2-Carboxytetrahydroquinolines. Conformational and stereochemical requirements for antagonism of the glycine site on the NMDA receptor.

2-Carboxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline derivatives, derived from kynurenic acid, have been synthesized and evaluated for in vitro antagonist activity at the glycine site on the NMDA receptor. 2,3-Dihydrokynurenic acids show reduced potency relative to the parent lead compounds (Table I) possibly as a result of conformational effects. Removal of the 4-oxo group results in further reduced potency, but introduction of a cis-carboxymethyl group to the 4-position restores antagonist activity (Tables III and IV). Replacement of the keto group of 5,7-dichloro-2,3-dihydrokynurenic acid with other alternative H-bonding groups, for example cis- and trans-benzyloxycarbonyl and cis- and trans-carboxamido (Table V), gives comparable activity, but there is negligible stereoselectivity. A significant increase in potency and stereoselectivity is seen within the 4-acetate series (Table VI). The trans-4-acetic acid is significantly more potent than the corresponding lead kynurenic acid and has 100-fold greater affinity than the cis isomer. The results are consistent with a requirement in binding for a pseudoequatorially placed 2-carboxylate and clearly demonstrate the importance for binding of a correctly positioned hydrogen-bond-accepting group at the 4-position. The high-affinity binding of an anionic group in the 4-substituent binding pocket suggests that the glycine site and the neurotransmitter recognition (NMDA) site may have some features in common.     

Kynurenic acid derivatives. Structure-activity relationships for excitatory amino acid antagonism and identification of potent and selective antagonists at the glycine site on the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor

Derivatives of the nonselective excitatory amino acid antagonist kynurenic acid (4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-2-carboxylic acid, 1) have been synthesized and evaluated for in vitro antagonist activity at the excitatory amino acid receptors sensitive to N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA), quisqualic acid (QUIS or AMPA), and kainic acid (KA). Introduction of substituents at the 5-, 7-, and 5,7-positions resulted in analogues having selective NMDA antagonist action, as a result of blockade of the glycine modulatory (or coagonist) site on the NMDA receptor. Regression analysis suggested a requirement for optimally sized, hydrophobic 5- and 7-substituents, with bulk tolerance being greater at the 5-position. Optimization led to the 5-iodo-7-chloro derivative (53), which is the most potent and selective glycine/NMDA antagonist to date (IC50 vs [3H]glycine binding, 32 nM; IC50's for other excitatory amino acid receptor sites, greater than 100 microM). Substitution of 1 at the 6-position resulted in compounds having selective non-NMDA antagonism and 8-substituted compounds were inactive at all receptors. The retention of glycine/NMDA antagonist activity in heterocyclic ring modified analogues, such as the oxanilide 69 and the 2-carboxybenzimidazole 70, suggests that the 4-oxo tautomer of 1 and its derivatives is required for activity. Structurally related quinoxaline-2,3-diones are also glycine/NMDA antagonists, but are not selective and are less potent than the 1 derivatives, and additionally show different structure-activity requirements for aromatic ring substitution. On the basis of these results, a model accounting for glycine receptor binding of the 1 derived antagonists is proposed, comprising (a) size-limited, hydrophobic binding of the benzene ring, (b) hydrogen-bond acceptance by the 4-oxo group, (c) hydrogen-bond donation by the 1-amino group, and (d) a Coulombic attraction of the 2-carboxylate. The model can also account for the binding of quinoxaline-2,3-diones, quinoxalic acids, and 2-carboxybenzimidazoles.     

NMDA receptor antagonists and glycine site NMDA antagonists

Extracellular concentrations of excitatory amino acids increase substantially within cerebral tissue beds exposed to ischaemic conditions. This leads to excessive stimulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, a major cerebral excitatory neurotransmitter receptor that likely plays a critical role in the propagation of ischaemic injury in neurons. Pharmacological blockade of these receptors has proven to be an effective neuroprotective therapy by a number of animal models of central nervous system ischaemia. Clinical trials of these drugs were begun with high expectations for successful therapy of human stroke. These putative neuroprotective drugs included competitive or non-competitive inhibitors of the NMDA receptor itself, as well as inhibitors of a co-modulatory glycine site. Thus far, all clinical trials of NMDA antagonists have been unsuccessful in establishing benefit for human stroke.     

A novel series of 2-carboxytetrahydroquinolines provides new insights into the eastern region of glycine site NMDA antagonists

A series of potent 4-substituted tetrahydroquinolines has been synthesized and biologically tested in order to refine the eastern region of the pharmacophore model for glycine site NMDA antagonists concerning the assessment of lipophilicity, flexibility, and hydrogen bonding. Displacement studies on rat cortical membranes using [3H]-5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid as a radioligand indicated that binding affinities are markedly enhanced when additional hydrogen-accepting groups are introduced into the eastern region of the 2-carboxytetrahydroquinolines. Among the most potent ligands were some urea, sulfonylurea, and crown ether compounds as interesting leads for new diagnostics, especially for the evaluation of PET tracers, which allow biodistribution studies and NMDA receptor studies in the living organism.     

Structure-activity relationships for allosteric NMDA receptor inhibitors based on 2-naphthoic acid

Over-activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors is critically involved in many neurological conditions, thus there has been considerable interest in developing NMDA receptor antagonists. We have recently identified a series of naphthoic and phenanthroic acid compounds that allosterically modulate NMDA receptors through a novel mechanism of action. In the present study, we have determined the structure-activity relationships of 18 naphthoic acid derivatives for the ability to inhibit the four GluN1/GluN2(A–D) NMDA receptor subtypes. 2-Naphthoic acid has low activity at GluN2A-containing receptors and yet lower activity at other NMDA receptors. 3-Amino addition, and especially 3-hydroxy addition, to 2-naphthoic acid increased inhibitory activity at GluN1/GluN2C and GluN1/GluN2D receptors. Further halogen and phenyl substitutions to 2-hydroxy-3-naphthoic acid leads to several relatively potent inhibitors, the most potent of which is UBP618 (1-bromo-2-hydroxy-6-phenylnaphthalene-3-carboxylic acid) with an IC₅₀ ～ 2 μM at each of the NMDA receptor subtypes. While UBP618 is non-selective, elimination of the hydroxyl group in UBP618, as in UBP628 and UBP608, leads to an increase in GluN1/GluN2A selectivity. Of the compounds evaluated, specifically those with a 6-phenyl substitution were less able to fully inhibit GluN1/GluN2A, GluN1/GluN2B and GluN1/GluN2C responses (maximal % inhibition of 60–90%). Such antagonists may potentially have reduced adverse effects by not excessively blocking NMDA receptor signaling. Together, these studies reveal discrete structure-activity relationships for the allosteric antagonism of NMDA receptors that may facilitate the development of NMDA receptor modulator agents for a variety of neuropsychiatric and neurological conditions.     

Multisubstrate inhibitors of dopamine beta-hydroxylase. 2. Structure-activity relationships at the phenethylamine binding site

1-Aralkylimidazole-2-thiones have been shown to be potent multisubstrate inhibitors of dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH; EC 1.14.17.1). In the present study, a series of 1-benzylimidazole-2-thiones was prepared to explore the effects of substitution in the benzyl ring on the inhibition of DBH. A detailed structure-activity relationship for in vitro activity was discovered and this was shown by a modified Hansch analysis to correlate (r = 0.91) with four key structural features of the benzyl ring: the presence of a hydroxyl at the 4-position, molar refractivity at the 3-, 4-, and 5-positions, inductive effects of the substituents at the 3-, 4-, and 5-positions, and pi-electron density. The affinity (Kis) of eight substituted inhibitors for DBH was shown to correlate (r = 0.75) with the affinity (KD) of comparably substituted tyramines for the ternary DBH-oxygen-tyramine complex. This correlate is used to support the hypothesis that binding of inhibitor to DBH occurs in a fashion that mimics the binding of tyramine substrates. The most potent inhibitors were selected for study in vivo in the spontaneously hypertensive rat model of hypertension. The changes in vascular dopamine and norepinephrine levels that resulted from oral administration of the inhibitors corresponded to the observed reduction in mean arterial blood pressure. A divergence between in vitro potency and in vivo efficacy upon oral dosing was noted and is suggested to result from an in vivo metabolic conjugation of the phenolic group of inhibitor.     

4-Substituted-kynurenic acid derivatives: A novel class of NMDA receptor glycine site antagonists

A series of 4-substituted-kynurenic acid derivatives possessing several different substituents at C4-position which are consisted of both a flexible propyloxy chain and an adjunct several type of carbonyl groups has been synthesized and evaluated for theirin vitro antagonist activity at the glycine site on the NMDA receptor. Of them, N-benzoylthiourea15c and N-phenylthiourea15a were found to have the bestin vitro binding affinity with IC₅₀ of 3.95 and 6.04 μM, respectively. On the other hand, in compounds12a∼c and13 the displacement of a thiourea group to an amide or a carbamate caused a significant decrease of thein vitro binding affinity. In the SAR study of the 4-substituted kynurenic acid derivatives, it was realized that the terminal substitution pattern on a flexible C4-propyloxy chain of kynurenic acid nucleus significantly influences on the binding affinity for glycine site; the binding affinity to the NMDA receptor might be increased by the introduction of a suitable electron rich substituent at C4 of kynurenic acid nucleus.     

Cycloleucine blocks NMDA responses in cultured hippocampal neurones under voltage clamp: antagonism at the strychnine-insensitive glycine receptor.

1. Radioligand binding studies have demonstrated that the neutral amino acid cycloleucine may act as a competitive antagonist at the glycine modulatory site on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor complex. In the present study, we examined the effects of cycloleucine on NMDA-evoked inward current responses in dissociated hippocampal neuronal cultures using the whole cell voltage-clamp technique. 2. In the presence of 1 microM glycine, cycloleucine caused a reversible, dose-dependent inhibition of NMDA responses with an IC50 of 24 microM. An increase in glycine to 100 microM resulted in a shift to the right of the cycloleucine concentration-effect curve (IC50, 1.4 mM). However, with cycloleucine concentrations less than or equal to 100 microM, a fraction of the block could not be overcome by glycine even at concentrations as high as 1 mM. 3. The cycloleucine block was unaffected by shifts in the holding potential (-60 to +60 mV), and there was no effect of cycloleucine on the reversal potential of the NMDA-evoked current. 4. Cycloleucine failed to effect kainic acid- and quisqualic acid-evoked currents at concentrations which inhibited NMDA responses. 5. We conclude that cycloleucine is a potent and selective antagonist of NMDA-receptor mediated responses. Although this effect occurs in part via competitive antagonism at the glycine modulatory site, the cycloleucine block cannot be completely reversed by glycine indicating an interaction with an additional site on the receptor-channel complex.     

Substituted indole-2-carboxylates as potent antagonists of the glycine binding site associated with the NMDA receptor.

A novel series of indole-2-carboxylate analogues of GV150526 (1) in which the propenoic double bond was substituted with different "probes" or replaced by a isosteric cyclopropyl moiety were synthesized and evaluated for their affinity profile in order to obtain further information on the pharmacophoric model of the glycine binding site associated to the NMDA receptor.