The interest in the allosteric modulation of G protein-coupled receptors has grown during the past decade. It has been shown that ligands acting at allosteric sites present in these important drug targets have the ability to modulate receptor conformations and fine-tune pharmacological responses to the orthosteric ligand. In the present study, allosteric modulation of the human gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor by amiloride analogs [e.g., 5-(N,N-hexamethylene)amiloride (HMA)] and a nonpeptide antagonistic furan derivative (FD-1) was studied. First, the compounds' ability to influence the dissociation of a radiolabeled peptide agonist ( I-triptorelin, revealing their allosteric inhibitory characteristics. The simultaneous addition of HMA and FD-1 resulted in an additive effect on the dissociation rate. Second, in a functional assay, it was shown that HMA was a noncompetitive antagonist and that FD-1 had both competitive and noncompetitive antagonistic properties. Equilibrium displacement studies showed that the inhibition of 125 I-triptorelin binding by FD-1 was not affected by HMA. Furthermore, the potency of HMA to increase radioligand dissociation was not affected by the presence of FD-1. Simulation of the data obtained in the latter experiment also indicated neutral cooperativity between the binding of HMA and FD-1. Taken together, these results demonstrate that HMA and FD-1 are allosteric inhibitors that bind at two distinct, noncooperative, allosteric sites. This presence of a second allosteric site may provide yet another opportunity for the discovery of new ligands for the human GnRH receptor.The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor belongs to the rhodopsin-like subfamily (class A) of G proteincoupled receptors (GPCRs) (Millar et al., 2004). Activation of the GnRH receptor results in the biosynthesis and secretion of the gonadotropins luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. The gonadotropins bind to their respective receptors on the gonadal cells, which stimulates germ cell development and hormone secretion in the ovaries (Rhoades and Pflanzer, 1996). GnRH, also named luteinizing hormonereleasing hormone, is a linear hypothalamic decapeptide ( Fig. 1) and was first isolated and characterized by Schally et al. (1971). Several peptidic agonists and antagonists for the GnRH receptor have been approved for the treatment of a variety of sex-hormone-dependent diseases, such as prostate and breast cancer and endometriosis (Conn and Crowley, 1994;Kiesel et al., 2002). Superagonists, a somewhat ambiguous term for continually administered peptidic agonists, are used to desensitize and down-regulate the GnRH receptor, resulting in gonadal suppression. Such use of agonists, however, produces an initial hormonal "flare," resulting in a temporary activation of the pituitary, which can be prevented by giving peptidic antagonists instead. However, peptidic compounds often need to be administered by parenteral (subcutaneous or intramuscular) injection (Kiesel et al., 2002). The...