A series of 1-[1-(3,4-dimethoxy-1H-2-benzopyran-1-yl)alkyl]-4-arylpiperazines that shows hypotensive activity in the conscious rat has been investigated. Structure-activity relationships are described. A typical example that was investigated in greater detail is 1-[2-(3,4-dihydro-6,7-dimethoxy-1H-2-benzopyran-1-yl)ethyl]-4-(4-fluorophenyl)piperazine. This compound decreases sympathetic nerve activity recorded from the external carotid and splanchnic nerves of baroreceptor-denervated cats and, therefore, has a central component to its mechanism of action. It also blocks pressor effects of norepinephrine and phenylephrine and is thus an alpha-adrenergic antagonist. Binding data characterize this as alpha 1-adrenergic receptor blockade.

Adinazolam and its metabolites inhibit [3H]flunitrazepam binding in-vitro. The binding affinities of these compounds is significantly enhanced in the presence of 10-5 M muscimol, indicating that both adinazolam and its metabolites are benzodiazepine agonists. In-vivo metabolism of adinazolam results in the formation of active metabolites.

A series of acetylenic imidazoles related to oxotremorine (1a) were prepared and evaluated as cholinergic agents with in vitro binding assays and in vivo pharmacological tests in mice. 1-[4-(1H-Imidazol-1-yl)-2-butynyl]-2-pyrrolidinone (1b) was a cholinergic agonist with one-half the potency of oxotremorine. Analogues of 1b with a 5- or 2-methyl substituent in the imidazole ring (compounds 1c and 1g) were cholinergic partial agonists. Analogues of 1b with a methyl substituent at the 5-position in the pyrrolidinone ring (7b) or at the alpha-position in the acetylenic chain (8b) were antagonists. Various analogues of these imidazole acetylenes where the pyrrolidinone ring was replaced by an amide, carbamate, or urea residue were prepared. Several compounds which contained 5-methylimidazole as the amine substituent were partial agonists. The activities of the imidazole compounds are compared with those of the related pyrrolidine and dimethylamine analogues. Agonist and antagonist conformations for these compounds at muscarinic receptors are proposed.

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