title: Minimal structural requirements of alkyl γ-lactones capable of antagonizing the cocaine-induced motility decrease in planarians.
abstract: We recently reported that the natural cyclic lactone, parthenolide, and related analogs prevent the expression of behavioral effects induced by cocaine in planarians and that parthenolide's γ-lactone ring is required for this effect. In the present work, we tested a series of alkyl γ-lactones with varying chain length (1-8 carbons) to determine their ability to antagonize the planarian motility decrease induced by 200 μM cocaine. Alkyl lactones with up to a 4-carbon alkyl chain did not affect planarian motility or antagonized the cocaine-induced motility decrease; only the compound γ-nonalactone (a γ-lactone with a 5-carbon chain) was able to prevent the cocaine-induced behavioral patterns, while alkyl lactones with longer carbon chains failed to prevent the cocaine-induced effects. Thus, we conclude that the optimal structural features of this family of compounds to antagonize cocaine's effect in this experimental system is a γ-lactone ring with at a 5-carbon long functional group.
authors: Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383-2112, USA.
authors: Debra
authors: D
authors: Baker
authors: Sean
authors: S
authors: Deats
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Boor
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Pruitt
authors: Oné R
authors: OR
authors: Pagán
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003042:Cocaine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D007783:Lactones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010932:Planarians / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D007783:Lactones; D003042:Cocaine