1-(2'-Bromobenzyl)-6,7-dihydroxy- N-methyl-tetrahydroisoquinoline and 1,2-Demethyl-nuciferine as Agonists in Human D2 Dopamine Receptors

J Nat Prod. 2020 Jan 24;83(1):127-133. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b00921. Epub 2020 Jan 14.

Abstract

Certain D2-like dopamine receptor (DR) agonists are useful therapeutically as antiparkinsonian drugs, whereas D2-like DR antagonists or partial agonists are proven effective as antipsychotics. Two isoquinoline derivatives, 1-(2'-bromobenzyl)-6,7-dihydroxy-N-methyl-tetrahydroisoquinoline (Br-BTHIQ, 1) and 1,2-demethyl-nuciferine (aporphine, 2), were herein synthesized, and their dopaminergic affinity in cloned human D2R, D3R, and D4R subtypes and their behavior as agonists/antagonists were evaluated. They showed affinity values (Ki) for hD2, hD3, and hD4 DR within the nanomolar range. The trends in affinity were hD4R ≫ hD3R > hD2R for Br-BTHIQ (1) and hD2R > hD4R > hD3R for 1,2-demethyl-nuciferine (2). The functional assays of cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling at human D2R showed a partial agonist effect for Br-BTHIQ (1) and full agonist behavior for aporphine (2), with half maximal effective concentration values of 2.95 and 10.2 μM, respectively. Therefore, both isoquinolines 1 and 2 have emerged as lead molecules for the synthesis of new therapeutic drugs that ultimately may be useful to prevent schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, respectively.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aporphines / chemistry*
  • Aporphines / pharmacology
  • Cyclic AMP / chemistry*
  • Dopamine Agonists / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Isoquinolines / chemistry
  • Molecular Structure
  • Tetrahydroisoquinolines / chemistry
  • Tetrahydroisoquinolines / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Aporphines
  • Dopamine Agonists
  • Isoquinolines
  • Tetrahydroisoquinolines
  • Cyclic AMP
  • isoquinoline
  • nuciferine