Binding site of loperamide: automated docking of loperamide in human mu- and delta-opioid receptors.

Loperamide is a piperidine analogue, acting as agonist on peripheral opioid receptors, exhibiting affinity and selectivity for the cloned mu human opioid receptor compared with the delta human opioid receptor. Automatic docking studies of loperamide, using AutoDock, on human mu- and delta-opioid receptors is described. Whilst no meaningful difference was detected concerning the docking of the arylpiperidine moiety, mu/delta selectivity could be explained as a different accommodation of the two phenyl groups in two lipophylic pockets of receptors.

Design, synthesis, and cytotoxic evaluation of a new series of 3-substituted spiro[(dihydropyrazine-2,5-dione)-6,3'-(2',3'-dihydrothieno[2,3-b]naphtho-4',9'-dione)] derivatives.

A series of 3-substituted spiro[(dihydropyrazine-2,5-dione)-6,3'-(2',3'-dihydrothieno[2,3-b]naphtho-4',9'-dione)] derivatives were prepared using an easy synthetic route via condensation of the 3-amino-3-(ethoxycarbonyl)-2,3-dihydrothieno[2,3-b]naphtho-4,9-dione system and amino acids followed by intramolecular lactamization. Amino acids containing alkyl and aryl, linear and cyclic, polar and apolar, and basic and acid residues were incorporated. Evaluation of these analogues against the MCF-7 human breast carcinoma and SW 620 human colon carcinoma cell lines revealed, for the 3S,3'R isomers derived from Pro (7a), Cys (11a), and Met (12a) and the 3R,3'S isomer derived from D-Pro (7c), a cytotoxic potency comparable to or greater than that of doxorubicin.

Synthesis and pharmacological activity of 2-(substituted)-3-{2-[(4-phenyl-4-cyano)piperidino]ethyl}-1,3-thiazolidin-4-ones.

Loperamide is a well-known peripherally acting opiate used for the treatment of diarrhoea. To gain more knowledge on the structure-activity relationships of antidiarrhoeal drugs and to develop new active molecules, a series of aryl-cyano-piperidinoalkyl-thiazolidinones related to Loperamide was synthesized and screened for antidiarrhoeal activity in mice by castor oil test. To characterize the potency and toxicity of the synthesized compounds ED50 and LD50 values were also determined.