Discovery of seneciobipyrrolidine derivatives for the amelioration of glucose homeostasis disorders through 4E-BP1/Akt/AMPK signaling activation

Modulating the glucose transport in skeletal muscle is a promising strategy for ameliorating glucose homeostasis disorders. However, the complicated mechanisms of glucose transport make it difficult to find compounds therapeutically relevant molecular mechanisms of action, while phenotypic screening is thought to be an alternative approach to mimic the cell state of interest. Here, we report (±)-seneciobipyrrolidine (1a) is first found to enhance glucose uptake in L6 myotubes through phenotype-based screening. Further SAR investigation led to the identfication of compound A27 (EC50 = 2.7 μM). Proteomiic analysis discloses the unique function mechanism of A27 through upregulating the level of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), subsequently enhancing the Akt and AMPK phosphorylation, thereby promoting the glucose uptake. Chronic oral administration of A27 significantly lowers blood glucose and improves glucose tolerance in db/db mice. This work is new research on seneciobipyrrolidine derivatives, providing a promising avenue for ameliorating glucose homeostasis.