Synthesis and pharmacology of mono-, di- and trialkyl-substituted 7-chloro-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine 1,1-dioxides combined with X-ray structure analysis to understand the unexpected structure-activity relationship at AMPA receptors.

Positive allosteric modulators of AMPA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors are promising compounds for treatment of neurological disorders, e.g. Alzheimer's disease. Here, we report synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of a series of mono-, di- or trialkyl-substituted 7-chloro-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine 1,1-dioxides, comprising in total 16 new modulators. The tri-substituted compounds 7b, 7d and 7e revealed potent activity (EC2x = 2.7-4.3 µM; concentration of compound responsible for a 2-fold increase of the AMPA mediated response) as AMPA receptor potentiators in an in vitro cellular fluorescence assay (FLIPR). The 4-cyclopropyl compound 7f was found to be considerably less potent (EC2x = 60 µM), in contrast to previously described 4-monoalkyl-substituted benzothiadiazine dioxides for which the cyclopropyl group constitutes the best choice of substituent. 7b was subjected to X-ray structural analysis in complex with the GluA2 ligand-binding domain. We propose an explanation of the unexpected structure-activity relationship of this new series of mono-, di- and trialkyl-substituted 1,2,4-benzothiadiazine 1,1-dioxide compounds. The methyl substituent in the 3-position directs the binding mode of the 1,2,4-benzothiadiazine 1,1-dioxide (BTD) scaffold. When a methyl substituent is present in the 3-position of the BTD, additional methyl substituents in both the 2- and 4-positions increase potency, whereas introduction of a 4-cyclopropyl group does not enhance potency of 2,3,4-alkyl-substituted BTDs. A hydrogen bond donor in the 2-position of the BTD is not necessary for modulator potency.