Cholinergic agents structurally related to furtrethonium. 2. Synthesis and antimuscarinic activity of a series of N-[5-[(1'-substituted-acetoxy) methyl]-2-furfuryl]dialkylamines.

In the first part of this study, devoted to the discovery of selective antimuscarinic agents, (+/-)- N-[5-[(1'-phenyl-1'-cyclohexylacetoxy)methyl]-2-furfuryl]dimeth yla mine (5a) proved to be at least 20 times more potent in the rat ileum and bladder than in guinea pig atria. Several (+/-)-N- [5-[(1'-substituted-acetoxy)methyl]-2-furfuryl]dialkylamine analogs of 5a were subsequently prepared. This involved exploration of the tertiary nitrogen substituents and modulation of the lipophilic side chain at position 5 of the furan ring, using the Hansch approach. A QSAR study was conducted to correlate activity with physicochemical properties of substituents. The possibility of describing all compounds in a single model indicates that variations of nitrogen and the lipophilic side chain contribute independently to activity. Compounds 5b, c,j, with bulky lipophilic substituents at the tertiary nitrogen, showed unprecedented selectivity between the two smooth muscle tissues, their antimuscarinic potency being from 10 to 90 times higher in the ileum than in the bladder. It is suggested that their interesting tissue selectivity is probably related to nonspecific phenomena involving the receptor environment, rather than real differences between the muscarinic receptors in the two tissues.

Pharmacological analysis of 5-hydroxytryptamine effects on electrically stimulated human isolated urinary bladder.

1. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is able to potentiate the contractions induced by electrical field stimulation of pieces of human isolated urinary bladder. On the basis of available selective 5-HT agonists and antagonists, we have further investigated the receptors involved and their site of action. 2. 5-HT produced a concentration-dependent increase of the contractile response to electrical field stimulation from 0.1 nM to 1 microM. At higher concentrations (up to 100 microM) the effect decreased. These activities were mimicked by a variety of 5-HT agonists, for which the following rank order of potency was found: 5-HT greater than alpha-methyl 5-HT greater than 5-methoxytryptamine greater than 5-carboxamidotryptamine greater than 2-methyl 5-HT much greater than GR 43175. In addition the gastro-prokinetics agents metoclopramide, cisapride and the 5-HT3 antagonist ICS 205-930 behaved as 5-HT agonists, their EC50 values being 2.3, 0.3, and 0.5 (microM) respectively. 3. The 5-HT potentiating effect was resistant to antagonism by ondansetron (1 microM) and cyanopindolol (1 microM), selective 5-HT3 and 5-HT1A/1B antagonists respectively. The 5-HT2 antagonists ketanserin (1 microM), spiperone (1 microM) and methysergide (1 microM) also showed a weak inhibitory activity. Methiothepin (0.1-1 microM) antagonized only the inhibitory effect of 5-HT. Metoclopramide (0.1-1 microM), cisapride (0.01-0.1 microM) and ICS 205-930 (0.3-3 microM) all produced a rightward displacement of the 5-HT response curve with concomitant reduction of the maximum response. The pA2 values calculated were 7.4, 8.5 and 7.0 respectively. The antagonism of metoclopramide was receptor specific and was not apparently related to interactions with dopaminergic activity since domperidone showed no antagonism of 5-HT, and metoclopramide, itself, did not antagonize the potentiating effect of prostaglandin F2a.4. The receptor involved in the potentiating effect of 5-HT may be located prejunctionally because 5-HT did not potentiate responses to acetylcholine (ACh) or electrical field stimulation with the parameters of direct muscle excitation. Also, since the 5-HT potentiating effect was blocked by atropine, it may be attributed to a release of ACh.5. This study suggests that in the human urinary bladder 5-HT causes two opposite effects on the contractile response to electrical field stimulation. A potentiating effect at low concentrations due to an interaction with an atypical receptor, different from the classical 5-HT1, 5-HT2 or 5-HT3 subtypes and an inhibitory effect at greater concentrations probably due to an interaction with 5-HT1-like receptors. The possibility that this atypical receptor possesses some characteristics of those found in other isolated preparations like guinea-pig ileum, rat oesophagus and mouse embryo colliculi neurones is discussed.

Pharmacological characterization of thromboxane and prostanoid receptors in human isolated urinary bladder.

1. Cumulative concentration-response curves (CRC) to prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), PGE2, PGD2 and PGF2alpha (0.01-30 microM) and to the thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor agonist U-46619 (0.01-30 microM) were constructed in human isolated detrusor muscle strips both in basal conditions and during electrical field stimulation. 2. All the agonists tested contracted the detrusor muscle. The rank order of agonist potency was: PGF2alpha > U-46619 > PGE2 whereas weak contractile responses were obtained with PGD2 and PGE1. Any of the agonists tested was able to induce a clear plateau of response even at 30 microM. 3. The selective TXA2 antagonist, GR 32191B (vapiprost), antagonized U-46619-induced contractions with an apparent pK(B) value of 8.27+/-0.12 (n = 4 for each antagonist concentration). GR 32191B (0.3 microM) did not antagonize the contractile responses to PGF2alpha and it was a non-surmountable antagonist of PGE2 (apparent pK(B) of 7.09+/-0.04; n = 5). The EP receptor antagonist AH 6809 at 10 microM shifted to the right the CRC to U-46619 (apparent pK(B) value of 5.88+/-0.04; n = 4). 4. Electrical field stimulation (20 Hz, 70 V, pulse width 0.1 ms, trains of 5 s every 60 s) elicited contractions fully sensitive to TTX (0.3 microM) and atropine (1 microM). U-46619 (0.01-3 microM) potentiated the twitch contraction in a dose-dependent manner and this effect was competitively antagonized by GR 32191B with an estimated pK(B) of 8.54+/-0.14 (n = 4 for each antagonist concentration). PGF2alpha in the range 0.01-10 microM (n = 7), but not PGE2 and PGE1 (n = 3 for each), also potentiated the twitch contraction of detrusor muscle strips (23.5+/-0.3% of KCl 100 mM-induced contraction) but this potentiation was unaffected by 0.3 microM GR 32191B (n = 5). 5. Cumulative additions of U-46619 (0.01-30 microM) were without effect on contractions induced by direct smooth muscle excitation (20 Hz, 40 V, 6 ms pulse width, trains of 2 s every 60 s, in the presence of TTX 1 microM; n = 3). Moreover, pretreatment of the tissue with 0.3 microM U-46619 did not potentiate the smooth muscle response to 7 microM bethanecol (n = 2). 6. We concluded that TXA2 can induce direct contraction of human isolated urinary bladder through the classical TXA2 receptor. Prostanoid receptors, fully activated by PGE2 and PGF2alpha are also present. All these receptors are probably located post-junctionally. The rank order of agonist potency and the fact that GR 32191B, but not AH6809, antagonized responses to PGE2 seem to indicate the presence of a new EP receptor subtype. Moreover, we suggest the presence of prejunctional TXA2 and FP receptors, potentiating acetylcholine release from cholinergic nerve terminals.

A novel class of cholinergic agents structurally related to 2-morpholinol.

A series of esters and ethers of N-alkylmorpholin-2-ols, and their methiodides, which can be considered cyclic analogues of acetylcholine, were synthesized. The amines were obtained by acylation or etherification of morpholinols with the appropriate acyl chlorides and alcohols. All compounds were tested for their ability to interact with the muscarinic receptor M2 (guinea-pig atria) or M3 (rat ileum and urinary bladder) subtype. Some compounds, although endowed with relatively low potency, proved interesting for their organ selectivity. Some considerations on the structure-activity relationship are made and the results obtained with reference agonists and antagonists are also shown.

Mouse gallbladder emptying by egg yolk: a possible new rapid method for antispasmodic activity evaluation in vivo.

Gallbladder emptying was induced in female albino mice by single oral administrations of 30% lyophylized egg yolk suspension. Mice were killed 15 min later, their gallbladders removed and then weighed. Gallbladder emptying was assessed by comparing weights from control and egg yolk administered mice. The ability of the antispasmodic drugs atropine, N-butylscopolamine, papaverine, trimebutine, dicyclomine, and rociverine to delay gallbladder emptying was determined by administering them either intraperitoneally or orally 7.5 or 15 min prior to egg yolk.

Rociverine, a new antispasmodic agent with balanced neurotropic and myotropic activity.

A systematic study in vitro and in vivo of the antispasmodic agent 2-(diethylamino)-1-methylethyl cis-1-hydroxy (bicyclohexyl)-2-carboxylate (rociverine) showed that its activity is both antimuscarinic and directly muscle-relaxant. The antimuscarinic activity is weaker than that of atropine, N-butylscopolammonium bromide and dicyclomine whilst the direct muscle-relaxant activity is equal to or greater than that of papaverine. The peculiarly balanced ratio of the neurotropic and myotropic components ensures that the antispasmodic effect is the outcome of both, without one prevailing over the other. This not only rules out major atropine-like side-effects but renders rociverine potentially effective on spasm of the different viscera, of particular interest in viscera in which there is only minor involvement of cholinergic structures. The muscle-relaxant activity of rociverine is achieved by inhibiting the availability of Ca2+ at contraction site and not through an antiphosphodiesterasic mechanism, which might explain the absence of muscle-relaxant effects on the smooth musculature of the blood vessels.

Pharmacology of lacidipine, a vascular-selective calcium antagonist.

Lacidipine is a new 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) that induces a potent calcium antagonistic activity on vascular preparations. It has a markedly slow rate of onset, but its effect is still apparent after 9 h of drug washout. Calcium antagonistic activity has been evaluated on nonvascular smooth muscle, and lacidipine has proved to be more vascular-selective than standard DHP derivatives. In cardiac preparations, the concentrations required to induce negative inotropic effects are approximately 100 times higher than concentrations needed to antagonize calcium-induced contractions in vascular smooth muscle. In addition, lacidipine exhibits antioxidant properties in tests based on the autoperoxidation of rat cerebral cortical membranes. In spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), lacidipine induces a potent and long-acting blood pressure reduction (ED25 = 0.19 mg/kg orally and 0.006 mg/kg intravenously, with durations greater than 12 and 3 h, respectively). In saline-loaded SHRs and at antihypertensive dosages, lacidipine increases urine volume as well as urinary excretion of sodium. In one-clip, two-kidney renal hypertensive dogs, the antihypertensive properties of lacidipine after both oral and intravenous administration were confirmed. The marked vascular selectivity of lacidipine was clearly evident both in pithed rats infused with angiotensin II and in anesthetized dogs, in which preferential and long-lasting coronary and vertebral blood flow increases were also observed.

The role of the responsiveness of animal stock to certain secretagogues in evaluating antisecretory drugs. Experiments in the lumen-perfused rat.

The gastric secretion pattern resulting from histamine, pentagastrin and carbachol infusion was studied in lumen-perfused anesthetised male Wistar rats. The differences between the results of this study and other published results and among the latter demonstrate the necessity of knowing the acid secretion patterns in given laboratory conditions before attempting to assess the antisecretory activity of any drug.

Influence of fasting period, ligation time, sex, age and bodyweight on the gastric secretory response of pylorus-ligated Wistar rats.

A study on variables influencing the gastric secretory response of pylorus-ligated Wistar rat, shows that: 1. 24 h is a sufficient fasting period for satisfactory emptying of the stomach, periods of up to 48 h yielding no advantage; 2. between 2 and 4 h is the most appropriate pyloric ligation time because in this range there are no variations in volume of gastric secretion, concentration and output of acid per unit of ligation time; 3. sex has no influence on any of the parameters; 4. animals should be age-selected because only above a given age threshold the gastric secretory response per unit of bodyweight is constant.

[Pharmacologic profile of a new compound with antiinflammatory activity: 2-(4-dimethylvinylphenyl)propionic acid (Gx 258)]. / Profilo farmacologico di un nuovo composto ad attività antiinfiammatoria: l'acido 2-(4-dimetilvinilfenil)propionico (Gx 258).

Gx 258, a new phenylalkanoic acid derivative, was shown in animal tests to possess potent antiinflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity. Its antiinflammatory activity was not mediated via the pituitary-adrenal axis, since it was also effective in adrenalectomized rats. Since large doses of Gx 258, 9-83 times greater than those showing antiinflammatory activity, were required to produce gastrointestinal lesions in rats, Gx 258 appears to have a very good therapeutic index. Its therapeutic index as an antiinflammatory and analgesic agent was 2.3-20.5 times greater than that of the parent compound ibuprofen. Gx 258, like ibuprofen, inhibited the biosynthesis of prostaglandins in vitro.

Evidence for two cholecystokinin receptors mediating the contraction of the guinea pig isolated ileum longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus.

In guinea pig isolated ileum longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus, cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8S) produced a rapid (phasic) contraction followed by a slower tonic phase. The tetrapeptide derivative CCK-4 and pentagastrin elicited only the phasic response up to 10(-6) M, whereas the tonic phase was also apparent at higher concentrations. The rank order of potency for the effect of agonists on the tonic and phasic responses were CCK-8S much greater than gastrin greater than CCK-8US congruent to pentagastrin greater than CCK-4 and CCK-8S greater than gastrin congruent to pentagastrin greater than CCK-4 greater than CCK-8US, respectively. Phasic responses of CCK-8S and CCK-4 were sensitive to atropine, whereas the tonic response could be completely abolished with the neurokinin-1 antagonist GR82334. The CCK-A receptor antagonist L-364,718 up to 10(-7) M had little effect on the phasic contracture of CCK-4. The CCK-B/gastrin receptor antagonist L-365,260 had no effect on the CCK-8S phasic response up to 10(-7) M, but antagonized the phasic response induced by low concentrations of CCK-4 in a competitive manner with an estimated pKB of 8.51. This value is close to that of 8.53 found in a guinea pig cortical binding assay. Both the second phase of the CCK-4 phasic concentration response curve (CRC) and the tonic contraction were insensitive to L-365,260.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of a new 1,4-dihydropyridine, lacidipine, on gastrointestinal motility and other gastrointestinal functions.

Lacidipine is a new 1,4-dihydropyridine calcium entry blocker endowed with slow onset of action and potent and long-lasting antihypertensive activity. This study investigated the effect of lacidipine on some gastrointestinal functions, mainly gastrointestinal motility, in rats and dogs. In fasting conscious dogs chronically fitted with electrodes and strain gauges along the small bowel, lacidipine (12 micrograms/kg i.v. bolus or 10 micrograms/kg/h for 3 h) did not modify the migrating motor complex pattern or intestinal spike activity. In the rat, lacidipine proved less active (ED 50 greater than 100 mg/kg p.o.) than nitrendipine (ED 50 = 31 mg/kg p.o.) in inhibiting gastric emptying of a liquid meal, whereas the opposite was true after a solid meal (ED 50 = 10.9 and 35.0 mg/kg p.o., respectively). Lacidipine inhibited fecal pellet output at lower doses (ED 50 = 14.8 mg/kg p.o.) than nitrendipine (ED 50 = 40.1 mg/kg p.o.). On histamine-induced gastric acid secretion, the effect of 100 micrograms/kg i.v. lacidipine was moderate (maximum inhibition 45%). The gastrointestinal effects displayed by lacidipine appear at doses at least 5 and 50 times as high as those affecting blood pressure after intravenous and oral administration, respectively. Thus, lacidipine is unlikely to cause noteworthy unwanted effects on the gastrointestinal tract.