23-Alkyl-substituted and 6,23-alkyl-disubstituted derivativesof chenodeoxycholic acid are identified as potent and selective agonistsof TGR5, a G-protein coupled receptor for bile acids (BAs). Inparticular, we show that methylation at the C-23(
S) position of naturalBAs confers a marked selectivity for TGR5 over FXR, while the 6
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-alkyl substitution increases the potency at both receptors. The presentresults allow for the first time a pharmacological differentiation ofgenomic versus nongenomic effects mediated by BA derivatives.