Mutant PrP suppresses glutamatergic neurotransmission in cerebellar granule neurons by impairing membrane delivery of VGCC α(2)δ-1 Subunit.

How mutant prion protein (PrP) leads to neurological dysfunction in genetic prion diseases is unknown. Tg(PG14) mice synthesize a misfolded mutant PrP which is partially retained in the neuronal endoplasmic reticulum (ER). As these mice age, they develop ataxia and massive degeneration of cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs).

Synthesis, chiral resolution and pharmacological evaluation of a 2,3-benzodiazepine-derived noncompetitive AMPA receptor antagonist.

The resolution of 1-(4-aminophenyl)-3,5-dihydro-3-N-ethylcarbamoyl-5-methyl-7,8-methylenedioxy-4H-2,3-benzodiazepin-4-one (R,S)-(+/-)-5 by chiral HPLC and assignment of the absolute configuration of the two enantiomers was carried out. Compound (R,S)-(+/-)-5 and its enantiomers were tested in a binding assay to evaluate their affinity for AMPA receptors. Enantiomer (S)-(-)-5 appears to be more potent than its optical antipode (R)-(+)-5.

Neuroprotective effects of the novel glutamate transporter inhibitor (-)-3-hydroxy-4,5,6,6a-tetrahydro-3aH-pyrrolo[3,4-d]-isoxazole-4-carboxylic acid, which preferentially inhibits reverse transport (glutamate release) compared with glutamate reuptake.

(+/-)-3-Hydroxy-4,5,6,6a-tetrahydro-3aH-pyrrolo [3,4 -d]-isoxazole-4-carboxylic acid (HIP-A) and (+/-)-3-hydroxy-4,5,6, 6a-tetrahydro-3aH-pyrrolo[3,4-d]isoxazole-6-carboxylic acid (HIP-B) are selective inhibitors of excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs), as potent as DL-threo-beta-benzyloxyaspartic acid (TBOA). We report here that the active isomers are (-)-HIP-A and (+)-HIP-B, being approximately 150- and 10-fold more potent than the corresponding enantiomers as inhibitors of [3H]aspartate uptake in rat brain synaptosomes and hEAAT1-3-expressing cells. Comparable IC(50) values were found on the three hEAAT subtypes.

Structure-activity study of 2,3-benzodiazepin-4-ones noncompetitive AMPAR antagonists: identification of the 1-(4-amino-3-methylphenyl)-3,5-dihydro-7,8-ethylenedioxy-4H-2,3-benzodiazepin-4-one as neuroprotective agent.

In the search for AMPA receptor (AMPAR) antagonists, 2,3-benzodiazepines represent a family of specific noncompetitive antagonists with anticonvulsant and neuroprotective properties. We have previously shown that 2,3-benzodiazepin-4-ones possess marked anticonvulsant properties and high affinity for the noncompetitive binding site of the AMPAR complex. In this paper, we report the synthesis and pharmacological characterization of a full set of 2,3-benzodiazepin-4-ones in order to better define the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of this class of compounds.

WB4101-related compounds: new, subtype-selective alpha1-adrenoreceptor antagonists (or inverse agonists?).

Our previous structure-affinity relationship study had considered the enantiomers of the naphthodioxane, tetrahydronaphthodioxane, and 2-methoxy-1-naphthoxy analogues (compounds 1, 3, and 2, respectively) of 2-(2,6-dimethoxyphenoxyethylaminomethyl)-1,4-benzodioxane, the well-known alpha1-adrenoceptor (alpha1-AR) antagonist WB4101, showing that such modifications significantly modulate the affinity and selectivity profile for alpha1-AR subtypes and 5-HT1A receptor. Here, we extend investigations to antagonist activity enclosing new enantiomeric pairs, namely those of the methoxytetrahydronaphthoxy and methoxybiphenyloxy WB4101 analogues (4 and 5-7, respectively) and of a double-modified WB4101 derivative (8) resulting from hybridization between 2 and 3. We found that (S)-2 is a very potent (pA2 10.

QSAR study for a novel series of ortho monosubstituted phenoxy analogues of alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist WB4101.

A number of (S)- and (R)-2-[(2-phenoxyethyl)aminomethyl]-1,4-benzodioxanes unsubstituted or ortho monosubstituted at the phenoxy moiety were synthesized and tested in binding assays on the alpha(1a)-AR, alpha(1b)-AR, alpha(1d)-AR and the 5-HT(1A) receptor. The affinity values of the new compounds 1-16 were compared with those of the enantiomers of the 2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy analogue, the well-known alpha(1) antagonist WB4101, finding that the unsubstituted derivative (S)-1 and the o-methyl, the o-t-butyl, the o-fluoro and the o-methoxy derivatives, (S)-2, (S)-4, (S)-8 and (S)-16, respectively, display a significantly specific 5-HT(1A) affinity, very close, with the exception of (S)-4, to the almost nanomolar one of (S)-WB4101. Otherwise, sensible affinity decreases were recorded for the three alpha(1)-AR subtypes.