Structure-Activity Relationship Study of Heterocyclic Phenylethenyl and Pyridinylethenyl Derivatives as Tau-Imaging Agents That Selectively Detect Neurofibrillary Tangles in Alzheimer's Disease Brains

J Med Chem. 2015 Sep 24;58(18):7241-57. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00440. Epub 2015 Sep 1.

Abstract

In order to explore novel tau-imaging agents that can selectively detect neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, we designed and synthesized a series of heterocyclic phenylethenyl and (3-pyridinyl)ethenyl derivatives with or without a dimethyl amino group. In in vitro autoradiography using AD brain sections, all radioiodinated ligands with a dimethyl amino group bound to Aβ deposits in the sections. In contrast, the ligands without a dimethyl amino group showed different patterns of radioactivity accumulation in the sections depending on the kind of heterocycle contained in their molecules. Particularly, a phenylethenyl benzimidazole derivative ([(125)I]64) showed marked radioactivity accumulation in the temporal lobe which corresponded with the distribution of tau deposits. [(125)I]64 also showed the most favorable pharmacokinetics in normal mouse brains (3.69 and 0.06% ID/g at 2 and 60 min postinjection, respectively) among all ligands in this study. Taken together, these results suggest that [(123)I]64 may be a new candidate tau-imaging agent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnostic imaging*
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Autoradiography
  • Benzimidazoles / chemical synthesis
  • Benzimidazoles / chemistry*
  • Benzimidazoles / pharmacokinetics
  • Benzofurans / chemical synthesis
  • Benzofurans / chemistry
  • Benzofurans / pharmacokinetics
  • Benzothiazoles / chemical synthesis
  • Benzothiazoles / chemistry
  • Benzothiazoles / pharmacokinetics
  • Benzoxazoles / chemical synthesis
  • Benzoxazoles / chemistry
  • Benzoxazoles / pharmacokinetics
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Humans
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Neurofibrillary Tangles / diagnostic imaging*
  • Neurofibrillary Tangles / metabolism
  • Pyridines / chemical synthesis
  • Pyridines / chemistry*
  • Pyridines / pharmacokinetics
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / chemical synthesis
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / chemistry*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / pharmacokinetics
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Styrenes / chemical synthesis
  • Styrenes / chemistry*
  • Styrenes / pharmacokinetics
  • Temporal Lobe / diagnostic imaging
  • Temporal Lobe / metabolism
  • Temporal Lobe / pathology
  • Thiophenes / chemical synthesis
  • Thiophenes / chemistry
  • Thiophenes / pharmacokinetics
  • tau Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • 6-iodo-2-styryl-1H-benzo(d)imidazole
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Benzimidazoles
  • Benzofurans
  • Benzothiazoles
  • Benzoxazoles
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Pyridines
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Styrenes
  • Thiophenes
  • tau Proteins