Publications by authors named "Gawell L"

We have investigated a series of phenolic diaryl amino piperidine delta opioid receptor agonists, establishing the importance of the phenol functional group and substitution on the piperdine nitrogen for delta agonist activity and selectivity versus the mu and kappa opioid receptors. This study uncovered compounds with improved agonist potency and selectivity compared to the standard, non-peptidic delta agonist SNC-80. In vivo anti-nociceptive activity of analog 8e in two rodent models is discussed, demonstrating the potential of delta agonists to provide a novel mechanism for pain relief.

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The design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of a novel class of delta opioid receptor agonists, N, N-diethyl-4-(phenylpiperidin-4-ylidenemethyl)benzamide (6a) and its analogues, are described. These compounds, formally derived from SNC-80 (2) by replacing the piperazine ring with a piperidine ring containing an exocyclic carbon carbon double bond, were found to bind with high affinity and exhibit excellent selectivity for the delta opioid receptor as full agonists. 6a, the simplest structure in the class, exhibited an IC(50) = 0.

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Nonpeptide delta opioid agonists are analgesics with a potentially improved side-effect and abuse liability profile, compared to classical opioids. Andrews analysis of the NIH nonpeptide lead SNC-80 suggested the removal of substituents not predicted to contribute to binding. This approach led to a simplified lead, N, N-diethyl-4-[phenyl(1-piperazinyl)methyl]benzamide (1), which retained potent binding affinity and selectivity to the human delta receptor (IC(50) = 11 nM, mu/delta = 740, kappa/delta > 900) and potency as a full agonist (EC(50) = 36 nM) but had a markedly reduced molecular weight, only one chiral center, and increased in vitro metabolic stability.

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This paper describes the synthesis of 5-[(3-bromo-2,6-dimethoxybenzamido)-methyl]-5-hydroxy-2-pyrrolidon e (3) and its 1-ethyl analogue 2, two urinary metabolites of the dopamine D-2 antagonist remoxipride [1, (S)-3-bromo-N-[(1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl]-2, 6-dimethoxybenzamide]. Two synthetic schemes leading to a common intermediate, 5-benzamido-4-oxopentanoic acid 4, were developed. This key intermediate permits conversion into either metabolite.

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1. The use of raclopride, a new compound of the salicylamide series, as a ligand for the labelling of dopamine-D2 receptors in vitro and in vivo is described. 2.

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The binding of 3H-alaproclate, a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake inhibitor, to membranes prepared from the rat cerebral cortex was investigated by a filtration technique. It was found that 3H-alaproclate bound with high affinity to three or four different sites and to one low affinity site. The binding to two of these sites was displaceable by 1 microM proadifen (SKF 525A), an inhibitor of drug metabolism.

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The novel substituted benzamide eticlopride, (S)-(-)-5-chloro-3-ethyl-N-[(1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl]-6-methoxy salicylamide hydrochloride (A38503; FLB 131), was radiolabelled to high specific activity and used for in vivo receptor binding studies in the rat brain. Intravenous injections of [3H]eticlopride resulted in a rapid accumulation of radioactivity in several brain regions: striatum greater than olfactory tubercle greater than septum greater than substantia nigra greater than frontal cortex greater than cerebellum. Approximately 95% of the radioactivity recovered from the striatum was in the form of authentic eticlopride, as determined by thin-layer chromatography.

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The substituted benzamide drug raclopride, [((-)-(S)-3,5-dichloro-N-((1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl) methyl)-6-methoxy-salicylamide tartrate; FLA 870(-); A40664] was shown to be a potent and selective antagonist of dopamine D-2 receptors by its high affinity for striatal 3H-spiperone binding sites and low potency to block dopamine stimulated adenylate cyclase in vitro. In vitro studies showed that 3H-raclopride binds with a high affinity (KD = 1.2 nM) and a low proportion of non-specific binding to rat striatal homogenates.

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The substituted benzamide compound eticlopride, (S)-(-)-5-chloro-3-ethyl-N-[(1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl) methyl]-6-methoxysalicylamide hydrochloride (FLB 131), has been shown to selectively block dopamine-D2 binding sites in the rat brain. The compound was tritium-labelled to high specific radioactivity and was used for in vitro receptor binding studies. [3H]Eticlopride was found to bind specifically to rat brain homogenates with the highest binding in the striatum and lowest in the hippocampus.

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