Structure-Activity Relationship of Synthetic Ginkgolic Acid Analogs for Treating Type 2 Diabetes by PTPN9 Inhibition.

Ginkgolic acid (C13:0) (GA), isolated from Ginkgo biloba, is a potential therapeutic agent for type 2 diabetes. A series of GA analogs were designed and synthesized for the evaluation of their structure-activity relationship with respect to their antidiabetic effects. Unlike GA, the synthetic analog exhibited improved inhibitory activity against PTPN9 and significantly stimulated glucose uptake via AMPK phosphorylation in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and C2C12 myotubes; it also induced insulin-dependent AKT activation in C2C12 myotubes in a concentration-dependent manner. Docking simulation results showed that had a better binding affinity through a unique hydrophobic interaction with a PTPN9 hydrophobic groove. Moreover, ameliorated palmitate-induced insulin resistance in C2C12 cells. This study showed that increases glucose uptake and suppresses palmitate-induced insulin resistance in C2C12 myotubes via PTPN9 inhibition; thus, it is a promising therapeutic candidate for treating type 2 diabetes.