No abstract

The aporphine alkaloids are a class of compounds known to possess activity at both D-1 and D-2 dopamine receptors. (R)-Apomorphine and (S)-bulbocapnine are examples of compounds which have agonist and antagonist activity, respectively, at D-1 receptors. A series of optically pure aporphines was synthesized and their activity at D-1 and D-2 dopamine receptors was studied. The (R)-aporphines uniformly had greater affinity for both D-1 and D-2 receptors than their S antipodes. Dihydroxy compound (R)-apomorphine, in accord with previous studies, was found to be a D-1 agonist. Aporphines possessing a single hydroxy group at C-11 are antagonists at the D-1 receptor. The corresponding methoxy compounds are virtually inactive at dopamine receptors. The most potent compounds, (R)-11-hydroxyaporphine (R-14) and (R)-10-bromo-11-hydroxyaporphine (R-26), are more potent than bulbocapnine as D-1 antagonists but are not as selective. A model for binding of aporphines to the D-1 receptor was formulated in which binding interactions between the receptor and the basic nitrogen and the C-11 hydroxy group of the aporphine are required for high-affinity binding to the receptor. The absolute configuration at C-6a determines the orientation of the N-6 lone pair and binding is optimal for the 6aR series. The agonist or antagonist activity of an aporphine is determined by the presence or absence, respectively, of a hydroxy group at C-10. A hydrophobic binding site may be present and may account for the high antagonist activity of (S)-bulbocapnine.

Cytoplasmic vacuoles appear in neurons of the posterior cingulate/retrosplenial cortex (PC/RS) of rats after treatment with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists. Prominent dilatation of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum has been described within 2 h; however, the ultrastructural features of vacuole formation are unknown. To investigate this, the present study examined the PC/RS cortex of male rats (age 60-70 days) at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min after subcutaneous treatment with 1 mg/kg of the noncompetitive NMDA antagonist MK-801 (dizocilpine maleate, 5-methyl-10, 11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo [a,d] cyclohepten-5,10-imine). Subtle mitochondrial dilatation was identified in a few neurons as early as 15 min postdose (MPD). By 30 MPD, dilatation was more pronounced in mitochondria and also involved the endoplasmic reticulum and perinuclear space. Ribosomal disaggregation and degranulation were also evident by 30 MPD. At all subsequent time points, dilatation of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum progressed in severity. Although the relative involvement of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum varied, glia were not involved. These ultrastructural data suggest that after treatment with MK-801, mitochondrial dilatation precedes involvement of endoplasmic reticulum in vacuolization of susceptible PC/RS cortical neurons. The early mitochondrial effects identified in this study suggest an initial metabolic insult that rapidly progresses to affect endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes. This strengthens the relationship between the ability of certain NMDA antagonists to induce energy perturbations and neuronal vacuoles in the same region of the rat cerebral cortex.

The title compounds were prepared and examined to elucidate further the structure-activity relationships of dopamine agonists related to nomifensine. Two of the compounds, 4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline and 4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrothieno[2,3-c]pyridine, have been reported in the patent literature. In stimulation of rat retinal adenylate cyclase, a measure of dopamine D-1 agonist activity, the tetrahydroisoquinoline was about equipotent to dopamine. The thienyl isostere had nearly twice the potency. Both compounds were potent vasodilators in the canine renal artery, producing dilation through stimulation of DA1 type peripheral dopamine receptors. A monohydroxy analogue, 4-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, had only slight activity in the cyclase assay and was inactive in the canine renal artery. These results, combined with those from an earlier study, demonstrate that N-alkylation decreases both dopamine D-1 and DA-1 agonist potency, with activity ordered as H greater than methyl greater than ethyl greater than propyl. The results also demonstrate the necessity for the catechol function in this series.

beta-Methyldopamine and its enantiomers and racemic beta-phenyldopamine were synthesized and evaluated for dopamine D-1 agonist activity. In the dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase assay, beta-phenyldopamine had about one-sixth the activity of dopamine. Racemic beta-methyldopamine was less potent. The absolute configuration of beta-methyldopamine was determined to be R-(+) and S-(-). Evaluation of (R)-(+)- and (S)-(-)-beta-methyldopamine revealed no enantioselectivity for stimulation of adenylate cyclase.