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Biomedical subjects

J M Cook

Publications and source records attributed to J M Cook.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Evaluation of two distinctive beta-carbolines on serotonin binding in human platelets.

6-MeOTHBC binds to both high and low affinity receptors in human platelets. The beta-carboline is less active than chlorimipramine at the low affinity site, and it is weaker than methysergide, a known 5-HT antagonist, at the high affinity site. The other beta-carboline, B-CCE, is not active at either receptor in platelets. The data supports the view that platelets could be used as a limited model for studying 5-HT-ergic neurons.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed1984

Cerebrovascular and cerebral metabolic effects of flurazepam and a benzodiazepine antagonist, 3-hydroxymethyl-beta-carboline.

There is a need in clinical practice for an antagonist which can reverse the sedative action of benzodiazepines. Recently, 3-hydroxymethyl-beta-carboline (3-HMC) has been reported to inhibit the sleep inducing effects of flurazepam. The effects of flurazepam (0.5, 5 and 50 mg/kg) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral O2 consumption (CMRO2) were evaluated in rats and the ability of 3-HMC to reverse these changes was determined. Regional CBF was measured with radioactive microspheres and cortical CMRO2 was calculated from sagittal sinus-arterial O2 content differences and cortical CBF. Flurazepam produced dose dependent decreases in CBF and CMRO2 which were significant at 5 and 50 mg/kg. 3-HMC (5 mg/kg) inhibited flurazepam induced changes at the 5 mg/kg dose but had little effect on the CBF and CMRO2 depression produced by 50 mg/kg flurazepam. At a dose of 25 mg/kg, 3-HMC inhibited the effects of both 5 and 50 mg/kg flurazepam. Blood pressure and heart rate were also decreased by flurazepam but these variables were not reversed as effectively by 3-HMC treatment. The results indicate that 3-HMC is an active antagonist of the cerebrovascular and cerebral metabolic depression produced by flurazepam and can stimulate CBF and CMRO2 at high doses when given alone.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

beta-Carboline-3-carboxylate-t-butyl ester: a selective BZ1 benzodiazepine receptor antagonist.

The effectiveness of beta-carboline-3-carboxylate-t-butyl ester (beta CCtB) in antagonizing the anticonvulsant, ataxic and antipunishment effects of diazepam were evaluated. In mice, beta CCtB at doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg produced a dose-related antagonism of the anticonvulsant effects of diazepam against pentylenetetrazole (80 mg/kg). A dose of 30 mg/kg of beta CCtB did not produce a further shift in the diazepam dose-effect curve, apparently because beta CCtB failed to block the muscle-relaxant effects of diazepam. Further, beta CCtB (30 mg/kg) failed to antagonize the ataxic effects of diazepam in an inverted screen test. Rats responded under a multiple schedule where in one component every twentieth response (FR20) resulted in water presentation (unpunished component) and in another component every twentieth response (FR20) resulted in both shock and water presentation (punished component). Diazepam p.o. (0.1 to 10 mg/kg) first increased and then decreased rates in the punished component but only decreased rates in the unpunished component. beta CCtB had no effect on response rates when administered alone, but antagonized the rate-increasing effects of diazepam in the punished component. beta CCtB did not alter the rate-decreasing effects of diazepam in either component. Thus, beta CCtB selectively antagonized the effects of diazepam on punished behavior as well as the anticonvulsant effects of diazepam, but beta CCtB failed to antagonize the rate-decreasing and ataxic effects of diazepam. These results are consistent with the interpretation that beta CCtB is a selective BZ1 benzodiazepine receptor antagonist.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Biomimetic approach to potential benzodiazepine receptor agonists and antagonists.

Several beta-carbolines, isoquinolines, imidazopyridines , and canthin -6-ones prepared in biomimetic fashion were tested for their ability to bind to the benzodiazepine receptor. Methyl isoquinoline-3-carboxylate, methyl 6,7- dimethoxyisoquinoline -3-carboxylate (3b) 1-phenyl-3- carbomethoxyimidazopyridine , (6B,) and canthin -6- one ( 13a ) bound with moderate affinities, while 2- carbomethoxycanthin -6- one ( 13b ) bound to benzodiazepine receptors with an affinity comparable to several pharmacologically active benzodiazepines. The potency of 13b suggests that the benzodiazepine receptor(s) can tolerate substitution at positions 1 and 9 of a beta-carboline without loss of activity if the substituents are trigonal and maintain a planar topography. Moreover, displacement of the carbonyl group by two atoms from the aromatic ring (C) of the beta-carboline skeleton caused a marked decrease in binding to the benzodiazepine receptor. This observation supports the hypothesis that maximum binding affinity of beta-carbolines is achieved when the carbonyl group at position 3 is attached directly to the aromatic pyridine ring.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Structural features of the quinidine and quinine molecules necessary for binding of drug-induced antibodies to human platelets.

Although most quinidine- and quinine-induced platelet antibodies react only in the presence of the drug that provoked sensitization, some are active with either quinidine or its stereoisomer, quinine; that is, they are "cross-reactive." This suggests that the activity of drug-dependent antibodies is dependent on different structural features of the quinidine or quinine molecules. To investigate this possibility, we studied reactions of 16 quinidine- and quinine-induced antibodies with quinidine, quinine, and analogues of these drugs modified at the quinoline ring (desmethoxy-derivative), the quinuclidine ring (dihydro-derivative), or the asymmetric C(9)-hydroxyl position. It was found that the antibodies could be classified into three groups on the basis of their reactions with platelets in the presence of these compounds. Eight antibodies (group 1) reacted only in the presence of the sensitizing drug or its dihydro- or desmethoxy-derivative. Three antibodies (group 2) differed from those in group 1 only in that their reactions were markedly weakened when the primary desmethoxy-derivative was used. Five antibodies (group 3) reacted in the presence of the sensitizing drug, its stereoisomer, and one or more of the analogues tested, including at least one of the C(9)-derivatives. Antibodies in this group gave stronger reactions with the sensitizing drug than with its stereoisomer. These results provide further evidence for heterogeneity among drug-induced platelet antibodies by demonstrating that noncross-reactive antibodies (groups 1 and 2) are dependent for their activity on a specific configuration at the optically active C(9)-hydroxyl position, and that some of these (group 2) also require the methoxy group for full reactivity. In contrast, cross-reactive antibodies (group 3) appear to be dependent on the quinoline ring common to all the analogues tested but also require a specific configuration at C(9) for full reactivity.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

A benzodiazepine receptor antagonist decreases sleep and reverses the hypnotic actions of flurazepam.

The benzodiazepine receptor antagonist 3-hydroxymethyl-beta-carboline, which blocks several of the pharmacological actions of benzodiazepines, induces a dose-dependent increase in sleep latency in the rat. Furthermore, at a low dose that by itself does not affect sleep, 3-hydroxymethyl-beta-carboline blocks sleep induction by a large dose of flurazepam. The benzodiazepine receptor may play a role in both the physiological regulation and pharmacological induction of sleep.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Benzodiazepine receptor-mediated experimental "anxiety" in primates.

The ethyl ester of beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid has a high affinity for benzodiazepine receptors in the brain. In the rhesus monkey this substance produces an acute behavioral syndrome characterized by dramatic elevations in heart rate, blood pressure, plasma cortisol, and catecholamines. The effects are blocked by benzodiazepines and the specific benzodiazepine receptor antagonist Ro 15-1788. The benzodiazepine receptor may consist of several subsites or functional domains that independently recognize agonist, antagonists, or "active" antagonists such as beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester. These results suggest that the benzodiazepine receptor is involved in both the affective and physiological manifestations of anxiety, and that the administration of beta-carboxylic acid ethyl ester to monkeys may provide a reliable and reproducible animal model of human anxiety.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Beta-carbolines: synthesis and neurochemical and pharmacological actions on brain benzodiazepine receptors.

We have prepared a series of tetrahydro-beta-carbolines (TH beta C), beta-carbolines (beta-C), and other nitrogen heterocycles and evaluated them in vitro with respect to their ability to bind to benzodiazepine receptors. The fully aromatic beta-C's were more potent than their corresponding TH beta C derivatives. When substituents possessing a carbonyl (CO2Me, COCH3, CHO) were introduced at the beta-C 3-position the in vitro potency was augmented. Alcohol substituents (CH2OH, CHOHCH3) demonstrated decreased in vitro potency. The importance of the carbonyl moiety was further demonstrated when beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid was shown to bind tighter to benzodiazepine receptors at lower pH. A lower pH increases the concentration of the acid and decreases the concentration of the anion. 3-(Hydroxymethyl)-beta-carboline (24), 3-formyl-beta-carboline (25) and 3-acetyl-beta-carboline (27) were benzodiazepine antagonists in vivo. Methyl isoquinoline-3-carboxylate (31a) also had in vitro activity. The same structure-activity relationships seen in beta-C's were also observed for isoquinolines.

Animals↗