Forskolin: upcoming antiglaucoma molecule.

Forskolin is the first pharmaceutical drug and product derived from a plant to be approved in India by the DCGI in 2006. Forskolin (7beta-acetoxy-8, 13-epoxy-1a, 6ß, 9a-trihydroxy-labd-14-en-11-one) is a diterpenoid isolated from plant Coleus forskohlii (Lamiaceae). It is a lipid-soluble compound that can penetrate cell membranes and stimulates the enzyme adenylate cyclase which, in turn, stimulates ciliary epithelium to activate cyclic adenosine monophosphate, which decreases intraocular pressure (IOP) by reducing aqueous humor inflow. The topical application of forskolin is capable of reducing IOP in rabbits, monkeys, and humans. In its drug interactions, forskolin may act synergistically with epinephrine, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Whereas the effects of anti-clotting medications like warfarin, clopidogre, aspirin, anoxaparin, etc., may be enhanced by forskolin. Forskolin is contraindicated in the medications for people with ulcers as forskolin may increase acid level. Forskolin has a very good shelf-life of five years. Recently, its Ophthalmic inserts and in situ gels for sustained and delayed-release drug delivery systems were tested in New Zealand Albino Rabbits for its antiglaucoma efficacy. This drug review explains Forskolin as a drug, its antiglaucoma potential and recent findings of forskolin as an antiglaucoma agent. The literature search method used for this review was different databases and search engines like PubMed, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Google, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPA).

The classical competitive antagonism of phentolamine on smooth muscle preparations, investigated by two procedures.

1. In isolated smooth muscle tissues taken from rats, rabbits and guinea-pigs, all at 37.5 degrees C, the equilibrium dissociation constant (K(beta)) of the competitive, reversible alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine varied between 4 and 28 nm. 2. The concentration of the antagonist required to inhibit contractions to direct- or indirect-acting alpha-adrenenoceptor agonists by 50% (IC50) also varied between 5 and 30 nm. 3. From one tissue to another, the IC50/K(beta) ratio of the blocker varied from 1 to 2.5, the values being close to those predicted by classical receptor theory based on the law of mass action. 4. At 27.5 degrees C, using phenylephrine as the spasmogen in rat aorta, the IC50/K(beta) ratio for phentolamine was 3.1. 5. A significantly higher IC50 compared with K(beta) for phentolamine indicates that the procedures for estimating affinity constants for a competitive antagonist are not equivalent.

Antagonism by imidazoline-type drugs of muscarinic and other receptors in the guinea-pig ileum.

1 Several imidazolines were examined for the antagonism of muscarinic (M3) and other receptors on the isolated ileum of guinea-pig. The effect of the muscarinic agonist, carbachol was competitively antagonized by oxymetazoline at 10(-5) m. A dissociation constant (KB) of 3.6 microm for the antagonist was calculated. At higher concentrations, 3 x 10(-5) and 10(-4) m, of the antagonist, the agonist dose-response curve was shifted to the right with a decrease in the maximum effect. Thus, a non-competitive block occurred at higher concentrations of oxymetazoline. Blockade of histamine H, and serotonin receptor-mediated responses by oxymetazoline were also of a non-competitive type. 2 Naphazoline at 10(-4) m shifted the dose-response curves of carbachol and serotonin to the right by two- and 15-fold, respectively. The maximum contraction of the agonist was not affected. Tolazoline also had a weak antihistaminic activity. At similar concentration; tetrahydrozoline clonidine and phentolamine at 10(-5) m produced two-, three- and four-fold shift of the carbachol dose-response curve without significant changes in the maxima. Neither methoxamine, p-amino-clonidine nor cimetidine blocked the responses of carbachol. 3 The isosteric nature of the alpha-adrenoceptor agonist, oxymetazoline and some imidazolines with carbachol, in part, explains its molecular competition at the muscarinic M3 receptor of the guinea-pig ileum. Surprisingly, contractile effects of carbachol (M3), histamine (H1) or serotonin (5HT3/5HT4) were not influenced by methoxamine, tetrahydrozoline, p-amino clonidine and cimetidine.

Importance of the aromatic ring in adrenergic amines. 2. Synthesis and adrenergic activity of some nonaromatic six- and eight-membered ring analogs of beta-phenylethanolamine.

The synthesis of beta-phenylethanolamine analogs in which the phenyl ring is replaced by cyclohexyl, cyclohexen-4-yl, cyclooctyl, cyclooctenyl, cycloocta-1,3-dien-2-yl, cycloocta-1,5-dienyl, and cyclooctatetraenyl was accompanied by conversion of the corresponding aldehydes to the cyanohydrins followed by reduction with lithium aluminum hydride. A preparatively useful synthesis of 1-formylcyclooctatetraene is described utilizing the photocycloaddition of methyl propiolate to benzene followed by reduction to the alcohol and oxidation with MnO2. All compounds, as their hydrochloride salts, exhibited indirect adrenergic activity on the rat vas deferens. On the reserpinized rat vas deferens all compounds potentiated the effects of exogenous norepinephrine. The results are in agreement with the conclusion that the more saturated the ring moiety, the greater the affinity for the amine uptake site of the vas deferens and suggest that there is no important interaction between the drug and this uptake site that involves pi-complex formation.

Synthesis and biological activities of a new set of irreversibly acting 2-(4'-isothiocyanatobenzyl)imidazoline analogs in rat thoracic aorta.

IBI [2-(4'-isothiocyanatobenzyl)imidazoline, 3] has been shown to cause slow-onset, long-lasting contractions of rat thoracic aorta through a non-alpha-adrenergic receptor (non-alpha-AR) mediated mechanism. A series of IBI-related anlogs 7-14 and 16 was prepared to determine the structural requirements for the interaction with non-alpha-AR in rat aortic strips. All IBI analogs produced concentration-dependent contractile responses on rat thoracic aorta. Whereas the actions of analogs 7, 14, and 16 were partly mediated by alpha-ARs, the stimulatory activities of the remaining IBI analogs were unaffected by phenoxybenzamine pretreatment, suggesting that a non-alpha-adrenergic mechanism is involved. We have shown that the contractile actions of IBI and analogs 10-13 were not blocked with the imidazoline/guanidinium receptive site (IGRS) ligands idazoxan, cirazoline, or clonidine. However, the calcium channel blockers nifedipine or verapamil shifted the concentration-response curve of IBI and its analogs 10-13 to the right and reduced the maximal contractile responses. The action of IBI on rat thoracic aorta was reduced by the omission of extracellular calcium in the medium. These results suggest that the stimulatory activities of IBI and analogs 10-13 are not related to the activation of alpha-AR or IGRS receptors and are likely coupled to the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.

Optically active derivatives of imidazolines. alpha-Adrenergic blocking properties.

The synthesis and alpha-adrenergic blocking activity of a series of optically active 2,4-disubstituted imidazolines are presented. The substituted analogues of naphazoline, tolazoline, and clonidine possess moderate alpha-adrenergic blocking activity with -log KB values in the range from 4.77 to 6.57. The differences between the alpha-adrenergic blocking activity of the stereoisomers of the 2,4-disubstituted imidazolines were small or insignificant in the rabbit aortic tissue preparations.

Stereochemical studies of adrenergic drugs. Optically active derivatives of imidazolines.

The synthesis of (R)-(+)-4-methyl-2-(1-naphthylmethyl)imidazoline hydrochloride (2) and (S)-(-)-4-methyl-2-(1-naphthylmethyl)imidazoline hydrochloride (3) is presented. The synthesis involves the preparation of (R)-(+)- and (S)-(-)-1,2-diaminopropane dihydrochloride and then allowing the appropriate diaminopropane to react with ethyl 1-naphthyliminoacetate hydrochloride in the presence of triethylamine. The parent compound, naphazoline, is a potent alpha-adrenoreceptor agonist (-log ED50 = 7.22), whereas the methylated derivatives, 2 and 3, were moderately potent antagonists (pA2 = 5.6 and 5.8, respectively) of the alpha-adrenoreceptor. Compounds 2 and 3 also produced blockade of the response to histamine on the rabbit aorta, but at concentrations approximately 20 times higher than necessary to produce equal blockade of the alpha-adrenoreceptor.

Synthesis and alpha-adrenergic activities of 2- and 4-substituted imidazoline and imidazole analogues.

Seven analogues of medetomidine and naphazoline were synthesized and evaluated for their alpha 1 (aorta) and alpha 2 (platelet) activities. The analogues were composed of 2- and 4-substituted imidazoles and imidazolines attached through a methylene bridge to either the 1- or 2-naphthalene ring system. In general the 1-naphthalene analogues were the most potent inhibitors of epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation. Of considerable interest was the fact that the 1-naphthalene analogues (2, 5-7) were partial agonists while the 2-naphthalene analogues (3, 8, 9) were antagonists in an alpha 1-adrenergic system (aorta). Thus, appropriately substituted naphthalene analogues of medetomidine and naphthazoline provide a spectrum of alpha 1-agonist, alpha 1-antagonist, and alpha 2-antagonist activity.

N-substituted imidazolines and ethylenediamines and their action on alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors.

A series of N-substituted imidazolines and ethylenediamines were synthesized and examined for their activity in alpha- and beta-adrenergic systems. The length of the intermediate side chain between the catechol and imidazoline ring or the amine of the ethylenediamine segment was shown to affect the adrenergic activity. N-[2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl]imidazoline hydrochloride (2) and N-[2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl]ethylenediamine dihydrochloride (4), both with two methylene groups between the catechol and amine segment, were found to be somewhat selective for alpha 2-adrenergic receptors while 1-(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)imidazoline hydrochloride (1) and N-2-(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)ethylenediamine dihydrochloride (3), both with one methylene group between the catechol and amine segment, were more selective for alpha1-adrenergic receptors in a pithed rat model. Of the four compounds examined, only compound 2 showed significant direct activity on beta1- and beta2-adrenergic receptors.

Optically active catecholimidazolines: a study of steric interactions at alpha-adrenoreceptors.

The optical isomers and deoxy form of 2-(3,4, alpha-trihydroxybenzyl)imidazoline hydrochloride were examined for their alpha-adrenergic activity on rat aorta. The rank order of stimulant activity was deoxy (2) congruent to (R)-(-)-1 greater than (S)-(+)-1. This is in contrast to catecholamines in which the order of activity is (R)-(-)-epinephrine greater than (S)-(+)-epinephrine = epinine (deoxyepinephrine). The relative order of potency for the isomers of 2-(3,4, alpha-trihydroxybenzyl)imidazoline is different than that predicted by the Easson--Stedman theory for stereoisomers of catecholamines. Also, substitution of the deoxy compound 2 with substituents, methyl or benzyl, in the 4-position lowers the alpha-adrenergic agonist activity, and differences observed between optical isomers were small.

Medetomidine analogs as alpha 2-adrenergic ligands. 2. Design, synthesis, and biological activity of conformationally restricted naphthalene derivatives of medetomidine.

A new series of naphthalene analogs of medetomidine have been prepared and evaluated for their alpha-adrenergic activities. The methylnaphthyl analog 5a showed significant selectivity for alpha 2-adrenoceptors and behaved as a partial alpha 1-agonist in rat aorta preparations. In contrast, the Z-ethylene analog 8c was alpha 1-selective and behaved as a potent alpha 1-antagonist. Two rigid analogs (6 and 7) exhibited large differences in binding affinities at alpha 1-VS alpha 2-receptors, indicating that the conformational flexibility of 5a is important for the fulfillment of the alpha-adrenergic activities. Molecular modeling studies began with conformational analysis of classical phenethylamines and medetomidine analogs. Superimposition of medetomidine conformations with those of phenethylamines provided a tentative explanation for the alpha 2-adrenergic activity of the new imidazoles. A common binding mode for phenethylamines and imidazoles with alpha 2-adrenoceptors is proposed. Knowledge of the biological properties of the 4-substituted imidazoles, integrated with the information derived from computer-assisted molecular modeling, has provided new insights for the structural and conformational requirements of this class as new adrenergic drugs.

Medetomidine analogs as alpha 2-adrenergic ligands. 3. Synthesis and biological evaluation of a new series of medetomidine analogs and their potential binding interactions with alpha 2-adrenoceptors involving a "methyl pocket".

The synthesis and the biological evaluation of a new series of medetomidine analogs are reported. The substitution pattern at the phenyl ring of the tetralin analogs had a distinct influence on the alpha 2-adrenoceptor binding affinity. 4-Methylindan analog 6 was the most potent alpha 2-adrenoceptor binding ligand among these 4-substituted imidazoles, and its alpha 2-adrenoceptor selectivity was greater than the 5-methyl tetralin analog 4c. Ligand-pharmacophore and receptor modeling were combined to rationalize alpha 2-adrenoceptor binding data of the imidazole analogs in terms of ligand-receptor interactions. The structure-activity relationships that were apparent from this and previous studies were qualitatively rationalized by the binding site models of the alpha 2-adrenoceptor. The benzylic methyl group of medetomidine or the naphthyl analog 2a was superimposable with the alpha-methyl group of (-)-alpha-methylnorepinephrine and fit into the proposed "methyl pocket" of the alpha 2-adrenoceptor defined by the residues Leu110, Leu169, Phe391, and Thr395.

Synthesis and alpha 2-adrenoceptor effects of substituted catecholimidazoline and catecholimidazole analogues in human platelets.

It is known that the steric requirements for the interactions of catecholamines and catecholimidazolines with alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors are different. New analogues of desoxycatecholimidazoline (1), desoxycatecholimidazole (3), benzylic hydroxyl substituted imidazole (4), and the aromatic fluorine substitution analogues of 1 at the 2 (5), 5 (6), and 6 (7) positions, and a set of asymmetric 4-substituted catecholimidazolines, S-8 and R-8, were prepared and tested for interaction with alpha 2-adrenoceptors in human platelets. With the exception of 3, all compounds were selective for alpha-adrenoceptor-mediated responses in human platelets. Introduction of a double bond in imidazoline 1 to give an imidazole 3 or the introduction of a benzylic hydroxyl group to 3, as in 4, reduced the inhibition of platelet aggregation with a rank order potency of 1 greater than 3 greater than 4. Fluorine atom substitution at the 2-, 5-, or 6-positions only slightly modified the inhibitory activity of 1. Each analogue (1, 3-7) produced alpha 2-mediated inhibition of platelet adenylate cyclase and can be classified as a partial agonist. The inhibition potency of S-8 and R-8 against epinephrine-induced aggregatory responses were greatly different, and only R-8 and 4 were alpha 2-agonists on human platelet function. Our studies provide further evidence for the differential interaction of catecholamines and catecholimidazolines in alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor systems.

Antimuscarinic effects of stereoisomers of tropicamide on rabbit iris sphincter.

The antimuscarinic activity of optical isomers of tropicamide were compared on the isolated rabbit iris sphincter. The increasing concentrations of both the (--)- and (+)-isomer shifted the dose-response curve of carbachol to the right in a parallel fashion. The competitive reversible muscarinic blocking effects of both isomers were confirmed by pA2 plots. The pA2 values from the nonpigmented irides for (--)- and (+)-tropicamide were 7.88 and 6.18, respectively. Thus the (+)-isomer has only 1/50 the blocking activity of the (--)-isomer. Although both isomers are slightly less active in the pigmented iris, the activity difference between the isomers was high. From the nonpigmented iris, the blocking effect of the active (--)-tropicamide was readily reversed by washing, whereas reversal of this isomer's effect from the pigmented iris was relatively slow.

Salivation induced by prostaglandin F 2 and modification of the response by atropine and physostigmine.

1. Administration of PGF(2alpha) to the anaesthetized dog produced dose-related salivation accompanied by weak pressor and negative cardiac chronotropic effects. Injection of PGE(1) did not produce salivation.2. Electrical stimulation of the chorda tympani nerve or injection of PGF(2alpha) produced salivary responses which were not affected by pretreatment with phentolamine, but were abolished by pretreatment with atropine. Treatment with hexamethonium reduced the response to nerve stimulation but did not alter the response to PGF(2alpha).3. Pretreatment with physostigmine augmented the salivary response to both nerve stimulation and PGF(2alpha).4. These experiments suggest that salivation produced by PGF(2alpha) is probably due in part, to liberation of acetylcholine from cholinergic nerve terminals. These results are consistent with previously proposed modulatory functions of prostaglandins on neurotransmission.

Kinetics of blockade of different receptors by chlorpromazine in rabbit stomach strips.

The kinetics of receptor blockade by chlorpromazine (5 X 10(-8) M) were studied on fundic strips from the rabbit stomach. Onset of blockade by chlorpromazine proceeds at nearly identical rates when carbamylcholine and histamine are the agonists (t1/2 = approximately 5 min) while occurring more slowly against phenylephrine (t1/2 = 41 min). Similarly, offset of blockade by chlorpromazine is faster against carbamycholine and histamine (t1/2 = 83 and 34 min, respectively) than against phenylephrine (t1/2 = 385 min). The pA2 values of chlorpromazine on the alpha-adrenergic, muscarinic and histaminic (H1) receptors are 8.96, 7.17, and 7.90, respectively. No correlation exists between the kinetics of blockade and the affinity of chlorpromazine for the receptors. It is suggested, therefore, that alpha-adrenoreceptors in the rabbit stomach are less accessible to chlorpromazine, or distributed differently within the tissue, than either the muscarinic or histaminic receptors.

Binding of 14C-imipramine by pigmented and non-pigmented tissues.

When pigmented and non-pigmented rabbit irides were incubated with various concentrations of 14C-imipramine at equilibrium (120 min), the accumulation of the drug by the pigmented iris was 1.5 times as great as that by the non-pigmented iris. The accumulated drug is lost from both types of irides in a complex fashion. However, even after 120 min of washing, the differences in accumulation remain nearly constant. When accumulation of the drug in the non-pigmented iris was analyzed by discontinuous sucrose density gradient, it was observed that the drug was bound mainly by the low density sucrose fractions where the synaptosomes separate. On the contrary, in the pigmented iris approximately 70% of the drug was found in the melanin-containing fraction. The homogenate from the substantia nigra accumulated 1.5 times more than that from the human brain cortex. The affinity of the drug for bovine iris melanin granules and the synthetic L-dopa melanin was 9.9 X 10(5) M-1 and 3.8 X 10(3) M-1, respectively. On the rabbit iris sphincter muscles, imipramine was evaluated for antimuscarinic effects. The apparent dissociation constants, KB values, for the antagonist in the non-pigmented and pigmented iris were 1.7 X 10(-7) M and 3.8 X 10(-6) M, respectively. The low antimuscarinic activity in the pigmented iris is attributed to the loss of the drug to the pigment. On this basis, relevancy of the drug binding by pigmented tissues to the effects of this tricyclic drug is discussed.

A kinetic analysis of a catechol-specific binding site in the microsomal fraction from the rabbit aorta.

(-)-3/-Norepinephrine (3H-NE) binding to the microsomal fraction of the rabbit aorta has been studied. Binding appears to increase linearly with time up to at least 30 min, shows no evidence of stereoselectivity and may be inhibited only by compounds possessing the catechol or 3-methoxy-4hydroxyphenyl moieties, with the latter being 100-fold less effective. 3H-NE binding is saturable with a Km of 8.5 X 10(-8) M and V max of 28 pmoles/mg protein. A Hill plot indicates that binding is noncooperative whereas a Scatchard plot suggests that two sites may be present. Binding does not appear to require physiological concentrations of Ca2+ or Mg2+ and is inhibited significantly by EDTA and sodium metabisulfite. In addition, binding is markedly enhanced by low and high pH values. This binding is also inhibited by sodium metabisulfite which suggests that an oxidized form of the catecholamine is the active binding species. Experiments with several group specific reagents indicate that binding may require a free sulfhydryl group but not a carboxyl function. The binding process requires an energy of activation of 14.8 kcal/mole whose magnitude may be partly explained, with the aid of optical rotatory dispersion spectra, by a non-stereoslective conformational change in protein structure induced by the amine. The characteristics of the 3H-NE binding sites observed in the microsomal fractional of the rabbit aorta appear to be different from those expected if binding were to the adrenoreceptors. A possible mechanism for catecholamine binding to free sulfhydryl groups on protein is presented.

Diversity of the pharmacological actions of some tolazoline analogues in human platelets and rat aorta.

Tolazoline and two 4'-substituted benzyl analogues, 2-(4'-aminobenzyl) imidazoline (ABI) and 2-(4'-isothiocyanatobenzyl)imidazoline (IBI) were synthesized and evaluated for adrenoceptor activity in human platelets (alpha 2) and rat aorta (alpha 1), respectively. IBI was prepared as an affinity label for alpha-adrenoceptors and compared with chloroethylclonidine. Tolazoline, IBI, ABI and chloroethylclonidine inhibited the primary and secondary waves of epinephrine-induced human platelet aggregation. In aspirin treated platelets, primary wave aggregatory responses to epinephrine were blocked in a competitive manner by tolazoline, ABI. IBI and chloroethylclonidine giving pA2 values of 6.33, 6.12, 4.71 and 5.70, respectively. Only IBI blocked the aggregation responses to ADP (secondary wave only) arachidonic acid and U46619 (a thromboxane A2 agonist). Arachidonic acid-induced serotonin release and malondialdehyde formation and thrombin-induced release of [3H]arachidonic acid from membrane phospholipids were also blocked by IBI. These data indicate that IBI blocks arachidonic acid release, prostaglandin biosynthesis and the action of thromboxane A2. One hour exposure of aspirin treated platelets with IBI abolished inhibitory effects against epinephrine induced aggregation. In contrast to human platelets, both ABI and IBI produced contractions of rat aorta; however, only the responses to ABI were blocked in a competitive manner by the alpha-antagonists, phentolamine, prazosin, and SKF 104078. Moreover, idazoxan blocked the stimulatory actions of IBI, cirazoline and phenylephrine on rat aorta.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Differences in the applicability of the easson-stedman hypothesis to the alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic effects of phenethylamines and imidazolines.

The enantiomers of 2-(3,4, alpha-trihydroxybenzyl)imidazoline and the corresponding desoxy derivative, 2-(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)imidazoline, were evaluated at alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors to test the applicability of the Easson-Stedman hypothesis to the imidazoline class of alpha-adrenergic agonists. A series of closely related phenethylamines was included for comparison. The Easson-Stedman hypothesis states that optically active adrenergic agonists possessing an asymmetric hydroxyl-substituted benzylic carbon atom will have the following relative potencies: R(-) greater than S(+) = desoxy. While the phenethylamines were found to adhere to the Easson-Stedman hypothesis at both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors, the optically active imidazolines did not. These findings further support our previous observations that the phenethylamines and imidazolines may interact differently with alpha-adrenergic receptors.