Structure-property relationships of a class of carbamate-based Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors: chemical and biological stability

Cyclohexylcarbamic acid aryl esters are a class of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors, which includes the reference compound URB597. The reactivity of their carbamate fragment is involved in pharmacological activity and may affect pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties. We conducted in vitro stability experiments in chemical and biological environments to investigate the structure-stability relationships in this class of compounds. The results show that electrophilicity of the carbamate influences its chemical stability, as suggested by the relation between the rate constant of alkaline hydrolysis (log kpH9) and the energy of lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). Introduction of small, electron donor substituents at conjugated positions of the O-aryl moiety increased overall hydrolytic stability of the carbamate group without affecting FAAH inhibitory potency, whereas peripheral nonconjugated hydrophilic groups, which favor FAAH recognition, helped reducing oxidative metabolism in the liver.