Development of a potent inhibitor of 2-arachidonoylglycerol hydrolysis with antinociceptive activity in vivo

Although inhibitors of the enzymatic hydrolysis of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol are available, they are either rather weak in vitro (IC50 > 30 mu M) or their selectivity towards other proteins of the endocannabinoid system has not been tested. Here we describe the synthesis and activity in vitro and in vivo of a tetrahydrolipstatin analogue, OMDM169, as a potent inhibitor of 2-AG hydrolysis, capable of enhancing 2-AG levels and of exerting analgesic activity via indirect activation of cannabinoid receptors. OMDM169 exhibited 0.13 mu M < IC50 < 0.41 mu M towards 2-AG hydrolysing activities in COS-7 cells and rat cerebellum, and inhibited (IC50 = 0.89 mu M) the human recombinant MAGI, whilst being inactive (K-i > 10 mu M) at human CB1 and CB2 receptors. However, OMDM169 shared with tetrahydrolipstatin the capability of inhibiting the human pancreatic lipase (IC50 = 0.6 mu M). OMDM169 inhibited fatty acid amide hydrolase and diacylglycerol lipase only at higher concentrations (IC50 = 3.0 and 2.8 mu M, respectively), and, accordingly, it increased by similar to 1.6-fold the levels of 2-AG, but not anandamide, in intact ionomycin-stimulated N18TG2 neuroblastoma cells. Acute intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of OMDM169 to mice inhibited the second phase of the formalin-induced nocifensive response with an IC50 of similar to 2.5 mg/kg, and concomitantly elevated 2-AG, but not anandamide, levels in the ipsilateral paw of formalin-treated mice. The antinociceptive effect of OMDM169 was antagonized by antagonists of CB1 and CB2 receptors, AM251 and AM630, respectively (1 mg/kg, i.p.). OMDM69 might represent a template for the development of selective and even more potent inhibitors of 2-AG hydrolysis. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.