5-amino-2-phenyl[1,2,3]triazolo[1,2-a][1,2,4]benzotriazin-1-one: a versatile scaffold to obtain potent and selective A3 adenosine receptor antagonists.

Binding assays on human A1, A2A, and A3 adenosine receptors (ARs) and functional studies on A2B ARs revealed that various 2-phenyl[1,2,3]triazolo[1,2-a][1,2,4]benzotriazin-1,5(6H)-diones VIII, previously reported as ligands at the central benzodiazepine receptor (BzR), possess nanomolar affinity at the A3 AR. Replacement of the amide of VIII with an amidine moiety gave the 5-amino-2-phenyl[1,2,3]triazolo[1,2-a][1,2,4]benzotriazin-1-ones IX, which maintain a nanomolar potency at the A3 AR with selectivity over the BzR. Insertion of a p-methoxybenzoyl at the 5-amino moiety enhanced A3 AR affinity and selectivity over the A1, A2A, and A2B ARs. The best result of our lead optimization efforts is 9-chloro-5-(4-methoxybenzoyl)amino-2-phenyl[1,2,3]triazolo[1,2-a][1,2,4]benzotriazin-1-one (23), which displayed a Ki of 1.6 nM at the A3 AR and no significant affinity at the other ARs or the BzR. Docking simulations on selected ligands into a model of the A3 AR allowed us to rationalize the structure-activity relationships of phenyltriazolobenzotriazindiones VIII and aminophenyltriazolobenzotriazinones IX at the molecular level.