2-Iminohomopiperidinium salts as selective inhibitors of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS).

An attractive approach to the treatment of inflammatory conditions such as osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and sepsis is through the selective inhibition of human inducible nitric oxide synthase (hiNOS) since localized excess nitric oxide (NO) release has been implicated in the pathology of these diseases. A series of monosubstituted iminohomopiperidinium salts possessing lipophilic functionality at ring positions 3, 5, 6, and 7 has been synthesized, and series members have demonstrated the ability to inhibit the hiNOS isoform with an IC50 as low as 160 nM (7). Compounds were found that selectively inhibit hiNOS over the human endothelial constitutive enzyme (heNOS) with a heNOS/hiNOS IC50 ratio in excess of 100 and as high as 314 (9). Potencies for inhibition of hiNOS and the human neuronal constitutive enzyme (hnNOS) are comparable. Substitution in the 3 and 7 positions provides compounds that exhibit the greatest degree of selectivity for hiNOS and hnNOS over heNOS. Submicromolar potencies for 6 and 7 in a mouse RAW cell assay demonstrated the ability of these compounds to inhibit iNOS in a cellular environment. These latter compounds were also found to be orally bioavailable and efficacious due to their ability to inhibit the increase in plasma nitrite/nitrate levels in a rat LPS model.