title: Enantiospecific synthesis of 3-fluoromethyl-, 3-hydroxymethyl-, and 3-chloromethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines as selective inhibitors of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase versus the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor.
abstract: An enantiospecific method was developed for the synthesis of 3-fluoromethyl-, 3-hydroxymethyl-, and 3-chloromethyl-7-substituted-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs) from phenylalanine. Biochemical evaluation of the enantiomers of these compounds at both PNMT and the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor indicates that both sites display similar stereoselectivity. Overall the R-enantiomer was usually the more potent enantiomer at both PNMT and the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor for these 3-fluoromethyl-, 3-hydroxymethyl-, and 3-chloromethyl-THIQs. The one exception is 3-hydroxymethyl-7-nitro-THIQ (9), which was found to display the opposite stereoselectivity at the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor. A comparison of the PNMT inhibitory potency of the enantiomers of these 3-fluoromethyl-, 3-hydroxymethyl-, and 3-chloromethyl-THIQs indicates that all of the 3-substituted-THIQs displayed similar inhibitory potency for PNMT. However, the nature of the 3-substituent was found to have a major effect on the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor affinity of these compounds with the 3-hydroxymethyl- and 3-fluoromethyl-THIQs having the highest affinity and THIQs containing the 3-chloromethyl moiety the least. Compounds R-3-fluoromethyl-7-cyano-THIQ (R-12) and R-3-fluoromethyl-7-N-(4-chlorophenyl)aminosulfonyl-THIQ (R-13) and both enantiomers of 3-chloromethyl-7-nitro-THIQ (R- and S-30) are the most selective inhibitors in this study and display selectivities (alpha(2)-adrenoceptor K(i)/PNMT K(i)) greater than 200. These compounds give important insight into the steric and stereochemical preferences of both PNMT and the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor, which should assist in the development of new PNMT inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA. ggrunewald@ukans.edu
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Grunewald
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Caldwell
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Dahanukar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McNeil
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Criscione
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010625:Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines
chemical_list: C400070:3-chloromethyl-7-nitro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline; C400069:3-fluoromethyl-7-N-(4-chlorophenyl)aminosulfonyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline; C400068:3-fluoromethyl-7-cyano-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007546:Isoquinolines; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; D010625:Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase