Inhibitory effects of endocannabinoid on the action potential of pacemaker cells in sinoatrial nodes of rabbits.

Endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) has protective effect on the heart against ischemia/reperfusion injury and arrhythmia, but the electrophysiological mechanism is unclear yet. In this study, the sinoatrial node (SAN) samples from New Zealand rabbits were prepared, and intracellular recording technique was used to elucidate the effect of AEA on the action potential (AP) of SAN pacemaker cells of rabbits and the mechanism. Different concentrations of AEA (1, 10, 100, 200, 500 nmol/L) were applied cumulatively.

Discovery and characterization of non-ATP site inhibitors of the mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinases.

Inhibition of protein kinases has validated therapeutic utility for cancer, with at least seven kinase inhibitor drugs on the market. Protein kinase inhibition also has significant potential for a variety of other diseases, including diabetes, pain, cognition, and chronic inflammatory and immunologic diseases. However, as the vast majority of current approaches to kinase inhibition target the highly conserved ATP-binding site, the use of kinase inhibitors in treating nononcology diseases may require great selectivity for the target kinase.

Discovery of a new class of 4-anilinopyrimidines as potent c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitors: Synthesis and SAR studies.

A new series of 4-anilinopyrimidines has been synthesized and evaluated as JNK1 inhibitors. SAR studies led to the discovery of potent JNK1 inhibitors with good enzymatic activity as well as cellular potency represented by compound 2b. Kinase selectivity profile and the crystal structure of 2b are also described.

Aminopyridine carboxamides as c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitors: targeting the gatekeeper residue and beyond.

The structure-activity relationships of 5,6-positions of aminopyridine carboxamide-based c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) inhibitors were explored to expand interaction with the kinase specificity and ribose-binding pockets. The syntheses of analogues and the impact of structural modification on in vitro potency and cellular activity are described.

Discovery of potent, highly selective, and orally bioavailable pyridine carboxamide c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase inhibitors.

C-Jun NH2 terminal kinases (JNKs) are important cell signaling enzymes. JNK1 plays a central role in linking obesity and insulin resistance. JNK2 and JNK3 may be involved in inflammatory and neurological disorders, respectively.

Aminopyridine-based c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitors with cellular activity and minimal cross-kinase activity.

The c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK-1, -2, and -3) are members of the mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase family of enzymes. They are activated in response to certain cytokines, as well as by cellular stresses including chemotoxins, peroxides, and irradiation. They have been implicated in the pathology of a variety of different diseases with an inflammatory component including asthma, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Synthesis and SAR of 1,9-dihydro-9-hydroxypyrazolo[3,4-b]quinolin-4-ones as novel, selective c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitors.

A novel class of 1,9-dihydro-9-hydroxypyrazolo[3,4-b]quinolin-4-ones as c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitors is described. These compounds were synthesized via the condensation of 2-nitrobenzaldehydes and hydroxypyrazoles. The structure-activity relationships (SAR) and kinase selectivity profile of the inhibitors are also discussed.

Novel inhibitors of bacterial protein synthesis: structure-activity relationships for 1,8-naphthyridine derivatives incorporating position 3 and 4 variants.

Structure-activity relationships for a recently discovered novel ribosome inhibitor (NRI) class of antibacterials were investigated. Preliminary efforts to optimize protein synthesis inhibitory activity of the series through modification of positions 3 and 4 of the naphthyridone lead template resulted in the identification of several biochemically potent analogues. A lack of corresponding whole cell antibacterial activity is thought to be a consequence of poor cellular penetration as evidenced by the enhancement of activity observed for a lead analogue tested in the presence of a cell permeabilizing agent.