The role of ionic interaction at the muscarinic receptor

The contribution of charge to affinity at functional (M3) muscarinic receptors in guinea-pig ileum assessed from the effects of the carbon analogue of 4-DAMP methiodide

1. 4-Diphenylacetoxy-1:1-dimethyl cyclohexane (carbo-4-DAMP) is the carbon analogue of 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine (4-DAMP) methiodide. The compounds differ only in that the quaternary nitrogen atom in 4-DAMP methiodide is replaced by a quaternary carbon atom, which is uncharged. 2. Carbo-4-DAMP appears to act competitively at functional (M3) muscarinic receptors in guinea-pig ileum. Estimates of log affinity constant are 6.0 at 30 degrees C and 5.9 at 37 degrees C, i.e. the compound has 0.1% of the affinity of 4-DAMP methobromide. 3. The absence of charge makes little difference to the conformation as determined by X-ray crystallography. The bond lengths and angles are very similar, though the bonds in the cyclohexane ring of carbo-4-DAMP are consistently slightly longer than those in the piperidinium ring of 4-DAMP methiodide, and the presence of the charge slightly reduces the space between molecules. 4. The difference between the affinities of 4-DAMP methobromide and carbo-4-DAMP indicates that the contribution of coulombic forces to the binding between 4-DAMP methiodide and muscarinic (M3) receptors is at least 17 kJ mol-1 (4.1 kcal mol-1) at 37 degrees C. How much this is an underestimate depends upon how much hydrophobic binding is greater with the uncharged compound.

Solvent dependency of rotational barriers in ethamivan and comparison to nikethamide

Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques were employed to examine the effects of solvent environment on rotational barriers in two drugs known to cause widespread stimulation in the mammalian central nervous system: ethamivan and nikethamide. Total NMR bandshape analysis was performed for the exchanging alkyl carbon resonances of these compounds as a function of temperature in six solvent systems: D2O, CH3OD, CH3CH2OD, CDCl3, C6D6 and CF3CH2OH. The rate constants for rotation about the amide bond obtained in this way were used to calculate free energy (delta G++), enthalpy (delta H++) and entropy (delta S++) of activation parameters for this process. Our results indicate that the magnitude of rotational barriers is affected markedly by (1) the size and polarity of the solvent molecules, and (2) the nature of the aromatic ring system attached to the amide grouping. Comparative interpretation of the thermodynamic parameters in light of the structures of nikethamide and ethamivan (in the various solvent systems examined) has further clarified the manner in which hydrogen bonding interactions between solvent molecules and the carbonyl oxygen of these analogues stabilize transition state conformers.

The effect of ionic strength on cardiac muscarinic receptors

The binding of N-methylscopolamine (NMS) and carbachol to muscarinic receptors in the rat heart has been measured as a function of ionic strength (mu). The binding of NMS was reduced by 3.69 fold for a 10 fold increase in ionic strength. The binding of carbachol was affected in two ways. Firstly, the proportions of the subsites were changed. Above mu = 0.5 M, the superhigh (SH) subsite was converted into the low (L) subsite and above mu = 0.8 M, the high (H) subsite was also converted into the L subsite. Therefore, at high ionic strength, no agonist-determined subsites can be detected. In addition, increase in ionic strength reduced the binding of carbachol to all subsites and to a much greater extent than for NMS.

Affinities of the protonated and non-protonated forms of hyoscine and hyoscine N-oxide for muscarinic receptors of the guinea-pig ileum and a comparison of their size in solution with that of atropine

1. At 37 degrees C in 0.1 M NaCl the pKa of hyoscine (10 mM) is 7.53; the non-protonated form has about one-tenth of the affinity (log K = 8.58) of the protonated form (log K = 9.58) for muscarine-sensitive receptors of the guinea-pig ileum at 37 degrees C. 2. In the same conditions the pKa of hyoscine N-oxide is 5.78 and the non-protonated form is inactive on the ileum whereas the protonated form is highly active with log K estimated to be 9.9, at least as active as hyoscine methobromide (log K = 9.85). 3. Hyoscine methobromide appears to occupy less space in water than atropine methobromide; hyoscine hydrochloride occupies less space than hyoscyamine hydrochloride: the non-protonated forms are slightly bigger. Hyoscine N-oxide hydrobromide is slightly smaller than hyoscine methobromide but the removal of the proton is accompanied by a reduction in volume, such as is seen with other zwitterions. 4. These differences in volume indicated a reduction in entropy on solution which may allow a greater increase in entropy on binding to receptors and hence greater affinity. The higher activity of hyoscine itself could also be due to the presence of the N-methyl group in the axial position, rather than equatorial as in hyoscyamine or atropine. 5. The different position of the N-methyl group may partly explain why the pKa of hyoscine is 2 units lower than that of hyoscyamine or atropine. It is also probable that the unionized form of hyoscine is stabilized by hydration. 6. Although hyoscine N-oxide is only weakly active at pH 7.6, it is present in a highly active form in the acid environment of the stomach and so might be expected to act selectively at this site.

A comparison of cinobufotenine (the quaternary derivative of 5-HT) and some related compounds with coryneine (the quaternary derivative of dopamine) on the frog rectus, guinea-pig ileum and rat fundus strip preparations

1 Coryneine is 2.7 times as active as cinobufotenine on the frog rectus but on the guinea-pig ileum cinobufotenine is 1.5 times as active as coryneine. Cinobufotenine is a potent stimulant of parasympathetic ganglia and its effect are competitively antagonized by hexamethonium. 2 The effects of pH on activity relative to a standard whose ionisation is constant (Me4+N or the trimethylammonium analogue of tryptamine) are consistent with the phenate form being weaker than the phenolic form but the changes are smaller than with coryneine because cinobufotenine is a weaker acid. 3 The hydroxyl group makes a large contribution to activity. Cinobufotenine is 9 times as active as the analogue without a hydroxyl on the frog rectus and 12 times as active as it on the ileum. The 5-methoxy analogue is an antagonist on the frog rectus and a very weak partial agonist on the ileum. 4 Cinobufotenine and the quaternary derivative of tryptamine have less than one-thousandth of the activity of 5-hydroxytryptamine on the rat fundus strip.

Molecular connectivity study of muscarinic receptor affinity of acetylcholine antagonists

A correlation between three molecular connectivity indexes and the muscarinic receptor affinity of 104 acetylcholine antagonists was found. Analysis of structure from these indexes reveals not only the importance of the onium and the bulky portions of the molecule but also their virtual independence of each other on the affinity. Analysis of the onium group portion of the molecules indicates that its contribution to the experimental affinity is virtually constant through a variety of structural variations. The influence of the bulky side chains, in contrast, is quite structure dependent. The equation relating connectivity indexes to muscarinic affinity of antagonists is capable of predicting the affinity of other antagonists as well as a number of agonist molecules.

The inhibitory effect of gallamine on muscarinic receptors

1 The inhibitory effect of gallamine (1.1 muM-1.1 mM) on negative inotropic responses to acetylcholine (ACh) or carbachol (CCh) was investigated in isolated electrically stimulated atria of the guinea-pig. Gallamine caused parallel rightward shifts of the dose-response curves to the agonists, with no depression of the maximal response. 2 Gallamine (0.11 - 1.1 mM) produced a greater degree of antagnism towards CCh than towards ACh. With either agonist, the degree of antagonism produced by gallamine in high concentrations was less than that expected for a competitive antagonist.. 3 Similar findings were made when either negative inotropic or chronotropic responses were recorded in spontaneously beating guinea-pig atria. The inhibitory effect of gallamine against the negative inotropic response to cholinomimetics in electrically stimulated atria was not altered either in the presence of propranol (17 muM) or in atria obtained from guinea-pigs pretreated with diisopropylphosphorofluoridate (DEP) 12.5 mumol/kg, in divided doses over 3 days). 4 When ACh was used as the agonist, combination of gallamine with atropine (0.05-0.4 muM) produced dose-ratios which were less than expected for combination of two competitive antagonists. The same phenomenon was observed in atria obtained from guinea-pigs pretreated with DFP. 5 It is suggested that the antagonism produced by gallamine is a type of non-competitive inhibition, which has been termed "metaffinoid antagonism". An antagonist of this type allosterically alters the affinity of the agonist for its binding site, rather than changing the effectiveness of the agonist-receptor interaction.

Actions of some esters of 3,3-dimethylbutan-1-ol (the carbon analogue of choline) on the guinea-pig ileum

1 Estimates were made of the affinity constants for postganglionic acetylcholine receptors of the guinea-pig ileum of the esters of 3,3-dimethylbutan-1-ol with benzilic, (+/-)-cyclohexylphenylglycollic, (+/-)-mandelic, and diphenylacetic acids.2 Attempts were made to check the competitive nature of the antagonism by using as wide a range of concentrations of antagonist as possible, consistent with their limited solubility, and by testing some of the compunds in the presence of a known competitive antagonist.3 By comparing the affinities with those of the corresponding quaternary nitrogen compounds, the contribution made by the positive charge in the onium group to the binding by receptors may be assessed and has been found to be variable. The carbon analogue of benziloylcholine has about one-tenth of its affinity, that of (+/-)-cyclohexylphenylglycolloylcholine has only about one-sixtieth of its affinity, but that of (+/-)-mandelylcholine has slightly higher affinity than that of (+/-)-mandelylcholine itself.4 3,3-Dimethylbutylacetate appeared to be a partial agonist with an affinity constant of about 2.6 x 10(3). The contribution made by the positive charge to the binding of acetylcholine at these receptors therefore seems likely to lie within the range observed with antagonists and there is no reason to believe that there is necessarily greater intimacy of association by agonists than by antagonists.5 Although the C-C and /#/N-C bonds in -CMe(3) and -/#/NMe(3) are similar in length, the groups do not occupy the same volume in solution in water.

Blockade by phenoxybenzamine of the contractor response produced by agonists in the isolated ileum of the guinea-pig

1. The effects of various concentrations of phenoxybenzamine (dibenzyline) on the contractor response of the isolated ileum of the guinea-pig were investigated. The agonists tested were histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), acetycholine and potassium chloride.2. In addition, uptake of (14)C-phenoxybenzamine into the ileum was determined as a function of antagonist concentration. The uptake increases sharply at concentrations above 10(-6) g/ml, (3x10(-6)M) and was not saturable at any concentration tested.3. In the presence of low concentrations of phenoxybenzamine, the dose-response curve for histamine undergoes a parallel shift of about 0.5 log units. At higher concentrations of phenoxybenzamine the maximum response is depressed. In the case of the other agonists, the maximum response is depressed as soon as any blockade becomes apparent.4. The ease of blockade with phenoxybenzamine is 5-HT >/= histamine>> acetylcholine >/= potassium chloride.5. These results do not lend support to the ;spare-receptor' hypothesis and may be better explained by the ;two-site' hypothesis of Moran & Triggle (1970).6. It may further be concluded that the successful antagonism of potassium-induced contractions in this preparation lies in the ability of phenoxybenzamine to prevent the action of released acetylcholine. In the case of the contraction induced by 5-HT, phenoxybenzamine probably interferes with the 5-HT receptor responsible for neuronal release of acetycholine.

Differentiation between the actions of acetylcholine and tetramethylammonium on the isolated taenia of the guinea-pig caecum by hemicholinium-3

1. Contractions of the isolated taenia of the guinea-pig caecum produced by acetylcholine and TMA were examined in the presence of various antagonists and anticholinesterases.2. Hemicholinium-3 (HC-3) (50-400 mug/ml) inhibited contractions or relaxations produced by TMA but not contractions produced by acetylcholine. The inhibition was rapid in onset and readily reversible. Contractions produced by transmural stimulation were unaffected by HC-3 but responses produced by nicotine were inhibited.3. Low concentrations of hyoscine and benzhexol inhibited responses to acetylcholine to a greater extent than those to TMA.4. Morphine, raised concentrations of Mg(++) or reduced concentrations of Ca(++) inhibited contractions produced by TMA and by acetylcholine to a similar extent.5. Edrophonium, in concentrations which preferentially inhibit acetylcholinesterase, increased contractions produced by acetylcholine and converted responses to nicotine or transmural stimulation into contractions or biphasic responses with a marked contraction phase but did not increase contractions produced by TMA.6. Iso-OMPA, in concentrations which preferentially inhibit butyrylcholinesterase, had no effect on responses to acetylcholine, nicotine, transmural stimulation or TMA.7. HC-3 inhibited contractions produced by TMA in the presence of anticholinesterases but had little effect on contractions produced by acetylcholine.8. These results suggest that TMA produces contractions by acting directly on receptors of the smooth muscle. An analysis of possible reasons for HC-3 (in the concentrations used) acting as an antagonist of TMA but not of acetylcholine indicates that the findings do not necessarily contradict the interpretation that both agonists act on the same receptor.

Relationships between chemical structure and affinity for acetylcholine receptors

1. Series of analogues of acetylcholine have been prepared in which the acetyl group was replaced by phenylacetyl, cyclohexylacetyl, diphenylacetyl, dicyclohexylacetyl, (+/-)-phenylcyclohexylacetyl, benziloyl and (+/-)-phenylcyclohexylhydroxyacetyl groups and the trimethylammonium group was replaced by Me(2)EtN(+), MeEt(2)N(+), Et(3)N(+), [Formula: see text] Further series were prepared in which the acetoxyethyl group was replaced by ethoxyethyl, phenylethoxyethyl, cyclohexylethoxyethyl, diphenylethoxyethyl, and dicyclohexylethoxyethyl groups, and by n-pentyl, 5-phenylpentyl, 5-cyclohexylpentyl and 5:5-diphenylpentyl groups.2. The ethoxyethyl and n-pentyl series contain some compounds which are agonists or partial agonists when tested on the isolated guinea-pig ileum, but all the other compounds are antagonists.3. The affinity of the compounds for the postganglionic ("muscarinesensitive") acetylcholine receptors has been measured in conditions in which the antagonists have been shown to be acting competitively. There were considerable differences between their affinities, the most active (log K, 9.8) having one million times the affinity of the least active (log K, 3.7).4. The changes in affinity as the onium group was modified were not entirely independent of changes in the rest of the molecule. Increasing the size of the onium group, as judged from conductivity measurements on simpler onium salts, increased affinity in the series containing one large group (phenyl or cyclohexyl) but, in the series with two large groups, affinity declined when the size was increased beyond -(+)NMeEt(2).5. In general, the effects of changes in the rest of the molecule on affinity were bigger than the effects of changes in the onium group and there were bigger interactions. Affinity was increased to a greater extent by introducing one phenyl and one cyclohexyl group together than by introducing either two phenyl or two cyclohexyl groups; the increment was greater than the separate contributions made by one phenyl and one cyclohexyl group.6. The factors which influence the binding of molecules to receptors are discussed. There is no evidence that the separation between the onium group and the group in the receptor with which it interacts is greater in compounds with high affinity nor is there any evidence, from the study of the series which contain agonists and partial agonists, that ability to activate receptors depends upon the onium group being able to come close to this charged group in the receptors.

Acetylcarbocholine and acetylsilicocholine: directly or indirectly acting cholinergic spasmogens?

The cholinergic and anticholinergic actions of nitrogen-free isosteres of acetylcholine and benzilylcholine are described. Esters of two kinds of choline analogues, carbocholine and silicocholine, were used. The spasmogenic activity of acetylcarbocholine and acetylsilicocholine on the guinea-pig ileum was identified as an indirect cholinergic action, in contrast to the direct cholinergic action of furtrethonium and the mainly non-cholinergic action of barium ions. In addition to this indirect cholinergic action, both esters show a weak anticholinergic and a weak noncompetitive “papaverine-like” spasmolytic activity. The corresponding benzilyl esters, although without an onium group, are relatively potent anticholinergic compounds.