Mivazerol, a novel compound with high specificity for alpha 2 adrenergic receptors: binding studies on different human and rat membrane preparations.

Mivazerol, 3-[1(H-imidazol-4-yl)methyl]-2-hydroxybenzamide hydrochloride, a new potential anti-ischemic drug designed by UCB S.A. Pharma Sector, has been studied in binding experiments on adrenergic, dopaminergic, serotoninergic, muscarinic and idazoxan binding sites. Our results indicate that this compound displays high affinity and marked specificity for alpha 2 adrenoceptors. Mivazerol displaced the binding of the alpha 2 adrenoceptor antagonist [3H]RX 821002 to the alpha 2A adrenoceptors in human frontal cortex membranes with an apparent Ki value of 37 nM. The competition curve was shallow (nH = 0.55), suggesting that this compound acts as an alpha 2 adrenergic agonist. Mivazerol was also a potent competitor for [3H]RX 821002 binding to human platelet membranes (containing alpha 2A adrenoceptors) and rat kidney membranes (75% of the alpha 2 adrenoceptors of the alpha 2B subtype), indicating that this compound is not alpha 2 adrenoceptor subtype selective. Equilibrium dissociation constants for alpha 1 adrenoceptors (displacement of [3H]prazosin) and 5-HT1A receptors (displacement of [3H]rauwolscine) were respectively about 120 times (Ki = 4.4 microM) and 14 times (Ki = 530 nM) higher than that for the alpha 2 adrenoceptors. Equilibrium dissociation constants were approximately 1000 times higher for all other receptors tested in this study; namely beta 1 and beta 2 adrenoceptors, D1- and D2-dopamine receptors, M1-, M2- and M3-muscarinic receptors, 5-HT2 receptors and non-adrenergic idazoxan binding sites.

Effect of lipid composition changes on carbocyanine dye fluorescent response.

Egg yolk phosphatidyl choline liposomes containing variable amounts of phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl inositol or phosphatidyl serine demonstrated important variations in the fluorescence of 3.3' dipropylthiodicarbocyanine. When the membrane contained no cholesterol, fluorescence was not correlated with membrane fluidity as measured by diphenyl hexatriene polarization. Increasing cholesterol concentration in valinomycin containing liposome membranes decreased the potassium induced apparent membrane potential and prevented sorption of dye to the membrane. Discontinuity in the apparent potential occurred at 30 mol% cholesterol but could not be correlated with changes in microviscosity. These results indicate that great care should be taken when correlating rapid variations of fluorescence to changes in membrane potential. We propose that changes in phospholipid metabolism could well explain fluorescent changes when monitoring the fluorescence of cyanine dye molecules sorbed to biological membranes.