Synthesis of 5-trifluoromethyl-2-sulfonylpyridine PPARβ/δ antagonists: Effects on the affinity and selectivity towards PPARβ/δ

The covalent modification of peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor beta/delta (PPAR beta/delta) is part of the mode of action of 5-trifluoromethyl-2-sulfonylpyridine PPAR beta/delta antagonists such as GSK3787 and CC618. Herein, the synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation of a range of structural analogues of the two antagonists are reported. The new ligands demonstrate that an improvement in the selectivity of 5-trifluoromethyl-2-sulfonylpyridine antagonists towards PPAR beta/delta is achievable at the expense of their immediate affinity for PPAR beta/delta. However, their putatively covalent and irreversible mode of action may ensure their efficacy over time, as observed in time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET)-based ligand displacement assays. (c) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.