N-Alkyl derivatives of (+/-)-alpha-methyldopamine.

A series of N-alkylated alpha-methyldopamine derivatives has been prepared for comparison of their biological effects with those of semirigid dopamine congeners derived from 2-aminotetralin systems. All of the alpha-methyldopamine derivatives were inert as dopaminergic agonists in a variety of animal assays, both centrally and peripherally, although certain compounds produced powerful and prolonged locomotor hyperactivity on intra-accumbens injection in mice, by indirect mechanism(s). A rationalization, based upon conformational analysis, is presented for the lack of direct dopaminergic agonist activity of alpha-methyldopamine derivatives.

Rigid congeners of dopamine based on octahydrobenzo[f]quinoline: peripheral and central effects.

A series of cis- and trans-dihydroxycotahydrobenzo[f]quinoline congeners of dopamine has been prepared, in which the N substitutent is H, ethyl, or n-propyl. The trans isomers include the dopamine moiety held rigidly in an antiperiplanar diposition which is believed to be necessary for certian central and peripheral dopaminergic effects. The cis isomers are flexible molecules; the dopamine moiety lacks conformational integrity and it can exist in a conformation which is believed not to favor dopaminergic activity. The trans series of compounds was shown to possess a high level of central and peripheral dopaminergic effects, whereas the cis series was of low activity or was inert. These data further support previous proposals concerning stereochemical requirements for certain dopaminergic agonist activity.

The mesolimbic system, denervation and the climbing response in the mouse.

Bilateral intra-accumbens 6-OHDA (2 micrograms in the presence of DMI and tranylcypromine, 14th postoperative day) enhanced the climbing responses of mice to apomorphine and 2-(N,N-dipropyl)amino-5,6-dihydroxytetralin causing parallel shifts of the normal log dose-response curves to the left. The enhancement of the apomorphine response was shown to be dependent on the dose of 6-OHDA, 0.5 micrograms being threshold and 2 micrograms maximum. Increased climbing was apparent by the 5th postoperative day, maximum by the 10th day, and was then maintained throughout the experimental period (6-8 weeks). 0.25-2 micrograms intra-accumbens 6-OHDA caused dose-related decreases in the dopamine content of mesolimbic areas (nucleus accumbens and tuberculum olfactorium) without causing significant changes in mesolimbic noradrenaline or striatal dopamine. In the absence of DMI/tranylcypromine, 2 and 4 micrograms 6-OHDA also decreased mesolimbic noradrenaline and striatal dopamine content. 16 micrograms 6-OHDA injected into the striatum (after DMI/tranylcypromine) decreased the striatal dopamine content by 85% (without altering mesolimbic dopamine or noradrenaline content) but this treatment failed to modify apomorphine climbing (2nd-12th postoperative days). Haloperiod, sulpiride, thioridazine, clozapine ad metoclopramide each caused a dose-dependent decrease in apomorphine climbing in both normal and 6-OHDA-treated mice. Haloperidol and metoclopramide were approximately equipotent in both groups of animals whilst sulpiride and thioridazine were approximately 4x more potent in the 6-OHDA-treated mice (the development of muscular hypotonia made an interpretation of clozapine effects difficult). The data indicate that an important role for the mesolimbic nucleus accumbens in the mediation of apomorphine climbing, and indicate that the antagonism by sulpiride and thioridazine may be specifically increased when mesolimbic mechanisms are rendered 'supersensitive'.

Analysis of kinetic data of antibody-antigen interaction from an optical biosensor by exponential curve fitting.

An optical biosensor system employing a resonant mirror (RM), with a stirred cuvette has been used to follow the interaction of a recombinant antibody fragment with its antigen, hen egg lysozyme. The data generated by the biosensor were analysed in order to determine the kinetic constants for the interaction using a linear transform (derivative analysis). For comparison the data were also analysed using an exponential curve fitting routine. It was demonstrated that the exponential curve fitting method produced results which were in agreement with the existing linear transform method. It was also shown that early fitting of the association phase response, using the exponential curve fitting routine between 0 and 70 s after sample addition, yielded sufficient information to provide a prediction of Kon. The potential use of the optical biosensor for the rapid monitoring of protein production and purification is discussed.

(-)N-(chloroethyl)norapomorphine inhibits striatal dopamine function via irreversible receptor binding.

beta-Haloalkylamine derivatives such as phenoxybenzamine are thought to irreversibly inactivate noradrenaline receptors by a process involving the formation of a reactive ethyleneimmonium cation which is followed by ring scission yielding the reactive carbonium ion which can then react further with a nucleophilic centre located on the receptor. Further study of catecholamine function has awaited the development of similar agents which can alkylate the dopamine receptor. We report here on the structure (Fig. 1) and evaluation of one agent with such potential, (--)N-(chloroethyl)norapomorphine [(--)NCA], and that this compound may be of significant value as a pharmacological and biochemical probe of the dopamine receptor.