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Adenosine receptors are largely distributed in our organism and are promising therapeutic targets for the treatment of many pathologies. In this perspective, investigating the structural features of the ligands leading to affinity and/or selectivity is of great interest. In this work, we have focused on a small series of pyrazolo-triazolo-pyrimidine antagonists substituted in positions 2, 5, and N8, where bulky acyl moieties at the N5 position and small alkyl groups at the N8 position are associated with affinity and selectivity at the A 3 adenosine receptor even if a good affinity toward the A 2B adenosine receptor has also been observed. Conversely, a free amino function at the 5 position induces high affinity at the A 2A and A 1 receptors with selectivity vs. the A 3 subtype. A molecular modeling study suggests that differences in affinity toward A 1 , A 2A , and A 3 receptors could be ascribed to two residues: one in the EL2, E168 in human A 2A /E172 in human A 1 , that is occupied by the hydrophobic residue V169 in the human A 3 receptor; and the other in TM6, occupied by H250/H251 in human A 2A and A 1 receptors and by a less bulky S247 in the A 3 receptor. In the end, these findings could help to design new subtype-selective adenosine receptor ligands.

The A 3 adenosine receptor is an interesting target whose role in cancer is controversial. In this work, a structural investigation at the 2-position of the [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine nucleus was performed, finding new potent and selective A 3 adenosine receptor antagonists such as the ethyl 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(methylamino)-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine-8-carboxylate (20, DZ123) that showed a K i value of 0.47 nM and an exceptional selectivity profile over the other adenosine receptor subtypes. Computational studies were performed to rationalize the affinity and the selectivity profile of the tested compounds at the A 3 adenosine receptor and the A 1 and A 2A adenosine receptors. Compound 20 was tested on both A 3 adenosine receptor positive cell lines (CHO-A 3 AR transfected, THP1 and HCT16) and on A 3 negative cancer cell lines, showing no effect in the latter and a pro-proliferative effect at a low concentration in the former. These interesting results pave the way to further investigation on both the mechanism involved and potential therapeutic applications., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The A 2A adenosine receptor (A 2A AR) is one of the four subtypes activated by nucleoside adenosine, and the molecules able to selectively counteract its action are attractive tools for neurodegenerative disorders. In order to find novel A 2A AR ligands, two series of compounds based on purine and triazolotriazine scaffolds were synthesized and tested at ARs. Compound 13 was also tested in an in vitro model of neuroinflammation. Some compounds were found to possess high affinity for A 2A AR, and it was observed that compound 13 exerted anti-inflammatory properties in microglial cells. Molecular modeling studies results were in good agreement with the binding affinity data and underlined that triazolotriazine and purine scaffolds are interchangeable only when 5- and 2-positions of the triazolotriazine moiety (corresponding to the purine 2- and 8-positions) are substituted.

Background: Adenosine receptors (AR) have emerged as competent and innovative nondopaminergic targets for the development of potential drug candidates and thus constitute an effective and safer treatment approach for Parkinson's disease (PD). Xanthine derivatives are considered as potential candidates for the treatment Parkinson's disease due to their potent A2A AR antagonistic properties., Objective: The objectives of the work are to study the impact of substituting N7-position of 8-m/pchloropropoxyphenylxanthine structure on in vitro binding affinity of compounds with various AR subtypes, in vivo antiparkinsonian activity and binding modes of newly synthesized xanthines with A2A AR in molecular docking studies., Methods: Several new 7-substituted 8-m/p-chloropropoxyphenylxanthine analogues have been prepared. Adenosine receptor binding assays were performed to study the binding interactions with various subtypes and perphenazine induced rat catatonia model was used for antiparkinsonian activity. Molecular docking studies were performed using Schrödinger molecular modeling interface., Results: 8-para-substituted xanthine 9b bearing an N7-propyl substituent displayed the highest affinity towards A2A AR (Ki = 0.75 μM) with moderate selectivity versus other AR subtypes. 7-Propargyl analogue 9d produced significantly long-lasting antiparkinsonian effects and also produced potent and selective binding affinity towards A2A AR. In silico docking studies further highlighted the crucial structural components required to develop xanthine derived potential A2A AR ligands as antiparkinsonian agents., Conclusion: A new series of 7-substituted 8-m/p-chloropropoxyphenylxanthines having good affinity for A2A AR and potent antiparkinsonian activity has been developed., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: 8-Phenyltheophylline derivatives exhibit prophylactic effects at a specific dose but do not produce the cardiovascular or emetic side effects associated with xanthines, thereby exhibiting unique characteristics of potential therapeutic importance., Methods: Novel series of 8-(proline/pyrazole)-substituted xanthine analogs have been synthesized. The affinity and selectivity of compounds to adenosine receptors have been assessed by radioligand binding studies. The synthesized compounds also showed good bronchospasmolytic properties (increased onset of bronchospasm; decreased duration of jerks) with 100% survival of animals in comparison to the standard drug. Besides, compound 8f & 9f showed good binding affinity in comparison to other synthesized compounds in the micromolar range., Results: The maximum binding affinity of these compounds was observed for A2B receptors, which was ~ 7 or 10 times higher as compared to A1, A2A and A3 receptors. The newly synthesized derivatives 8f, 9a-f, 17g-m, and 18g-m displayed significant protection against histamine aerosol induced bronchospasm in guinea pigs., Conclusion: Newly synthesized proline/pyrazole based xanthines compounds showed a satisfactory binding affinity for adenosine receptor subtypes. Replacement or variation of substituted proline ring with substituted pyrazole scaffold at the 8th-position of xanthine moiety resulted in the reduction of adenosine binding affinity and bronchospasmolytic effects., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

A 3 adenosine receptors were found to have a role in different pathological states, such as glaucoma, renal fibrosis, neuropathic pain and cancer. Consequently, it is important to utilize any molecular tool which could help to study these conditions. In the present study we continue our search for potent A 3 adenosine receptor ligands which could be successively conjugated to other molecules with the aim of obtaining more potent ( e.g. allosteric ligand conjugation) or detectable ligands ( e.g. fluorescent molecule or biotin conjugation). Specifically, different aminoester moieties were introduced at the 5 position of the pyrazolo[4,3- e ]-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5- c ]pyrimidine core. The ester functionalization represents the candidate for the subsequent conjugation. All the reported compounds are potent hA 3 adenosine receptor antagonists and some of them exhibited high selectivity against the other adenosine receptors. The main structural terms of ligand recognition and selectivity were disclosed by molecular modelling studies. Molecular docking results led to the characterization of an alternative binding mode for antagonists at the orthosteric binding site of the hA 3 adenosine receptor, evaluated and assessed by classical molecular dynamics simulations., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The adenosine A 3 receptor (A 3 R) belongs to a family of four adenosine receptor (AR) subtypes which all play distinct roles throughout the body. A 3 R antagonists have been described as potential treatments for numerous diseases including asthma. Given the similarity between (adenosine receptors) orthosteric binding sites, obtaining highly selective antagonists is a challenging but critical task. Here we screen 39 potential A 3 R, antagonists using agonist-induced inhibition of cAMP. Positive hits were assessed for AR subtype selectivity through cAMP accumulation assays. The antagonist affinity was determined using Schild analysis (pA 2 values) and fluorescent ligand binding. Structure-activity relationship investigations revealed that loss of the 3-(dichlorophenyl)-isoxazolyl moiety or the aromatic nitrogen heterocycle with nitrogen at α-position to the carbon of carboximidamide group significantly attenuated K18 antagonistic potency. Mutagenic studies supported by molecular dynamic simulations combined with Molecular Mechanics-Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area calculations identified the residues important for binding in the A 3 R orthosteric site. We demonstrate that K18, which contains a 3-(dichlorophenyl)-isoxazole group connected through carbonyloxycarboximidamide fragment with a 1,3-thiazole ring, is a specific A 3 R (< 1 µM) competitive antagonist. Finally, we introduce a model that enables estimates of the equilibrium binding affinity for rapidly disassociating compounds from real-time fluorescent ligand-binding studies. These results demonstrate the pharmacological characterisation of a selective competitive A 3 R antagonist and the description of its orthosteric binding mode. Our findings may provide new insights for drug discovery.

The A 3 adenosine receptor (AR) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) overexpressed in the membrane of specific cancer cells. Thus, the development of nanosystems targeting this receptor could be a strategy to both treat and diagnose cancer. Iron-filled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an optimal platform for theranostic purposes, and the use of a magnetic field can be exploited for cancer magnetic cell sorting and thermal therapy. In this work, we have conjugated an A 3 AR ligand on the surface of iron-filled CNTs with the aim of targeting cells overexpressing A 3 ARs. In particular, two conjugates bearing PEG linkers of different length were designed. A docking analysis of A 3 AR showed that neither CNT nor linker interferes with ligand binding to the receptor; this was confirmed by in vitro preliminary radioligand competition assays on A 3 AR. Encouraged by this result, magnetic cell sorting was applied to a mixture of cells overexpressing or not the A 3 AR in which our compound displayed indiscriminate binding to all cells. Despite this, it is the first time that a GPCR ligand has been anchored to a magnetic nanosystem, thus it opens the door to new applications for cancer treatment., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Adenosine receptors (ARs) play an important role in neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and schizophrenia. The different subtypes of ARs and the knowledge on their densities and status are important for understanding the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of diseases and for developing new therapeutics. Looking for new scaffolds for selective AR ligands, coumarin-chalcone hybrids were synthesized (compounds 1 - 8 ) and screened in radioligand binding ( h A 1 , h A 2A and h A 3 ) and adenylyl cyclase ( h A 2B ) assays in order to evaluate their affinity for the four human AR subtypes ( h ARs). Coumarin-chalcone hybrid has been established as a new scaffold suitable for the development of potent and selective ligands for h A 1 or h A 3 subtypes. In general, hydroxy-substituted hybrids showed some affinity for the h A 1 , while the methoxy counterparts were selective for the h A 3 . The most potent h A 1 ligand was compound 7 ( K i = 17.7 µM), whereas compound 4 was the most potent ligand for h A 3 ( K i = 2.49 µM). In addition, docking studies with h A 1 and h A 3 homology models were established to analyze the structure-function relationships. Results showed that the different residues located on the protein binding pocket could play an important role in ligand selectivity.

The aldehyde derivatives of 1,3-dipropyl xanthines as described in this paper, constitutes a new series of selective adenosine ligands displaying bronchospasmolytic activity. The effect of substitution at third- and fourth-position of 8-phenyl xanthine has also been taken into consideration. The synthesized compounds showed varying binding affinities at different adenosine receptor subtypes (A 1 , A 2A , A 2B , and A 3 ) and also good in vivo bronchospasmolytic activity against histamine aerosol-induced asthma in guinea pigs. Most of the compounds showed maximum affinity toward the A 2A receptor subtype. The monosubstituted 3-aminoalkoxyl 8-phenyl xanthine with a aminodiethyl moiety (compound 12e) was found to be most potent A 2A adenosine receptor ligand (K i  = 0.036 µM) followed by disubstituted 4-aminoalkoxyl-3-methoxy-8-phenyl xanthine (K i  = 0.050 µM) (compound 10a)., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Adenosine receptors participate in many physiological functions. Molecules that may selectively interact with one of the receptors are favorable multifunctional chemical entities to treat or decelerate the evolution of different diseases. 3-Arylcoumarins have already been studied as neuroprotective agents by our group. Here, differently 8-substituted 3-arylcoumarins are complementarily studied as ligands of adenosine receptors, performing radioligand binding assays. Among the synthesized compounds, selective A 3 receptor antagonists were found. 3-(4-Bromophenyl)-8-hydroxycoumarin (compound 4 ) displayed the highest potency and selectivity as A 3 receptor antagonist ( K i = 258 nM). An analysis of its X-ray diffraction provided detailed information on its structure. Further evaluation of a selected series of compounds indicated that it is the nature and position of the substituents that determine their activity and selectivity. Theoretical modeling calculations corroborate and explain the experimental data, suggesting this novel scaffold can be involved in the generation of candidates as multitarget drugs.

It is well established that some receptor types including G protein-coupled receptors may transduce effects through more than one signaling pathway. This holds also true for A 2B adenosine receptors which were shown to trigger an increase in intracellular Ca 2+ levels in addition to the canonical stimulation of adenylyl cyclase. We have recently shown that activation of A 2B receptors in the breast cancer cell line MBA-MD-231 elicits a reduction in ERK1/2 phosphorylation, an effect that might be exploited in treatment of cancer cell growth and proliferation. In this study, we investigate whether structurally divers agonists show functional selectivity for any of the signaling pathways leading to an increase of intracellular cAMP or Ca 2+ , or the reduction of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. As agonists, adenosine derivatives were used bearing different substitutions in 2- and 6-position and, in addition, a ligand with a non-nucleoside structure was tested. It was found that all the tested ligands showed similar pharmacological profiles for the three responses investigated in MBA-MD-231 cells. However, the reduction of ERK1/2 phosphorylation occurred with 40-500-fold higher potency compared to stimulation of adenylyl cyclase or increasing intracellular Ca 2+ levels. Based on these observations, it seems possible to utilize activation of A 2B adenosine receptors expressed in certain cancers to limit cell growth and proliferation due to reduction of MAPK activity without activation of other signaling pathways potentially responsible for side effects.

Adenosine receptor antagonists are generally based on heterocyclic core structures presenting substituents of various volumes and chemical-physical profiles. Adenine and purine-based adenosine receptor antagonists have been reported in literature. In this work we combined various substituents in the 2, 6, and 8-positions of 9-ethylpurine to depict a structure-affinity relationship analysis at the human adenosine receptors. Compounds were rationally designed trough molecular modeling analysis and then synthesized and evaluated at radioligand binding studies at human adenosine receptors. The new compounds showed affinity for the human adenosine receptors, with some derivatives endowed with low nanomolar K i data, in particular at the A 2A AR subtype. The purine core proves to be a versatile core structure for the development of novel adenosine receptor antagonists with nanomolar affinity for these membrane proteins., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Human A 3 adenosine receptor hA 3 AR has been implicated in gastrointestinal cancer, where its cellular expression has been found increased, thus suggesting its potential as a molecular target for novel anticancer compounds. Observation made in our previous work indicated the importance of the carbonyl group of amide in the indolylpyrimidylpiperazine (IPP) for its human A 2A adenosine receptor (hA 2A AR) subtype binding selectivity over the other AR subtypes. Taking this observation into account, we structurally modified an indolylpyrimidylpiperazine (IPP) scaffold, 1 (a non-selective adenosine receptors' ligand) into a modified IPP (mIPP) scaffold by switching the position of the carbonyl group, resulting in the formation of both ketone and tertiary amine groups in the new scaffold. Results showed that such modification diminished the A 2A activity and instead conferred hA 3 AR agonistic activity. Among the new mIPP derivatives ( 3 - 6 ), compound 4 showed potential as a hA 3 AR partial agonist, with an E max of 30% and EC 50 of 2.89 ± 0.55 μM. In the cytotoxicity assays, compound 4 also exhibited higher cytotoxicity against both colorectal and liver cancer cells as compared to normal cells. Overall, this new series of compounds provide a promising starting point for further development of potent and selective hA 3 AR partial agonists for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Motor features such as tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability are common traits of PD. Current treatment options provide symptomatic relief to the condition but are unable to reverse disease progression. The conventional single-target therapeutic approach might not always induce the desired effect owing to the multifactorial nature of PD. Hence, multitarget strategies have been proposed to simultaneously target multiple proteins involved in the development of PD. Herein, we provide an overview of the pathogenesis of PD and the current pharmacotherapies. Furthermore, rationales and examples of multitarget approaches that have been tested in preclinical trials for the treatment of PD are also discussed., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Saturated free fatty acid-induced adipocyte inflammation plays a pivotal role in implementing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Recent reports suggest A 2A adenosine receptor (A 2A AR) could be an attractive choice to counteract adipocyte inflammation and insulin resistance. Thus, an effective A 2A AR agonist devoid of any toxicity is highly appealing. Here, we report that indirubin-3'-monoxime (I3M), a derivative of the bisindole alkaloid indirubin, efficiently binds and activates A 2A AR which leads to the attenuation of lipid-induced adipocyte inflammation and insulin resistance. Using a combination of in silico virtual screening of potential anti-diabetic candidates and in vitro study on insulin-resistant model of 3T3-L1 adipocytes, we determined I3M through A 2A AR activation markedly prevents lipid-induced impairment of the insulin signaling pathway in adipocytes without any toxic effects. While I3M restrains lipid-induced adipocyte inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB dependent pro-inflammatory cytokines expression, it also augments cAMP-mediated CREB activation and anti-inflammatory state in adipocytes. However, these attributes were compromised when cells were pretreated with the A 2A AR antagonist, SCH 58261 or siRNA mediated knockdown of A 2A AR. I3M, therefore, could be a valuable option to intervene adipocyte inflammation and thus showing promise for the management of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes., (© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.)

In the present study, an attempt has been made to develop a new series of 1,3,7,8-tetrasubstituted xanthine based potent and selective AR ligands for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Antagonistic interactions between dopamine and A 2A adenosine receptors serve as the basis for the development of AR antagonists as potential drug candidates for PD. All the synthesized compounds have been evaluated for their affinity toward AR subtypes using in vitro radioligand binding assays. 1,3-Dipropylxanthine 7a with a methyl substituent at N-7 position represents the most potent compound of the series and displayed highest affinity (A 2A , K i  = 0.108 µM), however incorporation of a propargyl group at 7-positon of the xanthine nucleus seems to be the most appropriate substitution to improve selectivity towards the A 2A subtype along with reasonable potency. Antiparkinsonian activity has been evaluated using perphenazine induced catatonia in rats. Most of the synthesized xanthines significantly lowered the catatonic score as compared to control and displayed antiparkinsonian effects comparable to standard drug. All the synthesized compounds were subjected to grid-based molecular docking studies to understand the key structural requirements for the development of new molecules well-endowed with intrinsic efficacy and selectivity as adenosine receptor ligands. In silico studies carried out on newly synthesized xanthines provided further support to the pharmacological results., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cerebral ischemia is the second most common cause of death and a major cause of disability worldwide. Available therapies are based only on anticoagulants or recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. Extracellular adenosine increases during ischemia and acts as a neuroprotective endogenous agent mainly by activating adenosine A 1 receptors (A 1 Rs) which control calcium influx, glutamate release, membrane potential, and metabolism. Accordingly, in many experimental paradigms it has been already demonstrated that the stimulation of A 1 R with full agonists is able to reduce ischemia-related structural and functional brain damage; unfortunately, cardiovascular side effects and desensitization of A 1 R induced by these compounds have strongly limited their exploitation in stroke therapy so far. Among the newly emerging compounds, A 1 R partial agonists could be almost free of side effects and equally effective. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the neuroprotective potential of two A 1 R partial agonists, namely 2'-dCCPA and 3'-dCCPA, in in vitro and ex vivo experimental models of cerebral ischemia. Within the experimental paradigm of oxygen-glucose deprivation in vitro in human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells both A 1 R partial agonists increased cell viability. Considering the high level of expression of A 1 Rs in the hippocampus and the susceptibility of CA1 region to hypoxia, we performed electrophysiological experiments in this subfield. The application of 7 min of oxygen-glucose deprivation constantly produces an irreversible synaptic failure in all the C57Bl/6 mice hippocampal slices evaluated; both tested compounds allowed a significant recovery of synaptic transmission. These findings demonstrate that A 1 R and its partial agonists are still of interest for cerebral ischemia therapy. OPEN SCIENCE BADGES: This article has received a badge for *Open Materials* because it provided all relevant information to reproduce the study in the manuscript. The complete Open Science Disclosure form for this article can be found at the end of the article. More information about the Open Practices badges can be found at https://cos.io/our-services/open-science-badges/., (© 2019 International Society for Neurochemistry.)

A series of adenosine receptor antagonists bearing a reactive linker was developed. Functionalization of these derivatives is useful to easily obtain multi-target ligands, receptor probes, drug delivery systems, and diagnostic or theranostic systems. The pyrazolo[4,3- e ][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5- c ]pyrimidine scaffold was chosen as a pharmacophore for the adenosine receptors. It was substituted at the 5 position with reactive linkers of different lengths. Then, these compounds were used to synthesise probes for the adenosine receptors by functionalization with a fluorescent moiety. Both series of compounds were evaluated for their binding at the four adenosine receptor subtypes. Different affinity and selectivity profiles were observed towards hA 1 , hA 2A and hA 3 adenosine receptors. In particular, fluorescent compounds behave as dual hA 2A /hA 3 ligands. Computational studies suggested different binding modes for developed compounds at the three receptors. Both molecular docking and supervised molecular dynamics (SuMD) simulations confirmed that the preferred binding mode at the single receptor was driven by the substitution present at the 5 position. Obtained results rationalized the compounds' binding profile at the adenosine receptors and pave the way for the development of more potent conjugable and conjugated ligands targeting these membrane receptors.

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside, responsible for the regulation of a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological conditions by binding with four G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), namely A1, A2A, A2B and A3 adenosine receptors (ARs). In particular, A1 AR is ubiquitously present, mediating a variety of physiological processes throughout the body, thus represents a promising drug target for the management of various pathological conditions. Agonists of A1 AR are found to be useful for the treatment of atrial arrhythmia, angina, type-2 diabetes, glaucoma, neuropathic pain, epilepsy, depression and Huntington's disease, whereas antagonists are being investigated for the treatment of diuresis, congestive heart failure, asthma, COPD, anxiety and dementia. However, treatment with full A1 AR agonists has been associated with numerous challenges like cardiovascular side effects, off-target activation as well as desensitization of A1 AR leading to tachyphylaxis. In this regard, partial agonists of A1 AR have been found to be beneficial in enhancing insulin sensitivity and subsequently reducing blood glucose level, while avoiding severe CVS side effects and tachyphylaxis. Allosteric enhancer of A1 AR is found to be potent for the treatment of neuropathic pain, culminating the side effects related to off-target tissue activation of A1 AR. This review provides an overview of the medicinal chemistry and therapeutic potential of various agonists/partial agonists, antagonists and allosteric modulators of A1 AR, with a particular emphasis on their current status and future perspectives in clinical settings., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

[1,2,4]Triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine is a promising platform to develop adenosine receptor antagonists. Here, we tried to investigate the effect of the substituent at the 8 position of [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine derivatives on affinity and selectivity at the human A 3 adenosine receptor subtype. In particular, we have introduced both esters and amides, principally with a benzylic nature. In addition, a small series of 5-substituted [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines was designed in order to complete the structure-activity relationship analysis. Several of these new compounds showed affinity towards human A 3 adenosine receptor in the low nanomolar range, with the most potent derivative of the series bringing a 4-ethylbenzylester at the 8 position (compound 18, hA 3 AR K i  = 1.21 nM). Docking studies performed on the synthesized compounds inside models of human A 1 , A 2A and A 3 adenosine receptors showed similar binding modes, comparable with the typical crystallographic binding mode of the inverse agonist ZM-241,385., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

It was previously shown that the estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer cell line MBA-MD-231 expresses high levels of A2B adenosine receptors as the sole adenosine receptor subtype. These receptors couple to both, stimulation of adenylyl cyclase and a Ca2+ signal. In order to establish a potential role of A2B adenosine receptors in tumor growth and development MAPK signaling was investigated in these breast cancer cells. Although it is known that A2B adenosine receptors may stimulate MAPK it was found that in MBA-MD-231 cells ERK1/2 phosphorylation is reduced upon agonist-stimulation of A2B adenosine receptors. This reduction is also triggered by forskolin, but abolished by the PKA inhibitor H89, suggesting an important role for the cAMP-PKA pathway. Likewise, a role for intracellular Ca2+ was established as the Ca2+ chelator 1,2-bis-(o-aminophenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, tetraacetoxymethyl ester (BAPTA-AM) abolished the reduction of ERK1/2 phosphorylation triggered by A2B stimulation. It was shown that various pathways downstream from A2B adenosine receptors resulted in a stimulation of MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) which dephosphorylates phospho ERK1/2, and thus plays a critical role in the regulation of the phosphorylation state of ERK1/2. The reduction of ERK1/2 phosphorylation mediated by A2B adenosine receptors might provide an interesting approach for adjuvant treatment leading to reduced growth of certain tumors expressing the A2B subtype., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The synthesis of 9-alkyl substituted adenine derivatives presenting aromatic groups and cycloalkyl rings in 8- and N 6 -position, respectively, is reported. The compounds were tested with radioligand binding studies showing, in some cases, a low nanomolar A 1 adenosine receptor affinity and a very good selectivity versus the other adenosine receptor subtypes. Functional assays at human adenosine receptors and at a mouse ileum tissue preparation clearly demonstrate the antagonist profile of these molecules, with inhibitory potency at nanomolar level. A molecular modeling study, consisting in docking analysis at the recently reported A 1 adenosine receptor crystal structure, was performed for the interpretation of the obtained pharmacological results. The N 6 -cyclopentyl-9-methyl-8-phenyladenine (17), resulting the most active derivative of the series (K i  = 2.8 nM and IC 50  = 14 nM), was also very efficacious in counteracting the effect of the agonist CCPA on mouse ileum contractility. This new compound represents a tool for the development of new agents for the treatment of intestinal diseases as constipation and postoperative ileus., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

An intense effort is made by pharmaceutical and academic research laboratories to identify and develop selective antagonists for each adenosine receptor (AR) subtype as potential clinical candidates for "soft" treatment of various diseases. Crystal structures of subtypes A 2A and A 1 ARs offer exciting opportunities for structure-based drug design. In the first part of the present work, Maybridge HitFinder library of 14400 compounds was utilized to apply a combination of structure-based against the crystal structure of A 2A AR and ligand-based methodologies. The docking poses were rescored by CHARMM energy minimization and calculation of the desolvation energy using Poisson-Boltzmann equation electrostatics. Out of the eight selected and tested compounds, five were found positive hits (63% success). Although the project was initially focused on targeting A 2A AR, the identified antagonists exhibited low micromolar or micromolar affinity against A 2A /A 3 , ARs, or A 3 AR, respectively. Based on these results, 19 compounds characterized by novel chemotypes were purchased and tested. Sixteen of them were identified as AR antagonists with affinity toward combinations of the AR family isoforms (A 2A /A 3 , A 1 /A 3 , A 1 /A 2A /A 3 , and A 3 ). The second part of this work involves the performance of hundreds of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of complexes between the ARs and a total of 27 ligands to resolve the binding interactions of the active compounds, which were not achieved by docking calculations alone. This computational work allowed the prediction of stable and unstable complexes which agree with the experimental results of potent and inactive compounds, respectively. Of particular interest is that the 2-amino-thiophene-3-carboxamides, 3-acylamino-5-aryl-thiophene-2-carboxamides, and carbonyloxycarboximidamide derivatives were found to be selective and possess a micromolar to low micromolar affinity for the A 3 receptor.

A small-molecule combinatorial library of 24 compounds with 2-aminoimidazole and 2-aminoimidazolyl-thiazole derivatives was synthesized using a 2-chloro trityl resin. The generated compound library was tested against all the human adenosine receptors subtypes. The 2-aminoimidazole derivatives ( 6a-6l ) showed weak to moderate affinity towards the human adenosine receptors. Further modification to 2-aminoimidazolyl-thiazole derivatives ( 12a-12l ) resulted in an improvement of affinity at adenosine A 1 , A 2A and A 3 receptor subtypes. Compound 12b was the most potent and selective non-xanthine human adenosine A 3 receptor antagonist of this series. A receptor-based modeling study was performed to explore the possible binding mode of these novel 2-aminoimidazole and 2-aminoimidazolyl-thiazole derivatives into human adenosine A 1 , A 2A and A 3 receptor subtypes.

Our previous work discovered that combining the appropriate 5'- and N 6 -substitution in adenosine derivatives leads to the highly selective human A 1 adenosine receptor (hA 1 AR) agonists or highly potent dual hA 1 AR agonists and hA 3 AR antagonists. In order to explore novel dual adenosine receptor ligands, a series of N 6 -substituted-5'-pyrazolyl-adenosine and 2-chloro-adenosine derivatives were synthesized and assayed in vitro at all ARs. The N 6 -(±)-endo-norbornyl derivative 12 was the most potent and selective at A 1 AR and effective as an analgesic in formalin test in mice, but none of the 5'-pyrazolyl series compounds showed a dual behavior at hA 1 and hA 3 AR. Molecular modeling studies rationalized the structure-activity relationships and the selectivity profiles of the new series of A 1 AR agonists. Interestingly, an unexpected inverted binding mode of the N 6 -tetrahydrofuranyl derivative 14 was hypothesized to explain its low affinity at A 1 AR.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the human brain, leading to depletion of dopamine production. Dopamine replacement therapy remains the mainstay for attenuation of PD symptoms. Nonetheless, the potential benefit of current pharmacotherapies is mostly limited by adverse side effects, such as drug-induced dyskinesia, motor fluctuations and psychosis. Non-dopaminergic receptors, such as human A2A adenosine receptors, have emerged as important therapeutic targets in potentiating therapeutic effects and reducing the unwanted side effects. In this study, new chemical entities targeting both human A2A adenosine receptor and dopamine D2 receptor were designed and evaluated. Two computational methods, namely support vector machine (SVM) models and Tanimoto similarity-based clustering analysis, were integrated for the identification of compounds containing indole-piperazine-pyrimidine (IPP) scaffold. Subsequent synthesis and testing resulted in compounds 5 and 6, which acted as human A2A adenosine receptor binders in the radioligand competition assay (Ki = 8.7-11.2 μM) as well as human dopamine D2 receptor binders in the artificial cell membrane assay (EC50 = 22.5-40.2 μM). Moreover, compound 5 showed improvement in movement and mitigation of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in Drosophila models of PD. Furthermore, in vitro toxicity studies on compounds 5 and 6 did not reveal any mutagenicity (up to 100 μM), hepatotoxicity (up to 30 μM) or cardiotoxicity (up to 30 μM).

Adenosine receptor (AR) subtypes are involved in several physiological and pharmacological processes. Ligands that are able to selectively modulate one receptor subtype can delay or slow down the progression of diverse diseases. In this context, our research group focused its investigation into the discovery and development of novel, potent and selective AR ligands based on coumarin scaffold. Therefore, a series of 3-phenylcarboxamidocoumarins were synthesized and their affinity for the human AR subtypes was screened by radioligand binding assays for A 1 , A 2A and A 3 receptors and for A 2B by adenylyl cyclase assay. Compound 26 was found to be the most remarkable, with a hA 1 /hA 3 and hA 2A /hA 3 selectivity of 42, for the A 3 AR (K i  = 2.4 μm). Receptor-driven molecular modelling studies have provided valuable information on the binding/selectivity data of compound 26 and for the following optimization process. Moreover, compound 26 presents drug-like properties according to the general guidelines linked to the concept., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Background: Guanosine is a natural product and an endogenous nucleoside that has shown to increase during myocardial ischemia. Platelets are critically involved in ischemic coronary events. It remains unknown, however, whether guanosine may affect platelet activation and function. We sought to investigate the potential antiplatelet and antithrombotic properties of guanosine and decipher the mechanisms behind., Methods: We firstly assessed the effects of guanosine on platelet activation/aggregation upon stimulation with several platelet agonists including adenosine diphosphate (ADP), collagen, arachidonic acid (AA), and TRAP-6. Guanosine antithrombotic potential was also evaluated both in vitro (Badimon perfusion chamber) and in vivo (murine model). In addition we assessed any potential effect on bleeding. At a mechanistic level we determined the release of thromboxane B2, intraplatelet cAMP levels, the binding affinity on platelet membrane, and the activation/phosphorylation of protein kinase A (PKA), phospholipase C (PLC) and PKC., Results: Guanosine markedly inhibited platelet activation/aggregation-challenged by ADP and, although to a lesser extent, also reduced platelet aggregation challenged by collagen, AA and TRAP-6. Guanosine significantly reduced thrombus formation both in vitro and in vivo without significantly affects bleeding. Guanosine antiplatelet effects were associated with the activation of the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway, and a reduction in thromboxane B2 levels and PLC and PKC phosphorylation. The platelet aggregation and binding affinity assays revealed that guanosine effects on platelets were mediated by adenosine., Conclusion: Guanosine effectively reduces ADP-induced platelet aggregation and limits thrombotic risk. These antithrombotic properties are associated with the activation of the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Structural determinants of affinity of N 6 -substituted-5'-C-(ethyltetrazol-2-yl)adenosine and 2-chloroadenosine derivatives at adenosine receptor (AR) subtypes were studied with binding and molecular modeling. Small N 6 -cycloalkyl and 3-halobenzyl groups furnished potent dual acting A 1 AR agonists and A 3 AR antagonists. 4 was the most potent dual acting human (h) A 1 AR agonist (K i = 0.45 nM) and A 3 AR antagonist (K i = 0.31 nM) and highly selective versus A 2A ; 11 and 26 were most potent at both h and rat (r) A 3 AR. All N 6 -substituted-5'-C-(ethyltetrazol-2-yl)adenosine derivatives proved to be antagonists at hA 3 AR but agonists at the rA 3 AR. Analgesia of 11, 22, and 26 was evaluated in the mouse formalin test (A 3 AR antagonist blocked and A 3 AR agonist strongly potentiated). N 6 -Methyl-5'-C-(ethyltetrazol-2-yl)adenosine (22) was most potent, inhibiting both phases, as observed combining A 1 AR and A 3 AR agonists. This study demonstrated for the first time the advantages of a single molecule activating two AR pathways both leading to benefit in this acute pain model.

The A2A adenosine receptor (A2A AR) is a key target for the development of pharmacological tools for the treatment of central nervous system disorders. Previous works have demonstrated that the insertion of substituents at various positions on adenine leads to A2A AR antagonists with affinity in the micromolar to nanomolar range. In this work, a series of 9-ethyladenine derivatives bearing phenylalkylamino, phenylakyloxy or phenylakylthio groups of different lengths at the 2-position were synthesised and tested against the human adenosine receptors. The derivatives showed sub-micromolar affinity for these membrane proteins. The further introduction of a bromine atom at the 8-position has the effect of improving the affinity and selectivity for all ARs and led to compounds that are able bind to the A2A AR subtype at low nanomolar levels. Functional studies confirmed that the new adenine derivatives behave as A2A AR antagonists with half-maximal inhibitory concentration values in the nanomolar range. Molecular modelling studies provide a description of the possible binding mode of these compounds at the A2A AR and an interpretation of the affinity data at this AR subtype., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Preclinical Research A new series of 1,3-dimethylxanthine derivatives bearing 8-(2-nitroaryl) residue was synthesized and evaluated for affinity for recombinant human adenosine receptors subtypes. Nitrate esters of 7-substituted-1,3-dimethyl-8-phenylxanthines were also synthesized and tested. Introducing a nitro substituent at the 2-position of the 8-substituted phenyl ring resulted in generally low affinity for adenosine receptors (ARs), selectivity toward the A2A subtype was enhanced in some of the compounds. 8-(4-Cyclopentyloxy-5-methoxy-2-nitrophenyl)-1,3-dimethylxanthine (9e) proved to be a potent compound among the 2-nitrophenyl substituted xanthines exhibiting a Ki  = 1 μM at human A2A ARs with at least 30 fold selectivity versus human A1 and A2B ARs. Replacement of 8-chloropropoxy phenyl with 8-nitrooxypropoxy phenyl resulted in a negligible change in binding affinity of the 8-substituted xanthines for various AR subtypes. Drug Dev Res 77 : 241-250, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)