1
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Terry AV, Jones K, Bertrand D. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in neurological and psychiatric diseases. Pharmacol Res 2023; 191:106764. [PMID: 37044234 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that are widely distributed both pre- and post-synaptically in the mammalian brain. By modulating cation flux across cell membranes, neuronal nAChRs regulate neuronal excitability and the release of a variety of neurotransmitters to influence multiple physiologic and behavioral processes including synaptic plasticity, motor function, attention, learning and memory. Abnormalities of neuronal nAChRs have been implicated in the pathophysiology of neurologic disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and Tourette´s syndrome, as well as psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. The potential role of nAChRs in a particular illness may be indicated by alterations in the expression of nAChRs in relevant brain regions, genetic variability in the genes encoding for nAChR subunit proteins, and/or clinical or preclinical observations where specific ligands showed a therapeutic effect. Over the past 25 years, extensive preclinical and some early clinical evidence suggested that ligands at nAChRs might have therapeutic potential for neurologic and psychiatric disorders. However, to date the only approved indications for nAChR ligands are smoking cessation and the treatment of dry eye disease. It has been argued that progress in nAChR drug discovery has been limited by translational gaps between the preclinical models and the human disease as well as unresolved questions regarding the pharmacological goal (i.e., agonism, antagonism or receptor desensitization) depending on the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin V Terry
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, 30912.
| | - Keri Jones
- Educational Innovation Institute, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, 30912
| | - Daniel Bertrand
- HiQScreen Sàrl, 6, rte de Compois, 1222 Vésenaz, Geneva, Switzerland
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2
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Akinola LS, Bagdas D, Alkhlaif Y, Jackson A, Gurdap CO, Rahimpour E, Carroll FI, Papke RL, Damaj MI. Pharmacological characterization of 5-iodo-A-85380, a β2-selective nicotinic receptor agonist, in mice. J Psychopharmacol 2022; 36:1280-1293. [PMID: 36321267 PMCID: PMC9817006 DOI: 10.1177/02698811221132214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Because of their implications in several pathological conditions, α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are potential targets for the treatment of nicotine dependence, pain, and many psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. However, they exist in various subtypes, and finding selective tools to investigate them has proved challenging. The nicotinic receptor agonist, 5-iodo-A-85380 (5IA), has helped in delineating the function of β2-containing subtypes in vitro; however, much is still unknown about its behavioral effects. Furthermore, its effectiveness on α6-containing subtypes is limited. AIMS To investigate the effects of 5IA on nociception (formalin, hot-plate, and tail-flick tests), locomotion, hypothermia, and conditioned reward after acute and repeated administration, and to examine the potential role of β2 and α6 nAChR subunits in these effects. Lastly, its selectivity for expressed low sensitivity (LS) and high sensitivity (HS) α4β2 receptors is investigated. RESULTS 5IA dose-dependently induced hypothermia, locomotion suppression, conditioned place preference, and antinociception (only in the formalin test but not in the hot-plate or tail-flick tests). Furthermore, these effects were mediated by β2 but not α6 nicotinic subunits. Finally, we show that 5-iodo-A-85380 potently activates both stoichiometries of α4β2 nAChRs with differential efficacies, being a full agonist on HS α4(2)β2(3) nAChRs, and a partial agonist on LS α4(3)β2(2) nAChRs and α6-containing subtypes as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lois S Akinola
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
| | - Deniz Bagdas
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, USA
- Yale Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Yale University, USA
| | - Yasmin Alkhlaif
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
| | - Asti Jackson
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, USA
- Yale Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Yale University, USA
| | - Cenk O Gurdap
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Elnaz Rahimpour
- Yale Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Yale University, USA
| | - F Ivy Carroll
- Center for Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, USA
| | - Roger L Papke
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, USA
| | - M Imad Damaj
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
- Translational Research Initiative for Pain and Neuropathy, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
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3
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Abstract
Tobacco smoking results in more than five million deaths each year and accounts for ∼90% of all deaths from lung cancer.3 Nicotine, the major reinforcing component of tobacco smoke, acts in the brain through the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The nAChRs are allosterically regulated, ligand-gated ion channels consisting of five membrane-spanning subunits. Twelve mammalian α subunits (α2-α10) and three β subunits (β2-β4) have been cloned. The predominant nAChR subtypes in mammalian brain are those containing α4 and β2 subunits (denoted as α4β2* nAChRs). The α4β2* nAChRs mediate many behaviors related to nicotine addiction and are the primary targets for currently approved smoking cessation agents. Considering the large number of nAChR subunits in the brain, it is likely that nAChRs containing subunits in addition to α4 and β2 also play a role in tobacco smoking. Indeed, genetic variation in the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 gene cluster, encoding the α5, α3, and β4 nAChR subunits, respectively, has been shown to increase vulnerability to tobacco dependence and smoking-associated diseases including lung cancer. Moreover, mice, in which expression of α5 or β4 subunits has been genetically modified, have profoundly altered patterns of nicotine consumption. In addition to the reinforcing properties of nicotine, the effects of nicotine on appetite, attention, and mood are also thought to contribute to establishment and maintenance of the tobacco smoking habit. Here, we review recent insights into the behavioral actions of nicotine, and the nAChR subtypes involved, which likely contribute to the development of tobacco dependence in smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina R Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06508, USA
| | - Paul J Kenny
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
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4
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Touchette JC, Moen JK, Robinson JM, Lee AM. Enhancement of alcohol aversion by the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor drug sazetidine-A. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12908. [PMID: 32329567 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) has steadily increased in the United States over the last 30 years. Alcohol acts on multiple receptor systems including the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are known to mediate alcohol consumption and reward. We previously reported that the preclinical drug sazetidine-A, a nAChR agonist and desensitizer, reduces alcohol consumption without affecting nicotine consumption in C57BL/6J mice. Here, we found that sazetidine-A enhances the expression of alcohol aversion without affecting the expression or acquisition of conditioned alcohol reward in C57BL/6J mice. Microinjection of sazetidine-A into the ventral midbrain targeting the ventral tegmental area (VTA) reduced binge alcohol consumption, implicating this region in mediating the effects of sazetidine-A. Furthermore, the sazetidine-A-induced reduction in alcohol consumption was mediated by non-α4 containing nAChRs, as sazetidine-A reduced binge alcohol consumption in both α4 knock-out and wild-type mice. Finally, we found that in mice pretreated with sazetidine-A, alcohol induced Fos transcript in Th-, but not Gad2-expressing neurons in the VTA as measured by increased Fos transcript expression. In summary, we find that sazetidine-A enhances the expression of alcohol aversion, which may underlie the reduction in alcohol consumption induced by sazetidine-A. Elucidating the identity of non-α4 nAChRs in alcohol aversion mechanisms will provide a better understanding the complex role of nAChRs in alcohol addiction and potentially reveal novel drug targets to treat AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Janna K. Moen
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota USA
| | - Jenna M. Robinson
- Department of Pharmacology University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota USA
| | - Anna M. Lee
- Department of Pharmacology University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota USA
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5
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Laikowski MM, Reisdorfer F, Moura S. NAChR α4β2 Subtype and their Relation with Nicotine Addiction, Cognition, Depression and Hyperactivity Disorder. Curr Med Chem 2019; 26:3792-3811. [PMID: 29637850 DOI: 10.2174/0929867325666180410105135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuronal α4β2 nAChRs are receptors involved in the role of neurotransmitters regulation and release, and this ionic channel participates in biological process of memory, learning and attention. This work aims to review the structure and functioning of the α4β2 nAChR emphasizing its role in the treatment of associated diseases like nicotine addiction and underlying pathologies such as cognition, depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. METHODS The authors realized extensive bibliographic research using the descriptors "Nicotine Receptor α4β2" and "cognition", "depression", "attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder", besides cross-references of the selected articles and after analysis of references in the specific literature. RESULTS As results, it was that found 179 relevant articles presenting the main molecules with affinity to nAChR α4β2 related to the cited diseases. The α4β2 nAChR subtype is a remarkable therapeutic target since this is the most abundant receptor in the central nervous system. CONCLUSION In summary, this review presents perspectives on the pharmacology and therapeutic targeting of α4β2 nAChRs for the treatment of cognition and diseases like nicotine dependence, depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela M Laikowski
- Laboratory of Natural and Synthetics Products, University of Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brazil
| | - Fávero Reisdorfer
- Laboratory of Drug Development and Quality Control, University Federal of Pampa, Brazil
| | - Sidnei Moura
- Laboratory of Natural and Synthetics Products, University of Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brazil
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Rezvani AH, Wells C, Slade S, Xiao Y, Kellar KJ, Levin ED. Oral sazetidine-A, a selective α4β2* nicotinic receptor desensitizing agent, reduces nicotine self-administration in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 179:109-112. [PMID: 30794849 PMCID: PMC6570822 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Sazetidine-A selectively desensitizes α4β2 nicotinic receptors and also has partial agonist effects. We have shown that subcutaneous acute and repeated injections as well as chronic infusions of sazetidine-A significantly reduce intravenous (IV) nicotine self-administration in rats. To further investigate the promise of sazetidine-A as a smoking cessation aid, it is important to determine sazetidine-A effects with oral administration and the time-effect function for its action on nicotine self-administration. Young adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to self-administer IV nicotine at the benchmark dose of 0.03 mg/kg/infusion dose in an operant FR1 schedule in 45-min sessions. After five sessions of training, they were tested for the effects of acute oral doses of sazetidine-A (0, 0.3, 1 and 3 mg/kg) given 30 min before testing. To determine the time-effect function, these rats were administered 0 or 3 mg/kg of sazetidine-A 1, 2, 4 or 23 h before the onset of testing. Our previous study showed that with subcutaneous injections, only 3 mg/kg of sazetidine-A significantly reduced nicotine self-administration, however, with oral administration of sazetidine-A lower dose of 1 mg/kg was also effective in reducing nicotine intake. A similar effect was seen in the time-effect study with 3 mg/kg of oral sazetidine-A causing a significant reduction in nicotine self-administration across all the time points of 1, 2, 4 or 23 h after oral administration. These results advance the development of sazetidine-A as a possible aid for smoking cessation by showing effectiveness with oral administration and persistence of the effect over the course of a day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir H Rezvani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, USA
| | - Corinne Wells
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, USA
| | - Susan Slade
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, USA
| | - Yingxian Xiao
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Kenneth J Kellar
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Edward D Levin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, USA.
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Touchette JC, Maertens JJ, Mason MM, O'Rourke KY, Lee AM. The nicotinic receptor drug sazetidine-A reduces alcohol consumption in mice without affecting concurrent nicotine consumption. Neuropharmacology 2018; 133:63-74. [PMID: 29355641 PMCID: PMC5858984 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol and nicotine addiction are frequently co-morbid. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are critical for both alcohol and nicotine addiction mechanisms, since nAChR drugs that reduce nicotine consumption have been shown to also reduce alcohol consumption. Sazetidine-A, a pre-clinical nAChR drug with agonist and desensitizing effects at α4β2 and α7 nAChRs, has been reported to reduce alcohol consumption and nicotine self-administration in rats when administered at high doses. However, this effect has not been replicated in mice. In this study, we examined the effect of sazetidine-A on alcohol and nicotine consumption in male and female mice utilizing voluntary oral consumption procedures previously developed in our lab. We found that sazetidine-A (1 mg/kg, i.p) reduced overnight alcohol consumption, but did not affect nicotine consumption when presented either alone or concurrently with alcohol. Sazetidine-A did not reduce water or saccharin consumption at any dose tested. In a chronic co-consumption experiment in which either alcohol or nicotine was re-introduced after one week of forced abstinence, sazetidine-A attenuated post-abstinence consumption of alcohol but not nicotine. Sazetidine-A also significantly reduced alcohol consumption in an acute, binge drinking-in-the-dark procedure. Finally, we tested the effect of sazetidine-A on alcohol withdrawal, and found that sazetidine-A significantly reduced handling-induced convulsions during alcohol withdrawal. Collectively, these data suggest a novel role for the nAChR targets of sazetidine-A in specifically mediating alcohol consumption, separate from the involvement of nAChRs in mediating nicotine consumption. Delineation of this pathway may provide insight into novel therapies for the treatment of alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jamie J Maertens
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Margaret M Mason
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Kyu Y O'Rourke
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Anna M Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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8
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Discovery and pharmacological evaluation of a novel series of adamantyl cyanoguanidines as P2X 7 receptor antagonists. Eur J Med Chem 2017; 130:433-439. [PMID: 28279849 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.02.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Here we report adamantyl cyanoguanidine compounds based on hybrids of the adamantyl amide scaffold reported by AstraZeneca and cyanoguanidine scaffold reported by Abbott Laboratories. Compound 27 displayed five-fold greater inhibitory potency than the lead compound 2 in both pore-formation and interleukin-1β release assays, while 35-treated mice displayed an antidepressant phenotype in behavioral studies. This SAR study provides a proof of concept for hybrid compounds, which will help in the further development of P2X7R antagonists.
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9
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Bolchi C, Bavo F, Fumagalli L, Gotti C, Fasoli F, Moretti M, Pallavicini M. Novel 5-substituted 3-hydroxyphenyl and 3-nitrophenyl ethers of S-prolinol as α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ligands. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2016; 26:5613-5617. [PMID: 27818109 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.10.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
A series of 3-nitrophenyl and 3-hydroxyphenyl ethers of (S)-N-methylprolinol bearing bulky and lipophilic substituents at phenyl C5 were tested for affinity at α4β2 and α3β4 nAChRs. The two phenyl ethers 5-substituted with 6-hydroxy-1-hexynyl showed high α4β2 affinity and significantly increased α4β2/α3β4 selectivity compared to the respective unsubstituted parent compounds. Within the two series of novel phenyl ethers, we observed parallel shifts in affinity and, furthermore, the increase in α4β2/α3β4 selectivity resulting from the hydroxyalkynyl substitution parallels that reported for the same modification at the 3-pyridyl ether of (S)-N-methylprolinol (A-84543), a well-known potent α4β2 agonist. On the basis of these results, our nitrophenyl and hydroxyphenyl prolinol ethers can be considered bioisosteres of the pyridyl ether A-84543 and lead compounds candidable to analogous optimization processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Bolchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Francesco Bavo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Laura Fumagalli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Cecilia Gotti
- CNR, Istituto di Neuroscienze, Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, I-20129 Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Fasoli
- CNR, Istituto di Neuroscienze, Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, I-20129 Milano, Italy
| | - Milena Moretti
- CNR, Istituto di Neuroscienze, Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, I-20129 Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Pallavicini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133 Milano, Italy.
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10
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Bolchi C, Bavo F, Gotti C, Fumagalli L, Fasoli F, Binda M, Mucchietto V, Sciaccaluga M, Plutino S, Fucile S, Pallavicini M. From pyrrolidinyl-benzodioxane to pyrrolidinyl-pyridodioxanes, or from unselective antagonism to selective partial agonism at α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 125:1132-1144. [PMID: 27810599 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.10.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Each of the four aromatic -CH= of (S,R)-2-pyrrolidinyl-1,4-benzodioxane [(S,R)-6] and of its epimer at the dioxane stereocenter (S,S)-6, previously reported as α4β2 nAChR ligands, was replaced with nitrogen. The resulting four diastereoisomeric pairs of pyrrolidinyl-pyridodioxanes were studied for the nicotinic affinity and activity at α4β2, α3β4 and α7 nAChR subtypes and compared to their common carbaisostere. It turned out that such isosteric substitutions are highly detrimental, but with the important exception of the S,R stereoisomer of the pyrrolidinyl-pyridodioxane with the pyridine nitrogen adjacent to the dioxane and seven atoms distant from the pyrrolidine nitrogen. Indeed, this stereo/regioisomer not only maintained the α4β2 affinity of [(S,R)-6], but also greatly improved in selectivity over the α3β4 and α7 subtypes and, most importantly, exhibited a highly selective α4β2 partial agonism. The finding that [(S,R)-6] is, instead, an unselective α4β2 antagonist indicates that the benzodioxane substructure confers affinity for the α4β2 nAChR binding site, but activation of this receptor subtype needs benzodioxane functionalization under strict steric requirements, such as the previously reported 7-OH substitution or the present isosteric modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Bolchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Francesco Bavo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Cecilia Gotti
- CNR, Istituto di Neuroscienze, and Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, Milano, I-20129, Italy
| | - Laura Fumagalli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Fasoli
- CNR, Istituto di Neuroscienze, and Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, Milano, I-20129, Italy
| | - Matteo Binda
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Vanessa Mucchietto
- CNR, Istituto di Neuroscienze, and Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, Milano, I-20129, Italy
| | - Miriam Sciaccaluga
- I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo, via Atinese 18, I-86077, Pozzilli (Isernia), Italy
| | - Simona Plutino
- Dipartimento di Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Piazzale Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Sergio Fucile
- I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo, via Atinese 18, I-86077, Pozzilli (Isernia), Italy; Dipartimento di Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Piazzale Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Pallavicini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133, Milano, Italy.
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11
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The role of glutamatergic, GABA-ergic, and cholinergic receptors in depression and antidepressant-like effect. Pharmacol Rep 2015; 68:443-50. [PMID: 26922551 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharep.2015.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2015] [Revised: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders and social issue worldwide. Although there are many antidepressants available, the effectiveness of the therapy is still a serious issue. Moreover, there are many limitations of currently used antidepressants, including slow onset of action, numerous side effects, or the fact that many patients do not respond adequately to the treatment. Therefore, scientists are searching for new compounds with different mechanisms of action. Numerous data indicate the important role of glutamatergic, GABA-ergic, and cholinergic receptors in the pathomechanism of major depressive disorder. This review presents the role of glutamatergic, GABA-ergic, and cholinergic receptors in depression and antidepressant-like effect.
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12
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Forcelli PA, Turner JR, Lee BG, Olson TT, Xie T, Xiao Y, Blendy JA, Kellar KJ. Anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects of the methadone metabolite 2-ethyl-5-methyl-3,3-diphenyl-1-pyrroline (EMDP). Neuropharmacology 2015; 101:46-56. [PMID: 26365569 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The enhancement of GABAergic and monoaminergic neurotransmission has been the mainstay of pharmacotherapy and the focus of drug-discovery for anxiety and depressive disorders for several decades. However, the significant limitations of drugs used for these disorders underscores the need for novel therapeutic targets. Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) may represent one such target. For example, mecamylamine, a non-competitive antagonist of nAChRs, displays positive effects in preclinical tests for anxiolytic and antidepressant activity in rodents. In addition, nicotine elicits similar effects in rodent models, possibly by receptor desensitization. Previous studies (Xiao et al., 2001) have identified two metabolites of methadone, EMDP (2-ethyl-5-methyl-3,3-diphenyl-1-pyrroline) and EDDP (2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine), which are considered to be inactive at opiate receptors, as relatively potent noncompetitive channel blockers of rat α3β4 nAChRs. Here, we show that these compounds are likewise highly effective blockers of human α3β4 and α4β2 nAChRs. Moreover, we show that they display relatively low affinity for opiate binding sites labeled by [(3)H]-naloxone. We then evaluated these compounds in rats and mice in preclinical behavioral models predictive of potential anxiolytic and antidepressant efficacy. We found that EMDP, but not EDDP, displayed robust effects predictive of anxiolytic and antidepressant efficacy without significant effects on locomotor activity. Moreover, EMDP at behaviorally active doses, unlike mecamylamine, did not produce eyelid ptosis, suggesting it may produce fewer autonomic side effects than mecamylamine. Thus, the methadone metabolite EMDP may represent a novel therapeutic avenue for the treatment of some affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A Forcelli
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Jill R Turner
- Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Bridgin G Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Thao T Olson
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Teresa Xie
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Yingxian Xiao
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Julie A Blendy
- Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Kenneth J Kellar
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
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13
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Bolchi C, Valoti E, Gotti C, Fasoli F, Ruggeri P, Fumagalli L, Binda M, Mucchietto V, Sciaccaluga M, Budriesi R, Fucile S, Pallavicini M. Chemistry and Pharmacology of a Series of Unichiral Analogues of 2-(2-Pyrrolidinyl)-1,4-benzodioxane, Prolinol Phenyl Ether, and Prolinol 3-Pyridyl Ether Designed as α4β2-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Agonists. J Med Chem 2015. [PMID: 26225816 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Some unichiral analogues of 2R,2'S-2-(1'-methyl-2'-pyrrolidinyl)-7-hydroxy-1,4-benzodioxane, a potent and selective α4β2-nAChR partial agonist, were designed by opening dioxane and replacing hydroxyl carbon with nitrogen. The resulting 3-pyridyl and m-hydroxyphenyl ethers have high α4β2 affinity and good subtype selectivity, which get lost if OH is removed from phenyl or the position of pyridine nitrogen is changed. High α4β2 affinity and selectivity are also attained by meta hydroxylating the 3-pyridyl and the phenyl ethers of (S)-N-methylprolinol and the phenyl ether of (S)-2-azetidinemethanol, known α4β2 agonists, although the interaction mode of the aryloxymethylene substructure cannot be assimilated to that of benzodioxane. Indeed, the α4β2 and α3β4 functional tests well differentiate behaviors that the binding tests homologize: both the 3-hydroxyphenyl and the 5-hydroxy-3-pyridyl ether of N-methylprolinol are α4β2 full agonists, but only the latter is highly α4β2/α3β4 selective, while potent and selective partial α4β2 agonism characterizes the hydroxybenzodioxane derivative and its two opened semirigid analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Bolchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche "Pietro Pratesi", Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Ermanno Valoti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche "Pietro Pratesi", Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Cecilia Gotti
- CNR, Istituto di Neuroscienze, and Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Vanvitelli 32, Milano, I-20129, Italy
| | - Francesca Fasoli
- CNR, Istituto di Neuroscienze, and Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Vanvitelli 32, Milano, I-20129, Italy
| | - Paola Ruggeri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche "Pietro Pratesi", Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Laura Fumagalli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche "Pietro Pratesi", Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Matteo Binda
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche "Pietro Pratesi", Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Vanessa Mucchietto
- CNR, Istituto di Neuroscienze, and Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Vanvitelli 32, Milano, I-20129, Italy
| | - Miriam Sciaccaluga
- I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo, Via Atinese 18, I-86077, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy
| | - Roberta Budriesi
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna , Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sergio Fucile
- I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo, Via Atinese 18, I-86077, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy.,Dipartimento di Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Università di Roma La Sapienza , Piazzale Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Pallavicini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche "Pietro Pratesi", Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Mangiagalli 25, I-20133, Milano, Italy
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14
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Tamborini L, Pinto A, Ettari R, Gotti C, Fasoli F, Conti P, De Micheli C. Synthesis and Pharmacological Evaluation of α4β2 Nicotinic Ligands with a 3-Fluoropyrrolidine Nucleus. ChemMedChem 2015; 10:1071-8. [PMID: 25882435 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201500073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Revised: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play an important role in many central nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, schizophrenia, and mood disorders. The α(4)β(2) subtype has emerged as an important target for the early diagnosis and amelioration of Alzheimer's disease symptoms. Herein we report a new class of α(4)β(2) receptor ligands characterized by a basic pyrrolidine nucleus, the basicity of which was properly decreased through the insertion of a fluorine atom at the 3-position, and a pyridine ring carrying at the 3-position substituents known to positively affect affinity and selectivity toward the α(4)β(2) subtype. Derivatives 3-(((2S,4R)-4-fluoropyrrolidin-2-yl)methoxy)-5-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (11) and 3-((4-fluorophenyl)ethynyl)-5-(((2S,4R)-4-fluoropyrrolidin-2-yl)methoxy)pyridine (12) were found to be the most promising ligands identified in this study, showing good affinity and selectivity for the α(4)β(2) subtype and physicochemical properties predictive of a relevant central nervous system penetration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Tamborini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano (Italy)
| | - Andrea Pinto
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano (Italy).
| | - Roberta Ettari
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e Prodotti per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale Annunziata 98168, Messina (Italy)
| | - Cecilia Gotti
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, CNR, Istituto di Neuroscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan (Italy)
| | - Francesca Fasoli
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, CNR, Istituto di Neuroscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan (Italy)
| | - Paola Conti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano (Italy)
| | - Carlo De Micheli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano (Italy)
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15
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Brunzell DH, Stafford AM, Dixon CI. Nicotinic receptor contributions to smoking: insights from human studies and animal models. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2015; 2:33-46. [PMID: 26301171 DOI: 10.1007/s40429-015-0042-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
It is becoming increasingly evident that a variety of factors contribute to smoking behavior. Nicotine is a constituent of tobacco smoke that exerts its psychoactive effects via binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in brain. Human genetic studies have identified polymorphisms in nAChR genes, which predict vulnerability to risk for tobacco dependence. In vitro studies and animal models have identified the functional relevance of specific polymorphisms. Together with animal behavioral models, which parse behaviors believed to contribute to tobacco use in humans, these studies demonstrate that nicotine action at a diversity of nAChRs is important for expression of independent behavioral phenotypes, which support smoking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darlene H Brunzell
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Alexandra M Stafford
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Claire I Dixon
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
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16
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Abstract
Nicotine dependence is a chronic, relapsing disorder with complex biological mechanisms underlying the motivational basis for this behavior. Although more than 70 % of current smokers express a desire to quit, most relapse within one year, underscoring the need for novel treatments. A key focus of translational research models addressing nicotine dependence has been on cross-validation of human and animal models in order to improve the predictive value of medication screening paradigms. In this chapter, we review several lines of research highlighting the utility of cross-validation models in elucidating the biological underpinnings of nicotine reward and reinforcement, identifying factors which may influence individual response to treatment, and facilitating rapid translation of findings to practice.
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17
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Caldarone BJ, Zachariou V, King SL. Rodent models of treatment-resistant depression. Eur J Pharmacol 2014; 753:51-65. [PMID: 25460020 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.10.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Revised: 09/16/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Major depression is a prevalent and debilitating disorder and a substantial proportion of patients fail to reach remission following standard antidepressant pharmacological treatment. Limited efficacy with currently available antidepressant drugs highlights the need to develop more effective medications for treatment- resistant patients and emphasizes the importance of developing better preclinical models that focus on treatment- resistant populations. This review discusses methods to adapt and refine rodent behavioral models that are predictive of antidepressant efficacy to identify populations that show reduced responsiveness or are resistant to traditional antidepressants. Methods include separating antidepressant responders from non-responders, administering treatments that render animals resistant to traditional pharmacological treatments, and identifying genetic models that show antidepressant resistance. This review also examines pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments regimes that have been effective in refractory patients and how some of these approaches have been used to validate animal models of treatment-resistant depression. The goals in developing rodent models of treatment-resistant depression are to understand the neurobiological mechanisms involved in antidepressant resistance and to develop valid models to test novel therapies that would be effective in patients that do not respond to traditional monoaminergic antidepressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara J Caldarone
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and NeuroBehavior Laboratory, Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Venetia Zachariou
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Sarah L King
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex, UK
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18
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Burke DA, Heshmati P, Kholdebarin E, Levin ED. Decreasing nicotinic receptor activity and the spatial learning impairment caused by the NMDA glutamate antagonist dizocilpine in rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2014; 741:132-9. [PMID: 25064338 PMCID: PMC4184962 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Revised: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 07/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Nicotinic systems have been shown by a variety of studies to be involved in cognitive function. Nicotinic receptors have an inherent property to become desensitized after activation. The relative role of nicotinic receptor activation vs. net receptor inactivation by desensitization in the cognitive effects of nicotinic drugs remains to be fully understood. In these studies, we tested the effects of the α7 nicotinic receptor antagonist methyllycaconitine (MLA), the α4β2 nicotinic receptor antagonist dihydro-β-erythroidine (DHβE), the nonspecific nicotinic channel blocker mecamylamine and the α4β2 nicotinic receptor desensitizing agent sazetidine-A on learning in a repeated acquisition test. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were trained on a repeated acquisition learning procedure in an 8-arm radial maze. MLA (1-4mg/kg), DHβE (1-4mg/kg), mecamylamine (0.125-0.5mg/kg) or sazetidine-A (1 and 3mg/kg) were administered in four different studies either alone or together with the NMDA glutamate antagonist dizocilpine (0.05 and 0.10mg/kg). MLA significantly counteracted the learning impairment caused by dizocilpine. The overall choice accuracy impairment caused by dizocilpine was significantly attenuated by co-administration of DHβE. Low doses of the non-specific nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine also reduced dizocilpine-induced repeated acquisition impairment. Sazetidine-A reversed the accuracy impairment caused by dizocilpine. These studies provide evidence that a net decrease in nicotinic receptor activity can improve learning by attenuating learning impairment induced by NMDA glutamate blockade. This adds to evidence in cognitive tests that nicotinic antagonists can improve cognitive function. Further research characterizing the efficacy and mechanisms underlying nicotinic antagonist and desensitization induced cognitive improvement is warranted.
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19
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Yu LF, Zhang HK, Caldarone BJ, Eaton JB, Lukas RJ, Kozikowski AP. Recent developments in novel antidepressants targeting α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. J Med Chem 2014; 57:8204-23. [PMID: 24901260 PMCID: PMC4207546 DOI: 10.1021/jm401937a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
(nAChRs) have been investigated
for developing drugs that can potentially treat various central nervous
system disorders. Considerable evidence supports the hypothesis that
modulation of the cholinergic system through activation and/or desensitization/inactivation
of nAChR holds promise for the development of new antidepressants.
The introductory portion of this Miniperspective discusses the basic
pharmacology that underpins the involvement of α4β2-nAChRs
in depression, along with the structural features that are essential
to ligand recognition by the α4β2-nAChRs. The remainder
of this Miniperspective analyzes reported nicotinic ligands in terms
of drug design considerations and their potency and selectivity, with
a particular focus on compounds exhibiting antidepressant-like effects
in preclinical or clinical studies. This Miniperspective aims to provide
an in-depth analysis of the potential for using nicotinic ligands
in the treatment of depression, which may hold some promise in addressing
an unmet clinical need by providing relief from depressive symptoms
in refractory patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Fang Yu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago , 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
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20
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Hussmann GP, DeDominicis KE, Turner JR, Yasuda RP, Klehm J, Forcelli PA, Xiao Y, Richardson JR, Sahibzada N, Wolfe BB, Lindstrom J, Blendy JA, Kellar KJ. Chronic sazetidine-A maintains anxiolytic effects and slower weight gain following chronic nicotine without maintaining increased density of nicotinic receptors in rodent brain. J Neurochem 2014; 129:721-31. [PMID: 24422997 PMCID: PMC3999245 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Revised: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chronic nicotine administration increases the density of brain α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which may contribute to nicotine addiction by exacerbating withdrawal symptoms associated with smoking cessation. Varenicline, a smoking cessation drug, also increases these receptors in rodent brain. The maintenance of this increase by varenicline as well as nicotine replacement may contribute to the high rate of relapse during the first year after smoking cessation. Recently, we found that sazetidine-A (saz-A), a potent partial agonist that desensitizes α4β2* nAChRs, does not increase the density of these receptors in brain at doses that decrease nicotine self-administration, increase attention in rats, and produce anxiolytic effects in mice. Here, we investigated whether chronic saz-A and varenicline maintain the density of nAChRs after their up-regulation by nicotine. In addition, we examined the effects of these drugs on a measure of anxiety in mice and weight gain in rats. After increasing nAChRs in the rodent brain with chronic nicotine, replacing nicotine with chronic varenicline maintained the increased nAChR binding, as well as the α4β2 subunit proteins measured by western blots. In contrast, replacing nicotine treatments with chronic saz-A resulted in the return of the density of nAChRs to the levels seen in saline controls. Nicotine, saz-A and varenicline each demonstrated anxiolytic effects in mice, but only saz-A and nicotine attenuated the gain of weight over a 6-week period in rats. These findings suggest that apart from its modest anxiolytic and weight control effects, saz-A, or drugs like it, may be useful in achieving long-term abstinence from smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Patrick Hussmann
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Kristen E. DeDominicis
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Jill R. Turner
- Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Robert P. Yasuda
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Jacquelyn Klehm
- Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Patrick A. Forcelli
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Yingxian Xiao
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Janell R. Richardson
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Niaz Sahibzada
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Barry B. Wolfe
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Jon Lindstrom
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Julie A. Blendy
- Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Kenneth J. Kellar
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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21
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Yu LF, Brek Eaton J, Zhang HK, Sabath E, Hanania T, Li GN, van Breemen RB, Whiteaker P, Liu Q, Wu J, Chang YC, Lukas RJ, Brunner D, Kozikowski AP. The potent and selective α4β2*/α6*-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist 2-[5-[5-((S)Azetidin-2-ylmethoxy)-3-pyridinyl]-3-isoxazolyl]ethanol demonstrates antidepressive-like behavior in animal models and a favorable ADME-tox profile. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2014; 2:e00026. [PMID: 25505580 PMCID: PMC4184702 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2013] [Revised: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Preclinical and clinical studies demonstrated that the inhibition of cholinergic supersensitivity through nicotinic antagonists and partial agonists can be used successfully to treat depressed patients, especially those who are poor responders to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). In our effort to develop novel antidepressant drugs, LF-3-88 was identified as a potent nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) partial agonist with subnanomolar to nanomolar affinities for β2-containing nAChRs (α2β2, α3β2, α4β2, and α4β2*) and superior selectivity away from α3β4 - (K i > 10(4) nmol/L) and α7-nAChRs (K i > 10(4) nmol/L) as well as 51 other central nervous system (CNS)-related neurotransmitter receptors and transporters. Functional activities at different nAChR subtypes were characterized utilizing (86)Rb(+) ion efflux assays, two-electrode voltage-clamp (TEVC) recording in oocytes, and whole-cell current recording measurements. In mouse models, administration of LF-3-88 resulted in antidepressive-like behavioral signatures 15 min post injection in the SmartCube® test (5 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.; about 45-min session), decreased immobility in the forced swim test (1-3 mg/kg, i.p.; 1-10 mg/kg, p.o.; 30 min pretreatment, 6-min trial), and decreased latency to approach food in the novelty-suppressed feeding test after 29 days chronic administration once daily (5 mg/kg but not 10 mg/kg, p.o.; 15-min trial). In addition, LF-3-88 exhibited a favorable profile in pharmacokinetic/ADME-Tox (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) assays. This compound was also shown to cause no mortality in wild-type Balb/CJ mice when tested at 300 mg/kg. These results further support the potential of potent and selective nicotinic partial agonists for use in the treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Fang Yu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60612 ; Institute of Drug Design and Development, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, East China Normal University 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - J Brek Eaton
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, Arizona, 85013
| | - Han-Kun Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60612 ; Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Emily Sabath
- PsychoGenics, Inc. 765 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York, 10591
| | - Taleen Hanania
- PsychoGenics, Inc. 765 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York, 10591
| | - Guan-Nan Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60612
| | - Richard B van Breemen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60612
| | - Paul Whiteaker
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, Arizona, 85013
| | - Qiang Liu
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, Arizona, 85013 ; Division of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, Arizona, 85013
| | - Jie Wu
- Division of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, Arizona, 85013
| | - Yong-Chang Chang
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, Arizona, 85013
| | - Ronald J Lukas
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, Arizona, 85013
| | - Dani Brunner
- PsychoGenics, Inc. 765 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York, 10591 ; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, NYSPI 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, New York, 10032
| | - Alan P Kozikowski
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60612
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22
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Campling BG, Kuryatov A, Lindstrom J. Acute activation, desensitization and smoldering activation of human acetylcholine receptors. PLoS One 2013; 8:e79653. [PMID: 24244538 PMCID: PMC3828267 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The behavioral effects of nicotine and other nicotinic agonists are mediated by AChRs in the brain. The relative contribution of acute activation versus chronic desensitization of AChRs is unknown. Sustained “smoldering activation” occurs over a range of agonist concentrations at which activated and desensitized AChRs are present in equilibrium. We used a fluorescent dye sensitive to changes in membrane potential to examine the effects of acute activation and chronic desensitization by nicotinic AChR agonists on cell lines expressing human α4β2, α3β4 and α7 AChRs. We examined the effects of acute and prolonged application of nicotine and the partial agonists varenicline, cytisine and sazetidine-A on these AChRs. The range of concentrations over which nicotine causes smoldering activation of α4β2 AChRs was centered at 0.13 µM, a level found in smokers. However, nicotine produced smoldering activation of α3β4 and α7 AChRs at concentrations well above levels found in smokers. The α4β2 expressing cell line contains a mixture of two stoichiometries, namely (α4β2)2β2 and (α4β2)2α4. The (α4β2)2β2 stoichiometry is more sensitive to activation by nicotine. Sazetidine-A activates and desensitizes only this stoichiometry. Varenicline, cytisine and sazetidine-A were partial agonists on this mixture of α4β2 AChRs, but full agonists on α3β4 and α7 AChRs. It has been reported that cytisine and varenicline are most efficacious on the (α4β2)2α4 stoichiometry. In this study, we distinguish the dual effects of activation and desensitization of AChRs by these nicotinic agonists and define the range of concentrations over which smoldering activation can be sustained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara G. Campling
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Medical Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Alexander Kuryatov
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jon Lindstrom
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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23
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Yenugonda VM, Xiao Y, Levin ED, Rezvani AH, Tran T, Al-Muhtasib N, Sahibzada N, Xie T, Wells C, Slade S, Johnson JE, Dakshanamurthy S, Kong HS, Tomita Y, Liu Y, Paige M, Kellar KJ, Brown ML. Design, synthesis and discovery of picomolar selective α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ligands. J Med Chem 2013; 56:8404-21. [PMID: 24047231 DOI: 10.1021/jm4008455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Developing novel and selective compounds that desensitize α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) could provide new effective treatments for nicotine addiction, as well as other disorders. Here we report a new class of nAChR ligands that display high selectivity and picomolar binding affinity for α4β2 nicotinic receptors. The novel compounds have Ki values in the range of 0.031-0.26 nM and properties that should make them good candidates as drugs acting in the CNS. The selected lead compound 1 (VMY-2-95) binds with high affinity and potently desensitizes α4β2 nAChRs. At a dose of 3 mg/kg, compound 1 significantly reduced rat nicotine self-administration. The overall results support further characterizations of compound 1 and its analogues in preclinical models of nicotine addiction and perhaps other disorders involving nAChRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkata M Yenugonda
- Center for Drug Discovery, Georgetown University Medical Center , 3970 Reservoir Road NW, Research Building, EP-07, Washington, D.C. 20057, United States
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Divergent functional effects of sazetidine-a and varenicline during nicotine withdrawal. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013; 38:2035-47. [PMID: 23624742 PMCID: PMC3746688 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2012] [Revised: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 04/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Smoking is the largest preventable cause of death in the United States. Furthermore, a recent study found that <10% of quit attempts resulted in continuous abstinence for 1 year. With the introduction of pharmacotherapies like Chantix (varenicline), a selective α4β2 nicotinic partial agonist, successful quit attempts have significantly increased. Therefore, novel subtype-specific nicotinic drugs, such as sazetidine-A, present a rich area for investigation of therapeutic potential in smoking cessation. The present studies examine the anxiety-related behavioral and functional effects of the nicotinic partial agonists varenicline and sazetidine-A during withdrawal from chronic nicotine in mice. Our studies indicate that ventral hippocampal-specific infusions of sazetidine-A, but not varenicline, are efficacious in reducing nicotine withdrawal-related anxiety-like phenotypes in the novelty-induced hypophagia (NIH) paradigm. To further investigate functional differences between these partial agonists, we utilized voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSDi) in ventral hippocampal slices to determine the effects of sazetidine-A and varenicline in animals chronically treated with saline, nicotine, or undergoing 24 h withdrawal. These studies demonstrate a functional dissociation of varenicline and sazetidine-A on hippocampal network activity, which is directly related to previous drug exposure. Furthermore, the effects of the nicotinic partial agonists in VSDi assays are significantly correlated with their behavioral effects in the NIH test. These findings highlight the importance of drug history in understanding the mechanisms through which nicotinic compounds may be aiding smoking cessation in individuals experiencing withdrawal-associated anxiety.
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Allosteric modulators of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: a new direction for antidepressant drug discovery. Future Med Chem 2013. [PMID: 23190109 DOI: 10.4155/fmc.12.172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Allosteric modulation of ligand-gated ion channels has been intensively studied in the past three decades and is now an established strategy to control receptor function in numerous disease states. Allosteric sites on the GABA(A) receptor are targets for widely prescribed drugs that are used for a variety of pathophysiological states including insomnia and epilepsy. Modulators might be especially valuable to control receptors for which the design of selective orthosteric drugs has proven difficult due to safety issues (e.g., α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and might have several advantages over orthosteric ligands. Modulators influence the action of the endogenous agonist but generally have no effect of their own on the unoccupied receptor. Moreover, the higher subtype selectivity exerted by modulators and that the effects of modulators depend on the simultaneous presence of agonist help to overcome safety problems by preventing over-dosage compared with the administration of orthosteric drugs.
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Liu Y, Richardson J, Tran T, Al-Muhtasib N, Xie T, Yenugonda VM, Sexton HG, Rezvani AH, Levin ED, Sahibzada N, Kellar KJ, Brown ML, Xiao Y, Paige M. Chemistry and pharmacological studies of 3-alkoxy-2,5-disubstituted-pyridinyl compounds as novel selective α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ligands that reduce alcohol intake in rats. J Med Chem 2013; 56:3000-11. [PMID: 23540678 PMCID: PMC3809750 DOI: 10.1021/jm4000374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal acetylcholine receptors mediate the addictive effects of nicotine and may also be involved in alcohol addiction. Varenicline, an approved smoking cessation medication, showed clear efficacy in reducing alcohol consumption in heavy-drinking smokers. More recently, sazetidine-A, which selectively desensitizes α4β2 nicotinic receptors, was shown to significantly reduce alcohol intake in a rat model. To develop novel therapeutics for treating alcohol use disorder, we designed and synthesized novel sazetidine-A analogues containing a methyl group at the 2-position of the pyridine ring. In vitro pharmacological studies revealed that some of the novel compounds showed overall pharmacological property profiles similar to that of sazetidine-A but exhibited reduced agonist activity across all nicotinic receptor subtypes tested. In rat studies, compound (S)-9 significantly reduced alcohol uptake. More importantly, preliminary results from studies in a ferret model indicate that these novel nAChR ligands have an improved adverse side-effect profile in comparison with that of varenicline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Liu
- Center of Drug Discovery, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 20057
| | - Janell Richardson
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 3900 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 20057
| | - Thao Tran
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 3900 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 20057
| | - Nour Al-Muhtasib
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 3900 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 20057
| | - Teresa Xie
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 3900 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 20057
| | - Venkata Mahidhar Yenugonda
- Center of Drug Discovery, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 20057
| | - Hannah G. Sexton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Amir H. Rezvani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Edward D. Levin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Niaz Sahibzada
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 3900 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 20057
| | - Kenneth J. Kellar
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 3900 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 20057
| | - Milton L. Brown
- Center of Drug Discovery, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 20057
| | - Yingxian Xiao
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 3900 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 20057
| | - Mikell Paige
- Center of Drug Discovery, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 20057
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Yuan Y, Yu LF, Qiu X, Kozikowski AP, van Breemen RB. Pharmacokinetics and brain penetration of LF-3-88, (2-[5-[5-(2(S)-azetidinylmethoxyl)-3-pyridyl]-3-isoxazolyl]ethanol), a selective α4β2-nAChR partial agonist and promising antidepressant. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2013; 912:38-42. [PMID: 23246847 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2012.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2012] [Revised: 10/29/2012] [Accepted: 11/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
LF-3-88 (2-[5-[5-(2(S)-azetidinylmethoxyl)-3-pyridyl]-3-isoxazolyl]ethanol) was identified as a highly selective α4β2-nAChRs partial agonist, with a K(i) value of 0.4nM and EC(50) value of 110nM. A sensitive and selective ultra high pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS-MS) method was developed and validated to study the pharmacokinetics profile of this compound in mice. Protein precipitation with acetonitrile was used to prepare the plasma and brain samples, and the recovery was greater than 90%. The inter-day and intra-day accuracy and precision of the quantitative method ranged from 95% to 106% for plasma and from 93% to 105% for brain homogenates. The precision of the assay was <10%. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 0.5ng/mL (1.8nM) and 1ng/mL (3.6nM), respectively. LF-3-88 was stable (>93%) for 24h on the bench top at room temperature, and for at least 3 weeks at 4°C and -80°C. The UHPLC-MS-MS assay was applied to the measurement of plasma and brain levels of LF-3-88 following oral administration to male Balb/c mice. Plasma concentrations of LF-3-88 and brain levels were dose-dependent with half-lives of approximately 60min and 180min, respectively, indicating good oral bioavailability and penetration of the blood-brain barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yuan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research, University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL 60612-72312, United States
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Picciotto MR, Kenny PJ. Molecular mechanisms underlying behaviors related to nicotine addiction. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2013; 3:a012112. [PMID: 23143843 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a012112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Tobacco smoking results in more than 5 million deaths each year and accounts for almost 90% of all deaths from lung cancer. Nicotine, the major reinforcing component of tobacco smoke, acts in the brain through the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The nAChRs are allosterically regulated, ligand-gated ion channels consisting of five membrane-spanning subunits. Twelve mammalian α subunits (α2-α10) and β subunits (β2-β4) have been cloned. The predominant nAChR subtypes in mammalian brain are those containing α4 and β2 subunits (denoted as α4β2* nAChRs). The α4β2* nAChRs mediate many behaviors related to nicotine addiction and are the primary targets for currently approved smoking cessation agents. Considering the large number of nAChR subunits in the brain, it is likely that nAChRs containing subunits in addition to α4 and β2 also play a role in tobacco smoking. Indeed, genetic variation in the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 gene cluster, encoding the α5, α3, and β4 nAChR subunits, respectively, has been shown to increase vulnerability to tobacco dependence and smoking-associated diseases including lung cancer. Moreover, mice in which expression of α5 or β4 subunits has been genetically modified have profoundly altered patterns of nicotine consumption. In addition to the reinforcing properties of nicotine, the effects of nicotine on appetite, attention, and mood are also thought to contribute to establishment and maintenance of the tobacco smoking habit. Here we review recent insights into the behavioral actions of nicotine and the nAChRs subtypes involved, which likely contribute to the development of tobacco dependence in smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina R Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06508, USA.
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29
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Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: From basic science to therapeutics. Pharmacol Ther 2013; 137:22-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2012.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 382] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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30
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Anderson SM, Brunzell DH. Low dose nicotine and antagonism of β2 subunit containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors have similar effects on affective behavior in mice. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48665. [PMID: 23144922 PMCID: PMC3492489 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2012] [Accepted: 09/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotine leads to both activation and desensitization (inactivation) of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). This study tested the hypothesis that nicotine and a selective antagonist of β2*nAChRs would have similar effects on affective behavior. Adult C57BL/6J male mice were tested in a conditioned emotional response (CER) assay which evaluates the ability of an aversive stimulus to inhibit goal-directed behavior. Mice lever-pressed for a saccharin reinforcer according to a variable schedule of reinforcement during sessions in which two presentations of a compound light/tone conditioned stimulus (CS) co-terminated with a 0.1 or 0.3 mA, 0.5 s footshock unconditioned stimulus (US). During testing in the absence of the US, mice received doses of i.p. nicotine (0, 0.0032, 0.01, 0.032, 0.1 mg/kg) or a selective β2 subunit containing nAChR (β2*nAChR) antagonist dihydro-beta-erythroidine (0, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg DHβE). There was a dose-dependent effect of nicotine revealing that only low doses (0.01, 0.032 mg/kg) increased CER suppression ratios (SR) in these mice. DHβE also dose-dependently increased SR at the 3 mg/kg dose. In ethological measures of fear-/anxiety-like behavior, these doses of nicotine and DHβE significantly reduced digging behavior in a marble burying task and 0.3 mg/kg DHβE promoted open-arm activity in the elevated plus maze. Doses of nicotine and DHβE that altered affective behavior had no effect on locomotor activity. Similar to previous reports with anxiolytic drugs, low dose nicotine and DHβE reversed SR in a CER assay, decreased digging in a marble burying assay and increased open arm activity in the elevated plus maze. This study provides evidence that inactivation of β2*nAChRs reduces fear-like and anxiety-like behavior in rodents and suggests that smokers may be motivated to smoke in part to desensitize their β2*nAChRs. These data further identify β2*nAChR antagonism as a potential therapeutic strategy for relief of negative affect and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn M. Anderson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Darlene H. Brunzell
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Graduate Program, and Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
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31
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Yu LF, Eaton JB, Fedolak A, Zhang HK, Hanania T, Brunner D, Lukas RJ, Kozikowski AP. Discovery of highly potent and selective α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) partial agonists containing an isoxazolylpyridine ether scaffold that demonstrate antidepressant-like activity. Part II. J Med Chem 2012; 55:9998-10009. [PMID: 23092294 DOI: 10.1021/jm301177j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In our continued efforts to develop α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) partial agonists as novel antidepressants having a unique mechanism of action, structure-activity relationship (SAR) exploration of certain isoxazolylpyridine ethers is presented. In particular, modifications to both the azetidine ring present in the starting structure 4 and its metabolically liable hydroxyl side chain substituent have been explored to improve compound druggability. The pharmacological characterization of all new compounds has been carried out using [(3)H]epibatidine binding studies together with functional assays based on (86)Rb(+) ion flux measurements. We found that the deletion of the metabolically liable hydroxyl group or its replacement by a fluoromethyl group not only maintained potency and selectivity but also resulted in compounds showing antidepressant-like properties in the mouse forced swim test. These isoxazolylpyridine ethers appear to represent promising lead candidates in the design of innovative chemical tools containing reporter groups for imaging purposes and of possible therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Fang Yu
- Drug Discovery Program, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA
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32
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Pandey SK, Pan S, Kant R, Kuruvilla SA, Pan ML, Mukherjee J. Synthesis and evaluation of 3-¹²³I-iodo-5-[2-(S)-3-pyrrolinylmethoxy]-pyridine (niodene) as a potential nicotinic α4β2 receptor imaging agent. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2012; 22:7610-4. [PMID: 23116890 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2012.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2012] [Revised: 09/27/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are downregulated in disease conditions such as Alzheimer's and substance abuse. Presently, (123)I-5-IA-85380 is used in human studies and requires over 6h of scanning time, thus increases patient discomfort. We have designed and synthesized 3-iodo-5-[2-(S)-3-pyrrolinylmethoxy]pyridine (niodene) with the aim to have faster binding kinetics compared to (123)I-5-IA-85380, which may reduce scanning time and help in imaging studies. Binding affinity K(i) of niodene for rat brain α4β2 receptors in brain homogenate assays using (3)H-cytisine was 0.27 nM. Niodene, 10nM displaced >95% of (18)F-nifene bound to α4β2 receptors in rat brain slices. By using the iododestannylation method, (123)I-niodene was obtained in high radiochemical purity (>95%) but with low radiochemical yield (<5%) and low specific activity (∼100 Ci/mmol). Autoradiograms show (123)I-niodene localized in the thalamus and cortex, which was displaced by nicotine (thalamus to cerebellum ratio=4; cortex to cerebellum ratio=1.6). Methods of radioiodination need to be further evaluated in order to obtain (123)I-niodene in higher radiochemical yields and higher specific activity of this potentially useful new SPECT imaging agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suresh K Pandey
- Preclinical Imaging, B140 Medical Sciences, Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, United States
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Hussmann GP, Kellar KJ. A new radioligand binding assay to measure the concentration of drugs in rodent brain ex vivo. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2012; 343:434-40. [PMID: 22899751 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.112.198069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
We have developed a new radioligand binding assay method to measure the concentration of nonradiolabeled drugs in the brain ex vivo. This new method fuses the concepts of standard competition and saturation binding assays and uses a transformed version of the Cheng-Prusoff equation (Biochem Pharmacol 22:3099-3108, 1973) to calculate the drug concentration. After testing the validity of this method, we demonstrated its utility by measuring the brain concentration of sazetidine-A, a newly developed nicotinic receptor ligand, and its elimination rate after a single subcutaneous administration. Our results indicate that sazetidine-A reaches brain concentrations that are known to occupy and desensitize the majority of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor binding sites. Furthermore, using this method, we estimated the half-life of sazetidine-A in the rat brain to be ∼65 min. It is important to note that the method described here to measure sazetidine-A in brain should be generalizable to other drugs acting at any receptor that can be reliably measured with a radiolabeled ligand.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Patrick Hussmann
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Medical-Dental Building, 3900 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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Hussmann GP, Turner JR, Lomazzo E, Venkatesh R, Cousins V, Xiao Y, Yasuda RP, Wolfe BB, Perry DC, Rezvani AH, Levin ED, Blendy JA, Kellar KJ. Chronic sazetidine-A at behaviorally active doses does not increase nicotinic cholinergic receptors in rodent brain. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2012; 343:441-50. [PMID: 22899752 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.112.198085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic nicotine administration increases α4β2 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) density in brain. This up-regulation probably contributes to the development and/or maintenance of nicotine dependence. nAChR up-regulation is believed to be triggered at the ligand binding site, so it is not surprising that other nicotinic ligands also up-regulate nAChRs in the brain. These other ligands include varenicline, which is currently used for smoking cessation therapy. Sazetidine-A (saz-A) is a newer nicotinic ligand that binds with high affinity and selectivity at α4β2* nAChRs. In behavioral studies, saz-A decreases nicotine self-administration and increases performance on tasks of attention. We report here that, unlike nicotine and varenicline, chronic administration of saz-A at behaviorally active and even higher doses does not up-regulate nAChRs in rodent brains. We used a newly developed method involving radioligand binding to measure the concentrations and nAChR occupancy of saz-A, nicotine, and varenicline in brains from chronically treated rats. Our results indicate that saz-A reached concentrations in the brain that were ∼150 times its affinity for α4β2* nAChRs and occupied at least 75% of nAChRs. Thus, chronic administration of saz-A did not up-regulate nAChRs despite it reaching brain concentrations that are known to bind and desensitize virtually all α4β2* nAChRs in brain. These findings reinforce a model of nicotine addiction based on desensitization of up-regulated nAChRs and introduce a potential new strategy for smoking cessation therapy in which drugs such as saz-A can promote smoking cessation without maintaining nAChR up-regulation, thereby potentially increasing the rate of long-term abstinence from nicotine.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Patrick Hussmann
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 3900 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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Philip NS, Carpenter LL, Tyrka AR, Price LH. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor as a target for antidepressant drug development. ScientificWorldJournal 2012; 2012:104105. [PMID: 22619570 PMCID: PMC3349306 DOI: 10.1100/2012/104105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2012] [Accepted: 02/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
An important new area of antidepressant drug development involves targeting the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). This receptor, which is distributed widely in regions of the brain associated with depression, is also implicated in other important processes that are relevant to depression, such as stress and inflammation. The two classes of drugs that target nAChRs can be broadly divided into mecamylamine- and cytisine-based compounds. These drugs probably exert their effects via antagonism at α4β2 nAChRs, and strong preclinical data support the antidepressant efficacy of both classes when used in conjunction with other primary antidepressants (e.g., monoamine reuptake inhibitors). Although clinical data remain limited, preliminary results in this area constitute a compelling argument for further evaluation of the nAChR as a target for future antidepressant drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah S Philip
- Mood Disorders Research Program, Butler Hospital and Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA. Philip, noah
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Rezvani AH, Timofeeva O, Sexton HG, DeCuir D, Xiao Y, Gordon CJ, Kellar KJ, Levin ED. Effects of sazetidine-A, a selective α4β2* nicotinic receptor desensitizing agent, on body temperature regulation in mice and rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2012; 682:110-7. [PMID: 22387853 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2012.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Revised: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine-induced hypothermia is well established, but the nicotinic receptor actions underlying this effect are not clear. Nicotine causes activation and desensitization at a variety of nicotinic receptor subtypes. Sazetidine-A [6-(5(((S)-azetidine-2-yl)methoxy)pyridine-3-yl)hex-5-yn-1-ol] is a novel compound that potently and selectively desensitizes α4β2* nicotinic receptors. The main goal of this study was to investigate the effects of sazetidine-A, on core body temperature (Tc) in mice and rats. Sazetidine-A effects on Tc and the interactions of sazetidine-A with nicotine and selective nicotinic antagonists were investigated to determine the receptor actions underlying nicotine-induced hypothermia. Adult male mice were injected with different dose of nicotine (0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 mg/kg), sazetidine-A (0.3, 1, and 3mg/kg), a mixture of nicotine (0.4 or 0.8 mg/kg) and sazetidine-A (0.3 or 0.6 mg/kg) or saline and Tc was monitored telemetrically. In another set of experiments, the interaction between sazetidine-A and dihydro-β-erythroidine (DHβE), an α4β2* nicotinic receptors antagonist, and methyllycaconitine (MLA), an α7 antagonist, was investigated. Tc of mice was monitored following DHβE (1, 3 and 6 mg/kg), a combination of DHβE (3mg/kg) and sazetidine-A (0.6 mg/kg), MLA (1.5, 3 or 6 mg/kg) or combination of MLA (6 mg/kg) and sazetidine (0.6 mg/kg) or saline. The acute effect of sazetidine-A (1, 3, and 6 mg/kg) on rats Tc was also studied. Acute sazetidine-A caused a pronounced and long-lasting hypothermia in mice; Tc decreased to about 28°C at 100 min and recovered within 230 min. The hypothermic effect of sazetidine in rats was much less in magnitude (about 3°C) and shorter in duration compared with that in mice. Nicotine co-administration with low doses of sazetidine potentiated the magnitude and duration of hypothermia in mice. The α4β2* nicotinic receptors antagonist DHβE significantly prolonged sazetidine-A-induced hypothermia but did not increase its depth. The α7 antagonist MLA caused a modest degree of hypothermia with relatively short duration in mice. MLA failed to counteract the sazetidine-A-induced hypothermia. Overall, our results show that pharmacological modulation of α4β2* nicotinic receptors elicits changes in body temperature that may involve desensitization of these receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir H Rezvani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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37
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Zhang H, Tückmantel W, Eaton JB, Yuen PW, Yu LF, Bajjuri KM, Fedolak A, Wang D, Ghavami A, Caldarone B, Paterson NE, Lowe DA, Brunner D, Lukas RJ, Kozikowski AP. Chemistry and behavioral studies identify chiral cyclopropanes as selective α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonists exhibiting an antidepressant profile. J Med Chem 2012; 55:717-24. [PMID: 22171543 DOI: 10.1021/jm201157c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite their discovery in the early 20th century and intensive study over the last 20 years, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are still far from being well understood. Only a few chemical entities targeting nAChRs are currently undergoing clinical trials, and even fewer have reached the marketplace. In our efforts to discover novel and truly selective nAChR ligands, we designed and synthesized a series of chiral cyclopropane-containing α4β2-specific ligands that display low nanomolar binding affinities and excellent subtype selectivity while acting as partial agonists at α4β2-nAChRs. Their favorable antidepressant-like properties were demonstrated in the classical mouse forced swim test. Preliminary ADMET studies and broad screening toward other common neurotransmitter receptors were also carried out to further evaluate their safety profile and eliminate their potential off-target activity. These highly potent cyclopropane ligands possess superior subtype selectivity compared to other α4β2-nAChR agonists reported to date, including the marketed drug varenicline, and therefore may fully satisfy the crucial prerequisite for avoiding adverse side effects. These novel chemical entities could potentially be advanced to the clinic as new drug candidates for treating depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hankun Zhang
- Drug Discovery Program, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
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Yu LF, Tückmantel W, Eaton JB, Caldarone B, Fedolak A, Hanania T, Brunner D, Lukas RJ, Kozikowski AP. Identification of novel α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists based on an isoxazole ether scaffold that demonstrate antidepressant-like activity. J Med Chem 2012; 55:812-23. [PMID: 22148173 DOI: 10.1021/jm201301h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
There is considerable evidence to support the hypothesis that the blockade of nAChR is responsible for the antidepressant action of nicotinic ligands. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist, mecamylamine, has been shown to be an effective add-on in patients that do not respond to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. This suggests that nAChR ligands may address an unmet clinical need by providing relief from depressive symptoms in refractory patients. In this study, a new series of nAChR ligands based on an isoxazole-ether scaffold have been designed and synthesized for binding and functional assays. Preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) efforts identified a lead compound 43, which possesses potent antidepressant-like activity (1 mg/kg, IP; 5 mg/kg, PO) in the classical mouse forced swim test. Early stage absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADME-Tox) studies also suggested favorable drug-like properties, and broad screening toward other common neurotransmitter receptors indicated that compound 43 is highly selective for nAChRs over the other 45 neurotransmitter receptors and transporters tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Fang Yu
- Drug Discovery Program, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
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Andreasen JT, Redrobe JP, Nielsen EØ. Combined α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonism and partial serotonin transporter inhibition produce antidepressant-like effects in the mouse forced swim and tail suspension tests: a comparison of SSR180711 and PNU-282987. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2011; 100:624-9. [PMID: 22108649 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2011.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2011] [Revised: 11/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence points to an involvement of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in major depression. Nicotine improves symptoms of depression in humans and shows antidepressant-like effects in rodents. Monoamine release is facilitated by nAChR stimulation, and nicotine-evoked serotonin (5-HT) release has been shown to depend on α7 nAChR activation. The α7 nAChR agonist PNU-282987 shows no antidepressant-like activity when tested alone in the mouse forced swim (mFST) or tail suspension tests (mTST). However, in combination with a sub-active dose of the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor citalopram, inducing ~50% 5-HT reuptake inhibition, PNU-282987 has shown marked antidepressant-like effects in the mFST. SSR180711 is a recently described α7 nAChR agonist that has shown antidepressant-like activity in the rat forced swim test. To address the possibility that 5-HT reuptake inhibition contributes to the antidepressant-like profile of SSR180711, we compared the behavioural and biochemical profiles of PNU-282987 and SSR180711. In the mFST and mTST, SSR180711 (3-30 mg/kg, s.c.) showed dose-dependent antidepressant-like activity, while PNU-282987 (3-30 mg/kg, s.c.) showed no significant effect. The ED(50) to displace [³H]α-bungarotoxin binding was 1.7 and 5.5 mg/kg for SSR180711 and PNU-282987, respectively, suggesting that both compounds produce near-maximal α7 nAChR occupancy at the highest dose. While PNU-282987 did not affect ex vivo [³H]5-HT uptake, SSR180711 inhibited [³H]5-HT uptake with an ED₅₀ of 30 mg/kg. This degree of inhibition is similar to that observed with a citalopram dose of ~2.4 mg/kg, a dose that is normally not active in the mFST or mTST. This suggests that the antidepressant-like activity of SSR180711 may involve partial 5-HT reuptake inhibition. SSR180711 therefore represents a compound displaying the synergistic effect of α7 nAChR agonism combined with partial 5-HT reuptake inhibition previously described. The addition of α7 nAChR agonism to classical monoamine-based mechanisms may represent a novel option for the improved treatment of major depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper T Andreasen
- Dept. of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Liu J, Yu LF, Eaton JB, Caldarone B, Cavino K, Ruiz C, Terry M, Fedolak A, Wang D, Ghavami A, Lowe DA, Brunner D, Lukas RJ, Kozikowski AP. Discovery of isoxazole analogues of sazetidine-A as selective α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonists for the treatment of depression. J Med Chem 2011; 54:7280-8. [PMID: 21905669 DOI: 10.1021/jm200855b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Depression, a common neurological condition, is one of the leading causes of disability and suicide worldwide. Standard treatment, targeting monoamine transporters selective for the neurotransmitters serotonin and noradrenaline, is not able to help many patients that are poor responders. This study advances the development of sazetidine-A analogues that interact with α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) as partial agonists and that possess favorable antidepressant profiles. The resulting compounds that are highly selective for the α4β2 subtype of nAChR over α3β4-nAChRs are partial agonists at the α4β2 subtype and have excellent antidepressant behavioral profiles as measured by the mouse forced swim test. Preliminary absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) studies for one promising ligand revealed an excellent plasma protein binding (PPB) profile, low CYP450-related metabolism, and low cardiovascular toxicity, suggesting it is a promising lead as well as a drug candidate to be advanced through the drug discovery pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhua Liu
- Drug Discovery Program, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
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