New 2-(methoxyphenyl)piperazine derivatives 1 and 2 containing a terminal heteroaryl or cycloalkyl amide fragment were prepared and their 5-HT1A affinities evaluated by radioligand binding assays. The influence of the alkyl chain length or the amide group on affinity was evaluated. A four-carbon chain appears to be optimal when the amide fragment is a heteroaryl group. Derivatives with a cycloalkyl moiety displayed maximum affinity in the two methylene chain series. Electronic distribution within the amide region seems to have an influence on affinity in heteroaryl derivatives. Replacement of the heteroaryl moiety by a cycloalkyl group led to compounds with enhanced affinity. Increasing the lipophilicity of the cycloalkyl derivatives by annelation and/or saturation increased their affinity for the 5-HT1A sites. Compounds with cis-bicyclo[3.3.0]octane (2a, 2c), norbornane (2f, 2g), and norbornene (2h, 2i) groups bind at 5-HT1A sites with 2-10-fold higher affinity than NAN-190. Antagonist activity at alpha 1-adrenergic receptors was evaluated for compounds with high affinity at 5-HT1A sites. Compounds 2a, 2c, 2f, 2g, and 2h strongly bind (Ki = 0.12-0.63 nM) at 5-HT1A receptors and are devoid of antagonist activity at alpha 1-adrenergic receptors.

A series of 2,3-dihydro-2-oxo-1H-benzimidazole-1-carboxamide derivatives bearing a piperazine moiety was synthesized. Their in vitro 5-HT(4), 5-HT(3), and D(2) receptors affinities were evaluated by radioligand binding assay. For selected compounds functional studies at the 5-HT(4) receptor were made by using precontracted (by carbachol) preparations of rat esophageal tunica muscularis mucosae (TMM). The influence of the 3-substituent of the benzimidazole ring, the 4-substituent of the piperazine moiety, and the alkylene spacer was studied. Compounds with an ethyl or a cyclopropyl substituent in the 3-position of the benzimidazole ring showed moderate to high affinity (K(i) = 6.7-75.4 nM) for the 5-HT(4) receptor with selectivity over 5-HT(3) and D(2) receptors and moderate antagonist activity (pK(b) = 6.19-7.73). Compounds with an isopropyl substituent in the 3-benzimidazole position exhibited moderate and selective 5-HT(4) affinity (K(i) >/= 38.9 nM) and a partial agonist activity (5a, i.a. = 0.94) higher than that of the reference compound BIMU 8 (i.a. = 0.70). This reversal of the pharmacological activity due only to a small structural difference might confirm the existence of two binding sites on the 5-HT(4) receptor. In the alkylene spacer, a two-methylene chain is favorable to optimize the affinity and the antagonist or the partial agonist activity. In the ethyl and cyclopropyl series, 5-HT(4) antagonist activity seems to be unrelated to the size of the 4-substituent of the piperazine moiety, whereas a methyl group is optimal for high partial agonist activity in the isopropyl series; however, the presence of a butyl substituent is a favorable pattern for 5-HT(4) antagonism and even causes a reversal of the pharmacological profile in the isopropyl series (5h, pK(b) = 7.94). N-Butyl quaternization of 5a led to an improvement in affinity for the 5-HT(4) receptor and mantained the high partial agonist activity (5r, K(i) = 66.3 nM, i.a. = 0.93).

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