Discovery of novel azetidine-based imidazopyridines as selective and orally bioavailable inhibitors of phosphodiesterase 10A for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Huang, H., Xue, H., Cai, A., Yuan, H., Yao, Y., Liu, R., Yang, Y., Wang, Q., Li, Z., Liu, T., Huang, Y.Y., Dai, W., Luo, H.B., Zou, X., Wang, X., Guo, L.(2025) Eur J Med Chem 290: 117537-117537
- PubMed: 40138991 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.117537
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
9JDU - PubMed Abstract: 
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic, progressive disorder of the pulmonary vasculature characterized by associated pulmonary and cardiac remodeling. Phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) plays a crucial role in regulating cAMP concentration, thereby influencing pulmonary inflammation and pulmonary vascular remodeling. However, there is a lack of ideal PDE10A selective inhibitors available for PAH treatment. Herein, we employed structure-based drug design to develop a series of azetidine-based imidazopyridines, among which A30 demonstrated an IC 50 value of 3.5 nmol/L against PDE10A with high selectivity over other PDEs, low blood-brain barrier permeability, and improved drug-like properties. Oral administration of A30 exhibited significant anti-PAH effects not only in monocrotaline-induced rats, but also in Sugen/hypoxia(Su/Hx)-induced PH mice. Our findings indicate that A30 inhibits PDE10A to suppress pulmonary vascular remodeling through the activation of cAMP-associated signaling pathways.
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Organizational Affiliation: