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Sepsis can quickly result in fatality for critically ill individuals, while liver damage can expedite the progression of sepsis, necessitating the exploration of new strategies for treating hepatic sepsis. PDE4 has been identified as a potential target for the treatment of liver damage. The scaffold hopping of lead compounds FCPR16 and Z19153 led to the discovery of a novel 7-methoxybenzofuran PDE4 inhibitor 4e, demonstrating better PDE4B (IC 50  = 10.0 nM) and PDE4D (IC 50  = 15.2 nM) inhibitor activity as a potential anti-hepatic sepsis drug in this study. Compared with FCPR16 and Z19153, 4e displayed improved oral bioavailability (F = 66 %) and longer half-life (t 1/2  = 2.0 h) in SD rats, which means it can be more easily administered and has a longer-lasting effect. In the D-GalN/LPS-induced liver injury model, 4e exhibited excellent hepatoprotective activity against hepatic sepsis by decreasing ALT and AST levels and inflammatory infiltrating areas., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and high mortality lung disease. Although the antifibrotic drugs pirfenidone and nintedanib could slow the rate of lung function decline, the usual course of the condition is inexorably to respiratory failure and death. Therefore, new approaches and novel therapeutic drugs for the treatment of IPF are urgently needed. And the selective PDE4 inhibitor has in vivo and in vitro anti-fibrotic effects in IPF models. But the clinical application of most PDE4 inhibitors are limited by their unexpected and severe side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Herein, structure-based optimizations of the natural product Moracin M resulted in a novel a novel series of 2-arylbenzofurans as potent PDE4 inhibitors. The most potent inhibitor L13 has an IC 50 of 36 ± 7 nM with remarkable selectivity across the PDE families and administration of L13·citrate (10.0 mg/kg) exhibited comparable anti-pulmonary fibrosis effects to pirfenidone (300 mg/kg) in a bleomycin-induced IPF mice model, indicate that L13 is a potential lead for the treatment of IPF., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Four new p -terphenyl derivatives, talaroterphenyls A-D ( 1 - 4 ), together with three biosynthetically related known ones ( 5 - 7 ), were obtained from the mangrove sediment-derived Talaromyces sp. SCSIO 41412. Compounds 1 - 3 are rare p -terphenyls, which are completely substituted on the central benzene ring by oxygen atoms; this is the first report of their isolation from natural sources. Their structures were elucidated through NMR spectroscopy, HRESIMS, and X-ray diffraction. Genome sequence analysis revealed that 1 - 7 were biosynthesized from tyrosine and phenylalanine, involving four key biosynthetic genes ( ttpB - ttpE ). These p -terphenyls ( 1 - 7 ) and 36 marine-derived terphenyl analogues ( 8 - 43 ) were screened for phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitory activities, and 1 - 5 , 14 , 17 , 23 , and 26 showed notable activities with IC 50 values of 0.40-16 μM. The binding pattern of p -terphenyl inhibitors 1 - 3 with PDE4 were explored by molecular docking analysis. Talaroterphenyl A ( 1 ), with a low cytotoxicity, showed obvious anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, in the TGF-β1-induced medical research council cell strain-5 (MRC-5) pulmonary fibrosis model, 1 could down-regulate the expression levels of FN1, COL1, and α-SMA significantly at concentrations of 5-20 μM. This study suggests that the oxidized p -terphenyl 1 , as a marine-derived PDE4 inhibitor, could be used as a promising antifibrotic agent.

Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) enzymes catalyze cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) hydrolysis and are involved in a variety of physiological processes, including brain function, monocyte and macrophage activation, and neutrophil infiltration. Among different PDE4 isoforms, Phosphodiesterases 4D (PDE4Ds) play a fundamental role in cognitive, learning and memory consolidation processes and cancer development. Selective PDE4D inhibitors (PDE4Dis) could represent an innovative and valid therapeutic strategy for the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Lou Gehrig's diseases, but also for stroke, traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, mild cognitive impairment, and all demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. In addition, small molecules able to block PDE4D isoforms have been recently studied for the treatment of specific cancer types, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma and breast cancer. This review overviews the PDE4DIsso far identified and provides useful information, from a medicinal chemistry point of view, for the development of a novel series of compounds with improved pharmacological properties.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and progressive condition with a significant global burden. Currently, available treatments primarily provide symptomatic relief and retard disease progression, yet they do not offer a cure and are frequently associated with adverse effects. Therefore, the discovery of new targets and therapeutic drugs for IBD is crucial. Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors have emerged as promising candidates in the search for effective IBD treatments, although dose-dependent side effects hamper their clinical utility. In this study, building upon heterocyclic biaryl derivatives (TPA16), we designed and synthesized a series of N 2 -substituted indazole-based PDE4D inhibitors, emphasizing improving safety profiles. An enzyme activity screening discovered an optimized compound, LZ-14 (Z21115), which exhibited high PDE4D7 (IC 50  = 10.5 nM) inhibitory activity and good selectivity. More interestingly, LZ-14 has demonstrated promising effects in treating IBD in mouse models by improving the inflammatory response and colon injury. Furthermore, LZ-14 displayed low emetogenic potential in ketamine/xylazine anesthesia mice alternative models., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) comprise a broad spectrum of conditions characterized by systemic inflammation affecting various organs and tissues, for which there is no known cure. The isoform-specific inhibition of phosphodiesterase-4B (PDE4B) over PDE4D constitutes an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of IMIDs that minimizes the adverse effects associated with non-selective PDE4 inhibitors. Thus, we report a new class of isoquinolone derivatives as next-generation PDE4 inhibitors for effective management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriasis. Among the series, 8 compounds i.e. 1e, 1l, 1m, 1n, 1o, 2m, 2o and 3o showed promising PDE4B inhibition (>80 %) in vitro with IC 50  ∼ 1.4-6.2 µM. The compound 1l was identified as an initial hit and was pursued for further studies. According to structure-activity relationship (SAR), an allyl group at C-4 position improved PDE4B inhibition. The correlation between in vitro activity data and binding affinities obtained via molecular docking suggested that the high-affinity binding to PDE4B is a prerequisite for the effective inhibition of PDE4B. Notably, the hit 1l showed selectivity towards PDE4B over PDE4D in vitro. Furthermore, 1l treatment (30 mg/kg) in the adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rat model induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) demonstrated anti-arthritic potential via ameliorating paw swelling and body weight, narrowing joint space, reducing excessive immune cells infiltration and pannus formation in addition to reducing mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 in synovial tissues of experimental rats. Additionally, 1l reduced the hyper-proliferative state and colony forming potential of IMQ-induced psoriatic keratinocytes. The treatment of these cells with 1l markedly reduced the protein levels of Ki67 and mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines e.g. IL-17A and TNF-α suggesting its potent anti-psoriatic potential. Furthermore, 1l did not show any significant adverse effects when evaluated in a systematic toxicity (e.g. teratogenicity, hepatotoxicity and cardiotoxicity) studies in zebrafish at the tested concentrations (1-100 µM) and the NOAEL (no-observed-adverse-effect level) was found to be 100 µM. Thus, with promising anti-inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo along with PDE4B selectivity with an acceptable safety margin, 1l emerged as a new and promising inhibitor for further studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) are a promising class of drug delivery systems that utilize covalently conjugated carrier peptides with therapeutic agents. PDCs offer several advantages over traditional drug delivery systems including enhanced target engagement, improved bioavailability, and increased cell permeability. However, the development of efficient transcellular peptides capable of effectively transporting drugs across biological barriers remains an unmet need. In this study, physicochemical criteria based on cell-penetrating peptides are employed to design transcellular peptides derived from an antimicrobial peptides library. Among the statistically designed transcellular peptides (SDTs), SDT7 exhibits higher skin permeability, faster kinetics, and improved cell permeability in human keratinocyte cells compared to the control peptide. Subsequently, it is found that 6-Paradol (PAR) exhibits inhibitory activity against phosphodiesterase 4, which can be utilized for an anti-inflammatory PDC. The transcellular PDC (SDT7-conjugated with PAR, named TM5) is evaluated in mouse models of psoriasis, exhibiting superior therapeutic efficacy compared to PAR alone. These findings highlight the potential of transcellular PDCs (TDCs) as a promising approach for the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one chronic and relapsing inflammatory bowel disease. Macrophage has been reputed as one trigger for UC. Recently, phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors, for instance roflumilast, have been regarded as one latent approach to modulating macrophage in UC treatment. Roflumilast can decelerate cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) degradation, which impedes TNF-α synthesis in macrophage. However, roflumilast is devoid of macrophage-target and consequently causes some unavoidable adverse reactions, which restrict the utilization in UC., Results: Membrane vesicles (MVs) from probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN 1917) served as a drug delivery platform for targeting macrophage. As model drugs, roflumilast and MnO 2 were encapsulated in MVs (Rof&MnO 2 @MVs). Roflumilast inhibited cAMP degradation via PDE4 deactivation and MnO 2 boosted cAMP generation by activating adenylate cyclase (AC). Compared with roflumilast, co-delivery of roflumilast and MnO 2 apparently produced more cAMP and less TNF-α in macrophage. Besides, Rof&MnO 2 @MVs could ameliorate colitis in mouse model and regulate gut microbe such as mitigating pathogenic Escherichia-Shigella and elevating probiotic Akkermansia., Conclusions: A probiotic-based nanoparticle was prepared for precise codelivery of roflumilast and MnO 2 into macrophage. This biomimetic nanoparticle could synergistically modulate cAMP in macrophage and ameliorate experimental colitis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Phosphodiesterase-4D (PDE4D) has emerged as a significant target for treating neuropsychiatric disorders, but no PET radioligand currently exists for robustly quantifying human brain PDE4D to assist biomedical research and drug discovery. A prior candidate PDE4D PET radioligand, namely [ 11 C]T1650, failed in humans because of poor time stability of brain PDE4D-specific signal (indexed by total volume of distribution), likely due to radiometabolites accumulating in brain. Its nitro group was considered to be a source of the brain radiometabolites. Methods: We selected 5 high-affinity and selective PDE4D inhibitors, absent of a nitro group, from our prior structure-activity relationship study for evaluation as PET radioligands. Results: All 5 radioligands were labeled with 11 C (half-time, 20.4 min) in useful yields and with high molar activity. All displayed sizable PDE4D-specific signals in rhesus monkey brain. Notably, [ 11 C]JMJ-81 and [ 11 C]JMJ-129 exhibited excellent time stability of signal (total volume of distribution). Furthermore, as an example, [ 11 C]JMJ-81 was found to be free of radiometabolites in ex vivo monkey brain, affirming that this radioligand can provide robust quantification of brain PDE4D with PET. Conclusion: Given their high similarity in structures and metabolic profiles, both [ 11 C]JMJ-81 and [ 11 C]JMJ-129 warrant further evaluation in human subjects. [ 11 C]JMJ-129 shows a higher PDE4D specific-to-nonspecific binding ratio and will be the first to be evaluated., (© 2024 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.)

Background: Crisaborole (CB), a boron-based compound, is the first topical PDE4 inhibitor to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (2016) for the treatment of Atopic Dermatitis. It is marketed as a 2% ointment (Eucrisa, Pfizer). However, CB is insoluble in water; therfore, CB glycersomes were formulated to enhance its permeation flux across the skin., Objective: We developed a glycerosomal gel of CB and compared its in vitro release and permeation flux with the 2% conventional ointment., Methods: Glycerosomes were prepared using thin film hydration method employing CB, soya phosphatidylcholine, and cholesterol. The formed film was further hydrated employing a mixture of phosphate buffer pH 7.4 /glycerin solution containing varying percentages (20,30, 40, and 50 %) of glycerol. The glycerosomes obtained were characterized by their size, polydispersity index (PDI), and Zeta potential. The entrapment efficiency of the optimized formulation (F1) was determined. The in vitro release of F1 was compared with its 2% conventional ointment. F1 was further incorporated into carbopol 934 P gel. The gel was characterized by pH, viscosity, spreadability, and drug content. The permeability flux of the glycerosomal gel was compared with its 2% conventional ointment., Results: The optimized CB glycerosomes had a vesicle size of 137.5 ± 50.58 nm, PDI 0.342, and zeta potential -65.4 ± 6.75 mV. CB glycerosomal gel demonstrated a 2.13-fold enhancement in the permeation flux., Conclusion: It can thereby be concluded that glycerosomes can be an effective delivery system to enhance the penetration of CB across the skin., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Phosphodiesterase-4, the primary enzyme responsible for cAMP degradation in the majority of immune and inflammatory cells, plays a critical role in the regulation of intracellular cAMP levels. Consequently, small molecular entities capable of inhibiting PDE4 have been employed in the treatment of inflammation-associated disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), psoriasis, atopic dermatitis (AD), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), rheumatic arthritis (RA). In the present investigation, a multi-faceted approach was employed to identify novel PDE4 inhibitors, utilizing the co-crystallization structure of PDE4B available in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) database, drug-like screening, false positive filtration, similarity and ADMET screen, as well as molecular docking via multiple software platforms, in conjunction with bioactivity assays. A thiazol-3-propanamides derivative, designated MR9, was discovered to inhibit PDE4B activity with IC 50 values of 2.12 μM and suppress cellular inflammatory factor TNF-α release with an EC 50 value of 3.587 μM. These findings suggest that the innovative active scaffold of MR9 offers a promising foundation for further structural refinement aimed at developing more potent PDE4 inhibitors., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases 4 (PDE4) are a family of enzymes which specifically promote the hydrolysis and degradation of cAMP. The inhibition of PDE4 enzymes has been widely investigated as a possible alternative strategy for the treatment of a variety of respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, as well as psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders. In this context, the identification of new molecules as PDE4 inhibitors continues to be an active field of investigation within drug discovery. This review summarizes the medicinal chemistry journey in the design and development of effective PDE4 inhibitors, analyzed through chemical classes and taking into consideration structural aspects and binding properties, as well as inhibitory efficacy, PDE4 selectivity and the potential as therapeutic agents.

Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) is an important drug target for inflammatory diseases. Previously, we identified a series of novel PDE4 inhibitors derived from the natural Toddacoumalone, among which the hit compound 2 with a naphthyridine scaffold showed moderate potency with the IC 50 value of 400 nM. Based on the co-crystal structure of PDE4D-2, further structural optimizations and structure-activity relationship studies led to a highly potent PDE4 inhibitor 23a with the IC 50 value of 0.25 nM and excellent selectivity profiles over other PDEs (>4000-fold). The co-crystal structure of PDE4D-23a elucidated that 23a has strong interactions with the M and Q pocket of PDE4D. Importantly, compound 23a significantly inhibits the release of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Thus, compound 23a with a naphthyridine scaffold is a promising PDE4 inhibitor for the treatment of inflammatory diseases., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To discover PDE4/tubulin dual inhibitors with novel skeleton structures, 7-trimethoxyphenylbenzo[d]oxazoles 4a-u and 4-trimethoxyphenylbenzo[d]oxazoles 5a-h were designed and synthesized by migrating the trimethoxyphenyl group of TH03 to the benzo[d]oxazole moiety. Among these compounds, approximately half of them displayed good antiproliferative activities against glioma (U251) and lung cancer (A549 and H460) cell lines. The structure-activity relationships of trimethoxyphenylbenzo[d]oxazoles led to the identification of 4r bearing indol-5-yl side-chain as a novel dual PDE4/tubulin inhibitor, which exhibited satisfactory antiproliferative activities against glioma (IC 50  = 300 ± 50 nM) and lung cancer (average IC 50  = 39.5 nM) cells. Further investigations revealed that 4r induced apoptosis at G2/M phase arrest and disrupted the microtubule network. The preliminary mechanism of action showed that 4r down-regulated the expression of cyclin B1 and its upstream regulator gene cdc25C in A549., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Memory and cognitive functions depend on the cerebral levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which are regulated by the phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) family of enzymes. Selected rolipram-related PDE4 inhibitors, members of the GEBR library, have been shown to increase hippocampal cAMP levels, providing pro-cognitive benefits with a safe pharmacological profile. In a recent SAR investigation involving a subset of GEBR library compounds, we have demonstrated that, depending on length and flexibility, ligands can either adopt a twisted, an extended or a protruding conformation, the latter allowing the ligand to form stabilizing contacts with the regulatory domain of the enzyme. Here, based on those findings, we describe further chemical modifications of the protruding subset of GEBR library inhibitors and their effects on ligand conformation and potency. In particular, we demonstrate that the insertion of a methyl group in the flexible linker region connecting the catechol portion and the basic end of the molecules enhances the ability of the ligand to interact with both the catalytic and the regulatory domains of the enzyme., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

In spite of possessing a wide range of pharmacological properties the anti-inflammatory activities of isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones were rarely known or explored earlier. PDE4 inhibitors on the other hand in addition to their usefulness in treating inflammatory diseases have been suggested to attenuate the cytokine storm in COVID-19 especially TNF-α. In our effort, a new class of isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones derivatives containing an aminosulfonyl moiety were designed and explored as potential inhibitors of PDE4. Accordingly, for the first time a CuCl 2 -catalyzed inexpensive, faster and ligand/additive free approach has been developed for the synthesis of these predesigned isoquinolin-1(2H)-one derivatives via the coupling-cyclization strategy. Thus, the CuCl 2 -catalyzed reaction of 2-iodobenzamides with appropriate terminal alkynes proceeded with high chemo and regioselectivity affording the desired compounds in 77-84% yield within 1-1.5 h. The methodology also afforded simpler isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones devoid of aminosulfonyl moiety showing a broader generality and scope of this approach. Several of the synthesized compounds especially 3c, 3k and 3s showed impressive inhibition (83-90%) of PDE4B when tested at 10 µM in vitro whereas compounds devoid of aminosulfonyl moiety was found to be less active. In spite of high inhibition showed at 10 µM these compounds did not show proper concertation dependent inhibition below 1 µM that was reflected in their IC 50 values e.g. 2.43 ± 0.32, 3.26 ± 0.24 and 3.63 ± 0.80 µM for 3k, 3o and 3s respectively. The anti-inflammatory potential of these compounds was indicated by their TNF-α inhibition (60-50% at 10 µM). The in silico docking studies of these molecules suggested good interactions with PDE4B and selective inhibition of PDE4B by 3k over PDE4D that was supported by in vitro assay results. These observations together with the favorable ADME and safety predicted for 3kin silico not only suggested 3k as an interesting hit molecule for further studies but also reveal the first example of isoquinolin-1(2H)-one based inhibitor of PDE4B., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Lipophilicity is one of the principal QSAR parameters which influences among others the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic properties of a drug candidates. In this paper, the lipophilicity of 14 amide derivatives of 1,3-dimethyl-2,6-dioxopurin-7-yl-alkylcarboxylic acids as multifunctional TRPA1 channel antagonists and phosphodiesterase 4/7 inhibitors with analgesic activity were investigated, using reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography method. It was observed that the retention behavior of the analyzed compounds was dependent on their structural features i.e. an aliphatic linker length, a kind of substituent at 8 position of purine-2,6-dione scaffold as well as on a substitution in a phenyl group. The experimental parameters (R M0 ) were compared with computationally calculated partition coefficient values by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). To verify the influence of lipophilic parameter of the investigated compounds on their biological activity the Kruskal-Wallis test was performed. The lowest lipophilicity was observed for the compounds with weak PDE4/7 inhibitory potency. The differences between the lipophilicity of potent inhibitors and inactive compounds were statistically significant. It was found that the presence of more lipophilic propoxy- or butoxy- substituents as well as the elongation of the aliphatic chain to propylene one between the purine-2,6-dione core and amide group were preferable for desired multifunctional activity., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, we report the discovery of dual M 3 antagonist-PDE4 inhibitor (MAPI) compounds for the inhaled treatment of pulmonary diseases. The identification of dual compounds was enabled by the intuition that the fusion of a PDE4 scaffold derived from our CHF-6001 series with a muscarinic scaffold through a common linking ring could generate compounds active versus both the transmembrane M 3 receptor and the intracellular PDE4 enzyme. Two chemical series characterized by two different muscarinic scaffolds were investigated. SAR optimization was aimed at obtaining M 3 nanomolar affinity coupled with nanomolar PDE4 inhibition, which translated into anti-bronchospastic efficacy ex vivo (inhibition of rat trachea contraction) and into anti-inflammatory efficacy in vitro (inhibition of TNFα release). Among the best compounds, compound 92a achieved the goal of demonstrating in vivo efficacy and duration of action in both the bronchoconstriction and inflammation assays in rat after intratracheal administration.

Apremilast (APST) is an effective inhibitor of phosphodieasterase 4 (PDE4) which is the first oral drug for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis. However, Apremilast ' s low solubility restricts its dissolution and bioavailability. In this study, APST solid dispersion with D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) and Poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (PVPVA) was developed to improve the dissolution and bioavailability of APST by spray drying. A series of TPGS were synthesized to elucidate the effect of the ratio of monoester to diester on solubilizing capacity. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FT-IR) were used to characterize the solid dispersion, and the results showed that APST was amorphous in solid dispersion. In vitro dissolution study showed that the dissolution rate of solid dispersion in phosphate buffered saline (pH 6.8) was remarkably increased, reaching a release of 90% within 10 min. Moreover, in vivo pharmacokinetics study revealed that the bioavailability of solid dispersion in rats had significant improvement. In particular, its C max and AUC last were nearly 22- and 12.9-fold greater as compared to APST form B, respectively. In conclusion, APST solid dispersion with TPGS and PVPVA is an alternative drug delivery system to improve the solubility and oral bioavailability of APST.

Forsythia fruit ( Forsythia suspensa Vahl (Oleaceae)) is a common component of Kampo medicines for treating the common cold, influenza, and allergies. The main polyphenolic compounds in the leaves of F. suspensa are pinoresinol β-d-glucoside, phillyrin and forsythiaside, and their levels are higher in the leaves of the plant than in the fruit. It is known that polyphenolic compounds stimulate lipid catabolism in the liver and suppress dyslipidemia, thereby attenuating diet-induced obesity and polyphenolic anti-oxidants might attenuate obesity in animals consuming high-fat diets. Recently, phillyrin was reported as a novel cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor derived from forsythia fruit. It was expected that the leaves of F. suspensa might display anti-obesity effects and serve as a health food material. In this review, we summarized our studies on the biological effects of forsythia leaves containing phillyrin and other polyphenolic compounds, particularly against obesity, atopic dermatitis, and influenza A virus infection, and its potential as a phytoestrogen.

Phosphodiesterase subtype 4 (PDE4) hydrolyzes cyclic AMP (cAMP), a secondary messenger that mediates intracellular signaling, and plays key roles in inflammatory and profibrotic responses. Clinical benefits of pentoxifylline, a non-selective PDE inhibitor, have been reported in patients with kidney disease. Here, we identified compound A as a potent and selective PDE4 inhibitor and evaluated its potential as a novel therapeutic agent for diabetic nephropathy (DN). To determine its in vivo efficacy on DN, uninephrectomized (UNx-) db/db mice and KKA y mice were used as DN mice models. Eight-week repeated dosing with compound A (1-10 mg/kg, QD, p.o.) showed dose-dependent and significant suppressive effects on glycosylated hemoglobin (GHb) and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) in UNx-db/db mice. These effects are more potent than irbesartan, a clinically approved angiotensin II receptor blocker of DN. Moreover, compound A suppressed pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory marker mRNAs and increased anti-reactive oxygen species marker mRNAs in the kidneys of UNx-db/db mice. The similar effect of compound A on UACR was also demonstrated by 8-week repeated dose in KKA y mice, another model for DN with intact leptin axis. Taken together, these data suggest that the PDE4-selective inhibitor compound A has potential as a new therapeutic agent for DN with multiple mechanisms of action including anti-diabetic, anti-fibrotic, and anti-reactive oxygen species effects., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this work, a series of structurally novel benzoxaborole derivatives were designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated as PDE4 inhibitors for battling atopic dermatitis (AD). Among them, the majority exhibited superior PDE4B inhibitory activities to that of the lead compound Crisaborole, an approved PDE4 inhibitor. In particular, 72, the most potent PDE4B inhibitor throughout this series, displayed 136-fold improved enzymatic activity (IC 50  = 0.42 nM) as compared to Crisaborole (IC 50  = 57.20 nM), along with favorable isoform specificity. In the phorbol ester (PMA)-induced mouse ear oedema model, 72 exerted remarkably greater efficacy than Crisaborole at the same dosage (P < 0.05). Moreover, the ointment of 72 exerted dramatically enhanced therapeutic potency than the ointment of Crisaborole (P < 0.05) in the calcipotriol-induced mouse AD model. In addition to the potent in vitro and in vivo activity, 72 displayed favorable safety in the repeated oral dose toxicity study and did not exhibit phototoxicity. With the above attractive biological performance, 72 is worthy of further functional investigation as a novel anti-AD therapeutic agent., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Thiouracil and thiocytosine are important heterocyclic pharmacophores having pharmacological diversity. Antitumor and antiviral activity is commonly associated with thiouracil and thiocytosine derivatives, which are well known fragments for adenosine receptor affinity with many associated pharmacological properties. In this respect, 33 novel compounds have been synthesized in two groups: 24 thiouracil derivatives (4a-x) and 9 thiocytosine derivatives (5a-i). Antitumor activity of all the compounds was determined in the U87 MG glioblastoma cell line. Compound 5e showed an anti-proliferative IC 50 of 1.56 μM, which is slightly higher activity than cisplatin (1.67 μM). The 11 most active compounds showed no signficant binding to adenosine A 1 , A 2A or A 2B receptors at 1 μM. Brain tumors express high amounts of phosphodiesterases. Compounds were tested for PDE4 inhibition, and 5e and 5f showed the best potency (5e: 3.42 μM; 5f: 0.97 μM). Remakably, those compounds were also the most active against U87MG. However, the compounds lacked a cytotoxic effect on the HEK293 healthy cell line, which encourages further investigation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There is not any conflict of interest by the authors., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Psoriasis is a kind of chronic inflammatory skin disorder, while the long-term use of conventional therapies for this disease are limited by severe adverse effects. Novel small molecules associated with new therapeutic mechanisms are greatly needed. It is known that phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) plays a central role in regulating inflammatory responses through hydrolyzing intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), making PDE4 to be an important target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases (e.g. psoriasis). In our previous work, we identified a series of novel PDE4 inhibitors with a tetrahydroisoquinoline scaffold through structure-based drug design, among which compound 1 showed moderate inhibition activity against PDE4. In this study, a series of novel tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives were developed based on the crystal structure of PDE4D in complex with compound 1. Anti-inflammatory effects of these compounds were evaluated, and compound 36, with high safety, permeability and selectivity, exhibited significant inhibitory potency against the enzymatic activity of PDE4D and the TNF-α release from the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 and hPBMCs. Moreover, an in vivo study demonstrated that a topical administration of 36 achieved more significant efficacy than calcipotriol to improve the features of psoriasis-like skin inflammation. Overall, our study provides a basis for further development of tetrahydroisoquinoline-based PDE4 inhibitors against psoriasis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Herein, we describe the rapid synthesis of a focused library of trisubstituted imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines and imidazo[4,5-c]pyridines from 2,4-dichloro-3-nitropyridine using the combination of solution-phase/solid-phase chemistry as new potential anti-inflammatory agents in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Structure-activity relationship studies, followed by the structure optimization, provided hit compounds (17 and 28) which inhibited phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) with IC 50 values comparable to rolipram and displayed different inhibitory potency against phosphodiesterase 7 (PDE7). Among them, compound 17 showed a beneficial effect in all the studied animal models of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (concanavalin A-induced hepatitis, lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxemia, collagen-induced arthritis, and MOG 35-55 -induced encephalomyelitis). In addition, compound 17 showed a favorable pharmacokinetic profile after intraperitoneal administration; it was characterized by a fast absorption from the peritoneal cavity and a relatively long terminal half-life in rats. It was found to penetrate brain barrier in mice. The performed experiments sheds light on the impact of PDE7A inhibition for the efficacy of PDE4 inhibitors in these disease conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

In this present study, a series of 5-phenyl-2-furan and 4-phenyl-2-oxazole derivatives were designed and synthesized as phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) inhibitors. In vitro results showed that the synthesized compounds exhibited considerable inhibitory activity against PDE4B and blockade of LPS-induced TNF-α release. Among the designed compounds, Compound 5j exhibited lower IC 50 value (1.4 μM) against PDE4 than parent rolipram (2.0 μM) in in vitro enzyme assay, which also displayed good in vivo activity in animal models of asthma/COPD and sepsis induced by LPS. Docking results suggested that introduction of methoxy group at para-position of phenyl ring, demonstrated good interaction with metal binding pocket domain of PDE4B, which was helpful to enhance inhibitory activity., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

A series of 24 compounds was synthesised based on a 2-cyclopentyloxyanisole scaffold 3-14 and their in vitro antitumor activity was evaluated. Compounds 4a , 4b , 6b , 7b , 13 , and 14 had the most potent antitumor activity (IC 50 range: 5.13-17.95 μM), compared to those of the reference drugs celecoxib, afatinib, and doxorubicin. The most active derivatives 4a , 4b , 7b , and 13 were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against COX-2, PDE4B, and TNF-α. Compounds 4a and 13 potently inhibited TNF-α (IC 50 values: 2.01 and 6.72 μM, respectively) compared with celecoxib (IC 50 =6.44 μM). Compounds 4b and 13 potently inhibited COX-2 (IC 50 values: 1.08 and 1.88 μM, respectively) comparable to that of celecoxib (IC 50 =0.68 μM). Compounds 4a , 7b , and 13 inhibited PDE4B (IC 50 values: 5.62, 5.65, and 3.98 μM, respectively) compared with the reference drug roflumilast (IC 50 =1.55 μM). The molecular docking of compounds 4b and 13 with the COX-2 and PDE4B binding pockets was studied.HighlightsAntitumor activity of new synthesized cyclopentyloxyanisole scaffold was evaluated.The powerful antitumor 4a, 4b, 6b, 7b & 13 were assessed as COX-2, PDE4B & TNF-α inhibitors.Compounds 4a, 7b, and 13 exhibited COX-2, PDE4B, and TNF-α inhibition.Compounds 4b and 13 showed strong interactions at the COX-2 and PDE4B binding pockets.

Purpose: To investigate the difference in clinical efficacy in AD patients between two topical PDE4 inhibitors using dermal open flow microperfusion and cAMP as a pharmacodynamic read-out in fresh human skin explants., Methods: Clinical formulations were applied to intact or barrier disrupted human skin explants and both skin biopsy samples and dermal interstitial fluid was sampled for measuring drug concentration. Furthermore, cAMP levels were determined in the skin biopsies as a measure of target engagement., Results: Elevated cAMP levels were observed with LEO 29102 while no evidence of target engagement was obtained with LEO 39652. In barrier impaired skin the dISF concentration of LEO 29102 was 2100 nM while only 33 nM for LEO 39652. For both compounds the concentrations measured in skin punch biopsies were 7-33-fold higher than the dISF concentrations., Conclusions: Low unbound drug concentration in dISF in combination with minimal target engagement of LEO 39652 in barrier impaired human skin explants supports that lack of clinical efficacy of LEO 39652 in AD patients is likely due to insufficient drug availability at the target. We conclude that dOFM together with a pharmacodynamic target engagement biomarker are strong techniques for establishing skin PK/PD relations and that skin biopsies should be used with caution.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) specifically hydrolyzes cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and plays vital roles in biological processes such as cancer development. To date, PDE4 inhibitors have been widely studied as therapeutics for the treatment of various diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and many of them have progressed to clinical trials or have been approved as drugs. Herein, we review the advances in the development of PDE4 inhibitors in the past decade and will focus on their pharmacophores, PDE4 subfamily selectivity, and therapeutic potential. Hopefully, this analysis will lead to a strategy for development of novel therapeutics targeting PDE4.

An efficient asymmetric synthesis of GlaxoSmithKline's potent PDE4 inhibitor was accomplished in eight steps from a catechol-derived nitroalkene. The key intermediate (3-acyloxymethyl-substituted 1,2-oxazine) was prepared in a straightforward manner by tandem acylation/(3,3)-sigmatropic rearrangement of the corresponding 1,2-oxazine- N -oxide. The latter was assembled by a (4 + 2)-cycloaddition between the suitably substituted nitroalkene and vinyl ether. Facile acetal epimerization at the C-6 position in 1,2-oxazine ring was observed in the course of reduction with NaBH 3 CN in AcOH. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the epimerization may proceed through an unusual tricyclic oxazolo(1,2)oxazinium cation formed via double anchimeric assistance from a distant acyloxy group and the nitrogen atom of the 1,2-oxazine ring.

Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) functions as a critical intracellular enzyme in immune cells and keratinocytes through the hydrolysis of cAMP. Inhibition of PDE4 has been considered as an effective therapeutic strategy in multiple inflammatory diseases. This study was intended to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of the PDE4 inhibitor, DC591017, both in vitro and in vivo. Murine RAW264.7 cells, BMDMs, BMDCs, and human NHEKs were incubated with DC591017 and then inflammatory mediators, intracellular cAMP and cAMP-mediated signaling pathways were analyzed. Carrageenan-induced acute inflammation in murine air pouches and rat paws, as well as imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like skin lesions were conducted to explore the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of DC591017. We demonstrated herein that DC591017 suppressed the inflammatory responses of macrophages and DCs through promoting cAMP-dependent PKA-CREB signaling. Addition of forskolin functioned synergistically with DC591017, which could be blocked following H89 intervention or knockdown of PKA expression by siRNA transfection. In vivo, DC591017 treatment alleviated the leukocytes infiltration and secretion of inflammatory cytokines in murine air pouches and significantly attenuated carrageenan-induced paw swelling in rats. Moreover, we also illustrated that topical application of DC591017 ointment ameliorated IMQ-caused experimental psoriatic skin lesions, as evidenced by decreasing epidermal thickening and inflammatory infiltrations to inflamed skins. Consistently, DC591017 decreased expression of PDE4 isoforms and subsequently regulated PKA-CREB and NF-κB signaling. In brief, our study brought out a patent PDE4 inhibitor with robust anti-inflammation and provided the credible evidence in the treatment of patients with psoriasis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An improved and rapid synthesis of mefenamic acid based indole derivatives has been achieved via the ligand free Cu-catalyzed coupling-cyclization method under ultrasound irradiation. This simple, straightforward and inexpensive one-pot method involved the reaction of a terminal alkyne derived from mefenamic acid with 2-iodosulfanilides in the presence of CuI and K 2 CO 3 in PEG-400. The reaction proceeded via an initial CC bond formation (the coupling step) followed by CN bond formation (the intramolecular cyclization) to afford the mefenamic acid based indole derivatives in good to acceptable yields. Several of these compounds showed inhibition of PDE4 in vitro and the SAR (Structure Activity Relationship) within the series is discussed. The compound 3d has been identified as a promising and selective inhibitor of PDE4B (IC 50  = 1.34 ± 0.46 µM) that showed TNF-α inhibition in vitro (IC 50  = 5.81 ± 0.24 µM) and acceptable stability in the rat liver microsomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In spite of their various pharmacological properties the anti-inflammatory potential of benzo[c]phenanthridines remained underexplored. Thus, for the first time PDE4 inhibitory potential of 11,12-dihydro benzo[c]phenanthridine/benzo[c]phenanthridine was assessed in vitro. Elegant synthesis of these compounds was performed via a multi-step sequence consisting of a Pd-catalyzed unusual construction of 4-allyl isocoumarin ring and FeCl 3 -mediated intramolecular regio- as well as site-selective arene-allyl cyclization as key steps. The overall strategy involved Sonogashira coupling followed by isocoumarin and isoquinolone synthesis, then chlorination and subsequent cyclization to afford a range of 11,12-dihydro derivatives. One of these dihydro compounds was converted to the corresponding benzo[c]phenanthridine that showed concentration dependent inhibition of PDE4B affording an initial hit molecule. The SAR study suggested that 11,12-dihydro analogs were less potent than the compound having unsaturation at the same part of the ring., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cocrystallization of chlorbipram (ChBP), a novel phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE) inhibitor with water insoluble property developed in our lab, was performed to improve the physicochemical properties and bioavailability in the present study. Three new cocrystals with fumaric aicd (FA), gentisic acid (GA) and salicylic acid (SA) as coformers were synthesized and fully characterized by using the combination of multi-techniques. The cocrystals are phase stable even under high humidity conditions. In vitro study indicates that the solubility of ChBP-GA and ChBP-SA cocrystals increase to 3724.4 ± 58.7, 2897.4 ± 81.9 μg/mL in comparison with ChBP (2561.3 ± 150.4 μg/mL), the intrinsic dissolution rates (IDRs) of ChBP-GA and ChBP-SA cocrystals (721.3 ± 8.0, 614.4 ± 13.2 μg/min/cm 2 ) are both higher than ChBP (537.9 ± 12.0 μg/min/cm 2 ). The blood concentration peak values of ChBP-GA and ChBP-SA cocrystals (165.8 ± 50.9, 105.3 ± 35.6 ng/mL) are both higher than ChBP (51.3 ± 15.1 ng/mL) in in vivo evaluation. It presents the same order in in vitro/vivo study: ChBP-GA > ChBP-SA > ChBP > ChBP-FA. ChBP-FA cocrystal presents a longer elimination half life (t 1/2  = 10.0 ± 2.6 h), which makes it a potential candidate for prolonged controlled release formulation. ChBP-GA and ChBP-SA cocrystals both present enhanced solubility and bioavailability in comparison with ChBP, making them a better candidate for the solid dosage formulation development., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible gut inhibitory role of the phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor roflumilast. Increasing doses of roflumilast were tested against castor oil-induced diarrhea in mice, whereas the pharmacodynamics of the same effect was determined in isolated rabbit jejunum tissues. For in silico analysis, the identified PDE protein was docked with roflumilast and papaverine using the Autodock vina program from the PyRx virtual screening tool. Roflumilast protected against diarrhea significantly at 0.5 and 1.5 mg/kg doses, with 40% and 80% protection. Ex vivo findings from jejunum tissues show that roflumilast possesses an antispasmodic effect by inhibiting spontaneous contractions in a concentration-dependent manner. Roflumilast reversed carbachol (CCh, 1 µM)-mediated and potassium (K+, 80 mM)-mediated contractile responses with comparable efficacies but different potencies. The observed potency against K+ was significantly higher in comparison to CCh, similar to verapamil. Experiments were extended to further confirm the inhibitory effect on Ca++ channels. Interestingly, roflumilast deflected Ca++ concentration-response curves (CRCs) to the right with suppression of the maximum peak at both tested doses (0.001-0.003 mg/mL), similar to verapamil. The PDE-inhibitory effect was authenticated when pre-incubation of jejunum tissues with roflumilast (0.03-0.1 mg/mL) produced a leftward deflection of isoprenaline-mediated inhibitory CRCs and increased the tissue level of cAMP, similar to papaverine. This idea was further strengthened by molecular docking studies, where roflumilast exhibited a better binding affinity (-9.4 kcal/mol) with the PDE protein than the standard papaverine (-8.3 kcal/mol). In conclusion, inhibition of Ca++ channels and the PDE-4 enzyme explains the pharmacodynamics of the gut inhibitory effect of roflumilast.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting millions of people worldwide. One of its main consequences is memory loss, which is related to downstream effectors of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). A well-established strategy to avoid cAMP degradation is the inhibition of phosphodiesterase (PDE). In recent years, GEBR-32a has been shown to possess selective inhibitory properties against PDE type 4 family members, resulting in an improvement in spatial memory processes without the typical side effects that are usually correlated with this mechanism of action. In this work, we performed the HPLC chiral resolution and absolute configuration assignment of GEBR-32a. We developed an efficient analytical and semipreparative chromatographic method exploiting an amylose-based stationary phase, we studied the chiroptical properties of both enantiomers and we assigned their absolute configuration by 1 H-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). Lastly, we measured the IC 50 values of both enantiomers against both the PDE4D catalytic domain and the long PDE4D3 isoform. Results strongly support the notion that GEBR-32a inhibits the PDE4D enzyme by interacting with both the catalytic pocket and the regulatory domains., Competing Interests: O.B. and C.B. declare an Intellectual Property interest on GEBR-32a

We describe herein the first asymmetric total synthesis and biological evaluation of the natural PDE4 inhibitor toddacoumalone and its stereoisomers. The key step of the total synthesis is a formal asymmetric [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction catalyzed by chiral secondary amine catalysts. A variety of pyranoquinolinones and 3-methylcrotonaldehyde are well tolerated under the optimized reaction conditions, which paved the way for further SAR studies. Further biological evaluation showed 1a' with the best PDE4 inhibitory activity (IC 50 = 0.18 μM).

Introduction: The primary aim of this study is to understand the binding of curcumin and its analogues to different PDE4 subtypes and identify the role of PDE4 subtype inhibition in the anti-inflammatory property of curcumin. Docking analysis has been used to acquire the above mentioned structural information and this has been further used for designing of curcumin derivatives with better anti-inflammatory activity., Materials and Methods: Curcumin and its analogues were subjected to docking using PDE4A, PDE4B, PDE4C and PDE4D as the targets. A data set comprising 18 analogues of curcumin, was used as ligands for docking of PDE4 subtypes. Curcumin was used as the standard for comparison. Docking was performed using AutoDock Vina 1.1.2 software integrated in LigandScout 4.1. During this process water molecules were removed from proteins, charges were added and receptor structures were minimised by applying suitable force fields. The docking scores were compared, and the selectivity of compounds for PDE4B over PDE4D was calculated as well., Results: All curcumin analogues used in the study showed good binding affinity with all PDE4 subtypes, with evident selectivity towards PDE4B subtype. Analogue A11 provides the highest binding affinity among all ligands., Conclusion: Curcumin and analogues have moderate to strong affinity towards all PDE4 subtypes and have evident selectivity towards PDE4B. The Oxygen atom of the methoxy group plays a key role in PDE4B binding and any alterations could interfere with the binding. Tetrahydropyran side chain and heterocyclic rings are also suggested to be helpful in PDE4B binding., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Previously, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated a series of quinolone-benzofuran derivatives as multitargeted anti-Alzheimer's disease (anti-AD) compounds, and we discovered that WBQ5187 possesses superior anti-AD bioactivity. In this work, we investigated the pharmacokinetics of this new molecule, as well as its therapeutic efficacy in restoring cognition and neuropathology, in the APP/PS1 mouse model of AD. Pharmacokinetic analyses demonstrated that WBQ5187 possessed rational oral bioavailability, metabolic stability, and excellent blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Pharmacodynamics studies indicated that a 12-week treatment with the lead compound at doses of 40 mg/kg or higher significantly enhanced the learning and memory performance of the APP/PS1 transgenic mice, and the effect was more potent than that of clioquinol (CQ). Furthermore, WBQ5187 notably reduced cerebral β-amyloid pathology, gliosis, and neuronal cell loss and increased the levels of cAMP in the hippocampus of these mice. The surrogate measures of emesis indicated that WBQ5187 had no effect at its cognitive effective doses. Overall, our results demonstrated that this compound markedly improves cognitive and spatial memory functions in AD mice and represents a promising pharmaceutical agent with potential for the treatment of AD.

Currently, it is in urgent need to develop novel selective PDE4 inhibitors with novel structural scaffolds to overcome the adverse effects and improve the efficacy. Novel 1-phenyl-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline amide derivatives were developed as potential PDE4 inhibitors based on the structure-based drug design and fragment identification strategy. A SARs analysis was performed in substituents attached in the C-3 side chain phenyl ring, indicating that the attachment of methoxy group or halogen atom substitution at the ortho-position of the phenyl ring was helpful to enhance both inhibitory activity toward PDE4B and selectivity. Compound 15 with excellent selectivity, exhibited the most potent inhibition in vitro and in vivo, which is a promising lead for development of a new class of selective PDE4 inhibitors., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) is a key enzyme involved in the hydrolysis of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and widely expressed in several types of cancers. The inhibition of PDE4 results in an increased concentration of intracellular cAMP levels that imparts the anti-inflammatory response in the target cells. In the present report, two series of triazolo-pyridine dicarbonitriles and substituted dihydropyridine dicarbonitriles were synthesized using green protocol (TBAB in refluxed water). We next evaluated the title compounds for their cytotoxicity towards lung cancer (A549) cells and identified 7'-[4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]-5'-oxo-1',5'-dihydrospiro[cyclohexane-1,2'-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine]-6',8'-dicarbonitrile (5h) and 7'-(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-5'-oxo-1',5'-dihydrospiro[cyclohexane-1,2'-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine]-6',8'-dicarbonitrile (5j) as lead analogs with the IC 50 values of 15.2 and 24.1 μm, respectively. Furthermore, all the new compounds were tested for PDE4 inhibitory activity and 5j showed relatively good inhibitory activity towards PDE4 with inhibition of 50.9 % at 10 μm. In silico analysis demonstrated the favorable interaction of the title compounds with the target enzyme. Taken together, the present study introduces a new scaffold for the development of novel PDE4 inhibitors to fight against inflammatory diseases., (© 2019 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

A series of 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives was designed, synthesized, and screened for their phosphodiesterase (PDE 4B) inhibitory activity and bronchodilation ability. Compound 7e showed 41.80% PDE 4B inhibition at 10 µM. Eight compounds were screened for their bronchodilator activity, where compounds 7f and 7e elicited promising bronchodilator activity with EC 50 values of 18.6 and 57.1 µM, respectively, compared to theophylline (EC 50  = 425 µM). Molecular docking at the PDE 4B active site revealed a binding mode and docking scores comparable to those of a reference ligand, consistent with their PDE 4B inhibition activity., (© 2019 Deutsche Pharmazeutische Gesellschaft.)

A new class of PDE4 inhibitors were designed and synthesized via the InCl 3 mediated heteroarylation of indoles and their further derivatization through the Pd(II)-catalyzed CH activation strategy. This effort allowed us to discover a series of 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-quinoxaline based inhibitors possessing PDE4B selectivity over PDE4D and PDE4C. One of these compounds i.e. 3b (PDE4B IC 50  = 0.39 ± 0.13 μM with ∼27 and > 250 fold selectivity for PDE4B over PDE4D and C, respectively) showed effects in Zebrafish experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of multiple sclerosis when dosed at 3, 10 and 30 mg/kg intraperitoneally. Indeed, it halted the progression of the disease across all these doses tested. At an intraperitoneal dose of 30 mg/kg the compound 3b showed promising effects in adjuvant induced arthritic rats. The compound reduced paw volume, inflammation and pannus formation (in the knee joints) as well as pro-inflammatory gene expression/mRNA levels significantly in arthritic rats. Moreover, this compound was found to be selective towards PDE4 over other families of PDEs in vitro and safe when tested for its probable toxicity (e.g. teratogenicity, hepatotoxicity and cardiotoxicity) in Zebrafish., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Aim: Due to the urgent need for effective drugs to treat schistosomiasis that act through a known molecular mechanism of action, we focused on a target-based approach with the aim to discover inhibitors of a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase from Schistosoma mansoni (SmPDE4A). Materials & methods: To discover new inhibitors of SmPDE4A homology models of the enzyme structure were constructed based on known human and protozoan homologs. The best two models were selected for subsequent virtual screening of our in-house chemical library. Results & conclusion: A total of 25 library compounds were selected for experimental confirmation as SmPDE4A inhibitors and after dose-response experiments, three top hits were identified. The results presented validate the virtual screening approach to identify new inhibitors for clinically relevant phosphodiesterases.

Psoriasis is a common, chronic inflammatory disease characterized by abnormal skin plaques, and the effectiveness of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor to lessen the symptoms of psoriasis has been proved. Aiming to find a novel PDE4 inhibitor acting as an effective, safe, and convenient therapeutic agent, we constructed a library consisting of berberine analogues, and compound 2 with a tetrahydroisoquinoline scaffold was identified as a novel and potent hit. The structure-aided and cell-based structure-activity relationship studies on a series of tetrahydro-isoquinolines lead to efficient discovery of a qualified lead compound (16) with the high potency and selectivity, well-characterized binding mechanism, high cell permeability, good safety and pharmacokinetic profile, and impressive in vivo efficacy on antipsoriasis, in particular with a topical application. Thus, our study presents a prime example for efficient discovery of novel, potent lead compounds derived from natural products using a combination of medicinal chemistry, biochemical, biophysical, and pharmacological approaches.

With the aim of studying their in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetics, new chromatographic methods were developed for the determination of three new roflumilast synthetic analogs (I-III) as PDE-4B inhibitors in rat liver S9 fraction, phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.4, and human and rat plasma. The developed high performance liquid chromatography-ultra violet (HPLC-UV) methods were performed on a Zorbax Eclipse C8 column and UV detection was carried out at 215 nm. The three compounds were tested for their metabolic stability and were found to be metabolically more stable than roflumilast especially the 2-mercaptobenzothiazol-6-yl analog (III) which displayed an in vitro half-life time (247.55 minutes) higher than that of roflumilast (12.29 minutes) and a low in vitro clearance of 5.67 mL/min./kg. Possible phase I metabolites were investigated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) showing hydroxylation of the unsubstituted benzothiazol-2-yl (I) and benzothiazole-6-yl (II) analogs and a cleaved benzothiazole metabolite of the 2-mercaptobenzothiazol-6-yl analog (III). Plasma protein binding affinity was tested using equilibrium membrane dialysis method showing a very high percentage (more than 95%) of plasma protein binding of compounds I and II where compound III exhibited lower percentage (53.71%) demonstrating its accessibility for tissue distribution. Also, a UPLC-MS/MS method was developed using an Acquity UPLC BEH shield RP C18 column to be applied to an in vivo pharmacokinetic study in rats following a subcutaneous dose (1 mg/kg). Compounds I-III showed improved in vivo pharmacokinetic parameters especially compound III which displayed a half-life 3-fold greater than roflumilast (21 hours) and a C max value of 113.958 ng/mL. Accordingly, this new chemical entity should be subjected to further investigation as it can be a good drug candidate for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Novel pyridine- and pyrimidine-based allosteric inhibitors are reported that achieve PDE4D subtype selectivity through recognition of a single amino acid difference on a key regulatory domain, known as UCR2, that opens and closes over the catalytic site for cAMP hydrolysis. The design and optimization of lead compounds was based on iterative analysis of X-ray crystal structures combined with metabolite identification. Selectivity for the activated, dimeric form of PDE4D provided potent memory enhancing effects in a mouse model of novel object recognition with improved tolerability and reduced vascular toxicity over earlier PDE4 inhibitors that lack subtype selectivity. The lead compound, 28 (BPN14770), has entered midstage, human phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of Fragile X Syndrome.

Both phosphodiesterase (PDE4) inhibitors and omega-9 fatty acids show anti-inflammatory activity for treating inflamed skin diseases, but their efficacy remains low. Combinatorial agents are anticipated to offer an advanced strategy for efficient therapy. We prepared cilomilast-loaded oleic acid (OA) nanocarriers to test the inhibitory capability against human neutrophil stimulation and a murine psoriasis model. OA played dual roles in the nanocarriers as both the active ingredient and lipid matrix in the nanoparticulate core. OA nanoparticles but not free OA could restrain calcium mobilization in activated neutrophils. The inhibition level of superoxide anion and elastase by cilomilast-loaded OA nanocarriers approximated that of free forms. In the mouse model, the intradermal nanosystems reduced imiquimod-induced epidermal thickening from 230.4 to 63.1 μm. Transepidermal water loss was decreased from 30.2 to 11.3 g/m 2 /h by integrated nanocarriers. The nanosystems mitigated neutrophil infiltration and hyperproliferation in the psoriasiform lesion via decreased expression of cytokines and chemokines. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The long-term therapy for psoriasis is unsatisfactory due to the possible adverse effects and inefficiency after prolonged use. Both phosphodiesterase (PDE4) inhibitors and omega-9 fatty acids such as oleic acid (OA) show anti-inflammatory activity for treating inflamed skin diseases. Combinatorial agents are anticipated to offer an advanced strategy for efficient therapy. OA is also ideal for incorporation into nanoparticles to enhance particulate emulsification, drug entrapment, and biocompatibility. We prepared cilomilast-loaded oleic acid (OA) nanocarriers to test the inhibitory capability against human neutrophil stimulation and a murine psoriasis lesion. OA nanocarriers are indigenous to prevent neutrophil activation and the deterioration of psoriatic lesion. Cilomilast incorporation in OA nanocarriers could further mitigate the clinical score and suppressing proinflammatory mediators., (Copyright © 2019 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Growing evidence confirms the potential of PDE4 inhibitors for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Our reported PDE4 inhibitors FCPR16 and FCPR03 have displayed neuroprotective effects in SH-SY5Y cells, but have very low oral bioavailability. To access analogues with improved bioavailability, a new series of arylbenzylamine derivatives were designed and synthesized. Preliminary screening results of the series showed that arylbenzylamine derivatives bearing a pyridin-3-amine side chain displayed good inhibitory activities against human PDE4B1 and PDE4D7 isoforms. Moreover, kinetic studies revealed that the most potent compounds 11r and 11s with mid-nanomolar IC 50 values partially bind to PDE4B1 (I max  = 93% and 90% respectively). Molecular docking results revealed the possible interactions of compounds 11r and 11s with upstream conserved region 2 (UCR2) of PDE4B1, which illuminate possible reasons for their partial inhibition against PDE4. Using a cell-based model of PD, compounds 11r and 11s were found to alleviate cellular apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells induced by MPP + (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium), with this neuroprotective effect being greater than PDE4 inhibitor rolipram. Furthermore, compound 11r displayed nearly sevenfold oral bioavailability (8.20%) than FCPR03 (1.23%)., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)