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Studies of the AMPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway and exercise-induced metabolism have facilitated the development of anti-fatigue agents and exercise mimetics. In this work, adenosine and its 22 derivatives, typical of substitutions at the hydroxyl group of the sugar moiety, were firstly evaluated as anti-fatigue agents. In the running wheel tests, adenosine and most derivatives demonstrated a significant increase in the exhaustion distance when compared to the control group. Particularly, the optimized compound 2 exhibited a 3.1-fold increase in exhaustion distance compared to the positive control group treated with AICAR, and a remarkable 9.8-fold increase compared to the blank control group. Furthermore, improved performances were observed in weight-loaded swimming, high jumping, hanging wire, and tail suspension tests. Compound 2 not only reduced levels of lactic acid (LA) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), but also preserved hepatic and muscle glycogen content during exercise. Notably, compound 2 activated AMPK/PGC-1α pathway without stimulating the central nervous system. Moreover, compound 2 demonstrated a favorable safety in vivo at a dose of 1.96 × 10-5 mol/kg for 21 days. This study unveils, for the first time, the ability of adenosine and its derivatives to resist exercise-induced fatigue, thereby providing promising lead compounds for the development of drugs aimed to prevent and treat fatigue-related diseases. Moreover, it sheds light on the potential therapeutic approaches utilizing endogenous substance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatigue has a negative influence on daily life and work, and serious or chronic fatigue can even cause health problems. Studies have shown that 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR) can exert anti-fatigue effects by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). In this study, six AICAR derivatives with substitution at the hydroxyl sites of the ribose moiety were synthesized and evaluated as anti-fatigue agents. All of the derivatives were demonstrated to effectively resist fatigue in animal models. The mice treated with the optimal compound ZHM-01 showed an 8.6-fold greater exhaustion distance in the running wheel test and a 5.1-fold greater exhaustion time in the weight-loaded swimming test than those of the blank control group. ZHM-01 treatment also reduced lactic acid (LA) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) accumulation during exercise. In addition, ZHM-01 administration enhanced the phosphorylation of AMPK but did not excite the central nervous system. Moreover, ZHM-01 showed good biological safety in a 21-day toxicity evaluation. This study provides a new reference for the development of treatments for fatigue-related health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]