Apelin receptor (apj) agonists and uses thereof

A compound represented by the Formula I:

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, a prodrug, or a salt of a prodrug,
• wherein
• R1 is represented by the formula:
• each A is independently C1-8 alkyl, C1-8 alkyl(aryl), C1-8 alkoxy, C1-8 alkoxy aryl, C2-8 alkenyl, C3-8 alkynyl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, —CF3, —(CH2)x(NR7R8, —CN, —CONR7R8, —COR7, —CO2(CH2)xNR7R8, —CO2R7, halogen, hydroxyl, —N3, —NHCOR7, —NHSO2C1-8 alkyl, —NHCO2C1-8 alkyl, —NO2, —NR7R8, —O(CH2)x(NR7R8, —O(CH2)xCO2R7, —OCOC1-8 alkyl, —OCO(CH2)xNR7R8, —SO(1-3)R7, or —SR7;
• R7 and R8 are independently alkoxy, aryl, C1-8 alkyl, C1-8 alkyl alcohol, C1-8 alkyl amino, C1-8 alkyl amido, C1-8 alkyl(aryl), C1-8 alkyl (C3-8 cycloalkyl), C1-8 alkyl guanidinyl, C1-8 alkyl heteroaryl, C1-8 alkyl imidazolyl, C1-8 alkyl indolyl, C1-8 alkyl thioether, C1-8 alkyl thiol, C2-8 alkenyl, C3-8 alkynyl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, —(CH2)xCONHR9, —(CH2)xCOR9, —(CH2)xCO2R9, H, or heteroaryl;
• or R7 and R8 together make a 3-8 member ring which may be substituted with one or more heteroatoms;
• n is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5;
• each x is independently 0-8;
• R2 is present or absent, and if present, is substituted aryl, C1-8 alkyl, C1-8 alkyl (C3-8 cycloalkyl), C3-8 cycloalkyl, or heteroaryl;
• R3 is present or absent, is absent if R2 is present, and if present is aryl, C1-8 alkyl, C1-8 alkyl(aryl), C1-8 alkyl (C3-8 cycloalkyl), or C3-8 cycloalkyl;
• R4, R5, and R6 are independently adamantanyl, aryl, C1-8 alkyl, C1-8 alkyl alcohol, C1-8 alkyl amino, C1-8 alkyl amido, C1-8 alkyl(aryl), C1-8 alkyl (C3-8 cycloalkyl), C1-8 alkyl (C3-8 cycloalkyl)-CO2R7, C1-8 alkyl guanidinyl, C1-8 alkyl heteroaryl, C1-8 alkyl imidazolyl, C1-8 alkyl indolyl, C1-8 alkyl thioether, C1-8 alkyl thiol, C2-8 alkenyl, C3-8 alkynyl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 cycloalkyl-CO2R7, —(CH2)xNR7R8, —(CH2)xOR7, —(CH2)xNHCOR7, —(CH2)xNHCO2R7, —(CH2)xCONR7R8, —(CH2)xCONR7(CH2)yCO2R9, —(CH2)xCONR7(CH2)yCONR7R8, —(CH2)xCONR7(CH2)yR9, —(CH2)xCOR7, —(CH2)xCO2R7, —CHR7COR9, —CHR7CONHCHR8COR9, —CONR7R8, —CONR7(CH2)xCO2R8, —CONR7CHR8CO2R9, —CO2R9, H, or —NHCO2R7;
• or R4 and R5 together make a 4-8 member ring which may be substituted with one or more heteroatoms or selected from the groups comprising R6;
• R9 is aryl, C1-8 alkoxy, C1-8 alkyl, C1-8 alkyl(aryl), C3-8 cycloalkyl, H, heteroaryl, or hydroxyl;
• each y is independently 1-8;
• and Z is H2 or ═O.