SAR407899 is a potent, ATP-competitive Rho kinase inhibitor. It antihypertensive action in animals. Sanofi is developing SAR 407899 for the treatment of microvascular angina (Syndrome X). It was previously being developed in clinical trials for the treatment of diabetic neuropathies, diabetic nephropathies, erectile dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension, hypertension and kidney disorders, but development was discontinued for those indications.

VTP-27999 is an alkyl amine renin inhibitor. This compound demonstrated excellent selectivity over related and unrelated off-targets, >15% oral bioavailability in three species, oral efficacy in a double transgenic rat model of hypertension, and good exposure in humans. Vitae Pharmaceuticals was developing VTP 27999 for the treatment of chronic kidney disease. VTP 27999 was in phase I clinical development in the US. However, the product is no more on the company pipeline and it appears that the development has been discontinued.

Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) isolated from flaxseed is a lipid-lowering and antioxidant agent. It suppresses the development of hypercholesterolemic atherosclerosis in rabbits. Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside has been shown to have antioxidant and cardioprotective properties. SDG interferes with the development of different types of diseases like cardiovascular, diabetic, lupus nephritis, bone, kidney, menopause, reproduction, mental stress, immunity, atherosclerosis, hemopoietic, liver necrosis and urinary disorders due to its various biological properties including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimutagenic, antimicrobial, antiobesity, antihypolipidemic and neuroprotective effects. Moreover, SDG has a defending mediator against various cancers by modulating multiple cell signaling pathways. The animal and human studies have shown the prevention role of SDG against some cancers (breast, lung and colon) as a result of its strong anti-proliferative, antioxidant, anti-oestrogenic and/or anti-angiogenic activity. It is proposed that the anticancer activity of SDG is associated with the inhibition of enzymes involved in carcinogenesis. Human studies showed the SDG as potential cardiovascular protector by mediating the mechanisms of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerides and glucose metabolism. It was observed that 20 hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia subjects receiving 600 mg SDG per day for 8 weeks led to significant reductions in total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and glucose concentrations compared with the placebo group. The animal and human studies revealed that high fat diet containing 0 · 5 to 1 · 0 % SDG reduces liver triglycerides content, serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and insulin and leptin concentrations that resulted in significantly reduced visceral fat gain as compared to group of mice receiving high fat diet without SDG. SDG reduces C-reactive protein concentrations which are associated with insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus in type 2 diabetics. Daily consumption of low-fat muffin enriched with SDG (500 mg/day) for 6 week can reduce CRP concentrations. SDG has long acting hypotensive effect mediated through the guanylate cyclase enzyme.

ICI-118551 is a selective β2 adrenergic receptor antagonist, that was originally developed for the regulation of blood pressure. ICI-118551 crosses the blood-brain barrier and it was in phase I clinical trials for the treatment of chronic anxiety. Currently, ICI-118,551 has no known therapeutic use in humans although it has been used widely in research to understand the action of the β2 adrenergic receptor, as few other specific antagonists for this receptor are known.

Pterostilbene is a naturally derived compound found primarily in blueberries and Pterocarpus marsupium heartwood. The multiple benefits of pterostilbene in the treatment and prevention of human disease have been attributed to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties leading to improved function of normal cells and inhibition of malignant cells. The antioxidant activity of pterostilbene has been implicated in anti-carcinogenesis, modulation of neurological disease, anti-inflammation, attenuation of vascular disease, and amelioration of diabetes. Pterostilbene increases LDL and reduces blood pressure in adults. Low doses of pterostilbene seem to hold some benefit for cognition.

Puerarin (7, 4’-dihydroxyisolavone-8-β-glucopyranoside) is an active isoflavone extracted from the roots of Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi. Puerarin is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, and is clinically used in China for the treatment of coronary artery disease, heart failure, hypertension and myocardial infarction. It has been reported that puerarin had therapeutic effects on diabetes mellitus, arteriosclerosis and myocardial ischemia in animals. Puerarin demonstrated beta-adrenergic receptor blocking effect. On the other hand, puerarin stimulated alpha1-adrenoreceptor to increase glucose uptake into cultured C2C12 cells of mice. Puerarin has been investigated for the treatment (phase II clinical trials) of Alcohol Abuse, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Hypertension.

Chlorogenic acid is the ester of caffeic acid and (-)-quinic acid. Chlorogenic acid is a naturally occurring plant metabolite and can be found with the related compounds cryptochlorgenic acid and neochlorogenic acid in the leaves of Hibiscus sabdariffa, coffee, potato, eggplant, peaches, and prunes. Chlorogenic acid has been investigated as a dietary supplement to improve glucose intolerant hypoglycemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It has also been identified as a potential anticancer agent by reducing the expression of HIF-1a and Sphingosine Kinase-1. Chlorogenic acid was also identified as a neuraminidase blocker effective against influenza A virus (H1N1 and H3N2).

Indolapril (CI-907) is a new orally active prodrug of nonsulfhydryl angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, developed by Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Research for treating hypertension. Indolapril is epimer of trandolapril, well-known ACE inhibitor currently in the market for hypertension treatment. Indolapril (Monoester form) and it’s active component (diacid form) produced concentration related ACE inhibition in guinea-pig serum (IC50 for monoester -- 0.1 mkM and for diacid -- 2.6 nM). In isolated rabbit aortic rings and in rat and dog autonomic studies, Indolapril is highly specific in suppressing the contractile or pressor responses to angiotensin I. In two-kidney, one-clip Goldblatt hypertensive rats, single daily doses (0.03-30 mg/kg p.o.) produced dose-dependent decreases in blood pressure; 3 mg/kg lowered blood pressure to normotensive levels. In the spontaneously hypertensive rat, subacute administration of Indolapril produced the same decrease in blood pressure as that obtained in the renal hypertensive rat. In diuretic-pretreated renal hypertensive dogs, 10 mg/kg normalized blood pressure. For equivalent drops in blood pressure, heart rate increases were less in Indolapril than in enalapril-treated renal hypertensive dogs. No side effects were observed with CI-907 in any of the conscious animals. The antihypertensive response to Indolapril (0.03-1.0 mg/kg p.o.) was found to correlate with inhibition of vascular tissue ACE, but not plasma or brain ACE in two-kidney, one-clip renal hypertensive rats.

Arctigenin is a plant lignan extracted from Arctium lappa that has been shown to have estrogenic properties. In ER-positive MCF-7 cells, arctigenin efficiently inhibited 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced cell migration and invasion. Arctigenin confers anti-metastatic effects by inhibiting MMP-9 and uPA via the Akt, NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways on breast cancer, regardless of ER expression. Intake of arctigenin could be an effective supplement for breast cancer patients. Arctigenin is a phenylpropanoid dibenzylbutyrolactone lignan compound possessing antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-influenza, antioxidant, antibacterial, and hypoglycaemic activities. Arctigenin exhibited significant antiproliferative activity against CCRF-CEM cells after 72 h treatment with IC50 values of 1.21 ± 0.15 um. It arrested CCRF-CEM cells in the S phase. It induced apoptosis in CCRF-CEM cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Arctigenin is a good candidate for the development of novel agents against T-cell lymphoma. Arctigenin has been found to act as an agonist of adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1). Arctigenin is an antagonist of MR and effectively decreases the Na/K-ATPase 1 gene expression, thus highlighting its potential as an anti-hypertensive drug lead compound.

Zolertine is an alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonist that acts as an antihypertensive agent. Its effect was studied in animals in vivo and in vitro. Zolertine considerably decreased systemic blood pressure in mecamylamine hypertensive dogs in a dose-related fashion. Using the intravital microscopic method in rat's mesocygeus microvasculature a direct relationship between zolertine dosage and blockade was demonstrated as well as an inverse relationship between time of action of zolertine and percentage of vasoconstriction caused by noradrenaline. When only zolertine was applied, it caused a small vasoconstriction that decreased as its concentration increased which could be due to its ability to antagonize alpha receptor responses, but not beta responses. Zolertine is a more active alpha blocker than azapetin, a blocker used in medical practice. Competition binding experiments using the alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist [3H] prazosin showed a zolertine pKi of 6.81 +/- 0.02 in rat liver (alpha1B-adrenoceptors) and 6.35 +/- 0.04 in rabbit liver (alpha1A-adrenoceptors) membranes. Zolertine showed higher affinity for alpha1D-adrenoceptors compared to alpha1A-adrenoceptors, while it had an intermediate affinity for alpha1B-adrenoceptors. The ability of the alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist zolertine to block alpha1D-adrenoceptor-mediated constriction in different vessels of Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats may explain its antihypertensive efficacy despite its low order of potency.