A series of 2-methoxyacylhydrazones were optimized to yield compounds with high affinity for PDE10A. Several compounds demonstrated efficacy in animal models of schizophrenia, including conditioned avoidance response and a pro-psychotic phencyclidine hyperactivity model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are represented by a large superfamily of enzymes. A series of hydrazone-based inhibitors was synthesized and shown to be novel, potent, and selective against PDE10A. Optimized compounds of this class were efficacious in animal models of schizophrenia and may be useful for the treatment of this disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCarbocyclic nucleosides are of considerable interest for the development of new therapeutic agents. A key reaction in the preparation of many such nucleoside analogues is dihydroxylation of appropriately substituted cyclopentenes. Although often considered a routine reaction, in this paper, we report the dramatic influence of substituents on the facial selectivity of dihydroxylations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmall-colony variants (SCVs) of Staphylococcus aureus exhibit characteristics of bacteria that can penetrate mammalian cells and remain intracellular and innocuous for indefinite periods. These properties make SCVs a convenient tool that can be used to identify new antibacterial agents having activity against intracellular, quiescent bacteria. Agents active against SCVs could be useful in the treatment of chronic staphylococcal infections such as bovine mastitis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCarbocyclic uracil polyoxin C (+)-2 and its alpha-epimer (-)-3 were synthesized in an efficient fashion from cis-4-(N-tert-butylcarbamoyl)cyclopent-2-en-1-ol (+/-)-7. The synthesis incorporates a concise, inexpensive chemoenzymatic synthesis of enantiopure aminocyclopentenols, a Pd(0)-catalyzed substitution reaction, and a mild reduction of an alpha-nitro ester by TiCl(3)/sodium borohydride. Significantly, this process demonstrates the synthetic utility of the versatile enantiopure aminocyclopentenol building block (-)-4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring the course of a collaborative screening program, a set of 1-phenyl-4-pyridyl-butadienes was found to exhibit in vitro activity against Eimeria tenella in a cell-based assay. Activity was dependent on the chain length and degree of unsaturation of the linker between the two aryl groups as well as substitution of the pyridine moiety. Structure-activity relationship studies were subsequently conducted over a larger range of 1,4-diarylbutadienes in order to determine the scope of active compounds, to identify structural patterns governing activity and to enhance in vitro potency against E.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF