Therapeutic applications of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitors

Abstract

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is an enzyme responsible for the degradation of oleamide (an endogenous sleep-inducing lipid) and anandamide (an endogenous ligand for cannabinoid receptors). Disclosed herein are potent inhibitors of FAAH and methods for their use for treating a variety of disorder, including hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy.

1 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising:
 a therapeutically effective amount of a compound having the formula   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein Y is selected from —OR 1 , —NR 2 R 3  and halogen; 
         R 1 , R 2  and R 3  are independently selected from H, lower alkyl, acyl and aralkyl; and 
         n is from about 2 to about 10; and 
         a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
       
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein Y is —OR 1 . 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the compound has the formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         4 . A method of treating anxiety, an anxiety disorder, or a psychological disorder associated with anxiety, in a subject, comprising treating the subject with a therapeutically effective amount of compound of the formula
   Ar—R-E
   wherein Ar is an optionally substituted aryl or heteroaryl group;
 R is an aliphatic linker group; and 
 E comprises at least one moiety selected from a trifluoromethyl ketone, boronic acid, boronic acid ester, fluorosulfone, fluorophosphonate, α-haloketone and α-ketoester. 
   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the anxiety disorder is selected from panic disorder, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, acute stress disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the anxiety disorder is post-traumatic stress disorder. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein E is selected from fluorosulfone and fluorophosphonate moieties. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein R represents (CH 2 ) n  and n is from 2 to 20. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein n is from 2 to 10. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein Ar has the formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein Y is selected from —OR 1 , —NR 2 R 3  and halogen; and 
         R 1 , R 2  and R 3  independently are selected from H, lower alkyl, acyl and aralkyl. 
       
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the compound has the formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein Y is selected from —OR 1 , —NR 2 R 3  and halogen; 
         R 1 , R 2  and R 3  are independently selected from H, lower alkyl, acyl and aralkyl; and 
         n is from about 2 to about 10. 
       
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein Y is —OR 1 . 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the compound has the formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the compound has an FAAH inhibitory concentration of less than about 250 nM. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the compound has an FAAH inhibitory concentration of from about 1 nM to about 50 nM. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the compound has an FAAH inhibitory concentration of from about 250-fold to about 1,000-fold lower than its MGL inhibitory concentration.