With [3H]ketanserin as the radioligand, structure-affinity relationships (SAFIRs) for binding at central 5-HT2 serotonin receptors (rat frontal cortex) were examined for a series of 27 4-substituted 1-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-aminopropane derivatives (2,5-DMAs). The affinity (Ki values) ranged over a span of several orders of magnitude. It appears that the lipophilic character of the 4-position substituent plays a major role in determining the affinity of these agents for 5-HT2 receptors, 2,5-DMAs with polar 4-substituents (e.g. OH, NH2, COOH) display a very low affinity (Ki greater than 25,000 nM) for these receptors, whereas those with lipophilic functions display a significantly higher affinity. The results of these studies prompted us to synthesize and evaluate examples of newer lipophilic derivatives and several of these (e.g. n-hexyl, n-octyl) bind with very high (Ki values = 2.5 and 3 nM, respectively) affinities at central 5-HT2 sites. Although, 2,5-DMAs are generally considered to be 5-HT2 agonists, preliminary studies with isolated rat thoracic aorta suggest that some of the more lipophilic derivatives (e.g. the n-hexyl and n-octyl derivatives) are 5-HT2 antagonists.
SummaryThe effect of purified bacterial endotoxin was studied on human platelets in vitro. In adding up to 1 μg/mL of a highly purified endotoxin, we found neither aggregation nor ATP release in heparinized or citrated human platelet-rich plasma. On the other hand, endotoxin at concentrations as low as a few ng/mL (as may be found in septic patients) caused platelet aggregation in both heparinized and citrated human whole blood, as monitored by change in impedance, free platelet count, and size. Unlike collagen, the platelet aggregation with endotoxin occurred after a long lag phase, developed slowly, and was rarely coupled with measurable release of ATP. The platelet aggregating effect of endotoxin was dose-dependent and modified by exposure of the endotoxin to ionizing radiation. Thus, the activation of human platelets by “solubilized” endotoxin in plasma requires the presence of other blood cells. We propose that the platelet effect is mediated by monocytes and/or neutrophils stimulated by endotoxin.
The structure and function of the highly purified U.S. reference standard endotoxin (RSE) were studied after exposure to ionizing radiation from a 60Co source. With increasing doses of radiation, the trilaminar ribbon-like structure of untreated endotoxin exhibited focal swelling, after which only spherical particles were seen by electron microscopy. These morphological changes were paralleled by the respective loss of O-side chain repeating units and pieces of the R-core from the lipopolysaccharide molecules, as demonstrated by electrophoresis. The biologic function of the irradiated endotoxin was assessed with a variety of tests. At higher doses of radiation, a direct relation was observed between the degradation of the molecular and supramolecular structure and the loss of biologic function. At lower doses of radiation, however, there was variability among the functional assays in their rate of change with progressive irradiation of the RSE. The results suggest that the carbohydrate moiety plays an important role both in determining the supramolecular structure and in modulating certain biologic activities of bacterial endotoxins.
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