1-phenyl-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-pentanone and pyrovalerone

Synthetic cathinones are beta-ketone amphetamine analogs that have emerged as a heterogeneous class of abused compounds that function as either monoamine transporter substrates or inhibitors. Pre-clinical drug discrimination procedures are useful for interrogating structure-activity relationships of abuse-related drug effects; however, in vivo structure-activity relationship comparisons between synthetic cathinones with different mechanisms of action are lacking. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the cocaine-like discriminative stimulus effects of the monoamine transporter inhibitor alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone (alpha-PVP) and the monoamine transporter substrate methcathinone were differentially sensitive to 3,4-methylenedioxy and 4-methyl substitutions. Male rhesus monkeys (n = 4) were trained to discriminate intramuscular cocaine (0.32 mg/kg) from saline in a two-key food-reinforced discrimination procedure. Potency and timecourse of cocaine-like discriminative stimulus effects were determined for (±)-alpha-PVP, (±)-methcathinone and their 3,4-methylenedioxy or 4-methyl analogs. Alpha-PVP and methcathinone produced dose- and time-dependent cocaine-like effects. A 3,4-methylenedioxy addition to either alpha-PVP or methcathinone (methylone) did not alter the potency or efficacy to produce cocaine-like effects, but did prolong the time course. A 4-methyl addition to alpha-PVP (pyrovalerone) did not alter the potency or efficacy to produce cocaine-like effects, but did prolong the time course. In contrast, addition of a 4-methyl moiety to methcathinone (4MMC; mephedrone) significantly attenuated efficacy to produce cocaine-like effects. Overall, these results suggest different structural requirements for cocaine-like discriminative stimulus effects of monoamine transporter inhibitor and substrate synthetic cathinone analogs. Given that 4MMC is more hydrophobic than MDMC, these results suggest that hydrophobicity may be an important determinant for limiting monoamine transporter substrate abuse-related behavioral effects.

Topics: Animals; Central Nervous System Stimulants; Cocaine; Conditioning, Operant; Discrimination Learning; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; Injections, Intramuscular; Macaca mulatta; Male; Methamphetamine; Propiophenones; Pyrrolidines; Reinforcement, Psychology

Dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine are essential for neurotransmission in the mammalian system. These three neurotransmitters have been the focus of considerable research because the modulation of their production and their interaction at monoamine receptors has profound effects upon a multitude of pharmacological outcomes. Our interest has focused on neurotransmitter reuptake mechanisms in a search for medications for cocaine abuse. Herein we describe the synthesis and biological evaluation of an array of 2-aminopentanophenones. This array has yielded selective inhibitors of the dopamine and norepinephrine transporters with little effect upon serotonin trafficking. A subset of compounds had no significant affinity at 5HT1A, 5HT1B, 5HT1C, D1, D2, or D3 receptors. The lead compound, racemic 1-(4-methylphenyl)-2-pyrrolidin-1-yl-pentan-1-one 4a, was resolved into its enantiomers and the S isomer was found to be the most biologically active enantiomer. Among the most potent of these DAT/NET selective compounds are the 1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)- (4u) and the 1-naphthyl- (4t) 2-pyrrolidin-1-yl-pentan-1-one analogues.

Topics: Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; Binding, Competitive; Cell Line; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; Humans; Ligands; Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; Pentanones; Pyrrolidines; Radioligand Assay; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; Stereoisomerism; Structure-Activity Relationship