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Biomedical subjects

M Cornfeldt

Publications and source records attributed to M Cornfeldt.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of N-propyl-N-(4-pyridinyl)-1H-indol-1-amine (besipirdine) and related analogs as potential therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease.

A series of novel N-(4-pyridinyl)-1H-indol-1-amines and other heteroaryl analogs was synthesized and evaluated in tests to determine potential utility for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. From these compounds, N-propyl-N-(4-pyridinyl)-1H-indol-1-amine (besipirdine, 4c) was selected for clinical development based on in-depth biological evaluation. In addition to cholinomimetic properties based initially on in vitro inhibition of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding, in vivo reversal of scopolamine-induced behavioral deficits, and subsequently on other results, 4c also displayed enhancement of adrenergic mechanisms as evidenced in vitro by inhibition of [3H] clonidine binding and synaptosomal biogenic amine uptake, and in vivo by reversal of tetrabenazine-induced ptosis. The synthesis, structure-activity relationships for this series, and the biological profile of 4c are reported.

Alzheimer Disease

Substituted (pyrroloamino)pyridines: potential agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

A novel series of substituted (pyrroloamino)pyridines was synthesized, and the compounds were evaluated for cholinomimetic-like properties in vitro (inhibition of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding) and in vivo (reversal of scopolamine-induced dementia) as potential agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Compounds displaying significant activity were more broadly evaluated, which revealed the presence of a desirable adrenergic component of activity. The synthesis and structure-activity relationships for this series is presented, along with the biological profiles of selected compounds.

Alzheimer Disease

The pharmacological profile of iloperidone, a novel atypical antipsychotic agent.

Iloperidone (1-[4-[3-[4-(6-fluoro-1,2-benzisoxazol-3-yl)-1- piperidinyl]propoxy]-3-methoxyphenyl]ethanone) demonstrated a potent antipsychotic profile in several in vitro and in vivo animal models. Iloperidone displaced ligand binding at D2 dopamine receptors (IC50 = 0.11 microM) and displayed a high affinity for serotonin (5-HT2) receptors (IC50 = 0.011 microM) and alpha-1 receptors (IC50 = 0.00037 microM). In vivo, iloperidone antagonized apomorphine-induced climbing behavior in mice at low doses with good oral bioavailability, prevented 5-HT-induced head twitch in rats at low doses, and inhibited self-stimulation behavior in rats, pole climb avoidance in rats and continuous Sidman avoidance responding in monkeys. The latter assay also demonstrated a good duration of action. Iloperidone was substantially less active in models of extrapyramidal side effect (EPS) liability, such as preventing apomorphine-induced stereotypy and causing catalepsy in rats. In single dopamine neuron sampling studies, iloperidone demonstrated clozapine-like effects on the number of active midbrain dopamine neurons. Based on the significant increase in the open arm time seen after iloperidone treatment in the elevated plus maze assay and increased interaction score in social interaction, iloperidone may also have favorable effects in the clinic on anxiety and, possibly, negative symptoms. Clinical trials are under way of the use of iloperidone for the treatment of schizophrenia.

Animals

Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors decrease schedule-induced polydipsia in rats: a potential model for obsessive compulsive disorder.

Schedule-induced polydipsia was used to determine the effects of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors on adjunctive water consumption. Polydipsia was induced in food deprived rats by exposure to a fixed time feeding schedule (FT = 60 s) for 150 min per day for 22 days. Selected polydipsic rats consumed 3-4 times greater volume of water compared to food deprived control rats. Chronic administration of the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors fluoxetine and clomipramine (CMI) at 5 mg/kg per day and fluvoxamine at 10 mg/kg twice a day significantly decreased schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) on day 15 and throughout the remainder of the study compared to control rats. The noradrenergic re-uptake inhibitor, desipramine (DMI), only decreased SIP behavior on day 1. The neuroleptic, haloperidol (0.03 and 0.1 mg/kg), and the benzodiazepine, diazepam (2.5 mg/kg), failed to alter SIP behavior. Since obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and polydipsic behavior both involve excessive expression of a normal behavior, the polydipsia model may be relevant for the prediction of compounds useful in the treatment of OCD.

Animals

Cardiorespiratory effects of the novel opioid analgesic HP 736 in the anesthetized dog and conscious goat.

7-Bromo-(3a,5-cis)-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydro-1,3a,8-trimethyl-pyrrolo[2,3- 6]indol-5-ol fumarate (HP 736) is a novel opioid analgesic. In vitro, HP 736 displaces [3H]dihydromorphine (IC50 = 8.3 x 10(-10) M) and [3H]bremazocine (IC50 = 7.4 x 10(-8) M) from mu and kappa opioid receptors, respectively, and displays modest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 4.0 x 10(-5) M). The in vivo antinociceptive activity of HP 736 was found to be comparable to morphine in the modified Haffner's tail clip assay in mice and the D'Amour-Smith tail flick assay in rats. Moreover, these analgesic effects were found to be completely antagonized by the administration of the narcotic antagonist naloxone. A major liability of opioid analgesics such as morphine is the potential to cause cardiorespiratory depression. HP 736 (2, 4 and 10 mg/kg, i.v.) was found to cause significantly less respiratory depression in the anesthetized dog when compared to equivalent doses of morphine. At 10 mg/kg, morphine caused a 48% reduction in arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2) (-42.3 +/- 2.5 mm Hg) and a 52% increase in arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO2) (21.0 +/- 3.4 mm Hg). In contrast, the same dose of HP 736 produced no significant decrease in PaO2, but did cause a slight 19% increase in PaCO2 (8.2 +/- 1.3 mm Hg), which was significantly less than the response seen after morphine treatment. It was found that pretreatment of the dogs with atropine sulfate (1 mg/kg, i.v.) "unmasked" the respiratory depressant activity of HP 736 (2 mg/kg, i.v.), indicating that the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of the compound may contribute to its reduced cardiorespiratory liability. Finally, in confirmatory experiments conducted in conscious goats, HP 736 (0.5 mg/kg, i.v.) was found to stimulate pulmonary ventilation, increase PaO2 and oxygen consumption (+40%) and decrease PaCO2 with an overall stimulatory effect on the metabolic rate. In contrast, the same dose of morphine decreased metabolic rate, reduced pulmonary ventilation (-20%) and PaO2 and increased PaCO2. Overall, the results of these studies indicate that HP 736 is a potent opioid analgesic which appears to lack significant cardiorespiratory depressant activity.

Analgesics, Opioid

GABAmimetic agents display anxiolytic-like effects in the social interaction and elevated plus maze procedures.

Benzodiazepine (BZD) anxiolytics, through their activation of the BZD-GABA receptor complex, display robust anxiolytic-like effects following systemic administration in both conditioned and non-conditioned behavioral procedures. The present results show that the GABAA agonists muscimol (0.5-1.0 mg/kg), THIP (2.5-10.0 mg/kg), and isoguvacine (25.0 mg/kg) as well as the GABA transaminase (GABA-T) inhibitor AOAA (aminooxyacetic acid; 5.0-20.0 mg/kg) following intraperitoneal administration exert anxiolytic-like activity of similar magnitude to that of diazepam in two non-conditioned procedures, namely the social interaction and the elevated plus maze tests. We have also extended our original findings that the anti-epileptic drug sodium valproate exerts an anxiolytic-like effect in the Geller conflict paradigm, to show this agent's robust activity in the social interaction and elevated plus maze tests following systemic administration (100-400 mg/kg). These results show that GABAergic agents that facilitate GABA transmission are effective following systemic administration in non-conditioned anxiety procedures and may indicate potential therapeutic efficacy in certain anxiety states.

Aminooxyacetic Acid

Mu-opioid component of the ethylketocyclazocine (EKC) discriminative stimulus in the rat.

The opioid receptor selectivity of the EKC discriminative stimulus was characterized in Fischer rats trained to discriminate 0.3 mg/kg EKC (SC) from saline in a two-choice discrete-trial avoidance paradigm. The putative kappa-opioid receptor agonists EKC and U50,488H completely generalized with the EKC cue at doses of 0.3 and 10 mg/kg, respectively. The putative mu-opioid receptor agonists morphine (M) and fentanyl also dose-dependently generalized with the EKC stimulus. The generalization of M with EKC was not symmetrical, EKC and U50,488H produced little or no M-appropriate responding in rats trained to discriminate 3.0 mg/kg M (SC) from saline. This generalization pattern may reflect a lack of opioid receptor selectivity of the EKC stimulus. However, distinct mu-opioid and kappa-opioid components of the EKC cue could be identified using graded doses of naloxone in EKC-trained rats. The discriminative effects of morphine and fentanyl were blocked completely by doses of 0.1-1.0 mg/kg naloxone, whereas doses of naloxone 3-10 times greater were necessary to block the discriminative effects of EKC and U50,488H. These results suggest that EKC produces a complex discriminative stimulus with mu-opioid and kappa-opioid components that can be separated using antagonists such as naloxone.

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

Characterization of the discriminative stimulus effects of physostigmine in the rat.

Rats were trained to discriminate physostigmine (0.1 mg/kg s.c.) from saline in a two-choice, discrete-trial avoidance paradigm. Stimulus generalization curves for physostigmine were steep; complete generalization with physostigmine occurred only at the 0.1 mg/kg training dose. The muscarinic cholinergic agonists oxotremorine, pilocarpine and arecoline were evaluated for physostigmine-like discriminative effects. Oxotremorine generalized with physostigmine at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg in four of six rats tested; partial generalization was engendered by this dose in the remaining two animals. Complete generalization with physostigmine was produced in only one of six rats treated with pilocarpine. However, pilocarpine (3.0-10 mg/kg) did engender some physostigmine-appropriate responding in all rats tested. Arecoline (1.0 mg/kg) produced primarily saline-appropriate responding in all animals tested. Neostigmine, eseroline and nicotine were tested for physostigmine-like discriminative effects in order to assess the specificity of the physostigmine cue. Eseroline (1.0 mg/kg), an opioid-like derivative of physostigmine, and neostigmine (0.1 mg/kg) engendered saline-appropriate responding. Similarly, nicotine failed to generalize with physostigmine at doses up to 1.0 mg/kg. The discriminative stimulus effects of physostigmine were sensitive to antagonism by atropine. Complete blockade of the stimulus effects of the training dose of physostigmine was produced by 1.0 to 3.0 mg/kg of atropine. In contrast, a 10-fold higher dose of the quaternary antagonist homatropine methylbromide was necessary to block the discriminative effects of physostigmine. The discriminative effects of physostigmine were not blocked or were only partially blocked by mecamylamine at doses up to 10 mg/kg. The results of these experiments suggest that the discriminative stimulus effects of physostigmine are selective and probably centrally mediated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals