PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jay J. Liu
AU  - Kemal Payza
AU  - Jian Huang
AU  - Ruifeng Liu
AU  - Tongming Chen
AU  - Martin Coupal
AU  - Jennifer M. A. Laird
AU  - Chang-Qing Cao
AU  - Joanne Butterworth
AU  - Stéphanie Lapointe
AU  - Malken Bayrakdarian
AU  - Shephali Trivedi
AU  - J. Robert Bostwick
TI  - Discovery and Pharmacological Characterization of a Small-Molecule Antagonist at Neuromedin U Receptor NMUR2
AID  - 10.1124/jpet.109.152967
DP  - 2009 Jul 01
TA  - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
PG  - 268--275
VI  - 330
IP  - 1
4099  - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/330/1/268.short
4100  - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/330/1/268.full
SO  - J Pharmacol Exp Ther2009 Jul 01; 330
AB  - Neuromedin U (NMU), through its cognate receptor NMUR2 in the central nervous system, regulates several important physiological functions, including energy balance, stress response, and nociception. By random screening of our corporate compound collection with a ligand binding assay, we discovered (R)-5′-(phenylaminocarbonylamino)spiro[1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-3,2′(3′H)-furo[2,3-b]pyridine] (R-PSOP), a highly potent and selective NMUR2 antagonist. R-PSOP is a nonpeptidic small-molecule with the chemical composition C20N4O2H22. In competition binding experiments, this compound was found to bind to NMUR2 with high affinity; the Ki values were determined to be 52 and 32 nM for the human and rat NMUR2, respectively. Moreover, in functional assays measuring phosphoinositide turnover or intracellular calcium mobilization, R-PSOP strongly inhibited the responses stimulated by peptide agonists NMU-25, NMU-23, and NMU-8 in human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressing NMUR2. From Schild analyses, the functional Kb values for R-PSOP were determined to be 92 and 155 nM at human and rat NMUR2, respectively. Highly selective for NMUR2, R-PSOP exhibited low affinity to the other subtype of NMU receptor, NMUR1, with a Ki value >10 μM. R-PSOP in vivo attenuated NMU-23-evoked nociceptive responses in a rat spinal reflex preparation. To our knowledge, this is the first antagonist ever reported for NMU receptors. This compound could serve as a valuable tool for further understanding the physiological and pathophysiological roles of NMU system, while providing a chemical starting point that may lead to development of new therapeutics for treatment of eating disorders, obesity, pain, and stress-related disorders.