BI 1356 [proposed trade name ONDERO; (R)-8-(3-aminopiperidin-1-yl)-7-but-2-ynyl-3-methyl-1-(4-methyl-quinazolin-2-ylmethyl)-3,7-dihydro-purine-2,6-dione] is a novel dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitor under clinical development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In this study, we investigated the potency, selectivity, mechanism, and duration of action of BI 1356 in vitro and in vivo and compared it with other DPP-4 inhibitors. BI 1356 inhibited DPP-4 activity in vitro with an IC 50 of approximately 1 nM, compared with sitagliptin (19 nM), alogliptin (24 nM), saxagliptin (50 nM), and vildagliptin (62 nM). BI 1356 was a competitive inhibitor, with a K i of 1 nM. The calculated k off rate for BI 1356 was 3.0 ϫ 10 Ϫ5 /s (versus 2.1 ϫ 10 Ϫ4 /s for vildagliptin). BI 1356 was Ն10,000-fold more selective for DPP-4 than DPP-8, DPP-9, aminopeptidases N and P, prolyloligopeptidase, trypsin, plasmin, and thrombin and was 90-fold more selective than for fibroblast activation protein in vitro. In HanWistar rats, the DPP-4 inhibition 24 h after administration of BI 1356 was more profound than with any of the other DPP-4 inhibitors. In C57BL/6J mice and Zucker fatty (fa/fa) rats, the duration of action on glucose tolerance decreased in the order BI 1356 Ͼ (sitagliptin/saxagliptin) Ͼ vildagliptin. These effects were mediated through control of glucagon-like peptide-1 and insulin. In conclusion, BI 1356 inhibited DPP-4 more effectively than vildagliptin, sitagliptin, saxagliptin, and alogliptin and has the potential to become the first truly oncea-day DPP-4 inhibitor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

A new chemical class of potent DPP-4 inhibitors structurally derived from the xanthine scaffold for the treatment of type 2 diabetes has been discovered and evaluated. Systematic structural variations have led to 1 (BI 1356), a highly potent, selective, long-acting, and orally active DPP-4 inhibitor that shows considerable blood glucose lowering in different animal species. 1 is currently undergoing clinical phase IIb trials and holds the potential for once-daily treatment of type 2 diabetics.

Long-chain saturated fatty acids are cytotoxic to pancreatic L L-cells while shorter-chain saturated and long-chain unsaturated molecules are better tolerated. Mono-unsaturated fatty acids are not, however, inert since they inhibit the proapoptotic e¡ects of saturated molecules. In the present work we show that the mono-unsaturates palmitoleate (C16:1) or oleate (C18:1) also cause marked inhibition of apoptosis induced by exposure of clonal BRIN-BD11 L L-cells to serum withdrawal or a combination of interleukin-1L L plus interferon-Q Q. This response was dose-dependent and not accompanied by changes in NO formation. Taken together, the results suggest that mono-unsaturated fatty acids regulate a distal step common to several apoptotic pathways in pancreatic L L-cells.

The clinical impact of the fibrate and thiazolidinedione drugs on dyslipidemia and diabetes is driven mainly through activation of two transcription factors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR)-α and PPAR-γ. However, substantial differences exist in the therapeutic and side-effect profiles of specific drugs. This has been attributed primarily to the complexity of drug-target complexes that involve many coregulatory proteins in the context of specific target gene promoters. Recent data have revealed that some PPAR ligands interact with other non-PPAR targets. Here we review concepts used to develop new agents that preferentially modulate transcriptional complex assembly, target more than one PPAR receptor simultaneously, or act as partial agonists. We highlight newly described on-target mechanisms of PPAR regulation including phosphorylation and nongenomic regulation. We briefly describe the recently discovered non-PPAR protein targets of thiazolidinediones, mitoNEET, and mTOT. Finally, we summarize the contributions of on- and off-target actions to select therapeutic and side effects of PPAR ligands including insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular actions, inflammation, and carcinogenicity.

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