Anticonvulsant activity of caramiphen analogs

Sigma-1 receptor and seizures

Over the last decade, sigma-1 receptor (Sig1R) has been recognized as a valid target for the treatment of seizure disorders and seizure-related comorbidities. Clinical trials with Sig1R ligands are underway testing therapies for the treatment of drug-resistant seizures, developmental and epileptic encephalopathies, and photosensitive epilepsy. However, the direct molecular mechanism by which Sig1R modulates seizures and the balance between excitatory and inhibitory pathways has not been fully elucidated. This review article aims to summarize existing knowledge of Sig1R and its involvement in seizures by focusing on the evidence obtained from Sig1R knockout animals and the anti-seizure effects of Sig1R ligands. In addition, this review article includes a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of existing compounds and describes the challenges and future perspectives on the use of Sig1R as a target for the treatment of seizure disorders.

Caramiphen edisylate: an optimal antidote against organophosphate poisoning

Potent cholinesterase inhibitors such as sarin, induce an array of harmful effects including hypersecretion, convulsions and ultimately death. Surviving subjects demonstrate damage in specific brain regions that lead to cognitive and neurological dysfunctions. An early accumulation of acetylcholine in the synaptic clefts was suggested as the trigger of a sequence of neurochemical events such as an excessive outpour of glutamate and activation of its receptors. Indeed, alterations in NMDA and AMPA central receptors' densities were detected in brains of poisoned animals. Attempts to improve the current cholinergic-based treatment by adding potent anticonvulsants or antiglutamatergic drugs produced unsatisfactory results. In light of recent events in Syria and the probability of various scenarios of military or terrorist attacks involving organophosphate (OP) nerve agent, research should focus on finding markedly improved countermeasures. Caramiphen, an antimuscarinic drug with antiglutamatergic and GABAergic facilitating properties, was evaluated in a wide range of animals and experimental protocols against OP poisoning. Its remarkable efficacy against OP exposure was established both in prophylactic and post-exposure therapies in both small and large animals. The present review will highlight the outstanding neuroprotective effect of caramiphen as the optimal candidate for the treatment of OP-exposed subjects.

Effect of Chain Length on Radical to Carbanion Cyclo-Coupling of Bromoaryl Alkyl-Linked Oxazolines: 1,3-Areneotropic Migration of Oxazolines

2-Halophenylalkyl-2-oxazolines with alkyl chain spacers of two to six C atoms (n = 0-4) were prepared and their SRN1-type reactions with several base systems examined. The best conditions to promote cyclo-coupling to the corresponding benzocycloalkane derivatives involved use of LDA in THF. The precursors with 3-C-atom and 4-C-atom spacers gave good yields of 2-(1'-phenylindan-1'-yl)-2-oxazolines and 2-(1-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-1-yl)-2-oxazoline, respectively. The major products from the precursor with a 5-C-atom spacer were derivatives of benzocycloheptane in which the oxazoline group had undergone a novel areneotropic migration from the end of the spacer to the benzo ring. The product from reaction of the corresponding 2-C-atom precursor was a 9-oxazolinophenanthrene derivative. EPR spectroscopy showed the intermediates of the LDA-promoted reactions to be radical anions of the product benzocycloalkanes. This supported an SRN1-type chain mechanism involving initial production of aryl radicals connected to azaenolate ions via the spacer groups. Intramolecular radical to carbanion coupling then generated ring-closed benzocycloalkane radical anions that transferred an electron to more precursor. Diastereoselective radical to carbanion cyclo-coupling reactions were carried out with 2-bromophenylpropyl precursors containing chiral 2-oxazolines. The diastereoselectivity achievable was modest, but the product diastereoisomeric Indane derivatives were easily separable by chromatography.

Radical-carbanion cyclo-coupling in armed aromatics: overriding steric hindrance to ring closure

Omega-(2-Halophenyl)alkyl-2-oxazolines were prepared and reacted via base promoted intramolecular coupling of radical with carbanionic centres to yield 1-phenyl-1-oxazolino-indan and -tetralin derivatives containing quaternary C-atoms.

Topological virtual screening: a way to find new anticonvulsant drugs from chemical diversity

A topological virtual screening (tvs) test is presented, which is capable of identifying new drug leaders with anticonvulsant activity. Molecular structures of both anticonvulsant-active and non active compounds, extracted from the Merck Index database, were represented using topological indexes. By means of the application of a linear discriminant analysis to both sets of structures, a topological anticonvulsant model (tam) was obtained, which defines a connectivity function. On the basis of this model, 41 new structures with anticonvulsant activity have been identified by a topological virtual screening.