Three-site sandwich radioimmunoassay with monoclonal antibodies for a sensitive determination of human alpha-fetoprotein

Utilizing monoclonal antibodies against human alpha-fetoprotein, 3 distinct antigenic determinants were identified. These antigenic determinants, provisionally designated a, b and c, were arranged in such a manner that the binding of one determinant with the corresponding antibody did not inhibit, or only barely inhibited the binding of antibodies directed to the other 2 determinants. Monoclonal antibodies with 3 different specificities were, therefore, applied to develop a sandwich-type solid-phase radioimmunoassay of the antigen in which wells were coated with anti-a, and radiolabeled anti-b together with radiolabeled anti-c was employed to detect the bound antigen. The 3-site sandwich radioimmunoassay involving 3 different determinants gave a higher sensitivity than 2-site assays in which only anti-b or anti-c was employed as a radiolabeled reagent, because the radioactivity of the 2 labeled antibodies was added on the antigen bound to immobilized anti-a.

A pitfall in two-site sandwich 'one-step' immunoassay with monoclonal antibodies for the determination of human alpha-fetoprotein

Utilizing monoclonal antibodies directed to 2 distinct antigenic determinants of the human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), Uotila, Ruoslahti and Engvall developed the 2-site sandwich immunoassay. They found that due to the different specificities of monoclonal antibodies, 2 antigen-antibody reactions, AFP with immobilized antibody and AFP with labeled antibody, could be accomplished in a single step. We have found, however, that above a certain concentration, AFP detectable by their method decreased because the labeled antibody tended to bind with AFP that failed to react with the immobilized antibody. Consequently, 2 different AFP concentrations produced the same result, and an extremely high, still clinically expectable concentration gave a false negative result. Such an inhibition in high AFP concentrations was not observed in the conventional '2-step' immunoassay within the range of concentrations tested (0.1 ng-3 mg/ml). On the basis of these observations, the 2-site '1-step' immunoassay for AFP would have to be applied on multiple dilutions of the serum to avoid an erroneous interpretation of the results.

Pharmacological studies on a new benzamide derivative, YM-09151-2, with potential neuroleptic properties

The electrophysiological properties and cataleptogenicity of YM-09151-2 (N-[(2RS, 3RS)-1-benzyl-2-methyl-3-pyrrolidinyl]-5-chloro-2-methoxy-4-methylaminobenzamide) were studied in the cat. This drug inhibited the EEG arousal response to electrical stimulation of the mesencephalic reticular formation with the same potency as that of haloperidol, whereas chlorpromazine revealed a more potent central depressant action. The duration of the afterdischarge induced by electrical stimulation of the amygdaloid nucleus was initially shortened and thereafter prolonged by both YM-09151-2 and haloperidol. However, YM-09151-2 was less effective than haloperidol and chlorpromazine in both augmenting the spindle bursts produced by electrical stimulation of the caudate nucleus and antagonizing the inhibitory effect of L-DOPA on the caudate spindle, indicating a smaller effect of YM-09151-2 on the extrapyramidal dopaminergic system than that of the two neuroleptic drugs. In fact, YM-09151-2 produced no cataleptic behaviour in the cat even at a dose of 5 mg/kg (s.c.), although haloperidol and chlorpromazine caused catalepsy in doses of 0.5 and 5 mg/kg (s.c.), respectively. Sulpiride, chemically related to YM-09151-2, showed much weaker central actions than YM-09151-2. The results indicate that a new benzamide, YM-09151-2, has a potent neuroleptic effect with a slight central depressant activity and that the cataleptogenicity of the compound is weaker than that of haloperidol and of chlorpromazine.

Synthesis and neuroleptic activity of benzamides. Cis-N-(1-benzyl-2-methylpyrrolidin-3-yl)-5-chloro-2-methoxy-4-(methylamino)benzamide and related compounds

Three series of benzamides of N,N-disubstituted ethylenediamines (linear alkane-1,2-diamines), 1-substituted 2-(aminomethyl)pyrrolidines, and 1-substituted 3-aminopyrrolidines (cyclic alkane-1,2-diamines) were designed and synthesized as potential neuroleptics. All target compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior in rats, and a good correlation between structure and activity was found throughout the series. In the linear series (analogues of metoclopramide), introduction of a benzyl group on the terminal nitrogen, rather than an ethyl group, and a methyl group on the p-amino group of metoclopramide both enhanced the activity. The resulting N-[2-(N-benzyl-N-methylamino)ethyl]-5-chloro-2-methoxy-4-(methylamino) benzamide(23) was about 15 times more active than metoclopramide. In the cyclic series, particularly among the benzamides of 1-benzyl-3-aminopyrrolidine, most of the compounds tested were more active than the corresponding linear benzamides. cis-N-(1-Benzyl-2-methylpyrrolidin-3-yl)-5-chloro-2-methoxy-4-(methylamino) benzamide (YM-09151-2, 55) was the most active among all of the compounds tested, being 13 and 408 times more potent than haloperidol and metoclopramide, respectively. Moreover, compound 55 exhibited a fairly high ratio of antistereotypic activity to cataleptogenicity compared with haloperidol and metoclopramide. It is expected that compound 55 may be used as a potent drug with few side effects in the treatment of psychosis.

Neuroleptic properties of cis-N-(1-benzyl-2-methylpyrrolidin-3-yl)-5-chloro-2-methoxy-4-methylaminobenzamide (YM-09151-2) with selective antidopaminergic activity

A new benzamide, cis-N-(1-benzyl-2-methylpyrrolidin - 3 - yl) - 5 - chloro - 2 - methoxy - 4 - methylaminobenzamide (YM-09151-2) exhibited more potent and longer-lasting inhibitory effects on apomorphine-induced behaviours (stereotyped behaviour, emesis and hypothermia), and methamphetamine-induced stereotyped behaviour, conditioned avoidance response and open field behaviour, conditioned avoidance response and open field behaviour than either structurally similar benzamides (YM-0850 and sulpiride) or classical neuroleptics [chlorpromazine (CPZ) and haloperidol(HPD)]. Such inhibitory effects of YM-09151-2 relative to cataleptogenicity were greater than those of CPz and HPD. In contrast, sulpiride elicited few of the neuroleptic effects described above. YM-09151-2, a potent inhibitor for dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase (Ki: 3.0 nM) reduced, in a selective manner, the binding of [3H]dopamine to the dopamine D1 receptor (Ki:4.8 nm) associated with adenylate cyclase rather than to the dopamine D2 receptor (Ki: 0.98 microM) independent of adenylate cyclase. Sulpiride, on the contrary, inhibited only the binding to the dopamine D2 receptor, CPZ and HPD antagonized [3H]dopamine nonselectively at the two distinct dopaminergic receptors. These results suggest that YM-09151-2 is a potent and long-lasting neuroleptic with a highly selective blocking action on the dopamine D1 receptor.