This Review summarizes close to 500 primary publications and surveys published since 2000 about the syntheses and diverse bioactivities of C-glycopyranosyl (het)arenes. A classification of the preparative routes to these synthetic targets according to methodologies and compound categories is provided. Several of these compounds, regardless of their natural or synthetic origin, display antidiabetic properties due to enzyme inhibition (glycogen phosphorylase, protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B) or by inhibiting renal sodium-dependent glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2). The latter class of synthetic inhibitors, very recently approved as antihyperglycemic drugs, opens new perspectives in the pharmacological treatment of type 2 diabetes. Various compounds with the C-glycopyranosyl (het)arene motif were subjected to biological studies displaying among others antioxidant, antiviral, antibiotic, antiadhesive, cytotoxic, and glycoenzyme inhibitory effects.

This article is part of a themed section on Inventing New Therapies Without Reinventing the Wheel: The Power of Drug Repurposing. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.2/issuetoc.

C-β-d-Glucopyranosyl pyrrole derivatives were prepared in the reactions of pyrrole, 2-, and 3-aryl-pyrroles with O-peracetylated β-d-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate, while 2-(β-d-glucopyranosyl) indole was obtained by a cross coupling of O-perbenzylated β-d-glucopyranosyl acetylene with N-tosyl-2-iodoaniline followed by spontaneous ring closure. An improved synthesis of O-perbenzoylated 2-(β-d-glucopyranosyl) imidazoles was achieved by reacting C-glucopyranosyl formimidates with α-aminoketones. The deprotected compounds were assayed with isoforms of glycogen phosphorylase (GP) to show no activity of the pyrroles against rabbit muscle GPb. The imidazoles proved to be the best known glucose derived inhibitors of not only the muscle enzymes (both a and b) but also of the pharmacologically relevant human liver GPa (Ki = 156 and 26 nM for the 4(5)-phenyl and -(2-naphthyl) derivatives, respectively). An X-ray crystallographic study of the rmGPb-imidazole complexes revealed structural features of the strong binding, and also allowed to explain the absence of inhibition for the pyrrole derivatives.

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Inhibition of glycogen phosphorylases may lead to pharmacological treatments of diseases in which glycogen metabolism plays an important role: first of all in diabetes, but also in cardiovascular and tumorous disorders. C-(β-DGlucopyranosyl) isoxazole, pyrazole, thiazole, and imidazole type compounds were synthesized, and the latter showed the strongest inhibition against rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase b. Most efficient was 2-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-4(5)-(2-naphthyl)-imidazole (11b, K i = 31 nM) representing the best nanomolar glucose derived inhibitor of the enzyme.

triazoles are novel skeletons to inhibit glycogen phosphorylase in the nanomolar range.Best inhibitors of rabbit muscle R = 4-aminophenyl

Inhibitors a b s t r a c tA series of per-O-benzoylated 5-b-D-glucopyranosyl-2-substituted-1,3,4-oxadiazoles was prepared by acylation of the corresponding 5-(b-D-glucopyranosyl)tetrazole. As an alternative, oxidation of 2,6-anhydro-aldose benzoylhydrazones by iodobenzene I,I-diacetate afforded the same oxadiazoles. 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxides to per-O-benzoylated b-D-glucopyranosyl cyanide gave the corresponding 5-b-D-glucopyranosyl-3-substituted-1,2,4-oxadiazoles. The O-benzoyl protecting groups were removed by base-catalyzed transesterification. The 1,3,4-oxadiazoles were practically inefficient as inhibitors of rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase b while the 1,2,4-oxadiazoles displayed inhibitory activities in the micromolar range. The best inhibitors were the 5-b-D-glucopyranosyl-3-(4-methylphenyl-and -2-naphthyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazoles (K i = 8.8 and 11.6 lM, respectively). A detailed analysis of the structureactivity relationships is presented.

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