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Anticonvulsant properties of N-salicyloyltryptamine in mice.

A new tryptamine analogue, N-salicyloyltryptamine (STP), a potential central nervous system (CNS) depressant, was tested in the pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) and maximal electroshock (MES) models of epilepsy in mice. When administered concurrently, STP (100 mg/kg ip) significantly reduced the number of animals that exhibited PTZ-induced seizures and eliminated the extensor reflex of maximal electric-induced seizures test in 50% of the experimental animals. In addition, it showed protection in the PTZ test by diminishing the death rate.

Animals↗

Effect of added proteinases and level of starter culture on the formation of biogenic amines in raw milk Manchego cheese.

The influence of two proteinases (Bacillus subtilis neutral proteinase and Micrococcus sp. cysteine proteinase) and two starter culture levels (0.1% and 1%) on biogenic amine formation has been studied in raw ewes' milk Manchego cheese. Amino acid decarboxylating micro-organisms were determined on tyrosine enriched selective media. Biogenic amines were analysed by capillary electrophoresis in citrate buffer at pH 3.6. Addition of proteinases and level of starter culture did not influence the population of micro-organisms with amino acid decarboxylating activity, which represented on average 1% of the bacterial population in 30-day-old cheeses. Tyramine and histamine were detected in all batches of cheese from day 30. Concentrations of tyramine and histamine were higher in cheeses made from milk with neutral proteinase (up to 356 and 284 mg kg(-1), respectively, after 90 days) than in cheeses made from milk with cysteine proteinase (up to 269 and 189 mg kg(-1), respectively) or with no proteinase added (up to 305 and 226 mg kg(-1), respectively). Formation of tyramine and histamine was also favoured in cheeses made with 1% starter culture with respect to cheeses made with only 0.1% starter culture, probably due to the higher pH values of the former cheeses. After 90 days of ripening, concentrations of 10-20 mg kg(-1) phenylethylamine were observed in 9 of the 12 batches, and levels < 10 mg kg(-1) tryptamine were only detected in 3 batches, with no significant relationship between the concentration of these amines and proteinase addition or level of starter culture.

Animals↗

Rapid and simple measurement of serotonin N-acetyltransferase activity by liquid biphasic diffusion assay.

We report here a rapid, simple, and accurate method to assay for serotonin N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity. This assay relies on the selective diffusion of radiolabeled acetyltryptamine into a water-immiscible scintillation fluid. Unlike organic solvent extraction, thin-layer chromatography, or high performance liquid chromatography, the separation of acetyltryptamine from acetyl CoA and tryptamine is not required in the method. Moreover, the limit of sensitivity is less than 4 pmol of N-acetyltryptamine formed per sample. Enhancement of NAT activity upon beta-adrenergic receptor stimulation in the rat pineal gland was clearly detected with this method. In addition, the NAT activity measurements obtained with this method agreed quantitatively in the pineal gland and other brain tissues with the conventional organic solvent extraction method. The results suggest that this liquid biphasic diffusion assay is applicable to the detection of NAT activity in tissues and cells.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗

Arylethylamine psychotropic recreational drugs: a chemical perspective.

The arylethylamines substituted in the aryl ring, side-chain carbons and on the terminal amine, comprise a large number of human mood and behaviour altering chemicals. Some of these psychotropic drugs have been used since pre-history, but in many states are proscribed and are consequently subject to clandestine synthesis and illegal traffic world-wide in the forms particularly of amphetamines and to a lesser extent tryptamines. The chemistry employed in the synthesis of these compounds is dictated often by the available precursors and relies usually on relatively simple, unsophisticated conversion reactions to a suitable product. The internet web sites and documentation of the recreational drug culture have been studied alongside the professional scientific and regulatory literature. The review demonstrates the great complexity of the chemistry and neuro-pharmacology of these chemicals and the challenge faced by legislative bodies to control their traffic and use for the sake of social welfare.

Amphetamines↗

High-performance liquid chromatography of sialooligosaccharides and gangliosides.

Glycans were cleaved from gangliosides and separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The columns were packed with bonded stationary phases made of microparticulate, macroporous silica with serotonin, phenylpropanolamine or tryptamine as the biogenic amine ligate. The ganglioside oligosaccharides were eluted in the order of increasing number of sialic acid residues in the molecule and their retention decreased with the ionic strength of the mobile phase. Best selectivity was obtained in the pH range from 3.0 to 4.0. The two major sialic acids, N-acetylneuraminic and N-glycolylneuraminic acids, were separated by lectin affinity chromatography using an HPLC column packed with silica-bound wheat germ agglutinin and 10 mM phosphate buffer, pH 4.0, as the eluent. Throughout this study, isocratic elution was used and the column effluent was monitored at 195 nm.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Orally bioavailable, indole-based nonpeptide GnRH receptor antagonists with high potency and functional activity.

Stereospecific introduction of a methyl group to the indole-3-side chain enhanced activity in our tryptamine-derived series of GnRH receptor antagonists. Further improvements were achieved by variation of the bicyclic amino moiety of the tertiary amide and by adjustment of the tether length to a pyridine or pyridone terminus. These modifications culminated in analogue 24, which had oral activity in a rat model and acceptable oral bioavailability and half-life in dogs and monkeys.

Administration, Oral↗

Evaluation of isotryptamine derivatives at 5-HT(2) serotonin receptors.

On the basis that meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP; 1) is a nonselective 5-HT(2C) agonist, that benz-fused tryptamines (e.g., 5) display enhanced 5-HT(2) affinity, and that certain isotryptamines 3 reportedly bind with enhanced affinity and selectivity at 5-HT(2C) receptors, we prepared and examined a series of isotryptamine-related analogues as potentially selective 5-HT(2C) agonists. None of the compounds displayed selectivity for 5-HT(2C) versus 5-HT(2A) receptors. Detailed re-examination of a compound previously reported to display 100-fold 5-HT(2C) selectivity [i.e., S(+)-5,6-difluoro-alpha-methylisotryptamine] revealed that its selectivity versus 5-HT(2A) receptors was, at best, only 10-fold.

Drug Evaluation, Preclinical↗

N1-benzenesulfonylgramine and N1-benzenesulfonylskatole: novel 5-HT6 receptor ligand templates.

1-Benzenesulfonyl-5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (3; K(i)=2.3 nM) is a 5-HT(6) receptor antagonist; removal of the 5-methoxy group (i.e., 6; K(i)=4.1 nM) has little impact on receptor affinity. In the present study, it is shown that the aminomethyl portion of 6 can be shortened to gramine analogue 10a (K(i)=3.1 nM); a related skatole derivative 11b (K(i)=12 nM) also binds with high affinity indicating that the aminoethyl portion of the tryptamines is not required for binding. Compounds 10a and 11b represent members of novel classes of 5-HT(6) antagonists.

Benzene Derivatives↗

Structure-activity studies leading to (-)1-(benzofuran-2-yl)-2-propylaminopentane, ((-)BPAP), a highly potent, selective enhancer of the impulse propagation mediated release of catecholamines and serotonin in the brain.

The catecholaminergic and serotoninergic neurons in the brain change their performance according to the physiological need via a catecholaminergic/serotoninergic activity enhancer (CAE/SAE) mechanism. Phenylethylamine (PEA), tyramine and tryptamine are the presently known endogenous CAE/SAE substances which enhance the impulse propagation mediated release of catecholamines and serotonin in the brain. A PEA derivative, (-)deprenyl (selegiline), known as a selective inhibitor of MAO-B, is for the time being the only CAE/SAE substance in clinical use. Aiming to develop a selective CAE/SAE substance much more potent than (-)deprenyl, a series of new 1-aryl-2-alkylaminoalkanes, structurally unrelated to PEA and the amphetamines, was designed and prepared. Among them, (-)1-(benzofuran-2-yl)-2-propylaminopentane ((-)BPAP) was selected as a promising candidate substance for further studies. (-)BPAP significantly enhanced in rats the impulse propagation mediated release of catecholamines and serotonin in the brain 30min after acute injection of 0.36nmol/kg sc. In the shuttle box, (-)BPAP was in rats about 130 times more potent than (-)deprenyl in antagonizing tetrabenazine induced inhibition of performance. (+/-)BPAP protected cultured hippocampal neurons from the neurotoxic effect of beta-amyloid in 10(-14)-10(-15)M concentration.

Amphetamines↗

Vomilenine reductase--a novel enzyme catalyzing a crucial step in the biosynthesis of the therapeutically applied antiarrhythmic alkaloid ajmaline.

Delineation of the biochemical pathway leading to the antiarrhythmic Rauvolfia alkaloid ajmaline has been an important target in biosynthetic research for many years. The biosynthetic sequence starting with tryptamine and the monoterpene secologanin consists of about 10 different steps. Most of the participating enzymes have been detected and characterized previously, except those catalyzing the reduction of the intermediate vomilenine. A novel NADPH-dependent enzyme that reduces the intermediate has been isolated from Rauvolfia serpentina cell suspension cultures. Vomilenine reductase (M(r )43 kDa, temp opt 30 degrees C, pH opt 5.7-6.2), saturates the indolenine double bond of vomilenine with stereospecific formation of 2beta(R)-1,2-dihydrovomilenine. The described detection, enrichment and properties of the reductase not only closes a gap in ajmaline biosynthesis but is also a prerequisite for overexpressing the protein heterologously for final clarification of its molecular properties.

Ajmaline↗

Trace amines and mental disorders.

In this brief review it will be possible to mention only superficially the bioclinical, behavioral, neurochemical, neuropharmacological and neurophysiological evidence to support the view that some of the trace amines [meta- and paratyramine (m-TA, p-TA), beta-phenylethylamine (PE) and tryptamine (T)] may play a significant role in the propagation of nervous impulses and perhaps be involved in the etiology of certain mental disorders. More detailed comments will be found in some recent papers and reviews (Axelrod et al., 1976; Boulton, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979; Boulton and Baker, 1975; Boulton and Juorio, 1979, Faurbye, 1968; Mosnaim and Wolfe, 1978, Sandler and Reynolds, 1976; Wyatt et al., 1977).

Basal Ganglia↗

Tryptophan metabolism in the central nervous system: medical implications.

The metabolism of the amino acid L-tryptophan is a highly regulated physiological process leading to the generation of several neuroactive compounds within the central nervous system. These include the aminergic neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), products of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism (including 3-hydroxykynurenine, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid), the neurohormone melatonin, several neuroactive kynuramine metabolites of melatonin, and the trace amine tryptamine. The integral role of central serotonergic systems in the modulation of physiology and behaviour has been well documented since the first description of serotonergic neurons in the brain some 40 years ago. However, while the significance of the peripheral kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism has also been recognised for several decades, it has only recently been appreciated that the synthesis of kynurenines within the central nervous system has important consequences for physiology and behaviour. Altered kynurenine metabolism has been implicated in the pathophysiology of conditions such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related dementia, Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease. In this review we discuss the molecular mechanisms involved in regulating the metabolism of tryptophan and consider the medical implications associated with dysregulation of both serotonergic and kynurenine pathways of tryptophan metabolism.

Animals↗

Characterization of open tubular capillary electrochromatography columns for the analysis of synthetic peptides using isocratic conditions.

In this paper, we report on investigations related to the performance characteristics of two different types of etched chemically (n-octadecyl- and cholesterol-) modified capillaries in the open tubular format of capillary electrochromatography (CEC) for the analysis of synthetic peptides. The results confirm that the nature of the surface chemistry used to modify the capillary wall and type of chemically bonded group employed can affect the selectivity as well as the resolution of peptide samples. The results are consistent with the participation of selective peptide interactions with the bonded phase, although other factors, such as the morphology of the capillary wall surfaces, appear to be also involved. Moreover, several surprising observations related to peptide-specific multi-zoning effects have been observed. Additional experimental variables that can also be utilized to affect the retention of peptides in this approach to OTCEC include the type and percentage of organic solvent modifier employed in the eluent and the pH of the buffer system. To evaluate the reproducibility of different batches of the n-octadecyl- and cholesterol-modified capillaries and the stability of the chemically modified surface, the OTCEC selectivity and peak shape behavior of two small basic molecules (serotonin and tryptamine) and two proteins (turkey and chicken lysozyme) were also investigated. Finally, the use of the "bubble" cell technology for creating the detector window has been shown to provide significantly higher detection sensitivity with peptides, as compared with the conventional capillary format.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Potentiometric immunosensor using artificial antibody based on molecularly imprinted polymers.

A potentiometric artificial immunosensor based on a molecularly imprinted polymer was prepared as a detecting element in micro total analysis systems with the intent of providing easy clinical analysis. As the structure and transducing mechanism of this sensor are very simple, construction of a single microsensor should be quite easy. Multimicrosensor arrays applicable to several kinds of analytes will be attainable by both changing the template molecule to be imprinted and reducing the sensor size. The response characteristics of this sensor were evaluated by measuring the response potential to serotonin, which was used as a model material. The obtained sensor was highly responsive to serotonin in water but not to tryptamine, acetaminophen, or procainamide. This phenomenon confirms that the sensor recognizes serotonin and that it functions as a specific artificial immunosensor. Quick measurement is possible because the response time, defined as the time required to achieve 95% of the magnitude of the equilibrated signal, correspond to approximately 12 s. The sensor's determination and detection limits were found to be 1 mumol/L and 100 pmol/L, respectively. These results suggest that our strategy can be applied to construction of a potentiometric artificial immunosensor.

Acetaminophen↗

Analysis of street drugs in seized material without primary reference standards.

A novel approach was used to analyze street drugs in seized material without primary reference standards. Identification was performed by liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOFMS), essentially based on accurate mass determination using a target library of 735 exact monoisotopic masses. Quantification was carried out by liquid chromatography/chemiluminescence nitrogen detection (LC/CLND) with a single secondary standard (caffeine), utilizing the detector's equimolar response to nitrogen. Sample preparation comprised dilution, first with methanol and further with the LC mobile phase. Altogether 21 seized drug samples were analyzed blind by the present method, and results were compared to accredited reference methods utilizing identification by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and quantification by gas chromatography or liquid chromatography. The 31 drug findings by LC/TOFMS comprised 19 different drugs-of-abuse, byproducts, and adulterants, including amphetamine and tryptamine designer drugs, with one unresolved pair of compounds having an identical mass. By the reference methods, 27 findings could be confirmed, and among the four unconfirmed findings, only 1 apparent false positive was found. In the quantitative analysis of 11 amphetamine, heroin, and cocaine findings, mean relative difference between the results of LC/CLND and the reference methods was 11% (range 4.2-21%), without any observable bias. Mean relative standard deviation for three parallel LC/CLND results was 6%. Results suggest that the present combination of LC/TOFMS and LC/CLND offers a simple solution for the analysis of scheduled and designer drugs in seized material, independent of the availability of primary reference standards.

Amphetamines↗

Transient effects of overexpressing anthranilate synthase alpha and beta subunits in Catharanthus roseus hairy roots.

Catharanthus roseus produces two economically valuable anticancer drugs, vinblastine and vincristine. These drugs are members of the terpenoid indole alkaloids and accumulate in small quantities within the plant; thus these two drugs are expensive to produce. Metabolic engineering efforts have focused on increasing the alkaloids in this pathway through various means such as elicitation, precursor feeding, and gene overexpression. Recently we successfully expressed Arabidopsis genes encoding a feedback-insensitive anthranilate synthase alpha subunit under the control of the glucocorticoid-inducible promoter system and the anthranilate synthase beta subunit under the control of a constitutive promoter in C. roseus hairy roots. In this work we look at the transient behaviors of terpenoid indole alkaloids over a 72 h induction period in late exponential growth phase cultures. Upon induction, the tryptophan, tryptamine, and ajmalicine pools accumulated over 72 h. In contrast, the lochnericine, hörhammericine, and tabersonine pools decreased and leveled out over the 72 h induction period. Visible changes within the individual compounds usually took from 4 to 12 h.

Anthranilate Synthase↗

Indole rings in palladium(II) complexes. Dual mode of metal binding and aromatic ring stacking causing syn-anti isomerism.

In view of the interesting metal-binding properties of lichen substances and the indole ring as a potential ligand, we studied the Pd(II) complexes of indole-containing ligands, N-(indole-3-ethyl)-Delta(2,11)-enaminousnic acid (IEU) and 4-[2-(indol-3-yl)-ethylamino]pent-3-en-2-one (IEP) obtained by condensation of tryptamine with usnic acid and its model acetylacetone, respectively. Reactions of Pd(II) with IEU and IEP gave isomeric complexes resulting from coordination of the C3 atom of the indole ring in the 3H-indole form, Pd2(IEUH(-2))(2) (1 and 2) and Pd2(IEPH(-2))(2) (3 and 4) (IEUH(-2) and IEPH(-2) denote doubly deprotonated forms of IEU and IEP, respectively). Complexes 1-4 were determined, from the NMR and MS spectra, to have dimeric structures doubly bridged by the indole rings, which were stacked in different orientations. X-ray crystal structure analysis of 3 and 4 established that they are indole-bridged dimers of the [C,N,O]-donor palladacycles with the Pd(II) centers in a square-planar geometry formed by a CN(2)O donor set and are anti and syn isomers with respect to the bridging indole rings, respectively. On the basis of the spectral similarity with 4, 1 and 2 were concluded to be stereoisomers assuming the syn form with the same donor set. The results demonstrate the metal binding and stacking abilities of the indole ring and the stereoisomerism from the sp3 C3 atom formed upon coordination.

Crystallography, X-Ray↗