Mining biologically-active molecules for inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH): identification of phenmedipham and amperozide as FAAH inhibitors

Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2009 Dec 1;19(23):6793-6. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2009.09.086. Epub 2009 Sep 30.

Abstract

The screening of known medicinal agents against new biological targets has been shown to be a valuable approach for revealing new pharmacology of marketed compounds. Recently, carbamate, urea and ketone inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) have been described as promising treatments for pain, anxiety, depression and other CNS-related conditions. In order to find novel FAAH inhibitors, a focused screen of molecules containing potentially reactive moieties or having in vivo effects that are possibly relevant to the biology of FAAH was conducted. These studies revealed phenmedipham 13 and amperozide 14 to be inhibitors of human FAAH, with an IC(50) of 377 nM and 1.34 microM, respectively.

MeSH terms

  • Amidohydrolases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Carbamates / chemical synthesis
  • Carbamates / chemistry
  • Carbamates / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Design
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Piperazines / chemical synthesis
  • Piperazines / chemistry
  • Piperazines / pharmacology*
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Carbamates
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Piperazines
  • amperozide
  • Amidohydrolases
  • fatty-acid amide hydrolase
  • phenmedipham