piperidines and 2-3-piperidinedicarboxylic-acid

Injection of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor agonist quinolinate, or N-methyl-D-aspartate itself, into the rat brain produces neurodegeneration which can be prevented by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists administered up to 5 h after excitotoxin injection. The present study was designed to investigate aspects of the mechanisms involved in this delayed form of neurodegeneration. Following its injection into the rat striatum, extracellular levels of [3H]quinolinate were monitored using a microdialysis probe located 1 mm from the site of injection. Peak concentrations were observed 10-20 min after injection and [3H]quinolinate levels decayed in a biexponential fashion, the initial component having an apparent t1/2 of 13.7 +/- 5.2 min (n = 3). Estimations of the extracellular concentrations of quinolinate after an injection of 200 nmol indicated a peak level of 13.7 +/- 6.0 mM (n = 3) at 10-20 min which declined to 1.2 +/- 0.13 mM (n = 3) by 2 h and substantial levels were present up to 5 h, the period over which N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists are effective in this model. Administration of dizocilpine at 1, 2, 3 or 5 h after injection of 100, 200 or 400 nmol quinolinate resulted in a similar temporal profile of neuroprotection, as assessed by measuring the activities of choline acetyltransferase and glutamate decarboxylase in striatal homogenates, which was independent of the degree of neurodegeneration produced by the different excitotoxin doses. Overall, these results suggest that the neuronal degeneration caused by quinolinate in vivo is critically dependent upon events occurring after the initial peak of excitoxin levels in the extracellular space.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; Animals; Anticonvulsants; Convulsants; Corpus Striatum; Dialysis; Diazepam; Dizocilpine Maleate; Glutamate Decarboxylase; Haloperidol; Ibotenic Acid; Injections; Male; Nerve Degeneration; Pipecolic Acids; Piperazines; Piperidines; Quinolinic Acid; Quinolinic Acids; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Stereotaxic Techniques

A series of piperidine dicarboxylates (PDA) has been tested for excitatory amino acid agonist and antagonist activity and for synaptic depressant properties of the spinal cords of frogs and immature rats in vitro and of cats in vivo. The substances tested comprised (+/-)-cis-2,3-PDA, (+/-)-cis-2,4-PDA, (+/-)-cis-2,5-PDA, (+/-)-cis-2,6-PDA, (+/-)-trans-2,3-PDA, (+/-)-trans-2,4-PDA and both (+) and (-) forms of cis-2,3-PDA. Peak excitatory amino acid agonist activity was observed with (+/-)-trans-2,3- and (+/-)-trans-2,4-PDA. Excitatory amino acid antagonism and synaptic depressant activity was observed only with cis-dicarboxylates, this activity being greatest in the 2,3-analogue. The agonist actions of piperidine dicarboxylates were effectively depressed by the specific NMDA receptor antagonist, (-)-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate and, where tested, also by D-alpha-aminoadipate and low concentrations of Mg2+. It was concluded that the major part of these agonist actions were mediated by NMDA receptors. The main structural feature of the NMDA agonist actions of these substances was considered to be their close relationship to N-alkyl-aspartic and glutamic acid molecules, with the trans arrangement of the respective 2,3- and 2,4-situated carboxyl groups promoting most effective interaction with the active sites of the NMDA receptor. (+/-)-Cis-2,3-PDA depressed excitatory responses induced by NMDA, kainate, quisqualate, (+/-)-trans-2,3-PDA and (+/-)-trans-2,4-PDA, or evoked by dorsal root stimulation. Both monosynaptic and polysynaptic excitation were susceptible to the depressant action of this substance. The (-) isomer of cis-2,3-PDA carried both excitatory amino acid agonist and antagonist activity and also the synaptic depressant properties observed with the racemic form of this substance. The (+) isomer showed little pharmacological activity. It is proposed that the structure-activity features of these heterocyclic amino acids indicate some of the conformational requirements for interaction with physiological excitatory amino acid receptors.

Topics: Animals; Cats; Dicarboxylic Acids; Molecular Conformation; Pipecolic Acids; Piperidines; Rana pipiens; Rana temporaria; Rats; Receptors, Cell Surface; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; Species Specificity; Spinal Cord; Structure-Activity Relationship; Synapses