Metabolic implications of chiral centres in psychotropic drugs

Seven-membered N-heterocycles as approved drugs and promising leads in medicinal chemistry as well as the metal-free domino access to their scaffolds

Azepanes or azepines are structural motifs of many drugs, drug candidates and evaluated lead compounds. Even though compounds having N-heterocyclic 7-membered rings are often found in nature (e.g. alkaloids), the natural compounds of this group are rather rare as approved therapeutics. Thus, recently studied and approved azepane or azepine-congeners predominantly consist of semi-synthetically or synthetically-obtained scaffolds. In this review a comparison of approved drugs and recently investigated leads was proposed taking into regard their structural aspects (stereochemistry), biological activities, pharmacokinetic properties and confirmed molecular targets. The 7-membered N-heterocycles reveal a wide range of biological activities, not only against CNS diseases, but also as e.g. antibacterial, anticancer, antiviral, antiparasitic and against allergy agents. As most of the approved or investigated potential drugs or lead structures, belonging to 7-membered N-heterocycles, are synthetic scaffolds, this report also reveals different and efficient metal-free cascade approaches useful to synthesize both simple azepane or azepine-containing congeners and those of oligocyclic structures. Stereochemistry of azepane/azepine fused systems, in view of biological data and binding with the targets, is discussed. Apart from the approved drugs, we compare advances in SAR studies of 7-membered N-heterocycles (mainly from 2018 to 2023), whereas the related synthetic part concerning various domino strategies is focused on the last ten years.

Drug disposition in three dimensions: an update on stereoselectivity in pharmacokinetics

Many marketed drugs are chiral and are administered as the racemate, a 50:50 combination of two enantiomers. Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic differences between enantiomers are well documented. Because of enantioselectivity in pharmacokinetics, results of in vitro pharmacodynamic studies involving enantiomers may differ from those in vivo where pharmacokinetic processes will proceed. With respect to pharmacokinetics, disparate plasma concentration vs time curves of enantiomers may result from the pharmacokinetic processes proceeding at different rates for the two enantiomers. At their foundation, pharmacokinetic processes may be enantioselective at the levels of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion. In some circumstances, one enantiomer can be chemically or biochemically inverted to its antipode in a unidirectional or bidirectional manner. Genetic consideration such as polymorphic drug metabolism and gender, and patient factors such as age, disease state and concomitant drug intake can all play a role in determining the relative plasma concentrations of the enantiomers of a racemic drug. The use of a nonstereoselective assay method for a racemic compound can lead to difficulties in interpretation of data from, for example, bioequivalence or dose/concentration vs effect assessments. In this review data from a number of representative studies involving pharmacokinetics of chiral drugs are presented and discussed.

Neurochemical effects of the enantiomers of mirtazapine in normal rats

The present study was designed to examine the neurochemical effects of (+/-)-mirtazapine (10 mg kg(-1) i.p.) and its enantiomers in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received either (+)-mirtazapine, (-)-mirtazapine, (+/-)-mirtazapine or vehicle, by intraperitoneal injection for two weeks. Maximum change in temperature from baseline, following a single dose of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) (0.15 mg kg(-1) s.c.), was used to assess the function of the 5-HT1A receptors. Chronic drug treatment potentiated this response, with (+/-)-mirtazapine > (-)-mirtazapine > (+)-mirtazapine. Receptor changes were also observed with a slight decrease in beta1-adrenoceptor density, although this failed to reach significance. A significant decrease in beta1-adrenoceptor affinity was observed following (-)-mirtazapine treatment. All drugs tested significantly reduced the density of the 5-HT2 receptors. Results of the present study suggest that in so far as alterations in these receptor populations are important for the therapeutic action of antidepressants, neither of the enantiomers appear to be more active than the racemic mixture.