Compounds and methods for regulating triglyceride levels

1. A method of treating hypertriglyceridemia comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount for treating hypertriglyceridemia of a compound selected from the group consisting of pyridoxal, pyridoxal-5′-phosphate, pyridoxamine, a 3-acylated analogue of pyridoxal, a 3-acylated analogue of pyridoxal-4,5-aminal, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and a mixture thereof to a patient in need thereof;

a) wherein the 3-acylated analogue of pyridoxal comprises:

wherein

R 1 is alkyl,

alkenyl,

in which alkyl or alkenyl can be interrupted by nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur, and can be unsubstituted or substituted at the terminal carbon by hydroxy, alkoxy, alkanoyloxy, alkanoyloxyaryl, alkoxyalkanoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, or dialkylcarbamoyloxy;

alkoxy;

dialkylamino;

alkanoyloxy;

alkanoyloxyaryl;

alkoxyalkanoyl;

alkoxycarbonyl;

dialkylcarbamoyloxy;

aryl,

in which aryl can be substituted by alkyl, alkoxy, amino, hydroxy, halo, nitro, or alkanoyloxy;

aryloxy;

arylthio; or

aralkyl; and

b) wherein the 3-acylated analogue of pyridoxal-4,5-aminal comprises:

wherein

R 1 is alkyl,

alkenyl,

in which alkyl or alkenyl can be interrupted by nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur, and can be unsubstituted or substituted at the terminal carbon by hydroxy, alkoxy, alkanoyloxy, alkanoyloxyaryl, alkoxyalkanoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, or dialkylcarbamoyloxy;

alkoxy;

dialkylamino;

alkanoyloxy;

alkanoyloxyaryl;

alkoxyalkanoyl;

alkoxycarbonyl;

dialkylcarbamoyloxy;

aryl,

in which aryl can be substituted by alkyl, alkoxy, amino, hydroxy, halo, nitro, or alkanoyloxy;

aryloxy;

arylthio; or

aralkyl; and

R 2 is of the formula

wherein R 3 and R 4 are each independently alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, or, when R 3 and R 4 are taken together to form a ring with the nitrogen atom, which may optionally be interrupted by a heteroatom,

or a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the compound is pyridoxal-5-phosphate.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hypertriglyceridemia is primary hypertriglyceridemia.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the patient has diabetes.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hypertriglyceridemia is secondary hypertriglyceridemia.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the secondary hypertriglyceridemia is drug related.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the drug is selected from the group consisting of alcohol, a diuretic, a β-blocker, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, an estrogen replacement therapy, an oral contraceptive, an estrogen receptor modulator, a retinoid, an immunosuppressant, an antiretroviral, a protease inhibitor, an antipsychotic, and a combination thereof.

8. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the therapeutically effective amount of pyridoxal-5′-phosphate is between 0.5 and 50 mg/kg body weight.

9. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the therapeutically effective amount of pyridoxal-5′-phosphate is between 1 and 15 mg/kg body weight.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the patient is human.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a lipid lowering agent selected from the group consisting of a nicotinic acid, a fibrate, a HMG CoA reductase inhibitor, a cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor, and a combination thereof.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the nicotinic acid is niacin.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the fibrate is selected from the group consisting of bezafibrate, clofibrate, ciprofibrate, fenofibrate, and gemifibrozil, and a mixture thereof.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the HMG CoA reductase inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of pravastatin, lovastatin, fluvastatin, atorvastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin, velostatin, fluindostatin and a mixture thereof.

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor is torcetrapib or JTT-705, which has the structure

16. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of an ACE inhibitor selected from the group consisting of benazepril; captopril; cilazapril; enalapril; enalaprilat; fosinopril; lisinopril; moexipril; perindopril; quinapril; ramipril; trandolapril; and a mixture thereof.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the ACE inhibitor is lisinopril.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the therapeutically effective amount of lisinopril is between 5 and 40 mg per day.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the therapeutically effective amount of lisinopril is 20 mg per day.