The synthesis of bivalent 2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-8-heterobicyclo[3.2.1]octanes as probes for proximal binding sites on the dopamine and serotonin transporters

Bioorg Med Chem. 2008 Feb 15;16(4):1832-41. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2007.11.009. Epub 2007 Nov 6.

Abstract

3-Aryltropanes have been widely explored for potential medications for remediation of cocaine abuse. Research has focused predominantly on 8-azatropanes and it is now well recognized that these compounds can be designed to manifest varied selectivity and potency for inhibition of the dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine uptake systems. We had reported that the 8-nitrogen atom present in the 3-aryltropanes is not essential for tropanes to bind to monoamine uptake systems. We demonstrated that compounds in which the amine had been exchanged for an ether or a thioether retained binding potency and selectivity. We have now designed bivalent compounds in which two tropane moieties are linked by an intervening chain. These 8-homo- and 8-heterotropane bivalent compounds allowed a search for adjacent tropane binding sites on the DAT as well as a further exploration of whether the binding sites for 8-azatropanes are the same as those for other 8-heterotropanes. A comparison of these compounds with their progenitor tropanes cast into doubt the existence of proximal binding sites on the DAT, and offered support for the existence of different binding sites for the 8-azatropanes compared with 8-oxa- and 8-thiatropanes. Indeed, 8-aza bivalent tropanes inhibited DAT with potency about 10-fold lower (DAT: IC50 = 31 nM) than their monovalent counterparts. Furthermore, bivalent ligands in which one or both of the tropanes was devoid of an amine suffered a further loss of inhibitory potency. We conclude that it is unlikely that there exist two tropane binding sites in close proximity to one another on either the DAT or SERT.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Drug Design
  • Humans
  • Molecular Probes / chemical synthesis
  • Molecular Probes / chemistry
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / chemistry*
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tropanes / chemical synthesis
  • Tropanes / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Molecular Probes
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors
  • Tropanes