Zaleplon displays a selectivity to recombinant GABAA receptors different from zolipdem, zopiclone and benzodiazepines

1999

A chemically heterogeneous group of compounds acts at the benzodiazepine (BZ) recognition site of the γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor complex. Whereas most 1,4-BZs recognize all GABAA/BZ receptors with similar affinity, other compounds differentiate between the large number of native GABAA receptors which assemble from the more than 14 known subunits. Here we describe the in vitro binding properties of the BZs lorazepam and Ro 15-4513 plus the three hypnotics zaleplon, zolpidem and zopiclone to eight receptors subtypes. Lorazepam fits well into the general shceme for other 1,4-BZs with respect to its receptor subtype selectivity in spite of its clinically different use. Zaleplon…