lives of 29 and >60 min, respectively. X-ray cocrystal structures of inhibitors bound with three NOS enzymes, namely, rat nNOS, human nNOS, and human eNOS, revealed detailed structure-activity relationships for the observed potency, selectivity, and permeability properties of the inhibitors.

A series of potent, selective, and highly permeable human neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitors (hnNOS) based on the 2-aminopyridine scaffold with a shortened amino sidechain is reported. A rapid and simple protocol was developed to access these inhibitors in excellent yields. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of various neurological disorders. The major challenges in designing nNOS inhibitors in humans focus on potency, selectivity over other isoforms of nitric oxide synthases (NOSs), and blood-brain barrier permeability. In this context, we discovered a promising inhibitor, 6-(3-(4,4-difluoropiperidin-1-yl)propyl)-4-methylpyridin-2-amine dihydrochloride, that exhibits excellent potency for rat (Ki = 46 nM) and human nNOS (Ki = 48 nM), respectively, with 388-fold human eNOS and 135-fold human iNOS selectivity. It also displayed excellent permeability (Pe = 17.3 × 10-6 cm s-1) through a parallel artificial membrane permeability assay, a model for blood-brain permeability. We found that increasing lipophilicity by incorporation of fluorine atoms on the backbone of the inhibitors significantly increased potential blood-brain barrier permeability. In addition to measuring potency, isoform selectivity, and permeability of NOS inhibitors, we also explored structure-activity relationships via structures of key inhibitors complexed to various isoforms of nitric oxide synthases.

Two new palladium-catalyzed reactions of aromatic sulfur compounds enabled the conversion of dibenzothiophenes into triphenylenes in four steps. This transformation of one aromatic framework into another consists of 1) 4-chlorobutylation of the dibenzothiophene to form the corresponding sulfonium salt, 2) palladium-catalyzed arylative ring opening of the sulfonium salt with a sodium tetraarylborate, 3) an intramolecular S(N)2 reaction to form a teraryl sulfonium salt, and 4) palladium-catalyzed intramolecular C-S/C-H coupling through electrophilic palladation. Symmetrical as well as unsymmetrical triphenylenes of interest were synthesized in a tailor-made fashion in satisfactory overall yields.

Dibenzothiophene dioxides, which are readily prepared through oxidation of the parent dibenzothiophenes, undergo nucleophilic aromatic substitution with anilines intermolecularly and then intramolecularly to yield the corresponding carbazoles in a single operation. The "aromatic metamorphosis" of dibenzothiophenes into carbazoles does not require any heavy metals. This strategy is also applicable to the synthesis of indoles. Since electron-deficient thiaarene dioxides exhibit interesting reactivity, which is not observed for that the corresponding electron-rich azaarenes, a combination of a thiaarene-dioxide-specific reaction with the SN Ar-based aromatic metamorphosis allows transition-metal-free construction of difficult-to-prepare carbazoles.