Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of pyrazolo-[3,4-b]pyridine derivatives as adenosine...

A series of pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their activation activity toward adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). According to the enzyme activity, the pyrazole N-H exposure and para substitution on the diphenyl group were proved to be essential for the activation potency. Compound 17f showed equal activation compared with A-769662. In the molecular modeling study, compound 17f exhibited important hydrogen bond interaction with Lys29, Asp88, and Arg83. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays on the NRK-49F cell line showed that potent enzyme activators could effectively inhibit cell proliferation, especially for 17f (EC₅₀ [AMPKα1γ1β1] = 0.42 μM, efficacy = 79%; IC₅₀ [NRK-49F cell line] = 0.78 μM). These results might provide new insights to explore novel AMPK activators.