Sarcosine-Based Glycine Transporter Type-1 (GlyT-1) Inhibitors Containing Pyridazine Moiety: A Further Search for Drugs with Potential to Influence Schizophrenia Negative Symptoms.

We have synthesized a novel series of N-substituted sarcosines, analogues of NFPS (N-[3-(biphenyl-4- yloxy)-3-(4-fluorophenyl)propyl]-N-methylglycine), as type-1 glycine transporter (GlyT-1) inhibitors. Several compounds incorporated a diazine ring inhibited recombinant hGlyT-1b expressed permanently in CHO cells and GlyT-1 in rat brain synaptosomal preparations. A structure-activity relationship for the newly synthesized compounds was obtained and discussed on the ground of their GlyT-1 inhibitory potencies. Replacement of the biphenyl-4-yloxy moiety in NFPS with a 5-pyridazinylphenoxy moiety (compounds 3, 4, 5, and 6) or a 2-phenyl-5- pyridazinyloxy moiety (compounds 10, 11, and 12) afforded compounds exhibiting potent inhibition on GlyT-1 activity. The GlyT-1 inhibitory properties of NFPS analogues, in which sarcosine was closed into a ring forming (methylamino)pyridazine-3-(2H)-one, were markedly reduced (compounds 13 and 14). The pyridazine-containing GlyT-1 inhibitors with in vitro GlyT-1 inhibitory potency also enhanced extracellular glycine concentrations in conscious rat striatum as was measured by microdialysis technique. In contrast to NFPS, sarcosine-based pyridazine containing GlyT-1 inhibitors failed to evoke compulsive running behavior whereas they inhibited phencyclidine- induced hypermotility in mice. It is believed that increase of extracellular concentrations of glycine by inhibition of its reuptake may probably influence positively glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type ionotropic receptors in the central nervous system. This may have importance in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders associated with hypofunctional NMDA receptor-mediated glutamatergic neurochemical transmission. Thus, impaired NMDA receptor functions have been shown to be involved in the development of the negative symptoms and the cognitive deficit of schizophrenia and the treatment of these symptoms is the possible clinical indication of GlyT-1 inhibitors including those containing pyridazine moiety.

Alterations in brain extracellular dopamine and glycine levels following combined administration of the glycine transporter type-1 inhibitor Org-24461 and risperidone.

The most dominant hypotheses for the pathogenesis of schizophrenia have focused primarily upon hyperfunctional dopaminergic and hypofunctional glutamatergic neurotransmission in the central nervous system. The therapeutic efficacy of all atypical antipsychotics is explained in part by antagonism of the dopaminergic neurotransmission, mainly by blockade of D(2) dopamine receptors. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction in schizophrenia can be reversed by glycine transporter type-1 (GlyT-1) inhibitors, which regulate glycine concentrations at the vicinity of NMDA receptors. Combined drug administration with D(2) dopamine receptor blockade and activation of hypofunctional NMDA receptors may be needed for a more effective treatment of positive and negative symptoms and the accompanied cognitive deficit in schizophrenia. To investigate this type of combined drug administration, rats were treated with the atypical antipsychotic risperidone together with the GlyT-1 inhibitor Org-24461. Brain microdialysis was applied in the striatum of conscious rats and determinations of extracellular dopamine, DOPAC, HVA, glycine, glutamate, and serine concentrations were carried out using HPLC/electrochemistry. Risperidone increased extracellular concentrations of dopamine but failed to influence those of glycine or glutamate measured in microdialysis samples. Org-24461 injection reduced extracellular dopamine concentrations and elevated extracellular glycine levels but the concentrations of serine and glutamate were not changed. When risperidone and Org-24461 were added in combination, a decrease in extracellular dopamine concentrations was accompanied with sustained elevation of extracellular glycine levels. Interestingly, the extracellular concentrations of glutamate were also enhanced. Our data indicate that coadministration of an antipsychotic with a GlyT-1 inhibitor may normalize hypofunctional NMDA receptor-mediated glutamatergic neurotransmission with reduced dopaminergic side effects characteristic for antipsychotic medication.

Effects of single and simultaneous lesions of serotonergic and noradrenergic pathways on open-space and bright-space anxiety-like behavior in two animal models.

The objective of the present study is to investigate the effects of single and simultaneous lesions of the noradrenergic and serotonergic pathways (NA-X, 5-HT-X and XX, respectively) by intracerebroventricular administration of selective neurotoxins N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine-HCl (DSP-4) and 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) on anxiety-like behavior in rats. To evaluate the effects of the various lesions, animals were tested in elevated plus-maze (EPM) and light-dark (LD) paradigms. In EPM, single lesions produced strong, statistically significant increase (p<0.001) of both time spent in the open arms (OT) and number of entries into the open arms (OE) compared to sham-lesioned animals. Simultaneous lesion further strengthened this anxiolytic effect causing an approximate 500% elevation of OT compared to sham-lesioned animals. In LD, 5-HT lesion caused a significant (p<0.05) increase in both light movement time and light horizontal activity parameters compared to intact, sham, and NA-lesioned groups. Neither of the lesions caused any change in the spontaneous locomotor activity of the animals up to 15min as measured in activity meter. These findings suggest that single and simultaneous lesions of 5-HT- and NA-pathways modify anxiety-related state of experimental animals to different extents and these modifications alter the behavior of animals differently in the two models used: NA-X and 5-HT-X reduce open space anxiety-like behavior and XX further strengthens this effect in the EPM, while only 5-HT-X is resulting in reduced bright-space anxiety-like behavior leaving the performance of NA-X and XX animals unchanged.

Effects of 2,3-benzodiazepine AMPA receptor antagonists on dopamine turnover in the striatum of rats with experimental parkinsonism.

Although levodopa is the current "gold standard" for treatment of Parkinson's disease, there has been disputation on whether AMPA receptor antagonists can be used as adjuvant therapy to improve the effects of levodopa. Systemic administration of levodopa, the precursor of dopamine, increases brain dopamine turnover rate and this elevated turnover is believed to be essential for successful treatment of Parkinson's disease. However, long-term treatment of patients with levodopa often leads to development of dyskinesia. Therefore, drugs that feature potentiation of dopamine turnover rate and are able to reduce daily levodopa dosages might be used as adjuvant in the treatment of patients suffering from Parkinson's disease. To investigate such combined treatment, we have examined the effects of two non-competitive AMPA receptor antagonists, GYKI-52466 and GYKI-53405, alone or in combination with levodopa on dopamine turnover rate in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned striatum of the rat. We found here that repeated administration of levodopa, added with the peripheral DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor carbidopa, increased dopamine turnover rate after lesioning the striatum with 6-hydroxydopamine. Moreover, combination of levodopa with GYKI-52466 or GYKI-53405 further increased dopamine turnover enhanced by levodopa administration while the AMPA receptor antagonists by themselves failed to influence striatal dopamine turnover. We concluded from the present data that potentiation observed between levodopa and AMPA receptor antagonists may reflect levodopa-sparing effects in clinical treatment indicating the therapeutic potential of such combination in the management of Parkinson's disease.

AMPA receptor blockade potentiates the stimulatory effect of L-DOPA on dopamine release in dopamine-deficient corticostriatal slice preparation.

The release of [3H]dopamine was measured in rat corticostriatal slice preparations that contained the striatum and the adjacent prefrontal cortex to maintained glutamatergic corticostriatal afferentation. These slices were prepared from either nontreated or 6-hydroxydopamine-pretreated rats. The slices were loaded with [3H]dopamine, submerged in a two-compartment bath so that the cortical region was contained in one compartment, the corpus callosum was passed through a silicone greased slot, and the striatal region was contained in the other compartment. The cortical and the striatal parts were superfused with Krebs-bicarbonate buffer independently. The release of [3H]dopamine was determined from the striatal part at rest and in response to electrical stimulation of the cortical area. Electrical stimulation of the cortical part increased the release of [3H]dopamine from the striatal part of the slices, and this release was found to be higher after lesion of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway with 6-hydroxydopamine. Cortically evoked [3H]dopamine release was even higher in the presence of the dopamine precursor L-DOPA after 6-hydroxdopamine lesion. Perfusion of GYKI-53405, a noncompetitive AMPA receptor antagonist, in combination with L-DOPA further increased both basal and stimulation-evoked [3H]dopamine release, whereas GYKI-53405 by itself did not influence basal [3H]dopamine outflow from striatum. These findings indicate that, in parkinsonian striatum, the stimulatory effect of L-DOPA on dopamine release is potentiated by AMPA receptor blockade, and the antiparkinsonian effect of GYKI-53405 may be due to its L-DOPA sparing effect.