In silico identification of a biarylamine acting as agonist at human β3 adrenoceptors and exerting BRL37344-like effects on mouse metabolism

Human β 3 -adrenoceptor (β 3 AR) agonists were considered potential agents for the treatment of metabolic disorders. However, compounds tested as β 3 AR ligands have shown marked differences in pharmacological profile in rodent and human species, although these compounds remain attractive as they were successfully repurposed for the therapy of urinary incontinence. In this work, some biarylamine compounds were designed and tested in silico as potential β 3 AR agonists on 3-D models of mouse or human β 3 ARs. Based on the theoretical results, we identified, synthesized and tested a biarylamine compound (polibegron). In CHO-K1 cells expressing the human β 3 AR, polibegron and the β 3 AR agonist BRL 37344 were partial agonists for stimulating cAMP accumulation (50 and 57% of the response to isoproterenol, respectively). The potency of polibegron was 1.71- and 4.5-fold higher than that of isoproterenol and BRL37344, respectively. These results indicate that polibegron acts as a potent, but partial, agonist at human β 3 ARs. In C57BL/6N mice with obesity induced by a high-fat diet, similar effects of the equimolar intraperitoneal administration of polibegron and BRL37344 were observed on weight, visceral fat and plasma levels of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides. Similarities and differences between species related to ligand-receptor interactions can be useful for drug designing.