2-Aminobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (9) was designed as a conformationally constrained analog of glutamic acid. For 9, the key torsion angles (tau 1 and tau 2) which determine the relative positions of the alpha-amino acid and distal carboxyl functionalities are constrained where tau 1 = 166.9 degrees or 202 degrees and tau 2 = 156 degrees, respectively. We hypothesized that 9 would closely approximate the proposed bioactive conformation of glutamate when acting at group 2 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). The racemic target molecule (+/-)-9, its C2-diastereomer (+/-)-16, and its enantiomers (+)-9 (LY354740) and (-)-9 (LY366563) were prepared by an efficient, stereocontrolled, and high-yielding synthesis from 2-cyclopentenone. Our hypothesis that 9 could interact with high affinity and specificity at group 2 mGluRs has been supported by the observation that (+/-)-9 (EC50 = 0.086 +/- 0.025 microM) and its enantiomer (+)-9 (EC50 = 0.055 +/- 0.017 microM) are highly potent agonists for group 2 mGluRs in the rat cerebral cortical slice preparation (suppression of forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation) possessing no activity at other glutamate receptor sites (iGluR or group 1 mGluR) at concentrations up to 100 microM. Importantly, the mGluR agonist effects of (+)-9 are evident following oral administration in mice in both the elevated plus maze model of anxiety (ED50 = 0.5 mg/kg) and in the ACPD-induced limbic seizure model (ED50 = 45.6 mg/kg). Thus, (+)-9 is the first orally active group 2 mGluR agonist described thus far and is an important tool for studying the effects of compounds of this class in humans.

Three different behavioral measures were used to assess the effects of abrupt cessation of chronic nicotine treatment. Nicotine (0, 3, or 6 mg/kg per day) was continuously administered for 12 days in rats by surgically implanting Alzet osmotic mini-pumps subcutaneously. Experiment 1 employed a light/dark discrimination task. There were no significant effects on number of responses or percent correct responding either during nicotine administration, or following cessation of nicotine. Experiment 2 examined ambulatory (locomotor) and nonambulatory activity. Chronic nicotine administration produced significant dose-dependent increases in both ambulatory and nonambulatory activity during the first 3 days of exposure. However, no significant alterations were seen in activity levels following nicotine cessation. Experiment 3 examined sensorimotor reactivity using the auditory startle response. During nicotine withdrawal, significant increases were seen in startle amplitude in both nicotine groups for 4 days. Nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, IP) administered before startle testing during the withdrawal phase attenuated the increased reactivity seen during nicotine cessation. These studies indicate that 1) rats display increased sensorimotor reactivity after cessation of chronic nicotine exposure, and 2) the expression of nicotine dependence and withdrawal is dependent on the behavioral task employed.

In this paper we describe the synthesis of a series of alpha-substituted analogues of the potent and selective group II metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist (1S,1'S,2'S)-carboxycyclopropylglycine (2, L-CCG 1). Incorporation of a substitutent on the amino acid carbon converted the agonist 2 into an antagonist. All of the compounds were prepared and tested as a series of four isomers, i.e., two racemic diastereomers. On the basis of the improvement in affinity realized for the alpha-phenylethyl analogue 3, in this paper we explored the effects of substitution on the aromatic ring as a strategy to increase the affinity to these compounds for group II mGluRs. Affinity for group II mGluRs was measured using [3H]glutamic acid (Glu) binding in rat forebrain membranes. Antagonist activity was confirmed for these compounds by measuring their ability to antagonize (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid-induced inhibition of forskolin stimulated cyclic-AMP in RGT cells transfected with human mGluR2 and mGluR3. Meta substitution on the aromatic ring of 3 with a variety of substituents, both electron donating (e.g., methyl, hydroxy, amino, methoxy, phenyl, phenoxy) and electron withdrawing (e.g., fluorine, chlorine, bromine, carboxy, trifluoromethyl) gave from 1.5- to 4.5-fold increases in affinity. Substitution with p-fluorine, as in 97 (IC50 = 0.022 +/- 0.002), was the exception. Here, a greater increase in affinity was realized than for either the ortho- or meta-substituted analogues; 97 was the most potent compound resulting from monosubstitution of the aromatic. At best, only modest increases in affinity were realized for certain compounds bearing either two chlorines or two fluorines, and two methoxy groups gave no improvement in affinity (all examined in a variety of substitution patterns). Three amino acids, 4, 5, and 104, were resolved into their four constituent isomers, and affinity and functional activity for group II mGluRs was found to reside solely in the S,S,S-isomers of each, consistent with 1. With an IC50 = 2.9 +/- 0.6 nM, the resolved xanthylmethyl compound 168 was the most potent compound from this SAR. Amino acid 168 demonstrated high plasma levels following intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration and readily penetrated into the brain. This compound, however, had only limited (approximately 5%) oral bioavailability. Systemic administration of 168 protected mice from limbic seizures produced by the mGluR agonist 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine, with an ED50 = 31 mg/kg (i.p., 60 min preinjection). Thus, 168 represents a valuable tool to study the role of group II mGluRs in disease.

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