Synthesis and Pharmacological Evaluation of Heterocyclic Carboxamides: Positive Allosteric Modulators of the M-1 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor with Weak Agonist Activity and Diverse Modulatory Profiles

Abstract

Targeting allosteric sites at M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors is a promising strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Positive allosteric modulators not only may potentiate binding and/or signaling of the endogenous agonist acetylcholine (ACh) but also may possess direct agonist activity (thus referred to as PAM-agonists). Recent studies suggest that PAM-agonists with robust intrinsic efficacy are more likely to produce adverse effects in vivo. Herein we present the synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of a series of pyrrole-3-carboxamides with a diverse range of allosteric profiles. We proposed structural modifications at top, core, or pendant moieties of a prototypical ..