Central dopaminergic and 5-hydroxytryptaminergic effects of C3-methylated derivatives of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin.

A number of stereochemically well defined C3-methylated derivatives of the potent 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) have been synthesized, and their stereochemical characteristics have been studies by use of NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and molecular mechanics calculations. The compounds were tested for activity at central 5-HT and dopamine (DA) receptors, by use of biochemical and behavioral tests in rats. In addition, the ability of the cis- and trans-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralins (15 and 11) to displace [3H]-8-OH-DPAT from 5-HT1A binding sites was evaluated. The stereoselectivity of the interaction of 11 and 15 with 5-HT receptors was much greater than that of 8-OH-DPAT. Observed rank order of potencies in the 5-HT1A binding assay corresponds to that in the in vivo biochemical assay.