ABSTRACT
Cytisine (cy) is a potent and competitive partial agonist at alpha4 subunit-containing nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptors while at homomeric alpha7-nACh receptors it behaves as a full agonist with a relatively lower potency. In the present study, we assessed the effects of bromination or iodination of the pyridone ring of cy and N-methylcytisine (N-Me-cy) on the effects of these compounds on recombinant human (h) alpha7, halpha4beta2 and halpha4beta4 nACh receptors expressed in clonal cell lines and Xenopus oocytes. Halogenation at C(3) of cy or N-Me-cy usually brings about a marked increase in both affinity and efficacy at halpha7, halpha4beta2 and halpha4beta4 nACh, the extent of which depends on whether the halogen is bromine or iodine, and upon receptor subtype. The effects of halogenation at C(5) are strongly influenced by the specific halogen substituent so that bromination causes a decrease in both affinity and efficacy while iodination decreases affinity but its effects on efficacy range from a decrease (halpha7, halpha4beta4 nACh receptors) to a marked increase (halpha4beta2 nACh receptors). Based on these findings, which differ from those showing that neither the affinity nor efficacy of nicotine, 3-(2-azetidinylmethoxy)-pyridine or epibatidine are greatly affected by halogenation, dehalogenation or halogen exchange at equivalent positions, we suggest that cy, N-Me-cy and their halo-isosteres bind to neuronal nACh receptors in a different orientation allowing the halogen atom to interact with a hydrophobic halogen-accepting region within the predominantly hydrophobic agonist-binding pocket of the receptors.
Subject(s)
Alkaloids/pharmacology , Nicotinic Agonists/pharmacology , Receptors, Nicotinic/drug effects , Alkaloids/chemistry , Animals , Azocines , Bromine/chemistry , Cell Line , Humans , Iodine/chemistry , Nicotinic Agonists/chemistry , Patch-Clamp Techniques , Quinolizines , Radioligand Assay , Receptors, Nicotinic/metabolism , Receptors, Nicotinic/physiology , Recombinant Proteins/metabolism , Structure-Activity Relationship , Xenopus laevisABSTRACT
Effects of cytisine (cy), 3-bromocytisine (3-Br-cy), 5-bromocytisine (5-Br-cy) and 3,5-dibromocytisine (3,5-diBr-cy) on human (h) alpha7-, alpha4beta2- and alpha4beta4 nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptors, expressed in Xenopus oocytes and cell lines, have been investigated. Cy and its bromo-isosteres fully inhibited binding of both [alpha-(125)I]bungarotoxin ([alpha-(125)I]BgTx) to halpha7- and [(3)H]cy to halpha4beta2- or halpha4beta4-nACh receptors. 3-Br-cy was the most potent inhibitor of both [alpha-(125)I]BgTx and [(3)H]cy binding. Cy was less potent than 3-Br-cy, but 5-Br-cy and 3,5-diBr-cy were the least potent inhibitors. Cy and 3-Br-cy were potent full agonists at halpha7-nACh receptors but behaved as partial agonists at halpha4beta2- and halpha4beta4-nACh receptors. 5-Br-cy and 3,5-diBr-cy had low potency and were partial agonists at halpha7- and halpha4beta4-nACh receptors, but they elicited no responses on halpha4beta2-nACh receptors. Cy and 3-Br-cy produced dual dose-response curves (DRC) at both halpha4beta2- and halpha4beta4-nACh receptors, but ACh produced dual DRC only at halpha4beta2-nACh receptors. Low concentrations of cy, 3-Br-cy and 5-Br-cy enhanced ACh responses of oocytes expressing halpha4beta2-nACh receptors, but at high concentrations they inhibited the responses. In contrast, 3,5-diBr-cy only inhibited, in a competitive manner, ACh responses of halpha4beta2-nACh receptors. It is concluded that bromination of the pyridone ring of cy produces marked changes in effects of cy that are manifest as nACh receptor subtype-specific differences in binding affinities and in functional potencies and efficacies.
