Hoe 140 (d‐Arg‐[Hyp3, Thi5, d‐Tic7, Oic8]bradykinin) is a new bradykinin (BK)‐antagonist. It was tested in several in vitro assays and compared with d‐Arg‐[Hyp2, Thi5,8,d‐Phe7]BK. In receptor binding studies in guinea‐pig ileum preparations, Hoe 140 showed an IC50 of 1.07 × 10−9mol l−1 and a KI value of 7.98 × 10−10 mol l−1. In isolated organ preparations Hoe 140 and d‐Arg‐[Hyp2, Thi5,8, d‐Phe7]BK inhibited bradykinin‐induced contractions concentration dependently, with IC50‐values in the guinea‐pig ileum preparation of 1.1 × 10−8 mol l−1 and 3 × 10−5 mol l−1, respectively. pA2 values in this tissue were 8.42 and 6.18, respectively. In the rat uterus preparation the IC50 value was 4.9 × 10−9 mol l−1 for Hoe 140. d‐Arg‐[Hyp2, Thi5,8, d‐Phe7]BK showed an IC50 of 4.0 × 10−6 mol l−1. The IC50 values in the guinea‐pig isolated pulmonary artery were 5.4 × 10−9 mol l−1 and 6.4 × 10−6 mol l−1, respectively. In the rabbit aorta no inhibitory effects on Des‐Arg9‐BK induced contractions were observed. In cultured bovine endothelial cells, Hoe 140 antagonized (IC50 = 10−8 mol l−1) bradykinin‐induced endothelium‐derived relaxing factor (EDRF) release and the bradykinin‐induced increase in cytosolic free calcium (IC50 = 10−9 mol l−1). Hoe 140 (10−7 mol l−1) totally suppressed the bradykinin‐induced (10−8 to 10−4mol l−1) prostacyclin (PGI2) release from cultured endothelial cells of bovine aorta. d‐Arg‐[Hyp2, Thi5,8, d‐Phe7]BK (10−7 mol l−1) showed a weaker antagonism. Taken together these results show that Hoe 140 is a highly potent bradykinin antagonist. It was two to three orders of magnitude more potent than d‐Arg‐[Hyp2, Thi5,8, d‐Phe7]BK.

In conscious dogs, intravenous doses of 0.01 and 0.1 mgkg-1 of Hoe 140 and D-Arg-[Hyp2, Thi5'8, D-Phe7]BK were well tolerated. At doses of 1 mg kg-adverse effects occurred that were attributed to the residual BK agonistic activity of both compounds. 6 Hoe 140 has been shown to be a highly potent and long acting BK antagonist in vivo in different animal species and models. This makes it appropriate to investigate further the physiological and pathophysiological role of BK.

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Partially hydrogenated derivatives of the new heterocyclic ring systems benz[d]indolo[2,3-g]azecine and bisindolo[3,2-d][2, 3-g]azecine were synthesized starting from lactones and amines via the described synthetic methods. In binding assays with rat striatal receptors, 7-methyl-6,7,8,9,14,15-hexahydro-5H-benz[d]indolo[2, 3-g]azecine (LE 300) proved to be of high affinity for the D(1) binding site (K(i) = 0.08 nmol for displacement of [(3)H]SCH23390), being superior in this assay to standards such as butaclamol and SCH23390. This compound was characterized as a dopamine antagonist by conditioned avoidance response test with mice. Thus, LE 300 represents the lead of a new class of dopamine antagonists for future investigations.

Regulation of intracellular pH (pH_i) was studied in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells, an important cell system for cardiovascular research. Suspended cells were acidified by the NH₄Cl prepulse technique as well as by exposure to CO₂/HCO^–₃. Subsequent rates of pH_i recovery were monitored using the fluorescent dye 2′,7′-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF). In HCO^–₃-free solutions, an EIPA-sensitive, Na⁺-dependent mechanism fully accounted for realkalinization, namely the Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger (NHE). In the presence of HCO^–₃, an additional acid efflux mechanism was found. This one was dependent on Na⁺ and intracellular Cl^–, EIPA-insensitive but DIDS-sensitive, and therefore represented a Na⁺-dependent Cl^–/HCO^–₃ exchanger (NCBE). In summary, two acid-extruding mechanisms were identified in bovine aortic endothelial cells: NHE and NCBE.