A series of 8-(substituted phenyl) derivatives of theophylline and other 1,3-dialkylxanthines were evaluated for potency and selectivity as antagonists at A1- and A2-adenosine receptors in brain tissue. Theophylline has a similar potency (Ki = 14 microM) at both A1 and A2 receptors. 8-Phenyltheophylline is 25-35-fold more potent as an adenosine receptor antagonist than theophylline, while 8-phenylcaffeine is only 2-3-fold more potent than caffeine. A p-hydroxyaryl substituent enhances the potency of 8-phenyltheophylline as an adenosine antagonist. p-Carboxy- and p-sulfoaryl substituents reduce potency of 8-phenyltheophylline, yielding water-soluble adenosine antagonists, which are some 2-5-fold more potent than theophylline at adenosine receptors. None of the 8-(substituted phenyl)theophyllines are particularly selective as antagonists toward A1- and A2-adenosine receptors. 1,3-Dipropyl-8-phenylxanthine represents a potent and somewhat selective A1-receptor antagonist about 23-fold more potent at A1 receptors than at A2 receptors. A p-hydroxyaryl substituent further enhances potency of the 1,3-dipropyl-8-phenylxanthine at both A1 and A2 receptors. The 8-(2-amino-4-chlorophenyl)-1,3-dipropylxanthine is a very potent and selective antagonist for A1 receptors, being nearly 400-fold more potent at A1 than at A2 receptors. The water-soluble 8-(p-sulfophenyl)- and 8-(p-carboxyphenyl)-1,3-propylxanthines no longer exhibit marked selectivity. Both compounds are much more potent as adenosine antagonists than theophylline. The striking selectivity of 1-isoamyl-3-isobutylxanthine as an A1 antagonist is retained in the 8-phenyl derivative but is virtually lost in the 8-p-sulfophenyl derivative.

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The behavioral stimulant effects of xanthines, such as caffeine and theophylline, appear to involve blockade of central adenosine receptors. However, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), a potent phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor, produces behavioral depression. The effects of caffeine analogs on open field behavior of mice and potencies as antagonists of adenosine receptors and as inhibitors of three classes of brain PDE have been compared. 1,7-Dimethyl-3-propargylxanthine, 1,3,7-tripropargylxanthine, and 3,7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine, which have high affinity for adenosine receptors and weaker activity as PDE inhibitors, all increase behavioral activity. In contrast, 1,3,7-tripropylxanthine, a more potent inhibitor of the brain calcium-independent (Ca-indep) PDEs than 1,3,7-tripropargylxanthine, produces behavioral depression, even though both analogues are potent adenosine receptor antagonists. 7-Benzyl-IBMX, an active receptor antagonist and selective inhibitor of a brain calcium-dependent (Ca-dep) PDE, produces a slight behavioral activation. Xanthines that are potent adenosine receptor antagonists and relatively weak inhibitors of the Ca-indep PDEs reverse the depressant effects of N6-cyclohexyladenosine, while xanthines, such as 1,3,7-tripropylxanthine, that are potent inhibitors of the Ca-indep PDEs, do not. The results suggest that the behavioral effects of xanthines may be determined primarily by relative activity as adenosine receptor antagonists and as inhibitors of brain Ca-indep PDEs.

The effects of 8-phenyl and 8-cycloalkyl substituents on the activity of theophylline, caffeine, 1,3-dipropylxanthine, 1,3-dipropyl-7-methylxanthine, 3-propylxanthine, and 1-propylxanthine at A1 adenosine receptors of rat brain and fat cells and at A2 adenosine receptors of rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and human platelets are compared. An 8-phenyl substituent has little effect on the activity of caffeine or 1,3-dipropyl-7-methylxanthine at adenosine receptors, while markedly increasing activity of theophylline, 1,3-dipropylxanthine, 1-isoamyl-3-isobutylxanthine, 1-methylxanthine, and 3-propylxanthine. 8-Phenyl-1-propylxanthine is potent (Ki = 20-70 nM) at all receptors. A p-carboxy or p-sulfo substituent, which is introduced on the 8-phenyl ring to increase water solubility, in most cases decreases the activity and selectivity for the A1 receptor. Among the 8-p-sulfo analogues, only 8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline and 1,3-dipropyl-8-(p-sulfophenyl)xanthine are selective for the A1 receptors. 8-p-Sulfophenyl derivatives of caffeine, 1,3-dipropyl-7-methylxanthine, and 3-propylxanthine are somewhat selective for the A2 receptors. 8-Cycloalkyl substituents (cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl) markedly increase activity of caffeine and 1,3-dipropyl-7-methylxanthine at the A2 receptor. 8-Cyclohexylcaffeine is potent (Ki = 190 nM) and very selective for the human platelet A2 receptors, but is not as selective for the rat PC12 cell A2 receptor. Such A2 selectivity is in contrast to the marked A1 selectivity of 8-cycloalkyltheophyllines and 8-cycloalkyl-1,3-dipropulxanthines. The apparent selectivity of certain xanthines is dependent on the assay systems that are compared.