0000000000467706

AUTHOR

Bruce K. Cassels

N-SUBSTITUTION AND á1-ADRENERGIC RECEPTOR AFFINITY OF LAUDANOSINE ANALOGUES

Benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline (BTHIQ) molecules are able to adopt widely differing conformations that depend on the presence or absence of N-substituents. To assess the possible role of BTHIQ conformation on the affinity of these compounds for α 1 -adrenergic receptors, of interest for the management of hypertension, the racemic N-unsubstituted BTHIQ norlaudanosine and a series of N-alkylated derivatives were assessed for binding to rat brain cortical sites labelled with the radioligand [3H]prazosin. The α 1 -adrenergic affinity in this series increased with the bulk of the substituent on the nitrogen atom, from the N-ethyl to the N-propyl analogue. Comparison of these results with published…

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Halogenated derivatives of boldine with high selectivity for alpha1A-adrenoceptors in rat cerebral cortex.

The selectivity of 3-nitrosoboldine and different halogenated derivatives of boldine (3-bromoboldine, 3,8-dibromoboldine and 3-chloroboldine) for alpha1-adrenoceptor subtypes was studied by examining [3H]-prazosin competition binding in rat cerebral cortex. In the competition experiments [3H]-prazosin binding was inhibited completely by all the compounds tested. The inhibition curves displayed shallow slopes which could be subdivided into high and low affinity components. The relative order of affinity and selectivity for alpha1A-adrenoceptors was 3-bromoboldine = 3,8-dibromoboldine = 3-chloroboldineboldine3-nitrosoboldine. The competition curves for 3-bromoboldine remained shallow and biph…

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Vascular Activity of (-)-Anonaine, (-)-Roemerine and (-)-Pukateine, Three Natural 6a(R)-1,2-Methylenedioxyaporphines with Different Affinities for α1-Adrenoceptor Subtypes

We have studied the mechanism of action of three 6a( R)-1,2-methylenedioxyaporphines as vasorelaxant compounds. The alkaloids assayed showed different affinities for the three human cloned alpha (1)-adrenoceptor (AR) subtypes stably expressed in rat-1 fibroblasts, showing lower affinity for alpha(1B)-AR with regard to the alpha(1A)- or alpha(1D)-subtypes. These three natural compounds are more potent inhibitors of [ (3)H]-prazosin binding than of [ (3)H]-diltiazem binding to rat cerebral cortical membranes. As all these alkaloids inhibited noradrenaline (NA)-induced [ (3)H]-inositol phosphate formation in cerebral cortex and rat tail artery, they may be safely viewed as alpha (1)-AR antagon…

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Preparation of dopaminergic N-alkyl-benzyltetrahydroisoquinolines using a 'one-pot' procedure in acid medium.

The preparation of N-methyl-BTHIQ (4) from N-phenylethyl-phenacetamide (1) by cyclization, reduction and N-alkylation in acid medium has been achieved in good yield in a 'one-pot' procedure. Acylation of imine (2) intermediate afforded the Z and E stereoselectivity in the enamide formation. 6-Hydroxy-BTHIQ (7) shows selectivity for D2 dopamine receptors, while its N-methylated homologue (8) displays higher affinities for both D1 and D2 receptor types, with an unexpected increase in D1 dopamine receptor affinity.

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Synthesis and Dopamine Receptor Selectivity of the Benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline, (R)-(+)-nor-Roefractine

(R)-(+)-nor-Roefractine (1) was synthesized by the Bischler-Napieralski route, using asymmetric reduction of the 1, 2-didehydro precursor imine with sodium (S)-N-CBZ-prolinyloxyborohydride. Compound 1 was able to displace [3H]-raclopride (a D2 dopamine receptor-selective ligand) from its specific binding sites in rat striatum with selectivity vs [3H]-SCH23390 (D1 dopamine receptor-selective ligand).

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8-NH2-Boldine, an Antagonist of α1Aand α1BAdrenoceptors without Affinity for the α1DSubtype: Structural Requirements for Aporphines at α1-Adrenoceptor Subtypes

Structure-activity analysis of 21 aporphine derivatives was performed by examining their affinities for cloned human alpha (1A), alpha (1B) and alpha (1D) adrenoceptors (AR) using membranes prepared from rat-1 fibroblasts stably expressing each alpha (1)-AR subtype. All the compounds tested competed for [ (125)I]-HEAT binding with steep and monophasic curves. The most interesting compound was 8-NH (2)-boldine, which retains the selective affinity for alpha(1A)-AR (pKi = 6.37 +/- 0.21) vs. alpha(1B)-AR (pKi = 5.53 +/- 0.11) exhibited by 1,2,9,10-tetraoxygenated aporphines, but shows low affinity for alpha(1D)-AR (pKi < 2.5). Binding studies on native adrenoceptors present in rat cerebral cor…

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