The nuclear hormone receptor PPARgamma is activated by several agonists, including members of the thiazolidinedione group of insulin sensitizers. Pleiotropic beneficial effects of these agonists, independent of their blood glucose-lowering effects, have recently been demonstrated in the vasculature. PPARgamma agonists have been shown to lower blood pressure in animals and humans, perhaps by suppressing the renin-angiotensin (Ang)-aldosterone system (RAAS), including the inhibition of Ang II type 1 receptor expression, Ang-II-mediated signaling pathways, and Ang-II-induced adrenal aldosterone synthesis/secretion. PPARgamma agonists also inhibit the progression of atherosclerosis in animals and humans, possibly through a pathway involving the suppression of RAAS and the thromboxane A2 system, as well as the protection of endothelial function. Moreover, PPARgamma-agonist-mediated renal protection, especially the reduction of albuminuria, has been observed in diabetic nephropathy, including animal models of the disease, and in non-diabetic renal dysfunction. The renal protective activities may reflect, at least in part, the ability of PPARgamma agonists to lower blood pressure, protect endothelial function, and cause vasodilation of the glomerular efferent arterioles. Additionally, anti-neoplastic effects of PPARgamma agonists have recently been described. Based on the multiple therapeutic actions of PPARgamma agonists, they will no doubt lead to novel approaches in the treatment of lifestyle-related and other diseases.
Animals ; Atherosclerosis/prevention & control ; Humans ; Hypertension/drug therapy ; Hypoglycemic Agents/*pharmacology ; Kidney Diseases/etiology ; PPAR gamma/*agonists ; PPAR-beta/agonists

A series of tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives were prepared and their peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha/gamma agonistic activities were evaluated to obtain more potent PPAR agonist. All of them were new compounds, and their structures were confirmed by 1H NMR and HR-MS. Three compounds exhibited higher agonistic activities of PPARgamma than that of the comparison, six compounds exhibited higher agonistic activities of PPARalpha than that of the comparison, and compound 8a was discovered as a highly potent PPARalpha/gamma agonist that is much more active than that of WY14643 and rosiglitazone. The development of potent PPAR agonists may offer a new choice for the treatment of diabetes.
Drug Design ; HEK293 Cells ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; PPAR alpha ; agonists ; metabolism ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; metabolism ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Tetrahydroisoquinolines ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Transfection

A series of novel tetrahydrocarboline derivatives was designed and synthesized in order to discover more potent peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha/gamma dual regulators. The structures of these compounds were confirmed by 1H NMR and HR-MS; their PPAR-regulating activities were evaluated in vitro. Compounds 6h, 6n, 6p and 6q exhibited more potent PPARalpha agonistic activities than the control drug WY14643, while compounds 60, 6g, 6i and 6q exhibited more potent PPARgamma agonistic activities than the control drug rosiglitazone. Compound 6q was discovered as a potent PPARalpha/gamma dual agonist and deserves further investigation.
Animals ; Carbolines ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Drug Design ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; PPAR alpha ; agonists ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors ; agonists ; Pyrimidines ; metabolism ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Thiazolidinediones ; metabolism ; Transfection

In-vitro assay methods were established to evaluate transactivation and binding activity of compounds on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor y (PPARγ). Firstly, plasmids were constructed for transactivation assay of PPARγ response element (PPRE) triggered reporter gene expression, and for cell-based binding activity assay of the chimeric receptor, which was fused with PPARγ ligand binding domain (LBD) and yeast transcriptional activator Gal4. Secondly, by using PPARy competitive binding assay based on time resolved-fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET), affinities of compounds and drugs to PPARγ were evaluated. In application of these above methods, the PPARγ activating potency and characteristics of different compounds were evaluated, and a novel benzeneselfonamide derivative, ZLJ01, was found to have comparable binding activity and affinity with the well-known PPARy agonist, but lack of PPRE mediated transactivation activity. In preliminary study on in-vitro hypoglycemic activity, ZLJ1 was found to promote insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by liver cells. Therefore, we believe that combining transactivation and binding activity as well as affinity evaluation, the system could be used to screen non-agonist PPARγ ligand as anovel PPARγ modulator
Genes, Reporter ; Hepatocytes ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; chemistry ; Ligands ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; chemistry ; Plasmids ; Response Elements ; Sulfonamides ; chemistry ; Transcriptional Activation

Atherosclerosis ; blood ; drug therapy ; etiology ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Humans ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; blood ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; Vasculitis ; complications

AIMTo find new peroxisome proliferator-activated y agonists with high activity and low toxicity.

METHODSBased on JTT-501 and JTT-20993, new isoxazolidine-3,5-dione and noncyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds were designed and synthesized. Their insulin-sensitizing activities were evaluated.

RESULTSEight new compounds were obtained. The structures of synthesized compounds were characterized by NMR, MS and IR. Four compounds (1A-4A) showed insulin-sensitizing activities.

CONCLUSIONCompounds (1A and 3A) showed excellent insulin-sensitizing activities and should be worth further investigation.

3T3-L1 Cells ; Animals ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; agonists ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; Insulin ; pharmacology ; Isoxazoles ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; Mice ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology

AIMTo design and synthesize new phenyloxyisobutyric acid analogues as antidiabetic compounds.

METHODSEight new target compounds were synthesized by combination of lipophilic moieties and acidic moiety with nucleophilic replacement or Mitsunobu condensation. The eight compounds were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and MS.

RESULTSIn vitro insulin-sensitizing activity (3T3-L1 adipocyte) demonstrated, that the cultured glucose concentration of up-clear solution detected with GOD-POD assay were 5.942, 6.339, 6.226 and 6.512 mmol x L(-1), respectively, when rosiglitazone, pioglitazone, compounds A and B were added to the insulin-resistant system.

CONCLUSIONIn vitro insulin-sensitizing activity of target compound A is in between that of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, and activity of target compound B is slightly less than that of pioglitazone.

3T3-L1 Cells ; Adipocytes ; drug effects ; Animals ; Butyrates ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Insulin ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Molecular Structure ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) agonist on the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mRNA expression in monocyte-derived macrophages of essential hypertensive patients.

METHODSTotally 57 essential hypertensive patients were randomly divided into three groups: conventional treatment group (n=18), telmisartan group (n=19), and benazepril group (n=20); 20 patients with normal blood pressure were also selected as the control group. Monocyte-derived macrophages were isolated from blood samples of patients in all four groups. The expression of ACE2 mRNA in monocyte-derived macrophages was detected by RT-PCR before treatment and 4 and 12 weeks after treatment.

RESULTSFour and 12 weeks after treatment, the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure of telmisartan group and benazepril group were significantly lower than that of the conventional treatment group (all P<0.01), and the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure of telmisartan group were significantly lower than that of the benazepril group(both P<0.01) .The expression of ACE2 mRNA in monocyte-derived macrophages were significantly lower in essential hypertensive patients than that in control group (P<0.01). After having been treated for 4 weeks and 12 weeks, the expression of ACE2 mRNA in monocyte-derived macrophages of hypertensive patients in telmisartan and benazepril groups were significantly higher than that in conventional treatment group (all P<0.01), and the expression of ACE2 mRNA in telmisartan group was significantly higher than that in benazepril group (both P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONPPAR-&gamma; agonist could increase the ACE2 mRNA expression in monocyte-derived macrophages of essential hypertensive patients.

Aged ; Benzazepines ; pharmacology ; Benzimidazoles ; pharmacology ; Benzoates ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; Macrophages ; enzymology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics

Agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) are of interest as a treatment of type II diabetes, and indenone derivatives are a new class of non-TZD PPARgamma agonists. Based on existing indenone derivatives, a series of novel ones have been designed and synthesized. Meanwhile the structures have been comfirmed with 1H NMR and MS. Among them, 17b and 19 showed higher agonistic activities than rosiglitazone.
Drug Design ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; pharmacology ; Indenes ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Mass Spectrometry ; Molecular Structure ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of GW4064, a farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist, on adiponectin and its receptors during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and on adiponectin receptors in HepG2 cells.

METHODSThe mRNA expressions of FXR, PPAR&gamma;2, adiponectin, AdipoR1, and AdipoR2 and the protein levels of adiponectin on days 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes treated with GW4064 were detected by fluorescent real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. The mRNA expressions of AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 in HepG2 cells were also examined at 0, 12, 24, and 48 h after GW4064 treatment.

RESULTSThe mRNA expressions of FXR, PPAR&gamma;2, adiponectin, and AdipoR2 in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and AdipoR2 in HepG2 cells treated with GW4064 was significantly increased compared with the control group (all P<0.05). The protein level of adiponectin was also significantly increased after GW4064 treatment. The expression of AdipoR1 in either 3T3-L1 preadipocytes or HepG2 cells showed no significant changes after GW4064 treatment.

CONCLUSIONGW4064 can up-regulate the expressions of FXR, PPAR&gamma;2, adiponectin, AdipoR2 in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and AdipoR2 in HepG2 cells. As adiponectin and its receptors are two important factors in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, FXR agonist may potentially produce therapeutic effect on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and can regulate adipocytes via up-regulating PPAR&gamma; during adipocyte differentiation.

3T3-L1 Cells ; Adiponectin ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Isoxazoles ; pharmacology ; Mice ; PPAR gamma ; metabolism ; Receptors, Adiponectin ; metabolism ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear ; agonists