Bioisosteric determinants for subtype selectivity of ligands for heteromeric GABAA receptors

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Abstract

The potency and efficacy of a series of bioisosterically modified GABA analogues were determined electrophysiologically using heteromeric GABAA receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes. These agonist parameters were shown to be strongly dependent on the receptor subunit combination. On the other hand, the antagonist potencies of the classical GABAA antagonists SR 95531 (7) and BMC (8) and also of 5g and the phosphinic acid bioisosteres of 5a, compounds 5f and 6, were essentially independent of the receptor subunit combinations.

The structure of the carboxyl bioisosteric groups is of major pharmacological importance. Whereas 5a is a GABAA agonist, 5b and 5d are generally low-efficacy partial agonists, and 5f is an antagonist.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Lundbeck Foundation and the Danish Medicinal Research Council. The secretarial assistance of Anne Nordly is gratefully acknowledged.

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    Present address: Departments of Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry, H. Lundbeck A/S, 9 Ottiliavej, DK-2500 Valby-Copenhagen, Denmark.

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