The neuroprotective action of JNK3 inhibitors based on the 6,7-dihydro-5H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]imidazole scaffold

Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2005 Nov 1;15(21):4666-70. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2005.07.076.

Abstract

Imidazole-based structures of p38 inhibitors served as a starting point for the design of JNK3 inhibitors. Construction of a 6,7-dihydro-5H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]imidazole scaffold led to the synthesis of the (S)-enantiomers, which exhibited p38/JNK3 IC50 ratio of up to 10 and were up to 20 times more potent inhibitors of JNK3 than the relevant (R)-enantiomers. The JNK3 inhibitory potency correlated well with inhibition of c-Jun phosphorylation and neuroprotective properties of the compounds in low K+-induced cell death of rat cerebellar granule neurones.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Cerebellum / cytology
  • Imidazoles
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 10 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neuroprotective Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Neuroprotective Agents / pharmacology
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemical synthesis*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • Imidazoles
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 10
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases