(R)-Dihydrolipoicacid is a R-isomer of Dihydrolipoicacid. It is optically active, but only the R-enantiomer is biochemically significant. The lipoicacid dihydrolipoicacid pair participate in a variety of biochemical transformations.
Anti-diabetic drugs of the thiazolidinedione (TZD) structural class as well as α-lipoicacid activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), a nuclear transcription factor that controls glucose metabolism and lipid homeostasis. CAY10506 is a hybrid lipoicacid-TZD derivative that transactivates human PPARγ with an EC50 value of 10 μM.
α-Lipoicacid is a cyclic disulfide antioxidant that interconverts with its reduced dithiol form. It is an essential cofactor for decarboxylation reactions of the citric acid cycle and acts as a general antioxidant. AN-7 is a more lipophilic analog of α-lipoicacid with enhanced potency and 1.5-fold increased maximal capacity to stimulate glucose transport into myocytes. This identifies the analogs of lipoicacid as potential new treatments for diabetes.