Hybrid approach for the design of highly affine and selective dopamine D(3) receptor ligands using privileged scaffolds of biogenic amine GPCR ligands.

A series of compounds containing privileged scaffolds of the known histamine H(1) receptor antagonists cetirizine, mianserin, ketotifen, loratadine, and bamipine were synthesized for further optimization as ligands for the related biogenic amine binding dopamine D(3) receptor. A pharmacological screening was carried out at dopamine D(2) and D(3) receptors. In the preliminary testing various ligands have shown moderate to high affinities for dopamine D(3)receptors, for example, N-(4-{4-[benzyl(phenyl)amino]piperidin-1-yl}butylnaphthalen-2-carboxamide (19a) (hD(3)K(i)=0.3 nM; hD(2)K(i)=703 nM), leading to a selectivity ratio of 2343.

[11C]Mirtazapine for PET neuroimaging: radiosynthesis and initial evaluation in the living porcine brain.

We radiolabelled mirtazapine, a tetracyclic, atypical, antidepressant drug, for positron emission tomography (PET) and evaluated its regional kinetics in the living porcine brain. We produced [N-methyl-11C]mirtazapine with a radiochemical-purity >98% in a 21% decay-corrected radiochemical yield by alkylation of N-desmethyl mirtazapine with [11C]methyl iodide, followed by HPLC purification and formulation. [N-Methyl-11C]mirtazapine entered the brain readily and, under baseline conditions, it had an apparent volume of distribution (V(e)') of 9-13 in the basal ganglia, thalamus, and frontal cortex. Reference region and graphical analyses based on a one-compartment model showed that the binding of [N-methyl-11C]mirtazapine was reversible, with an apparent binding potential of more than two in thalamus and frontal cortex. Infusion of unlabelled mirtazapine markedly displaced [N-methyl-11C]mirtazapine from binding sites in the basal ganglia, thalamus and frontal cortex, but not in reference regions (cerebellum and olfactory tubercle). Thus, [N-methyl-11C]mirtazapine showed rapid passage into the living brain, slow metabolism in blood, and reversible, competitive binding, which may make it useful for PET neuroimaging of neuroreceptors involved in antidepressant actions.

Synthesis and pharmacological testing of 1,2,3,4,10,14b-hexahydro-6-methoxy-2-methyldibenzo[c,f]pyrazino[1,2-a]azepin and its enantiomers in comparison with the two antidepressants mianserin and mirtazapine.

The synthesis and resolution of 1,2,3,4,10,14b-hexahydro-6-methoxy-2-methyldibenzo[c,f]pyrazino[1,2-a]azepin (6-methoxymianserin, 6) are described. Furthermore, the in vitro and in vivo effects of 6 and its enantiomers are presented. 6 displayed high affinity for the 5-HT2A/2C receptors, only moderate affinity for the adrenoceptors, and no affinity for the NA reuptake site. Surprisingly, 6 also showed moderate to high affinity for the dopamine D2 receptor, an effect that resides in the (R)-(-)-enantiomer.

PET evaluation of a tetracyclic, atypical antidepressant, [N-methyl-11C]mianserin, in the living porcine brain.

We synthesized [N-methyl-11C]mianserin by alkylation of N-desmethyl mianserin with [11C]methyl iodide followed by HPLC purification. We used PET for determining the regional cerebral pharmacokinetics of the radiotracer in anesthetized swine. [N-methyl-11C]Mianserin entered most brain regions readily (range of K1 values: 0.66-1.13), reaching highest levels in the basal ganglia and thalamus. The binding potential of [N-methyl-11C]mianserin was relatively low (range: 0.07-0.50), but regional differences were nonetheless observed, with highest values in the temporal cortex and lowest values in the brainstem. These PET findings, which are the first ones for a tetracyclic, antidepressant drug, show that [N-methyl-11C]mianserin has only a limited degree of regional specificity of binding in the living brain.

Synthesis and biological properties of thiophene ring analogues of mianserin.

The synthesis of two thiophene-containing analogues of mianserin, i.e., 1,2,3,4,10,13b-hexahydro-2-methylpiperazino[1,2-a]thieno[2, 3-c][1]benzazepine (2), and the corresponding [3,2-c] isomer (12) is described. The key step in the synthesis is the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction of the N-lithio derivative of 1-methyl-3-(2-thienyl)piperazine (4) with the oxazoline derivative of o-anisic acid (7) to give the N-phenylpiperazine 8. This substance was converted via ethyl ester 10 to 1-[2-(hydroxymethyl)phenyl]-4-methyl-2-(2-thienyl)piperazine (3), which was cyclized with polyphosphate ester to a 5:1 mixture of 2 and 12. The antidepressant potential of 2 maleate (CGS 11049A) and 12 fumarate (CGS 15413A) were compared with that of mianserin hydrochloride in a variety of biochemical and pharmacological test systems. The three substances exhibited generally similar profiles. However, the results suggest that 2 and 12 bind more strongly to central presynaptic alpha-receptors than does mianserin.