A novel fluorine-18 ß-fluoroethoxy organophosphate positron emission tomography imaging tracer targeted to central nervous system acetylcholinesterase.

Radiosynthesis of a fluorine-18 labeled organophosphate (OP) inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and subsequent positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using the tracer in the rat central nervous system are reported. The tracer structure, which contains a novel ß-fluoroethoxy phosphoester moiety, was designed as an insecticide-chemical nerve agent hybrid to optimize handling and the desired target reactivity. Radiosynthesis of the ß-fluoroethoxy tracer is described that utilizes a [(18)F]prosthetic group coupling approach. The imaging utility of the [(18)F]tracer is demonstrated in vivo within rats by the evaluation of its brain penetration and cerebral distribution qualities in the absence and presence of a challenge agent. The tracer effectively penetrates brain and localizes to cerebral regions known to correlate with the expression of the AChE target. Brain pharmacokinetic properties of the tracer are consistent with the formation of an OP-adducted acetylcholinesterase containing the fluoroethoxy tracer group. Based on the initial favorable in vivo qualities found in rat, additional [(18)F]tracer studies are ongoing to exploit the technology to dynamically probe organophosphate mechanisms of action in mammalian live tissues.

Microwave accelerated synthesis of isoxazole hydrazide inhibitors of the system xc- transporter: Initial homology model.

Microwave accelerated reaction system (MARS) technology provided a good method to obtain selective and open isoxazole ligands that bind to and inhibit the Sxc- antiporter. The MARS provided numerous advantages, including: shorter time, better yield and higher purity of the product. Of the newly synthesized series of isoxazoles the salicyl hydrazide 6 exhibited the highest level of inhibitory activity in the transport assay. A homology model has been developed to summarize the SAR results to date, and provide a working hypothesis for future studies.

Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by chromophore-linked fluorophosphonates.

Fluorophosphonate (FP) head groups were tethered to a variety of chromophores (C) via a triazole group and tested as FPC inhibitors of recombinant mouse (rMoAChE) and electric eel (EEAChE) acetylcholinesterase. The inhibitors showed bimolecular inhibition constants (k(i)) ranging from 0.3 x 10(5)M(-1)min(-1) to 10.4 x 10(5)M(-1)min(-1). When tested against rMoAChE, the dansyl FPC was 12.5-fold more potent than the corresponding inhibitor bearing a Texas Red as chromophore, whereas the Lissamine and dabsyl chromophores led to better anti-EEAChE inhibitors. Most inhibitors were equal or better inhibitors of rMoAChE than EEAChE. 3-Azidopropyl fluorophosphonate, which served as one of the FP head groups, showed excellent inhibitory potency against both AChE's ( congruent with 1 x 10(7)M(-1)min(-1)) indicating, in general, that addition of the chromophore reduced the overall anti-AChE activity. Covalent attachment of the dabsyl-FPC analog to rMoAChE was demonstrated using size exclusion chromatography and spectroscopic analysis, and visualized using molecular modeling.

Assessment of the roles of serines 5.43(239) and 5.46(242) for binding and potency of agonist ligands at the human serotonin 5-HT2A receptor.

We assessed the relative importance of two serine residues located near the top of transmembrane helix 5 of the human 5-HT(2A) receptor, comparing the wild type with S5.43(239)A or S5.46(242)A mutations. Using the ergoline lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and a series of substituted tryptamine and phenethylamine 5-HT(2A) receptor agonists, we found that Ser5.43(239) is more critical for agonist binding and function than Ser5.46(242). Ser5.43(239) seems to engage oxygen substituents at either the 4- or 5-position of tryptamine ligands and the 5-position of phenylalkylamine ligands. Even when a direct binding interaction cannot occur, our data suggest that Ser5.43(239) is still important for receptor activation. Polar ring-substituted tryptamine ligands also seem to engage Ser5.46(242), but tryptamines lacking such a substituent may adopt an alternate binding orientation that does not engage this residue. Our results are consistent with the role of Ser5.43(239) as a hydrogen bond donor, whereas Ser5.46(242) seems to serve as a hydrogen bond acceptor. These results are consistent with the functional topography and utility of our in silico-activated homology model of the h5-HT(2A) receptor. In addition, being more distal from the absolutely conserved Pro5.50, a strong interaction with Ser5.43(239) may be more effective in straightening the kink in helix 5, a feature that is possibly common to all type A GPCRs that have polar residues at position 5.43.

Molecular interaction of serotonin 5-HT2A receptor residues Phe339(6.51) and Phe340(6.52) with superpotent N-benzyl phenethylamine agonists.

Experiments were conducted to examine the molecular basis for the high affinity and potency of a new class of 5-HT(2A) receptor agonists, N-benzyl phenethylamines. Competition binding assays at several serotonin receptors confirmed that an N-arylmethyl substitution was necessary for affinity increases up to 300-fold over simple N-alkyl homologs, as well as enhanced selectivity for 5-HT(2A) versus 5-HT(2C) and 5-HT(1A) receptors. PI hydrolysis functional assays confirmed that these N-benzyl phenethylamines are potent and highly efficacious agonists at the rat 5-HT(2A) receptor. Virtual docking of these compounds into a human 5-HT(2A) receptor homology model indicated that the N-benzyl moiety might be interacting with Phe339((6.51)), whereas the phenethylamine portion was likely to be interacting with Phe340((6.52)). Experiments in h5-HT(2A) receptors with Phe339((6.51))L and Phe340((6.52))L mutations seem to support this hypothesis. Dramatic detrimental effects on affinity, potency, and intrinsic activity were observed with the Phe339((6.51))L mutation for all N-benzyl analogs, whereas most N-unsubstituted phenethylamines and traditional agonists were only weakly affected, if at all. Consistent with other published studies, the Phe340((6.52))L mutation detrimentally affected affinity, potency, and intrinsic activity of nearly all compounds tested, although a strong change in intrinsic activity was not seen with most N-aryl analogs. These data further validate the topology of our h5-HT(2A) receptor homology model. It is noteworthy that this study is the first to identify a hitherto unrecognized role for residue 6.51 in agonist activation of a serotonin G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), whereas most previous reports have suggested a varied and sometimes contradictory role in homologous GPCRs.

1-Aminomethylbenzocycloalkanes: conformationally restricted hallucinogenic phenethylamine analogues as functionally selective 5-HT2A receptor agonists.

A series of conformationally restricted analogues of the hallucinogenic phenethylamine 1 (2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromophenethylamine, 2C-B) was synthesized to test several hypotheses concerning the bioactive conformation of phenethylamine ligands upon binding to the 5-HT(2A) receptor. These benzocycloalkane analogues were assayed for their receptor binding affinity and ability to activate downstream signaling pathways, and one exceptional compound was selected for testing in an in vivo drug discrimination model of hallucinogenesis. All compounds were examined in silico by virtual docking into a homology model of the 5-HT(2A) receptor. On the basis of these docking experiments, it was predicted that the R enantiomer of benzocyclobutene analogue 2 would be the most potent. Subsequent chemical resolution and X-ray crystallography confirmed this prediction, as (R)-2 proved to be equipotent to LSD in rats trained to discriminate LSD from saline. Thus, we propose that the conformation of 2 mimics the active binding conformation of the more flexible phenethylamine type hallucinogens. In addition, (R)-2 is one of the most potent and selective compounds yet discovered in the in vivo drug discrimination assay. Further, 2 was found to be a functionally selective agonist at the 5-HT(2A) receptor, having 65-fold greater potency in stimulating phosphoinositide turnover than in producing arachidonic acid release. If hallucinogenic effects are correlated with arachidonic acid production, such functionally selective 5-HT(2A) receptor agonists may lack the intoxicating properties of hallucinogens such as LSD.

C-(4,5,6-trimethoxyindan-1-yl)methanamine: a mescaline analogue designed using a homology model of the 5-HT2A receptor.

A conformationally restricted analogue of mescaline, C-(4,5,6-trimethoxyindan-1-yl)-methanamine, was designed using a 5-HT(2A) receptor homology model. The compound possessed 3-fold higher affinity and potency than and efficacy equal to that of mescaline at the 5-HT(2A) receptor. The new analogue substituted fully for LSD in drug discrimination studies and was 5-fold more potent than mescaline. Resolution of this analogue into its enantiomers corroborated the docking experiments, showing the R-(+) isomer to have higher affinity and potency and to have efficacy similar to that of mescaline at the 5-HT(2A) receptor.

Differential phospholipase C activation by phenylalkylamine serotonin 5-HT 2A receptor agonists.

Experiments compared a series of phenethylamine hallucinogens with their phenylisopropylamine analogues for binding affinity and ability to stimulate serotonin 5-HT 2A receptor-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidyl inositol in cells expressing cloned rat and human 5-HT 2A receptors. The (+/-)phenylisopropylamine analogues had significantly higher intrinsic activities for 5-HT 2A receptor-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidyl inositol compared to their phenethylamine analogues. With respect to the effects of the stereochemistry of the phenylisopropylamines, those with the (R) absolute configuration at the alpha carbon had higher intrinsic activities for hydrolysis of phosphatidyl inositol in a cell line expressing the human 5-HT 2A receptor compared to those with the (S) absolute configuration. In virtual docking studies comparing the (R)- and (S)-phenylisopropylamines with their phenethylamine analogues, there were distinct differences in the orientations of key ligand binding domain residues that have been identified as important by previous mutagenesis studies. In conclusion, our data support the hypothesis that phenylisopropylamines have higher hallucinogenic potency than their phenethylamine analogues primarily because they have higher intrinsic activities at 5-HT 2A receptors. Although virtual ligand binding led to significant perturbations of certain key residues, our results emphasize the conclusion reached by others that overall three-dimensional structural microdomains within the receptor must be considered.