Inhibitory properties of ibuprofen and its amide analogues towards the hydrolysis and cyclooxygenation of the endocannabinoid anandamide

J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem. 2013 Feb;28(1):172-82. doi: 10.3109/14756366.2011.643304. Epub 2012 Jan 6.

Abstract

A dual-action cyclooxygenase (COX)-fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor may have therapeutic usefulness as an analgesic, but a key issue is finding the right balance of inhibitory effects. This can be done by the design of compounds exhibiting different FAAH/COX-inhibitory potencies. In the present study, eight ibuprofen analogues were investigated. Ibuprofen (1), 2-(4-Isobutylphenyl)-N-(2-(3-methylpyridin-2-ylamino)-2-oxoethyl)propanamide (9) and N-(3-methylpyridin-2-yl)-2-(4'-isobutylphenyl)propionamide (2) inhibited FAAH with IC(50) values of 134, 3.6 and 0.52 µM respectively. The corresponding values for COX-1 were ~29, ~50 and ~60 µM, respectively. Using arachidonic acid as substrate, the compounds were weak inhibitors of COX-2. However, when anandamide was used as COX-2 substrate, potency increased, with approximate IC(50) values of ~6, ~10 and ~19 µM, respectively. Compound 2 was confirmed to be active in vivo in a murine model of visceral nociception, but the effects of the compound were not blocked by CB receptor antagonists.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amidohydrolases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Animals
  • Arachidonic Acids / metabolism*
  • Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic
  • Cyclooxygenase 1 / metabolism
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 / metabolism
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Design
  • Endocannabinoids / metabolism*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Hydrolysis
  • Ibuprofen / analogs & derivatives*
  • Ibuprofen / pharmacology
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Polyunsaturated Alkamides / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Visceral Pain / drug therapy

Substances

  • Arachidonic Acids
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors
  • Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors
  • Endocannabinoids
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Polyunsaturated Alkamides
  • Cyclooxygenase 1
  • Cyclooxygenase 2
  • PTGS1 protein, human
  • PTGS2 protein, human
  • Amidohydrolases
  • fatty-acid amide hydrolase
  • anandamide
  • Ibuprofen