In morphine-treated (3.2 mg/kg/day) rhesus monkeys discriminating between s.c. injections of 0.01 mg/kg of naltrexone and saline while responding under a fixed-ratio schedule of stimulus-shock termination, the apparent affinity of antagonists for opioid receptors was estimated using two different methods: 1) substitution studies in which cumulative doses of drug were administered to monkeys that received morphine 3 hr before the session and 2) studies in which single doses of antagonists were administered before cumulative doses of agonists in monkeys that had received saline 3 hr before the session. The ED50 values from the substitution study were compared to apparent pA2 values determined when antagonists were administered before agonists. Apparent affinities (pA2) for antagonists, estimated by their capacity to prevent the effects of the opioid agonist alfentanil, were: naltrexone = 8.69, naloxone = 7.78, quadazocine = 7.55, nalorphine = 7.31 and naltrindole = 5.29. The pA2 values were highly correlated (r = 0.94) with ED50 values determined in substitution studies. These results demonstrate that substitution by opioid antagonists for the naltrexone discriminative stimulus in morphine-treated monkeys provides a good estimate of affinity for opioid mu receptors as supported by independent pA2 analyses. These data also suggest affinity of opioid antagonists for opioid mu receptors is not changed in monkeys treated daily with 3.2 mg/kg of morphine and, furthermore, support the notion that binding to opioid receptors is the mechanism, by which antagonists precipitate withdrawal in opioid-dependent monkeys.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Kinetic analysis of the opiate antagonist cyclofoxy in rat brain: simultaneous infusion of active and inactive enantiomers.

The opiate antagonist (-)-cyclofoxy [(-)-CF] and the receptor inert enantiomer (+)-CF were radiolabeled with 18F or 3H and administered to conscious Sprague-Dawley rats; an isotope effect was not observed. Constant i.v. infusion of both 18F-(-)-CF and 3H-(+)-CF in tracer amounts showed a marked difference in the tissue level of 18F-(-)-CF among various brain structures, whereas the values for 3H-(+)-CF were lower and much less variable. Co-infusion of unlabeled (-)-CF (1 mg/rat) did not change the tissue binding of 3H-(+)-CF in any brain structure, but reduced that of 18F-(-)-CF to the same level as 3H-(+)-CF. These results demonstrate an identical nonspecific tissue binding for (+)- and (-)-CF in vivo, and suggest that (+)-CF can be used to measure the "nonspecific" component of (-)-CF binding in brain. A nonlinear analysis of the 3H-(+)-CF data indicated the presence of both "instantaneous" and time-dependent components in nonspecific tissue binding and that nonspecific binding varied 1.5-fold in different brain structures. The combined 3H-(+)-CF and 18F-(-)-CF data were fitted to a four-compartment model, which includes parameters for capillary transport, "instantaneous" and time-dependent nonspecific tissue binding, as well as receptor association and dissociation. The receptor-association rate constant varied considerably in various structures of cerebrum (2.0-8.7 min-1), whereas receptor dissociation was estimated within a narrow range (0.12-0.17 min-1). The receptor binding potential (receptor association/dissociation) ranged between 12.7 and 56.2 and was in good agreement with previous estimates in vitro.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Tight binding dopamine reuptake inhibitors as cocaine antagonists. A strategy for drug development.

The experiments reported in this study tested the hypothesis that tight binding dopamine (DA) reuptake inhibitors might act as cocaine antagonists. Binding studies demonstrated that the high affinity dopamine reuptake inhibitor, 1-[2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl]-4-[3-phenylpropyl]piperazine (GBR12909) produced a wash-resistant inhibition of the DA transporter in rat striatal membranes as labeled by [3H]cocaine or [3H]1-[2-(diphenyl- methoxy)ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine [( 3H]GBR12935), indicative of tight binding. In vivo microdialysis experiments showed that administration of 25 mg/kg GBR12909 to rats produced a modest, but not statistically significant, increase in the extracellular levels of striatal DA, while this same dose of GBR12909 inhibited the ability of cocaine to elevate extracellular DA levels by 64%. These data suggest that tight binding DA reuptake blockers may provide a fruitful approach for developing a cocaine antagonist.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Dynorphin A-induced rat hindlimb paralysis and spinal cord injury are not altered by the kappa opioid antagonist nor-binaltorphimine.

The selective kappa opioid receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI) was used to distinguish a kappa opioid component in the mechanisms underlying the hindlimb paralysis, ischemia, and neuronal injury induced in the rat by the kappa opioid agonist dynorphin A. Spinal intrathecal (i.t.) injection of nor-BNI (20 nmol) either 15 min or immediately before i.t. injections of 5 or 20 nmol of dynorphin A failed to alter the dynorphin A-induced disruption of hindlimb motor function and nociceptive responsiveness. Nor-BNI also did not change the 3-fold increases in cerebrospinal fluid lactate concentrations produced by 20 nmol of dynorphin A. Neuroanatomical evaluations revealed that the cell loss, fiber degeneration, and central gray necrosis in lumbosacral spinal cords of rats treated with 20 nmol of dynorphin A were not altered by nor-BNI (20 nmol, i.t.). Thus, the spinal cord injury and associated neurological deficits resulting from i.t. injection of dynorphin A appear to be primarily, if not totally, attributable to its non-kappa opioid action(s).

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Pharmacological activities of optically pure enantiomers of the kappa opioid agonist, U50,488, and its cis diastereomer: evidence for three kappa receptor subtypes.

De Costa et al. (FEBS Lett. 223, 335; 1987) recently described the synthesis of optically pure enantiomers of (+/-)-trans-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-[2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl] benzeneacetamide (U50,488). In the present study we examined the in vitro opioid receptor selectivity of (-)-(1S,2S)-U50,488, (+)-(1R,2R)-U50,488 and (+/-)-cis-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-[2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl] benzeneacetamide (the cis diasteromers of U50,488), as well as their pharmacological activities in rhesus monkeys. Using [3H]5 alpha,7 alpha,8 beta-(-)-N-methyl-N-[7-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-oxaspiro (4,5)dec-8-yl]-phenyl-benzeneacetamide ([3H]U69,593) to label kappa binding sites of guinea pig membranes, the apparent dissociation constants of the enantiomers of U50,488 were 0.89 and 299 nM, for the (S,S) and (R,R) enantiomers, respectively. The (-)-cis and (+)-cis diastereomers had apparent Kds of 167 and 2715 nM, respectively. Binding surface analysis of the interaction of (-)-(1S,2S)-U50,488 with kappa binding sites labeled by [3H]bremazocine resolved two binding sites at which (-)-(1S,2S)-U50,488 had Kds of 30 and 10,485 nM, respectively. The (+/-)-cis, (-)-cis and (+)-cis diastereomers of U50,488 (1 microM) did not inhibit [3H]bremazocine binding. Rhesus monkeys were trained to discriminate ethylketocyclazocine (EKC) and saline. All compounds tested substituted completely for EKC. The order of potency was (-)-(1S,2S)-U50,488 greater than (+/-)-U50,488 greater than (+/-)-cis diastereomer of U50,488 greater than (+)-(1R,2R)-U50,488.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cycloh↗

PubMed1989

Effects of metaphit on phencyclidine and serotonin2 receptors.

We have investigated whether metaphit, a derivative of phencyclidine (PCP) which irreversibly binds to a population of PCP receptor sites in rat brain, blocks PCP-induced head-twitch response which is produced through serotonin2 (5-HT2) receptors, and also whether metaphit decreases the capacity of 5-HT2 receptors. Metaphit (1 mumol/rat) had decreased the intensity of PCP-induced head-twitch response and had depleted both PCP and 5-HT2 receptors by 24 h after administration, but it failed to block 5-HT agonist 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine-induced 5-HT1A receptor-dependent behaviors. These results reconfirmed our hypothesis that PCP and 5-HT2 receptors may have very similar binding sites.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Synthesis and evaluation of optically pure [3H]-(+)-pentazocine, a highly potent and selective radioligand for sigma receptors.

Tritium-labeled (+)-pentazocine ([3H]-1b) of specific activity 26.6 Ci/mmol was synthesized in 3 steps starting with (+)-normetazocine (2) of defined optical purity. [3H]-1b has been characterized as a highly selective ligand for labeling of sigma receptors. Competition data revealed that [3H]-1b could be displaced from guinea pig brain membrane preparations with a number of commonly used sigma receptor ligands. [3H]-1b exhibited saturable, enantioselective binding with a Kd of 5.13 +/- 0.97 nM and a Bmax of 1146 +/- 122 fmol/mg protein. Phencyclidine (PCP) displaced [3H]-1b with low affinity while MK-801 was inactive, thus indicating insignificant activity at the PCP-binding site; apomorphine failed to displace [3H]-1b indicating lack of dopamine receptor cross-reactivity. Since the affinity of [3H]-1b is about 6 times that of the two commonly employed sigma ligands ((+)-3-[3H]PPP and [3H]DTG) and since it is more selective for sigma receptors than the benzomorphan [3H]SKF-10,047, it represents the first example of a highly selective benzomorphan based sigma receptor ligand. [3H]-1b should prove useful for further study of the structure and function of sigma receptors.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Metaphit, an isothiocyanate analog of PCP, induces audiogenic seizures in mice.

Metaphit induces audiogenic seizures in mice. The most severe clonic/tonic seizures occur 18-24 h after metaphit administration. After 48 h the incidence of the seizure episodes begin to diminish. These audiogenic seizures can be prevented by the administration of either PCP or MK-801 24 h after metaphit and 30 min prior to audio stimulation. These seizures may be due to a modulation of the PCP recognition site by metaphit which results in an enhanced probability that the NMDA/PCP ion channels are open.

Acoustic Stimulation↗