Antidepressant-like effects of metabotropic glutamate (mGlu)5 receptor antagonists have been reported previously. We now provide definitive identification of mGlu5 receptors as a target for these effects through the combined use of selective antagonists and mice with targeted deletion of the mGlu5 protein. In these experiments, the mGlu5 receptor antagonists 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine (MPEP) and the more selective and metabolically stable analog 3-[(2-methyl-1,3-thiazol-4-yl)ethynyl]-pyridine (MTEP) decreased immobility in the mouse forced swim test, a test predictive of antidepressant efficacy in humans. mGlu5 receptor knockout mice had a phenotype in the forced swim test that was congruent with the effects of receptor blockade; mGlu5 receptor knockout mice were significantly less immobile than their wild-type counterparts. Consistent with mGlu5 receptor mediation of the antidepressant-like effects of MPEP, the effects of MPEP were not observed in mGlu5 receptor knockout mice, whereas comparable effects of the tricyclic antidepressant imiprimine remained active in the mutant mice. MPEP and imiprimine resulted in a synergistic antidepressant-like effect in the forced swim test. The drug interaction was not likely because of increased levels of drugs in the brain, suggesting a pharmacodynamic interaction of mGlu5 and monoaminergic systems in this effect. Thus, the present findings substantiate the hypothesis that mGlu5 receptor antagonism is associated with antidepressant-like effects. This mechanism may not only provide a novel approach to the therapeutic management of depressive disorders but also may be useful in the augmentation of effects of traditional antidepressant agents.Monoamine-based antidepressants have been the primary pharmacological approach to the treatment of mood disorders, but these agents suffer from some limitations in both safety and efficacy that have prompted the continued search for novel therapeutic targets beyond the monoamine system (cf., Skolnick et al., 2001). Glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter used by the mammalian brain, binds to both ion channel-associated (iontropic) and G protein-coupled (metabotropic) receptor subtypes. The glutamatergic system plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of depression and in the action of antidepressant drugs (Skolnick et al., 2001;Kugaya and Sanacora, 2005;Alt et al., 2006). Modulation of ionotropic (e.g., AMPA receptors and NMDA receptors) and metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors (see below) produces antidepressant-like effects in preclinical models. The involvement of ionotropic glutamate receptors in the control of mood disorders and the mechanism of antidepressants has been studied much more extensively than the metabotropic glutamate receptors. However, recent attention has been directed to the potential role of the mGlu receptors.The mGlu receptors are classified into three groups, with eight subtypes: group I (mGlu1 and -5), group II (mGlu2 and -3), and group III (mGlu4, (Schoepp and Conn, 1993) base...

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Transmembrane AMPA receptor regulatory proteins (TARPs) are a family of scaffolding proteins that regulate AMPA receptor trafficking and function. TARP γ-8 is one member of this family and is highly expressed within the hippocampus relative to the cerebellum. A selective TARP γ-8-dependent AMPA receptor antagonist (TDAA) is an innovative approach to modulate AMPA receptors in specific brain regions to potentially increase the therapeutic index relative to known non-TARP-dependent AMPA antagonists. We describe here, for the first time, the discovery of a noncompetitive AMPA receptor antagonist that is dependent on the presence of TARP γ-8. Three major iteration cycles were employed to improve upon potency, CYP1A2-dependent challenges, and in vivo clearance. An optimized molecule, compound (-)-25 (LY3130481), was fully protective against pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsions in rats without the motor impairment associated with non-TARP-dependent AMPA receptor antagonists. Compound (-)-25 could be utilized to provide proof of concept for antiepileptic efficacy with reduced motor side effects in patients.

The kappa opioid receptors (KOR) are implicated in a number of neuropsychiatric diseases and addictive disorders. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with radioligands provides a means to image the KOR in vivo and investigate its function in health and disease. The purpose of this study was to develop the selective KOR antagonist 11C-LY2459989 as a PET radioligand and characterize its imaging performance in non-human primates. Methods LY2459989 was synthesized and assayed for in vitro binding to opioid receptors. Ex vivo studies in rodents were conducted to assess its potential as a tracer candidate. 11C-LY2459989 was synthesized by reaction of its iodophenyl precursor with 11C-cyanide followed by partial hydrolysis of the resulting 11C-cyanophenyl intermediate. Imaging experiments with 11C-LY2459989 were carried out in rhesus monkeys with arterial input function measurement. Imaging data were analyzed with kinetic models to derive in vivo binding parameters. Results LY2459989 is a full antagonist with high binding affinity and selectivity for KOR (Ki = 0.18, 7.68, and 91.3 nM, respectively, for κ, μ, and δ receptors). Ex vivo studies in rats indicated LY2459989 as an appropriate tracer candidate with high specific binding signals, and confirmed its KOR binding selectivity in vivo. 11C-LY2459989 was synthesized in high radiochemical purity and good specific activity. In rhesus monkeys, 11C-LY2459989 displayed a fast rate of peripheral metabolism. Similarly, 11C-LY2459989 displayed fast uptake kinetics in the brain and an uptake pattern consistent with the distribution of KOR in primates. Pretreatment with naloxone (1 mg/kg, i.v.) resulted in a uniform distribution of radioactivity in the brain. Further, specific binding of 11C-LY2459989 was dose-dependently reduced by the selective KOR antagonist LY2456302 and the unlabeled LY2459989. Regional binding potential (BPND) values derived from the multilinear analysis method (MA1), as a measure of in vivo specific binding signal, were 2.18, 1.39, 1.08, 1.04, 1.03, 0.59, 0.51, 0.50, respectively, for the globus pallidus, cingulate cortex, insula, caudate, putamen, frontal cortex, temporal cortex, and thalamus. Conclusion The novel PET radioligand 11C-LY2459989 displayed favorable pharmacokinetic properties, specific and KOR-selective binding profile, and high specific binding signals in vivo, thus making it a promising PET imaging agent for KOR.