Modulation of the 6-Position of Benzopyran Derivatives and Inhibitory Effects on the Insulin Releasing Process

In the study, researchers synthesized 16 new benzopyran derivatives and tested their effects on insulin release and vasorelaxation. They found that the inhibitory effect on insulin secretion from rat pancreatic islets was related to the lipophilicity and size of the substituent at the 6-position of the molecules. Compounds with a tert-butyloxycarbonylamino group at the 6-position (20-23) showed significant inhibitory activity on insulin secretion, comparable to some known molecules, and were identified as K_ATP channel openers. These compounds were more effective than those with an acetamido group (16-19) and were as potent as brominated reference analogues (4-7). However, all new compounds (16-31) had weaker vasorelaxant effects compared to known K_ATP channel activators. The study concluded that the 6-position is crucial for the development of selective insulin secretion inhibitors and that compounds 20-23 are promising candidates for further research.