WAY-318068: a novel, potent and selective noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor with activity in rodent models of pain and depression.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Antidepressants, which raise the CNS concentrations of 5-HT and noradrenaline, are frequently used in the treatment of chronic pain; however, it is not known if increasing CNS noradrenaline levels alone is sufficient for efficacy, in part resulting from a lack of small molecules with sufficient selectivity. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: In this report, we present the in vitro pharmacological and in vivo pharmacokinetic and pharmacological properties of the novel, orally available and CNS penetrant inhibitor of the noradrenaline transporter (NET), WAY-318068 (1-[(1S,2R)-1-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-2-hydroxy-3-(methylamino)propyl]-7-fluoro-3,3-dimethyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one). KEY RESULTS: WAY-318068 is a potent and effective inhibitor of the NET with a K(i) of 8.7 nM in a binding assay, and an IC(50) of 6.8 nM in an assay of transporter function, without significant binding to the dopamine transporter. Furthermore, the compound has only weak activity at the 5-HT transporter, leading to a functional selectivity of greater than 2500-fold. It is orally bioavailable with substantial quantities of the compound found in the CNS after oral dosing. As measured by microdialysis in rats, the compound causes a robust and significant increase in cortical noradrenaline levels without affecting 5-HT. WAY-318068 was effective in models of acute, visceral, inflammatory, osteoarthritic, neuropathic, diabetic and bone cancer pain, as well as in traditional models of depression at doses that do not cause motor deficits. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Collectively, the present results support the conclusion that selectively increasing CNS levels of noradrenaline is sufficient for efficacy in models of depression and pain.

Metabolism of prazosin in rat and characterization of metabolites in plasma, urine, faeces, brain and bile using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS).

1. Prazosin, 2-[4-(2-furanoyl)-piperazin-1-yl]-4-amino-6,7-dimethoxyquinazoline, is an antihypertensive agent that has been used safely since 1976 and is currently being investigated for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. The in vivo metabolism of prazosin in rat was first reported in 1977, although at the time analytical techniques were not as sophisticated, nor were the mass spectrometers as sensitive, as today. Recently, the in vitro metabolism of prazosin in rat liver microsomes and cryopreserved hepatocytes was investigated using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), which revealed new metabolic pathways. 2. In the present work, rat in vivo metabolism was reinvestigated using a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer coupled with ultra-performance liquid chromatography, or chip-based nanoflow electrospray ionization, with the aim of identifying metabolites revealed by the in vitro studies and any new metabolites. 3. It is reported that prazosin was metabolized in rats to produce the metabolites observed in vitro. In addition, new phase I metabolites, M18, M20 and M21, were formed and conjugation with glucose or taurine formed the new phase II metabolites, M16 and M19, respectively. 4. Evidence for bioactivation of prazosin included detection of ring-opened metabolites (M4 and M7) and a cysteinyl-glycine conjugate (M17). Further support to the structure of the ring-opened metabolite M7 was obtained by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments on M7 isolated from urine.