Aminoalkylindoles: Structure - Activity Relationships of Novel Cannabinoid Mimetics

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jm00016a013

Aminoalkylindoles (AAIs) are a novel series of cannabinoid receptor ligands.In this report we disclose the structural features of AAIs which are important for binding to this receptor as measured by inhibition of binding of <³H>Win 55212-2 (5).Functional activity in the mouse vas deferens is also noted and used to distinguish agonists from potential antagonists.The key structural features for potent cannabinoid activity in this series are a bicyclic (naphthyl) substituent at the 3-position, a small (H) substituent at the 2-position, and an aminoethyl (morpholinoethyl) substituent at the 1-position.A 6-bromo analog, Win 54461 (31), has been identified as a potential cannabinoid receptor antagonist.Modeling experiments were done to develop a pharmacophore and also to compare AAI structures with those of classical cannabinoids.The fact that the cannabinoid AAIs arose out of work on a series of cyclooxygenase inhibitors makes sense now that an endogenous cannabinoid ligand has been identified which is a derivative of arachidonic acid.Because of their unique structures and physical properties, AAIs provide useful tools to study the structure and function of the cannabinoid receptor(s).