CNS activity

Concerning the distribution of a drug, models have been published for log BB blood/brain partition coefficient) for CNS-active drugs (CNS, central nervous system) crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) [38-45] and binding to human serum albumin (HSA) [46]. 

Another CNS active agent in this structural class is the tranquilizer-antidepressant caroxazone (52). Its published synthesis begins by reductive aminatiwi of salicylaldehyde and glycinamide to give The synthesis is completed by reaction with phosgene and sodium bicarbonate. ... 

Opioids ( opioid systems) are thought to exert their antitussive effects by acting as agonists at p- and K-opioid receptors in the CNS. Activation of these receptors activates various G-proteins and leads to the inhibition of... 

Several groups of CNS active drugs exert all or some of their clinical effects by their action on the GABAergic system. 

Charney et al. (2001), Harvey (1985), Matthew (1971), and Wesson and Smith (1977) have discussed the pharmacology of barbiturates. Barbiturates are derived from barbituric acid, which is the product of the fusion of malonic acid and urea. Barbituric acid lacks CNS activity. The two main classes of barbiturates are the highly lipid-soluble thiobarbiturates, in which sulfur replaces oxygen at the second carbon atom of the barbituric acid ring, and the less soluble oxybarbiturates, with oxygen at the second carbon atom (Table 3-3). Highly lipid-soluble barbiturates have a more rapid onset, a short duration of action, and greater potency than those with lower lipid solubility. 

Subramanian G and Kitchen DB. Computational models to predict blood-brain barrier permeation and CNS activity. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2003 17 643-64. 

Molecular structure has been shown to influence absorption. By examining the structural characteristics of drugs that were in use, certain common characteristics of well-absorbed molecules were identified, commonly referred to as the rule of five. Some investigators have used this as a basis for characterizing the drug-likeness of a lead chemical. Other factors also come into play including receptor activity, metabolism profile and for CNS-active compounds, an ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. 

One of the conspicuous resorcinols is HU-308 (362), which is a CB2-specific agonist this compound does not bind to CBi (if > 10 uM), but has a significant affinity for CB2 ( i = 22.7 nM) [226]. HU-308 elicited analgesic activity in a formalin-induced peripheral pain model and an anti-infiam-matory effect on arachidonic acid-induced ear inflammation, though it showed no activity in a tetrad of behavioural tests, which are linked to CNS activity (Table 6.34). 

A group of arylalkylketones containing a basic substituent in the side chain shows CNS activities. Roletamide (190) is a hypnotic agent. It is prepared from 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzaldehyde (187) by addition of sodium acetylide (to give 188), followed by Jones oxidation of ethynylarylketone 189. Michael addition... 

DIBENZOCYCLOHEPTANES AND DIBENZOCYCLOHEPTENES Drugs in this structural class have effected a revolution in the treatment of severely depressed patients such that deinstitutionalization is a feasible public policy. The compounds often show other CNS activities which depend on the length of the side chain. One-carbon chains generally lead to anticonvulsant activity amines separated from the nucleus by three carbons usually donvey antidepressant activity. Selected examples possess significant anticholinergic activity. 

CNS activity apparently is retained when the heterocycle is changed to an imidazolidinone. Alkylation of the anion from the imidazolidinone 138 with dimethylaminoethyl chloride affords imidoline (139), a compound with tranquilizer activity. 

Fragments of the peptide hormone p-lipotropin have been found to show similar binding to opiate receptors. These molecules, the endorphins, show profound CNS activity in experimental animals. It is of interest that one of these, p-endorphin, incorporates in its chain the exact sequence of amino acids that constitutes methionine enkaphalin. 

Incorporation of additional basic centers into the phenylpiperidinol nucleus leads to a molecule that shows local anesthetic rather than CNS activity. Condensation of the protected piperidone 106 with... 

A more highly oxidized derivative of quinazoline forms the heterocyclic moiety of a compound with CNS activity. Condensation of the aminopropylpiperazine 141 with isatoic anhydride gives the anthranilamide 142. Reaction of that amide with phosgene gives directly the heterocyclic ring. (The reaction may proceed by initial formation of the carbamoyl chloride ... 

DERIVATIVES OF DIBENZOLACTAMS A recurring theme in the present chapter has been the association of CNS activity with dibenzoheterocycles that bear a basic chain pendant from the central ring. As we have seen, considerable latitude exists as to the constitution of the central ring. The earlier volume in this series described the preparation of the antidepressant dibenzepin (90), in which the basic function is attached to a lactam nitrogen. 

Replacement of the methylene group in 95 by oxygen results in yet another subtle qualitative change in CNS activity. The products of this replacement, such as 104 and 111, are characterized as anxiolytic agents. In the synthesis of 104 we find yet a different approach to the amidine function, beginning with reaction of 2-chloronitrobenzene with... 

There have been numerous efforts in library synthesis to develop compounds with central nervous system (CNS) activity [37]. Most recently, a QSAR model has been developed based on the activity of 2500 compounds against 180 assays using proprietary 3D pharmacophore descriptors [38]. The model successfully predicted 83% of a test... 

Shulgin, A. T., and Carter, M. F. (1981) N,N-Diisopropyltryptamine (DIPT) and 5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (5-MeO DIPT). Two orally active tryptamine analogs with CNS activity. Commun. Psychopharmacol., 4 363-369. 

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