Katherine M.
Prevatt-Smith
a,
Kimberly M.
Lovell
a,
Denise S.
Simpson
a,
Victor W.
Day
b,
Justin T.
Douglas
c,
Peter
Bosch
e,
Christina M.
Dersch
d,
Richard B.
Rothman
d,
Bronwyn
Kivell
e and
Thomas E.
Prisinzano
*a
aDepartment of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, Malott 4070, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA. E-mail: prisinza@ku.edu; Fax: +1 785 864 5326; Tel: +1 785 864 3276
bSmall Molecule X-Ray Crystallography Lab, University of Kansas, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, Malott 6044, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
cNuclear Magnetic Resonance Laboratory, University of Kansas, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, Malott 3002, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
dClinical Psychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Triad Building, Suite 4400, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
eSchool of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
First published on 29th September 2011
Previous structure–activity relationship studies of salvinorin A have shown that modification of the acetate functionality off the C-2 position to a methoxy methyl or methoxy ethyl ether moiety leads to increased potency at KOP receptors. However, the reason for this increase remains unclear. Here we report our efforts towards the synthesis and evaluation of C-2 constrained analogs of salvinorin A. These analogs were evaluated at opioid receptors in radioligand binding experiments as well as in the GTP-γ-S functional assay. One compound, 5, was found to have affinity and potency at κ opioid (KOP) receptors comparable to salvinorin A. In further studies, 5 was found to attenuate cocaine-induced drug seeking behavior in rats comparably to salvinorin A. This finding represents the first example of a salvinorin A analog that has demonstrated anti-addictive capabilities.
Recently it has been reported that converting the acetate group at the C-2 position of salvinorin A to a methoxy- or COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundethoxy methyl ether produces ligands of greater affinity and potency at KOP receptors than salvinorin A.8,9 However, the structural basis that underlies these changes in affinity and potency is unknown. We hypothesize that the ether moieties at C-2 are relatively flexible and can adopt different conformations when interacting with KOP receptors; for example, an eclipsed or an extended conformation as shown in Fig. 1. Thus, we applied the concept of conformational constraint in order to design ligands in which the flexible portions are pre-organized in the hopes that such ligands would aid in the elucidation of the structural basis for the observed changes in affinity and potency. Here, we report our synthetic efforts towards this end, as well as the biological evaluation of C-2 constrained analogs of salvinorin A.
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Fig. 1 Eclipsed (upper) or extended (lower) conformations of the ethoxy methyl ether at C-2 compared to salvinorin A. |
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Scheme 1 Reagents and conditions: (a) Na2CO3, COMPOUND LINKS Read more about this on ChemSpider Download mol file of compoundMeOH; (b) appropriate COMPOUND LINKS Read more about this on ChemSpider Download mol file of compoundchloromethyl ether, DIPEA, CH2Cl2. |
Compounds 5, 6, and 7 were synthesized according to Scheme 2. A solution of 2 in CH2Cl2 was treated with COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compound3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran or COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compound2,3-dihydrofuran in the presence of a catalytic amount of pyridinium-p-toluene sulfonate (PPTS) to afford the previously reported COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundtetrahydropyran (5 and 6) and novel tetrahydrofuran (7) C-2 constrained derivatives.8 Under these conditions, diastereomers were formed and, in the case of tetrahydropyrans 5 and 6, were separated from each other through flash column chromatography, and characterized by NMR, and X-ray crystallography (Fig. 2 and 3). In the case of the diastereomers of 7, they were separated from each other through flash column chromatography and characterized by NMR.
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Fig. 2 1D 13C NMR spectrum with composite pulse 1H-decoupling (blue) and gated decoupling to show JC,H (black) for the anomeric carbon of 5 (A) and 6 (B). |
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Fig. 3 X-ray crystallographic structure of 5. |
NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography were used to assign the stereochemistry of the new stereocenter in compounds 5 and 6. In carbohydrate chemistry, anomeric 1JC,H values are useful for the assignment of configuration at that position since pyranoses with an axial proton have a 1JC,H value that is approximately 10 Hz lower than the corresponding value in compounds with an equatorial anomeric proton.11,12 Using this method, we determined that the anomeric 1JC,H values for compounds 5 and 6 are 168.55 Hz and 159.36 Hz, respectively, which are consistent with previous reports of substituted pyranoses. Given these data, we propose that 5 contains an equatorial, β-H (R) and 6 contains an axial, α-H (S) (Fig. 2).13 Compound 5, the less polar diastereomer, was crystallized and we determined its structure using X-ray crystallography, confirming the orientation of the hydrogen predicted by our NMR analysis (Fig. 3). In this structure, the tetrahydropyran moiety forms an α-glycosidic bond with the salvinorin A core in an axial position and the anomeric hydrogen in an equatorial, β position. Subsequently, compound 6 must be the other diastereomer.
Compounds 8 and 9 were synthesized according to Scheme 2. In the presence of a catalytic amount of PPTS, a suspension of 2 in COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundethyl vinyl ether was refluxed for 2 h, affording a diastereomeric mixture of previously reported ethers 8.8 These diastereomers were separated from each other by flash column chromatography, and the less polar diastereomer (8a) was isolated. The more polar diastereomer (8b) appeared to degrade during purification and could not be completely purified (purity = 81.938%) through trituration, flash column chromatography, or HPLC. The impurity was not determined, although there was no amount of 8a present as detectable by HPLC. Both 8a and 8b were characterized by NMR. In order to produce novel ether 9, COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundethyl vinyl ether was added to a solution of Br2 in CH2Cl2, followed by the addition of DIPEA and finally 2. These conditions afforded a mixture of diastereomers which were subsequently separated from each other by HPLC and characterized by NMR.
Compounds 10, 11, and 12 were synthesized according to Scheme 2. Following a literature procedure, a mixture of COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundacetic anhydride and COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundacetic acid was added to a mixture of 2 in COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundpyridine at 0 °C.14 The mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred for 30 min, affording formate 10. Known carbonate 119,15 was produced by treating a solution of 2 in CH2Cl2 with COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundethyl chloroformate in the presence of COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundDMAP and TEA at room temperature for 24 h. Following a literature procedure, carbamate 12 was produced by treating a mixture of 2 in COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundethyl isocyanate at 35 °C overnight.16
Finally, compound 14 was synthesized according to Scheme 3. This compound was inspired by a previously published analog (15) that incorporated the piperidylamide in place of the furan ring of 1, and demonstrated retained affinity for the KOP receptor.17 Through the synthesis and evaluation of compound 14, we sought to combine both the piperidyl amide and COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundmethoxy methyl ether features into one molecule that would have high KOP receptor affinity compared to 1. Following a procedure developed in our laboratory, the furan ring of 3 was oxidatively degraded to carboxylic acid 13 using catalytic RuCl3·3H2O in the presence of NaIO4.18 With 13 in hand, standard peptide coupling conditions (as employed before in our laboratory) were used to generate amide 14.17
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Scheme 3 (a) RuCl3·3H2O, NaIO4, COMPOUND LINKS Read more about this on ChemSpider Download mol file of compoundCCl4/CH3CN/COMPOUND LINKS Read more about this on ChemSpider Download mol file of compoundH2O; (b) COMPOUND LINKS Read more about this on ChemSpider Download mol file of compoundpiperidine, EDCI, COMPOUND LINKS Read more about this on ChemSpider Download mol file of compoundHOBt, TEA, CH2Cl2. |
Cmpd | K i ± SD nMa | ||
---|---|---|---|
[3H]DAMGO (μ) | [3H]DADLE (δ) | [3H]U69,593 (κ) | |
a Receptor binding was performed in CHO cells which express the human MOP, DOP, or KOP receptors. All results are N = 3. b Data from ref. 21. c ND indicates that Ki was found to be >10,000 nM in a range finding study. | |||
1 b | EC50 = 2860 ± 980, Emax = 75 ± 8% | >10,000 | 7.4 ± 0.7 |
3 | 390 ± 20 | 2,840 ± 180 | 1.9 ± 0.2 |
4 | 41 ± 3 | 1,017 ± 99 | 3.13 ± 0.40 |
5 | >10,000 | >10,000 | 6.21 ± 0.40 |
6 | >10,000 | >10,000 | 300 ± 23 |
7a | >10,000 | >10,000 | 75 ± 3 |
7b | >10,000 | >10,000 | 81 ± 6 |
8a | 777 ± 40 | >5,000 | 6.7 ± 0.32 |
8b | >5,800 | >5,000 | 1,233 ± 33 |
9a | >3,000 | >5,000 | 5,261 ± 680 |
9b | 3,523 ± 389 | >5,000 | 7,438 ± 764 |
10 c | ND | ND | 41 ± 1 |
11 c | ND | ND | 171 ± 7 |
12 c | 1,540 ± 140 | ND | ND |
14 | >3,000 | >3,000 | 59 ± 4 |
In similar fashion to the tetrahydropyran derivatives, ethers 8a and 8b are previously reported, but the diastereomers were not completely separated from each other before biological evaluation.8 The published data shows both diastereomers as having very similar binding affinities (Ki = 11 ± 1 nM and Ki = 6.6 ± 0.3 nM) and potencies (10 ± 1 nM and 5.7 ± 0.7 nM). We were able to separate the diastereomers and isolate the less polar one (8a). By HPLC, the more polar diastereomer (8b) appeared to degrade during purification and was not completely purified (purity = 81.938%), although it is important to note that there was no amount of 8a present. In our hands ethers 8a and 8b also reveal an eutomer (8a) and distomer (8b), indicating a preference for the configuration of the new stereocenter, and reflecting our observations of tetrahydropyrans 5 and 6. In our NMR characterization of 8a and 8b, we observed 1JC,H values at the new stereocenter that followed the accepted trend of pyranoses as previously described, although the difference was less pronounced (data not shown). Given this observation and the pattern in the radioligand binding data in which the less polar diastereomers 5 and 8a had the highest affinity, we propose that the configuration of the new stereocenter in 8a is very likely the same as that of 5. However, this needs to be confirmed through X-ray crystallography. The related brominated ethers 9a and 9b had poor binding affinities at the KOP receptor and show no preference for stereochemistry. One explanation for this observation is that the bromine atom was too bulky and/or too lipophilic such that it precluded receptor binding altogether.
Formate 10 produced radioligand binding affinity data that was well in agreement with published reports.14,22 However, in our hands compounds 11 and 12 behaved differently than previously reported. In two previously published radioligand binding studies, carbonate 11 showed no appreciable affinity at the KOP receptorvs.[3H]bremazocine15 or [3H]diprenorphine.9 Our data shows that carbonate 11 displaces [3H]U69,593 at the KOP receptor at Ki = 171 ± 7 nM. Additionally, carbamate 12 was reported to have a KOP receptor binding affinity (vs.[3H]diprenorphine) and potency of Ki = 462 ± 20 nM and EC50 = >1000 nM.16 We found that while carbamate 12 has no appreciable affinity at the other opioid receptors, it does displace [3H]DAMGO at the μ opioid (MOP) receptor at Ki = 1540 ± 140 nM. While this particular Ki is unimpressive, it does agree with previously published reports in which alkyl carbamates at the C-2 position of salvinorin A were found to lose KOP affinity and gain MOP affinity relative to the parent compound.
Compound 14 is reflective of a furan ring analog of 1 that was previously produced in our lab (Scheme 3). Amide 15 had binding affinity at KOP receptors of Ki = 140 ± 10 nM, and potency and efficacy of ED50 = 5110 ± 1800 nM, Emax = 85 ± 13.17 Our hypothesis was that through the combination of the amide in place of the furan ring (from 15), and the methoxy methyl ether in place of the C-2 acetate (from 3), we would be able to observe improved (or at least retained) binding affinity relative to the parent analogs. Through the addition of the methoxy methyl ether off the C-2 position, the KOP receptor binding affinity of 14 was improved over that of 15 by approximately 2-fold to Ki = 59 ± 4 nM. However, the binding affinity of 14 is roughly 31-fold worse compared to 3. Still, the improvement in receptor binding affinity from compound 14 over compound 15 is of similar magnitude (roughly 2–4 fold) to the improvement in receptor binding affinity from compound 3 over compound 1.
Compounds 3, 4, 5, 7, 8a, and 14 were also evaluated for functional activity at KOP receptors using a [35S]GTP-γ-S functional assay (Table 2).19,20 Compounds 3, 4, 5, and 8a were found to have potencies comparable to or better than 1 as agonists. Compounds 7a and 7b were observed to be approximately 30- and 17-fold less potent than 1 as agonists, respectively. Finally, compound 14 was 48-fold less potent as an agonist than 1, which is actually an approximately 2.5-fold improvement over the previously published COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundfuran analog 15 (approximately 125-fold less potent than 1 as an agonist).17 However, 14 was also roughly 322-fold less potent than 3 as an agonist. Thus, the incorporation of the methoxy methyl ether at C-2 improved the binding affinity and potency of compound 14 over parent compound 15 by approximately 2-fold and 2.5 fold, respectively. These improvements are of similar magnitude to the improvements in the binding affinity and potency (approximately 4-fold and 7-fold, respectively) of compound 3 over compound 1. However, the combination of furan substitution with C-2 acetate substitution in compound 14 ultimately greatly decreased the potency of the compound relative to ether 3 as well as compound 1.
Cmpd | ED50 ± SDa (κ) nM | Emax ± SDb (κ) |
---|---|---|
a ED50 = Effective dose for 50% maximal response. b Emax is % at which compound stimulates [35S]GTP-γ-S binding compared to (-)-U50,488 (500 nM) at KOP receptors. c Data from ref. 21. | ||
1 c | 40 ± 10 | 120 ± 2 |
3 | 6 ± 1 | 118 ± 2 |
4 | 0.65 ± 0.17 | 127 ± 5 |
5 | 60 ± 6 | 109 ± 3 |
7a | 1220 ± 230 | 112 ± 8 |
7b | 690 ± 80 | 103 ± 4 |
8a | 150 ± 14 | 101 ± 3 |
14 | 1934 ± 239 | 113 ± 5 |
Finally, among the compounds reported, compound 5 had KOP receptor binding affinity and potency comparable to 1. Compound 5 also lacks a hydrolyzable ester at C-2 and other analogs of 1 with this particular feature have been found to have a greater duration of action than 1.23 Therefore, compound 5 met our criteria for evaluation in vivo. Using methodology previously reported, compound 5 was evaluated for its effect on cocaine-induced drug-seeking in rats at doses of 0.3 mg kg−1 and 1 mg kg−1 (Fig. 4).24
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Fig. 4 The effect of 5 on cocaine-induced drug-seeking. In the first phase (COMPOUND LINKS Read more about this on ChemSpider Download mol file of compoundcocaine baseline), the active lever delivered an infusion of COMPOUND LINKS Read more about this on ChemSpider Download mol file of compoundcocaine. Recorded active lever responses consisted of access to COMPOUND LINKS Read more about this on ChemSpider Download mol file of compoundcocaine (0.5 mg kg−1/inf) for a period of 2 h in operant chambers. At the beginning of the second phase (extinction), COMPOUND LINKS Read more about this on ChemSpider Download mol file of compoundcocaine was replaced with sterile heparinized saline and responses were recorded for 2 h, until active lever responses were <20 for a 2 h daily session. At the beginning of the third phase, animals received an I.P. injection of vehicle (75% COMPOUND LINKS Read more about this on ChemSpider Download mol file of compoundDMSO, N = 7), 5 (0.3 mg kg−1, N = 3), 5 (1 mg kg−1, N = 6), or 1 (0.3 mg kg−1, N = 7) 5–10 min prior to a priming injection of COMPOUND LINKS Read more about this on ChemSpider Download mol file of compoundcocaine (20 mg kg−1). Responding in phase 3 was measured for 2 h (±SEM). |
Briefly, rats were trained on a fixed ratio 5 schedule of reinforcement for cocaine self-administration where a single cocaine infusion was received (0.5 mg kg−1/infusion, paired with a light cue) for every 5 correct active lever responses. The first phase involved daily 2 h sessions until responding showed <20% variation across three consecutive days (COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundcocaine baseline). In phase 2, COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundcocaine was replaced with heparinised saline and daily 2 h sessions continued in the same operant chambers until active lever responses were <20 for a session (typically 2–3 days). When the extinction criteria had been achieved, reinstatement of cocaine-induced cocaine-seeking was tested the following day. Animals received IP injections of vehicle (75% COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundDMSO), compound 5 (0.3 mg kg−1 or 1 mg mg−1), or compound 1 (0.3 mg kg−1) 5–10 min prior to a priming injection of COMPOUND LINKS
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Download mol file of compoundcocaine (IP, 20 mg kg−1). Immediately following the cocaine injection, animals were placed into the operant chamber and responding was recorded for a further 2 h. Results show a statistically significant reduction in responding between vehicle and the 1 mg kg−1 dose of 5. In fact, this dose appeared to attenuate responding comparably to 0.3 mg kg−1salvinorin A (1), our positive control, which we have previously shown to attenuate cocaine-primed reinstatement of drug seeking at a dose of 0.3 mg kg−1 or greater.24
Footnote |
† Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. CCDC reference numbers 837303. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c1md00192b |
This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011 |