Antagonism of phencyclidine action by metaphit in rat cerebellar Purkinje neurons: an electrophysiological study

Metaphit-induced audiogenic seizures in mice: II. Studies on N-methyl-D-aspartic acid, GABA, and sodium channel receptors and on the disposition of metaphit in the brain

We previously demonstrated that metaphit (a phencyclidine analogue with an acylating isothiocyanate group) induces occurrence of audiogenic seizures in mice exposed to audio stimulation 24 h after metaphit administration. We have studied various receptor systems associated with excitatory and inhibitory networks: sites for competitive and noncompetitive antagonists of the N-methyl D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor complex, for [3H]muscimol on the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor complex, and for [3H]batrachotoxinin A20-alpha-benzoate on the voltage-dependent sodium channel. Mice were examined for neurochemical changes at 24 h after pretreatment with metaphit, when susceptibility to audiogenic seizures is greatest. Ex vivo receptor binding studies detected no changes; in vivo labeling of the phencyclidine site in the NMDA receptor complex was reduced by 20% in cortical and midbrain regions. A separate group of experiments was aimed at measuring brain levels of metaphit. One minute after retroorbital administration of [3H]metaphit at a dose sufficient to produce susceptibility to audiogenic seizures 24 h later, the brain level of [3H]metaphit (determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, HPLC) was 49 pmol/mg tissue; at 1, 4, and 24 h, the level was 12, 6, and 1.4 pmol/mg tissue or microM if metaphit was evenly distributed throughout the brain. Although the observed metaphit concentrations during the first 4 h are high enough to acylate receptors, no firm evidence for acylation was found for most of the examined receptors. Finally, the time course of the brain level of metaphit showing a continuous decrease is entirely different from that of development of the seizure susceptibility, which peaks at 18-24 h.

Metaphit-induced audiogenic seizures in mice: I. Pharmacologic characterization

Metaphit [an analogue of phencyclidine (PCP) with an acylating isothiocyanate group] induced audiogenic clonic to clonic-tonic seizures in mice exposed to audio stimulation 24 h after metaphit administration. The incidence of seizures was reduced by treatment 30 min before audio stimulation with specific PCP-like compounds [5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo(a,d)cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate (MK-801), and PCP itself], competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP-5 and NPC-12626), antiepileptic drugs [phenobarbital (PB), phenytoin (PHT)], and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonists (muscimol and diazepam). In contrast, when given in conjunction with metaphit, most of these drugs were ineffective in protecting animals from audiogenic seizures 24 h later. Only compounds with long half-lives (t1/2) such as MK-801, PB, and PHT had a protective effect. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) determination of [3H]MK-801 showed its long-term presence in the brain after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of [3H]MK-801. Audiogenic seizures observed 24 h after metaphit administration were potentiated by administration of the GABA antagonist picrotoxin 15 min before audio stimulation, and picrotoxin-induced spontaneous seizures were enhanced by pretreatment (24 h earlier) with a dose of metaphit that in itself did not produce spontaneous seizures at the time of the picrotoxin test. Similar observations were made with N-methyl D-aspartic acid (NMDA) instead of picrotoxin. Thus, an interplay exists between excitatory glutaminergic and inhibitory GABAergic circuitries in the metaphit seizure model.

Electrophilic derivatives of purines as irreversible inhibitors of A1 adenosine receptors

Functionalized congeners derived from 1,3-dipropyl-8-phenylxanthine and from N6-phenyladenosine were derivatized to contain electrophilic groups (isothiocyanate, N-hydroxysuccinimide ester, maleimide, sulfonyl chloride, or alpha-haloacyl group) capable of reaction with nucleophiles on biopolymers. The goal was to inhibit chemically the A1 adenosine receptor by using reactive agonist and antagonist ligands. Some of the electrophilic derivatives were synthesized through acylation of amine-functionalized congeners using hetero- or homobifunctional reagents available for protein cross-linking. The affinity for A1 adenosine receptors was evaluated in competitive binding assays by using rat and bovine brain membranes. Several xanthine and adenosine thiourea derivatives prepared from 1,3- and 1,4-phenylene diisothiocyanate (DITC) were potent irreversible inhibitors of adenosine receptors. Derivatives of m-DITC, at concentrations between 10 and 500 nM, irreversibly eliminated binding at 90% of the A1-receptor sites. Receptor affinity of both xanthine and adenosine derivatives containing distal phenylthiourea substituents was diminished by electron-donating groups on the ring.

Long-term blockade of the dopamine uptake complex by metaphit, an isothiocyanate derivative of phencyclidine

[3H]Mazindol was used to label the dopamine uptake complex in mouse striatum in vitro in the presence and absence of metaphit, an isothiocyanate derivative of phencyclidine. In some experiments, metaphit was present in the incubation fluid throughout the procedure; in other experiments it was eliminated by several washings and centrifugations. It was found that after removal of the metaphit by washing and centrifugation, the mazindol binding was not restored. Membranes that were pretreated with metaphit and washed had a lower density of mazindol binding sites than control membranes; the remaining mazindol sites had the same afinity for [3H]mazindol. These findings are in agreement with the previous studies on [3H]cocaine and [3H]methylphenidate binding. The following observations support that metaphit is irreversibly acting and not slowly dissociating from the mazindol recognition sites of the dopamine uptake carrier complex: 1) Metaphit did not change the off-rate of [3H]mazindol binding, arguing against an allosteric action at a distinct site. 2) The presence of cocaine protected the mazindol binding sites from the action of metaphit, supporting binding of metaphit and mazindol to the same site. 3) Nine hours after metaphit pretreatment and removal, the degree of inhibition of mazindol binding was the same as immediately after pretreatment, consonant with an irreversible effect of metaphit. 4) The potency of metaphit in inhibiting mazindol binding was greater under slightly alkaline conditions, consistent with acylation of the mazindol sites. Furthermore, it was found that intracerebroventricular application of metaphit did not result in a decrease in the binding of [3H]mazindol 5 hr after the administration.

Etoxadrol-meta-isothiocyanate: a potent, enantioselective, electrophilic affinity ligand for the phencyclidine-binding site

Etoxadrol-meta-isothiocyanate (2S,4S,6S-2-ethyl-2-(3-isothiocyanatophenyl)-2-piperidyl)1,3-dioxolane, 4a) has been synthesized and characterized as an irreversible ligand for the phencyclidine (PCP)-binding site. It is the first chiral electrophilic affinity ligand for this site to have been described. This affinity ligand is based upon etoxadrol, a 1,3-dioxolane known to have PCP-like effects in vivo and in vitro. Etoxadrol-meta-isothiocyanate was found to be four-five times more potent in vitro than metaphit (1-[1-(3- isothiocyanatophenyl)cyclohexyl]piperidine), the only previously known electrophilic affinity ligand for the PCP-binding site. The binding was shown to be highly enantioselective for etoxadrol-meta-isothiocyanate (4a). The 2R,4R,6R-enantiomer of 4a was essentially inactive. The ability of the 2S,4S,6S-enantiomer (4a) to interact with the benzodiazepine, muscarinic, and mu opioid receptor systems was also examined, and it was found not to interact with these receptor systems. It seems likely that 4a will prove to be a valuable tool in the study of structure and function of the PCP-binding site.

Metaphit irreversibly inhibits [3H]threo-(+/-)-methylphenidate binding to rat striatal tissue

Metaphit (1-[1-(3-isothiocyanatophenyl)cyclohexyl]-piperidine), a derivative of phencyclidine that contains an isothiocyanate group on the meta position of the aromatic ring, resembles its parent compound (phencyclidine) in its ability to inhibit the binding of the stimulant drug [3H]threo-(+/-)-methylphenidate to crude synaptosomal membranes from rat striatal tissue (IC50 = 1.4 and 6.2 microM for phencyclidine and Metaphit, respectively). Unlike phencyclidine, however, Metaphit appears to inhibit binding of the radiolabeled stimulant in an irreversible manner, as the degree of inhibition of binding of the stimulant does not diminish when the Metaphit-treated tissue is subjected to repeated washings before determination of the binding of [3H]threo-(+/-)-methylphenidate. This finding suggests that Metaphit may be a useful tool in the study of the molecular basis of stimulant action.