Synthesis of new glycyrrhetinic acid derived ring A azepanone, 29-urea and 29-hydroxamic acid derivatives as selective 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 inhibitors

Glycyrrhetinic acid, the metabolite of the natural product glycyrrhizin, is a well known nonselective inhibitor of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta-HSD) type 1 and type 2. Whereas inhibition of 11 beta-HSD1 is currently under consideration for treatment of metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, 11 beta-HSD2 inhibitors may find therapeutic applications in chronic inflammatory diseases and certain forms of cancer. Recently, we published a series of hydroxamic acid derivatives of glycyrrhetinic acid showing high selectivity for 11 beta-HSD2. The most potent and selective compound is active against human 11 beta-HSD2 in the low nanomolar range with a 350-fold selectivity over human 11 beta-HSD1. Starting from the lead compounds glycyrrhetinic acid and the hydroxamic acid derivatives, novel triterpene type derivatives were synthesized and analyzed for their biological activity against overexpressed human 11 beta-HSD1 and 11 beta-HSD2 in cell lysates. Here we describe novel 29-urea- and 29-hydroxamic acid derivatives of glycyrrhetinic acid as well as derivatives with the Beckman rearrangement of the 3-oxime to a seven-membered ring, and the rearrangement of the C-ring from 11-keto-12-ene to 12-keto-9(11)-ene. The combination of modifications on different positions led to compounds comprising further improved selective inhibition of 11 beta-HSD2 in the lower nanomolar range with up to 3600-fold selectivity. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.