Endocannabinoids such as 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) and arachidonoyl ethanolamide are biologically active lipids that are involved in a number of synaptic processes including activation of cannabinoid receptors. Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is a serine hydrolase responsible for the hydrolysis of 2-AG to arachidonic acid and glycerol, thus terminating its biological function. KML29 is an O-hexafluoroisopropyl carbamate analog of JZL 184 that potently and selectively inhibits MAGL (IC50s = 15, 43, and 5.9 nM in mouse, rat, and human brain proteomes, respectively) over FAAH (IC50s >50 μM). At 5-20 mg/kg, KML29 dose-dependently blocks mouse brain MAGL activity in vivo, without any measurable effect on FAAH activity. As a second generation MAGL inhibitor, KML29 supersedes the low-level cross-reactivity that JZL 184 displays for FAAH yet still maintains comparable potency to its parent compound.
