Dehydroabietic acid derivatives as a novel scaffold for large-Conductance calcium-Activated K+ channel openers

We found that the dehydroabietic acid structure is a new scaffold for chemical modulators of large-conductance calcium-activated K+ channels (BK channels). Structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies of the dehydroabietic acid derivatives and related non-aromatic compounds such as pimaric acid revealed the importance of the carboxyl functionality and an appropriate hydrophobic moiety of the molecules for BK channel-opening ability.