Synthesis and in vitro characterization of novel amino terminally modified oxotremorine derivatives for brain muscarinic receptors.

A series of novel 2-substituted acetylenic pyrrolidines and piperidines related to oxotremorine (1) were prepared and evaluated in vitro as muscarinic cholinergic agents at brain M1 and M2 receptors. One analogue, 3-(2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-[2(R)-pyrrolidinyl]-1-propyne hydrogen oxalate (6a), was found to be a partial agonist producing a PI hydrolysis response at cortical M1 receptors approximately 3-fold larger than that produced by 1. The intrinsic activity profile of 6a at brain muscarinic receptors is similar to those of azetidine oxo analogue 2 and dimethylamino oxo analogue.

Pharmacological profiles for rat cortical M1 and M2 muscarinic receptors using selective antagonists: comparison with N1E-115 muscarinic receptors.

We previously showed that M1 and M2 muscarinic receptors in dissociated cells of the adult rat cortex couple to phosphoinositide (Pl) and cyclic AMP (cAMP) metabolism, respectively. To further classify these receptors according to probable subtype, we have employed a group of selective muscarinic antagonists to obtain pharmacological profiles of the cortical M1 and M2 receptors, and to compare them with the muscarinic receptors in N1E-115 cells, which contain M1 receptors mediating cyclic GMP elevation and M4 receptors inhibiting cAMP levels. The M2-mediated inhibition of cAMP levels in cortex was blocked by 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methyl piperidine methiodide (4-DAMP) with higher potency (0.

Markers for biogenic amines in the aged rat brain: relationship to decline in spatial learning ability.

The major goal of the study was to evaluate the relationship of brain aging to individual differences in functional decline in rats. Forebrain choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT) and monoamines, including their metabolites, were examined in young and aged male Long-Evans rats in relation to their spatial learning ability. Aged rats that were unimpaired on a spatial learning task exhibited few changes in neurochemistry relative to the young group: each change in this subgroup was also evident in the remaining aged animals that were behaviorally impaired.

Different agonist-receptor active conformations for rat brain M1 and M2 muscarinic receptors that are separately coupled to two biochemical effector systems.

In dissociated cellular preparations of adult rat cortex, M1 and M2 muscarinic receptors were shown to mediate phosphoinositide metabolism and cAMP inhibition, respectively. Additionally, in dissociated striatum, an M2 receptor was shown to inhibit the level of cAMP. The components of "receptor reserve" in these three receptor-effector systems were evaluated by the method of partial receptor inactivation and the dissociation constants for the full agonist carbachol were determined.

Non-selectivity of amitriptyline for subtypes of brain muscarinic receptors demonstrated in binding and functional assays.

The characteristics of interaction of amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant, with rat brain muscarinic receptors were assessed using both radioligand binding and functional assays. In competition studies, amitriptyline displaced muscarinic ligand binding from a single high-affinity site in homogenates of various brain regions which have a different distribution of M1 and M2 receptor subtypes. The affinity of amitriptyline for muscarinic receptors was also comparable in all brain regions.