Structure-Based Design and Optimization of FPPQ, a Dual-Acting 5-HT3 and 5-HT6 Receptor Antagonist with Antipsychotic and Procognitive Properties.

In line with recent clinical trials demonstrating that ondansetron, a 5-HT3 receptor (5-HT3R) antagonist, ameliorates cognitive deficits of schizophrenia and the known procognitive effects of 5-HT6 receptor (5-HT6R) antagonists, we applied the hybridization strategy to design dual-acting 5-HT3/5-HT6R antagonists. We identified the first-in-class compound FPPQ, which behaves as a 5-HT3R antagonist and a neutral antagonist 5-HT6R of the Gs pathway. FPPQ shows selectivity over 87 targets and decent brain penetration. Likewise, FPPQ inhibits phencyclidine (PCP)-induced hyperactivity and displays procognitive properties in the novel object recognition task. In contrast to FPPQ, neither 5-HT6R inverse agonist SB399885 nor neutral 5-HT6R antagonist CPPQ reversed (PCP)-induced hyperactivity. Thus, combination of 5-HT3R antagonism and 5-HT6R antagonism, exemplified by FPPQ, contributes to alleviating the positive-like symptoms. Present findings reveal critical structural features useful in a rational polypharmacological approach to target 5-HT3/5-HT6 receptors and encourage further studies on dual-acting 5-HT3/5-HT6R antagonists for the treatment of psychiatric disorders.

Superagonist, Full Agonist, Partial Agonist, and Antagonist Actions of Arylguanidines at 5-Hydroxytryptamine-3 (5-HT3) Subunit A Receptors.

Introduction of minor variations to the substitution pattern of arylguanidine 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 (5-HT3) receptor ligands resulted in a broad spectrum of functionally-active ligands from antagonist to superagonist. For example, (i) introduction of an additional Cl-substituent(s) to our lead full agonist N-(3-chlorophenyl)guanidine (mCPG, 2; efficacy % = 106) yielded superagonists 7-9 (efficacy % = 186, 139, and 129, respectively), (ii) a positional isomer of 2, p-Cl analog 11, displayed partial agonist actions (efficacy % = 12), and (iii) replacing the halogen atom at the meta or para position with an electron donating OCH3 group or a stronger electron withdrawing (i.e., CF3) group resulted in antagonists 13-16. We posit based on combined mutagenesis, crystallographic, and computational analyses that for the 5-HT3 receptor, the arylguanidines that are better able to simultaneously engage the primary and complementary subunits, thus keeping them in close proximity, have greater agonist character while those that are deficient in this ability are antagonists.

Synthesis and Pharmacological Evaluation of [11C]Granisetron and [18F]Fluoropalonosetron as PET Probes for 5-HT3 Receptor Imaging.

Serotonin-gated ionotropic 5-HT3 receptors are the major pharmacological targets for antiemetic compounds. Furthermore, they have become a focus for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and there is some evidence that pharmacological modulation of 5-HT3 receptors might alleviate symptoms of other neurological disorders. Highly selective, high-affinity antagonists, such as granisetron (Kytril) and palonosetron (Aloxi), belong to a family of drugs (the "setrons") that are well established for clinical use. To enable us to better understand the actions of these drugs in vivo, we report the synthesis of 8-fluoropalonosetron (15) that has a binding affinity (Ki = 0.26 ± 0.05 nM) similar to the parent drug (Ki = 0.21 ± 0.03 nM). We radiolabeled 15 by nucleophilic 18F-fluorination of an unsymmetrical diaryliodonium palonosetron precursor and achieved the radiosynthesis of 1-(methyl-11C)-N-granisetron ([11C]2) through N-alkylation with [11C]CH3I, respectively. Both compounds [18F]15 (chemical and radiochemical purity >95%, specific activity 41 GBq/µmol) and [11C]2 (chemical and radiochemical purity ≥99%, specific activity 170 GBq/µmol) were evaluated for their utility as positron emission tomography (PET) probes. Using mouse and rat brain slices, in vitro autoradiography with both [18F]15 and [11C]2 revealed a heterogeneous and displaceable binding in cortical and hippocampal regions that are known to express 5-HT3 receptors at significant levels. Subsequent PET experiments suggested that [18F]15 and [11C]2 are of limited utility for the PET imaging of brain 5-HT3 receptors in vivo.

Piperazine analogs of naphthyridine-3-carboxamides and indole-2-carboxamides: novel 5-HT3 receptor antagonists with antidepressant-like activity.

Series of piperazine analogs of naphthyridine-3-carboxamides and indole-2-carboxamides were designed using a ligand-based approach with consideration of the pharmacophoric requirements for 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. The title carboxamides were synthesized using appropriate synthetic routes. Initially, the 5-HT3 receptor antagonistic activity of all the compounds was determined on isolated guinea pig ileum tissue against the 5-HT3 agonist, 2-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine, which was denoted in the form of pA2 values. The structure-activity relationship regarding the influence of the aromatic part and basic moiety as features in the 5-HT3 pharmacophore was derived. Among all the compounds screened, the piperazine derivatives of indole-2-carboxamide 13i and naphthyridine-3-carboxamide 8h exhibited prominent 5-HT3 receptor antagonism with pA2 values of 7.5 and 7.3, respectively. Subsequent investigation of the antidepressant activities of selected compounds in the mouse forced swim test (FST) led to the identification of the piperazine analogs of indole-2-carboxamide 13i and naphthyridine-3-carboxamide 8h as the most promising compounds. Both 13i and 8h demonstrated significant reduction in the duration of immobility as compared to the control. Importantly, none of the tested compounds affected the baseline locomotion of mice at the tested dose levels.

Design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of novel 2-(4-substituted piperazin-1-yl)1, 8 naphthyridine 3-carboxylic acids as 5-HT3 receptor antagonists for the management of depression.

1, 8-naphthyridine-3-carboxylic acid analogs were synthesized and found to possess potential 5-HT3 receptor antagonism as well as antidepressant-like activity. Initially, 5-HT3 receptor antagonism of all the compounds was determined in the form of pA2 value against agonist 2-methyl 5-HT in longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus preparation from guinea-pig ileum. Among all the compounds tested, compound 7a demonstrated most promising pA2 value of 7.6. Subsequently, all the compounds were evaluated for antidepressant activity using forced swim test and tail suspension test in mice. Compounds 7a, 7d, 7f, 7h, and 7i exhibited significant (p < 0.05) antidepressant-like activity as compound to vehicle-treated group. Importantly, none of the tested compound affected locomotor activity of mice at tested dose levels.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of antidepressant activity of novel 2-methoxy 1, 8 naphthyridine 3-carboxamides as 5-HT3 receptor antagonists.

A series of novel 1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxamides as 5-HT3 receptor antagonists were synthesized with an intention to explore the antidepressant activity of these compounds. The title carboxamides were designed using ligand-based approach keeping in consideration the structural requirement of the pharmacophore of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. The compounds were synthesized using appropriate synthetic route from the starting material nicotinamide. 5-HT3 receptor antagonism of all the compounds, which was denoted in the form of pA2 value, was determined in longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus preparation from guinea-pig ileum against 5-HT3 agonist, 2-methyl-5-HT. Compound 8g (2-methoxy-1, 8-naphthyridin-3-yl) (2-methoxy phenyl piperazine-1-yl) methanone was identified as the most active compound, which expressed a pA2 value of 7.67. The antidepressant activity of all the compounds was examined in mice model of forced swim test (FST); importantly, none of the compounds was found to cause any significant changes in the locomotor activity of mice at the tested dose levels. In FST, the compounds with considerably higher pA2 value exhibited promising antidepressant-like activity, whereas compounds with lower pA2 value did not show antidepressant-like activity as compared to the control group.

2-(4-substituted piperazin-1-yl)-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxylic acids: novel 5-HT3 receptor antagonists with anxiolytic-like activity in rodent behavioral models.

The aim of this study was to investigate the anxiolytic potential of a series of novel carboxylic acid based 1,8 naphthyridines as 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. The pA2 values of all the compounds were determined against agonist 2-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine in longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus preparations from guinea pig ileum. Compounds with higher pA2 values, particularly those greater than ondansetron, a standard 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, and optimal log P values were screened in mice by using behavioral tests such as a light-dark (L/D) aversion test, elevated plus maze (EPM) test, and an open field test (OFT). In the L/D test, compounds 7a, 7b, 7d, 7e, and 7i (2 mg/kg body mass, intraperitoneal) significantly (P < 0.05) increased the latency time to leave the light compartment, total time spent in the light compartment, and the number of transitions between the light and dark compartments. Compounds 7a, 7d, 7f, 7h, and 7i (2 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly (P < 0.05) increased the time spent in the open arms and the number of entries into the open arms in the EPM test. In addition, compounds 7a, 7d, 7e, 7f, and 7h (2 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly (P < 0.05) increased the ambulation scores and the frequency of rearing in the OFT.

Characterization and validation of fluorescent receptor ligands: a case study of the ionotropic serotonin receptor.

The application of fluorescent receptor ligands has become widespread, incited by two important reasons. "Seeing is believing"-it is possible to visualize in real time in live cells ligand-receptor interactions, and to locate the receptors with subcellular precision allowing one to follow, e.g., internalization of the ligand-receptor complex. The high sensitivity of photon detection permits observation of on the one hand receptor-ligand interactions on cells with low, native receptor abundance, and on the other of individual fluorophores unveiling the stochastic properties of single ligand-receptor complexes.The major bottlenecks that impede extensive use of fluorescent ligands are due to possible dramatic changes of the pharmacological properties of a ligand upon chemical modification and fluorophore conjugation, aggravated by the observation that different fluorophores can provoke very dissimilar effects. This makes it virtually impossible to predict beforehand which labelling strategy to use to produce a fluorescent ligand with the desired qualities.Here, we focus on the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a high-affinity fluorescent antagonist for the ionotropic serotonin type-3 receptor.

Ligand-based design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of 3-Methoxyquinoxalin-2-carboxamides as structurally novel serotonin type-3 receptor antagonists.

Employing a ligand-based approach, 3-methoxyquinoxalin-2-carboxamides were designed as serotonin type-3 (5-HT(3) ) receptor antagonists and synthesized from the starting material o-phenylenediamine in a sequence of reactions. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by spectral data. These carboxamides were investigated for their 5-HT(3) receptor antagonisms in longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus preparations from guinea-pig ileum against a standard 5-HT(3) agonist, 2-methy-5-HT, and their antagonism activities are expressed as pA(2) values. Compounds 6a (pA(2) : 7.2), 6e (pA(2) : 7.0), 6f (pA(2) : 7.5), 6g (pA(2) : 7.5), 6n (pA(2) : 7.0), and 6o (pA(2) : 7.2) exhibited antagonism greater than that of the standard 5-HT(3) antagonist, ondansetron (pA(2) : 6.9).

Discovery of 1-[2-(2,4-dimethylphenylsulfanyl)phenyl]piperazine (Lu AA21004): a novel multimodal compound for the treatment of major depressive disorder.

The synthesis and structure-activity relationship of a novel series of compounds with combined effects on 5-HT(3A) and 5-HT(1A) receptors and on the serotonin (5-HT) transporter (SERT) are described. Compound 5m (Lu AA21004) was the lead compound, displaying high affinity for recombinant human 5-HT(1A) (K(i) = 15 nM), 5-HT(1B) (K(i) = 33 nM), 5-HT(3A) (K(i) = 3.7 nM), 5-HT(7) (K(i) = 19 nM), and noradrenergic ß(1) (K(i) = 46 nM) receptors, and SERT (K(i) = 1.6 nM). Compound 5m displayed antagonistic properties at 5-HT(3A) and 5-HT(7) receptors, partial agonist properties at 5-HT(1B) receptors, agonistic properties at 5-HT(1A) receptors, and potent inhibition of SERT. In conscious rats, 5m significantly increased extracellular 5-HT levels in the brain after acute and 3 days of treatment. Following the 3-day treatment (5 or 10 (mg/kg)/day) SERT occupancies were only 43% and 57%, respectively. These characteristics indicate that 5m is a novel multimodal serotonergic compound, and 5m is currently in clinical development for major depressive disorder.

Discovery of new anti-depressants from structurally novel 5-HT3 receptor antagonists: design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of 3-ethoxyquinoxalin-2-carboxamides.

A novel series of 3-ethoxyquinoxalin-2-carboxamides were designed as per the pharmacophoric requirements of 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist using ligand-based approach. The desired carboxamides were synthesized from the key intermediate, 3-ethoxyquinoxalin-2-carboxylic acid by coupling with appropriate amines in the presence of 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC·HCl) and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt). The 5-HT(3) receptor antagonism was evaluated in longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus preparation from guinea pig ileum against 5-HT(3) agonist, 2-methy-5-HT, which was expressed in the form of pA(2) values. Compound 6h (3-ethoxyquinoxalin-2-yl)(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)methanone was found to be the most active compound, which expressed a pA(2) value of 7.7. In forced swim test, the compounds with higher pA(2) value exhibited good anti-depressant-like activity and compounds with lower pA(2) value failed to show activity as compared to the vehicle-treated group.

Quinoxalin-2-carboxamides: synthesis and pharmacological evaluation as serotonin type-3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists.

A series of quinoxalin-2-carboxamides were designed as per the pharmacophoric requirements of 5-HT(3) receptor antagonists and synthesized by condensing the carboxylic group of quinoxalin-2-carboxylic acid with various amines in the presence of 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by physical and spectroscopic data. The carboxamides were evaluated for their 5-HT(3) receptor antagonisms in longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus preparation from guinea pig ileum against 5-HT(3) agonist, 2-methy-5-HT. All the synthesized compounds showed 5-HT(3) receptor antagonism, (4-benzylpiperazin-1-yl)(quinoxalin-2-yl)methanone was the most potent compound among this series.

Discovery of a novel 5-HT(3) antagonist/5-HT(1A) agonist 3-amino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-{4-[4-(quinolin-2-yl)piperazin-1-yl]butyl}quinazolin-4(3H)-one (TZB-30878) as an orally bioavailable agent for irritable bowel syndrome.

We have prepared a series of quinazolinone derivatives linked with piperazinylquinoline for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Using pharmacophore analysis, we designed and synthesized compounds which bind to both serotonin receptor subtype 1A (5-HT(1A)) and subtype 3 (5-HT(3)). Quinazolinone derivatives with a sulfur atom in the linker showed high affinity in in vitro assays, but low in vivo activity. Focusing on the linker to improve the pharmacokinetic profile, the sulfur atom in the linker was replaced with a methylene group. Further optimization led to the discovery of compound 17m (TZB-30878) ( J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 2007 , 322 , 1315 - 1323 , Patent WO2005082887 (A1), 2005 ), a novel 5-HT(1A) agonist/5-HT(3) antagonist in the 3-aminoquinazolinone series. In in vivo functional assays, 17m dose dependently inhibited the Bezold-Jarisch reflex and induced 5-HT(1A)-mediated behaviors, and in an IBS animal model, 17m significantly inhibited stress-induced defecation. Pretreatment by WAY-100635 (5-HT(1A) antagonist) significantly attenuated but did not abolish the inhibitory effects of 17m. These results suggested that 17m exerted inhibitory effects via both 5-HT(1A) agonistic and 5-HT(3) antagonistic activities and that 17m would be useful as a therapeutic agent for IBS.