Synthesis and biological evaluation of pyrazole-fused oleanolic acid derivatives as novel inhibitors of inflammatory and osteoclast differentiation

A series of pyrazole-fused oleanolic acid derivatives were designed and synthesized. The modification of these analogues focused on the substituents screening on the pyrazole ring. The cytotoxicity of these compounds and their anti-inflammatory activities via inhibiting interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production were evaluated in RAW264.7 cells. Most of the derivatives showed significantly improved potency compared with oleanolic acid. Among them, compound 7n exhibited the most potent anti-inflammatory activity on decreasing IL-1β production with low cytotoxicity. Moreover, the further study found 7n could inhibit RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation on bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs). These findings may provide a potential direction for the drug development of osteoarthritis.