Structural selectivity of human SGLT inhibitors

Abstract

Human Na+-d-glucose cotransporter (hSGLT) inhibitors constitute the newest class of diabetes drugs, blocking up to 50% of renal glucose reabsorption in vivo. These drugs have potential for widespread use in the diabetes epidemic, but how they work at a molecular level is poorly understood. Here, we use electrophysiological methods to assess how they block Na+-d-glucose cotransporter SGLT1 and SGLT2 expressed in human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK-293T) cells and compared them to the classic SGLT inhibitor phlorizin. Dapagliflozin [(1 S)-1,5,5-anhydro-1-C-{4-chloro-3-[(4-ethoxyphenyl)methyl]phenyl}-d-glucitol], two structural analogs, and the aglycones of phlorizin and dapagliflozin were investigated in detail. Dapagliflozin and fluoro-dapagliflozin [(1 S)-1,5-anhydro-1-C-{4-chloro-3-[(4-ethoxyphenyl)methyl]phenyl}-4-F-4-deoxy-d-glucitol] blocked glucose transport and glucose-coupled currents with ≈100-fold specificity for hSGLT2 ( Ki = 6 nM) over hSGLT1 ( Ki = 400 nM). As galactose is a poor substrate for SGLT2, it was surprising that galacto-dapagliflozin [(1 S)-1,5-anhydro-1-C-{4-chloro-3-[(4-ethoxyphenyl)methyl]phenyl}-d-galactitol] was a selective inhibitor of hSGLT2, but was less potent than dapagliflozin for both transporters (hSGLT2 Ki = 25 nM, hSGLT1 Ki = 25,000 nM). Phlorizin and galacto-dapagliflozin rapidly dissociated from SGLT2 [half-time off rate ( t1/2,Off) ≈ 20–30 s], while dapagliflozin and fluoro-dapagliflozin dissociated from hSGLT2 at a rate 10-fold slower ( t1/2,Off ≥ 180 s). Phlorizin was unable to exchange with dapagliflozin bound to hSGLT2. In contrast, dapagliflozin, fluoro-dapagliflozin, and galacto-dapagliflozin dissociated quickly from hSGLT1 ( t1/2,Off = 1–2 s), and phlorizin readily exchanged with dapagliflozin bound to hSGLT1. The aglycones of phlorizin and dapagliflozin were poor inhibitors of both hSGLT2 and hSGLT1 with Ki values > 100 μM. These results show that inhibitor binding to SGLTs is composed of two synergistic forces: sugar binding to the glucose site, which is not rigid, and so different sugars will change the orientation of the aglycone in the access vestibule; and the binding of the aglycone affects the binding affinity of the entire inhibitor. Therefore, the pharmacophore must include variations in both the structure of the sugar and the aglycone.