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Agent BZ (3-quinuclidinyl benzilate) is a centrally acting synthetic anticholinergic agent, considered as a potential military incapacitating chemical warfare agent. Despite its significance as a model compound in pharmacological research and its potential misuse in chemical attacks, few modern analytical methods for BZ determination in biological samples have been published. The goal of the present work is to develop and validate a sensitive and rapid LC-MS/MS method for the determination of agent BZ in rat plasma. The sample preparation was based on solid-phase extraction on C-18 cartridges. The reversed-phase HPLC coupled with the mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization in the positive ion-selective reaction monitoring mode was employed in the BZ analysis. Atropine was used as an internal standard. The presented method is selective, accurate, precise, and linear (r2 = 0.9947) in a concentration range from 0.5 ng/mL to 1 000 ng/mL and sensitive enough (limit of detection 0.2 ng/mL; limit of quantification 0.5 ng/mL) to determine the BZ plasma levels in rats exposed to 2 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg of BZ. The highest level of BZ in plasma was observed 5 minutes after intramuscular administration (154.6 ± 22.3 ng/mL in rats exposed to 2 mg/kg of BZ and 1024 ± 269 ng/mL in rats exposed to 10 mg/kg). After 48 h, no BZ was observed at detectable levels. This new method allows the detection and quantification of BZ in biological samples after exposure of an observed organism and it will be further optimized for other tissues to observe the distribution of BZ in organs.

A useful synthesis of (R)-[N-methyl-3 H]quinuclidinyl benzilate methiodide is described with the product characterized by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), tritium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mass spectrometry (MS). Several methods are provided to purify the radioligand, and its storage and stability are also discussed.

3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate (BZ) ranks among incapacitating military warfare agents. It acts as a competitive inhibitor on muscarinic receptors leading to non-lethal mental impairment. The present study aimed to investigate toxicokinetics of BZ in rats. Moreover, BZ can be exploited to produce a pharmacological model of Alzheimer's disease; thus, this paper focuses mainly on the BZ distribution to the brain. Wistar rats were administered i.p. with BZ (2 and 10 mg/kg). The BZ concentration was determined using LC-MS/MS in plasma, urine, bile, brain, kidney and liver. The sample preparation was based on a solid phase extraction (liquids) or protein precipitation (organ homogenates). The plasma concentration peaked at 3 min (204.5 ± 55.4 and 2185.5 ± 465.4 ng/ml). The maximal concentration in the brain was reached several minutes later. Plasma elimination half-life was 67.9 ± 3.4 in the 2 mg/kg group and 96.6 ± 27.9 in the 10 mg/kg group. BZ concentrations remained steady in the brain, with slow elimination (t1/2 506.9 ± 359.5 min). Agent BZ is excreted mainly via the urine. Steady BZ concentration in the brain could explain the previously published duration of the significant impairment in passive avoidance tasks in rats after an injection of BZ.

3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) is an anticholinergic compound that affects the nervous system. Its hallucinogenic action has led to its potential utility as an incapacitating warfare agent, and it is listed in Schedule 2 by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Although this compound has been known for a long time, limited information is available regarding its metabolism and mass spectrometric data of the metabolites, the information that could facilitate the identification of QNB in case of suspected intoxication. To the best of our knowledge, the analytical methods previously described in the literature are based on outdated procedures, which may result in a significantly lower number of observable metabolites. The aim of this work was to obtain deeper insight into QNB biotransformation using a combination of in vitro and in vivo approach. The development of a suitable method for the separation and detection of metabolites using mass spectrometry together with the identification of reliable diagnostic fragments for the unambiguous identification of QNB metabolites in the different biological matrices are also presented in this work. A screening of rat plasma, urine and tissue homogenates revealed 26 new metabolites related to the cytochrome P450 biotransformation pathway, which involves N-oxidation and hydroxylation(s) followed by O-methylation and O-glucuronosylation within phase II of the metabolism. A study showed that the brain is not metabolically active in the case of QNB and that the metabolites do not cross the blood-brain barrier; thus, the toxicodynamic effects are due to QNB itself. In addition, in vitro experiments performed using isolated human liver microsomes revealed N-oxidation as the principal metabolic pathway in human tissue. In light of current global events, the abuse of QNB by terrorists or para-military groups is a real possibility, and our findings may improve the detection systems used in laboratories involved in postexposure investigations.

Introduction Significant discrepancies between in vitro and in vivo binding of the muscarinic receptor ligand – 3H-labeled Quinuclidinyl Benzilate (QNB) – have been well documented. Discernable in vivo cerebellar [3H]QNB binding has been observed in mouse brain, despite the maximum number of binding sites (Bmax) being low. In order to understand this unique in vivo binding phenomenon, the binding of two muscarinic receptor ligands – [3H]QNB and N-[11C]methylpiperidyl Benzilate ([11C]NMPB) – were compared in vivo and in vitro in 3- and 8-week-old mice. Method In vitro binding parameters of [3H]QNB were determined using brain homogenates. The time course of radioactivity concentration (TACs) in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum was measured following injection of [3H]QNB and [11C]NMPB with or without 3 mg/kg of carrier QNB in 3- and 8 week old mice using a dual tracer administration technique. A graphical method was employed for the quantitative analysis of in vivo binding of these radioligands. Results In vitro, the available number of binding sites for cerebral cortical muscarinic receptors increased by 17% during the developmental period studied. Paradoxically, in vivo, we observed a decrease of [3H]QNB binding in the cerebral cortex, while [11C]NMPB binding was markedly increased. In vivo saturation analysis of [3H]QNB in 3-week-old mice revealed an apparent positive cooperativity of binding in the cerebral cortex. Conclusions Our results support the hypothesis that microenvironmental factors proximal to muscarinic receptors cause a local decrease in the cortical free-ligand concentration of [3H]QNB and that this ‘ligand barrier’ is modulated during brain development. Advances in knowledge The present study demonstrates that the combined use of radiolabeled QNB and NMPB has the potential to reveal the important effects of receptor microenvironmental factors on receptor function in the living brain.

A useful synthesis of (R)-[N-methyl

Significant discrepancies between in vitro and in vivo binding of the muscarinic receptor ligand -In vitro binding parameters of [In vitro, the available number of binding sites for cerebral cortical muscarinic receptors increased by 17% during the developmental period studied. Paradoxically, in vivo, we observed a decrease of [Our results support the hypothesis that microenvironmental factors proximal to muscarinic receptors cause a local decrease in the cortical free-ligand concentration of [The present study demonstrates that the combined use of radiolabeled QNB and NMPB has the potential to reveal the important effects of receptor microenvironmental factors on receptor function in the living brain.

Complete thoracic spinal cord transection (SCT) impairs excitatory cholinergic inputs to ankle extensor (soleus; Sol) but not to flexor (tibialis anterior; TA) α-motoneurons (MNs) modifiable by locomotor training applied post-transection. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Sol and TA MNs adapt to changes in cholinergic environment by differential regulation of their muscarinic receptors M2 (M2R). We examined Chrm2 (M2R gene) transcript level, high-affinity 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate-3 H ([3 H]QNB) ligand binding, distribution and density of M2R immunolabeling in lumbar (L) segments in intact and SCT rats, with or without inclusion of 5-week treadmill locomotor training. We show that at the second week after SCT the levels of Chrm2 transcript are reduced in the L3-6 segments, with [3 H]QNB binding decreased selectively in the L5-6 segments, where ankle extensor MNs are predominantly located. At 5 weeks after SCT, [3 H]QNB binding differences between the L3-4 and L5-6 segments are maintained, accompanied by higher density of M2R immunolabeling in the plasma membrane and cytoplasm of TA than Sol MNs and by enriched synaptic versus extrasynaptic M2R pools (52% TA vs. 25% Sol MNs). Training normalized M2R in TA MNs, improved locomotion, and reduced frequency of clonic episodes. Our findings indicate higher sensitivity of TA than Sol MNs to cholinergic signaling after SCT, which might shorten flexor twitches duration and contribute to generation of clonic movements. Synaptic enrichment in M2R density may reflect a compensatory mechanism activated in TA and Sol MNs to different extent in response to reduced strength of cholinergic signaling to each MN pool. Open Practices Open Science: This manuscript was awarded with the Open Materials Badge. For more information see: https://cos.io/our-services/open-science-badges/.

Summary Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) deals with the unintended consequences of research and development and is particularly acute in the area of drug development. The United States National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) has defined DURC as "research that, based on current understanding, can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, products, or technologies that could be directly misapplied by others to pose a threat to public health, agriculture, plants, animals, the environment, or materiel” (1). One particular receptor antagonist and glycolate anticholinergic compound (BZ, QNB or 3 -quinuclidinyl benzilate) was stockpiled by the United States as a non-lethal chemical weapon that incapacitates and severely degrades the capability of exposed individuals (2). Given time and medical treatment, combatants and non-combatants exposed to such incapacitating agents could recover without any long-term effects. The purpose of this review is to identify potential new and more potent incapacitating agents based on the structures of BZ or atropine using peer reviewed publications of new pharmaceutical agents. A number of peer reviewed studies have reported on compounds with effects observed at lower concentrations than or comparable to BZ suggesting that these compounds could also be developed as potential chemical incapacitating chemical warfare agents and represent good examples of the principal of Dual Use Research of Concern.

Epilepsy is characterized by spontaneous recurrent seizures and represents one of the most frequent neurological diseases, affecting about 60 million people worldwide. The cellular and neurocircuit bases of epilepsy are poorly understood. Constipation is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by symptoms such as straining, hard stool, and infrequent defecation. Population-based studies have shown that the prevalence of constipation is up to 30% of the population in developed countries. The causal link between seizure and constipation is a common belief among patients and physicians, but there are no scientific data to support this association. The current investigation evaluated the effects of constipation induced by loperamide (a peripheral μ-opioid receptor agonist without effect on central nervous system receptors) and clidinium (a quaternary amine antimuscarinic agent with reduced central nervous system effects) on two different seizure models of mice: (1) myoclonic, clonic, and generalized tonic seizures and death induced by intraperitoneal administration of pentylenetetrazole and (2) clonic seizure threshold induced by intravenous infusion of pentylenetetrazole. We demonstrated that the measured intestinal transit (%intestinal transit) decreased after loperamide or clidinium treatment for 3days. Constipation in mice which was induced by loperamide or clonidine caused a decrease in threshold to clonic seizure in the intravenous pentylenetetrazole seizure model. Moreover loperamide- or clidinium-induced constipation decreased latencies to, clonic, and tonic seizures and death in the intraperitoneal pentylenetetrazole model of mice. Serum ammonia levels were slightly elevated in both loperamide- and clidinium-treated mice. In conclusion, loperamide- or clidinium-induced constipated mice are more prone to seizure which might confirm the belief of patients and physicians about constipation as a trigger of seizure.

Objective The discriminative ability of serum anticholinergic activity (SAA) to differentiate between older individuals with stable versus deteriorating cognition remains undetermined. We examined the relationship between SAA changes, the presence or absence of a mild neurocognitive disorder, age and anticholinergic medication over a one-year time period. Methods SAA at baseline and one-year follow-up was measured for 121 older adults without dementia. Participants were classified at both timepoints as being cognitively intact or meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria for a mild neurocognitive disorder. Medications were assessed according to the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) scale. Results SAA changes did not discriminate between individuals whose cognition remained stable versus those with improvement or decline (H[3] = 0.725, p = 0.867). SAA change did not vary between age groups, and could not reliably differentiate between individuals on ACB medication or not. Conclusion While SAA does not appear to be a valid biomarker for cognitive decline, longitudinal studies with a larger sample size and longer duration are required to confirm this finding.

Two simple and accurate chemometric-assisted spectrophotometric models were developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of chlordiazepoxide (CDZ) and clidinium bromide (CDB) in the presence of an alkali-induced degradation product of CDB in their pure and pharmaceutical formulation. Resolution was accomplished by using two multivariate calibration models, including principal component regression (PCR) and partial least-squares (PLS), applied to the UV spectra of the mixtures. Great improvement in the predictive abilities of these multivariate calibrations was observed. A calibration set was constructed and the best model used to predict the concentrations of the studied drugs. CDZ and CDB were analyzed with mean accuracies of 99.84 ± 1.41 and 99.81 ± 0.89% for CDZ and 99.56 ± 1.43 and 99.44 ± 1.41% for CDB using PLS and PCR models, respectively. The proposed models were validated and applied for the analysis of a commercial formulation and laboratory-prepared mixtures. The developed models were statistically compared with those of the official and reported methods with no significant differences observed. The models can be used for the routine analysis of both drugs in QC laboratories.

Cholinesterase inhibitors are beneficial in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease via indirect increase of cholinergic neuro-transmission. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potency of inhibitors tacrine, rivastigmine and donepezil to reverse cholinergic depletion induced by 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB, 2 mg kg −1 ) in Wistar rats performing the multiple T-maze test. The effect of QNB on retention was compared to the effect of standard amnesic drug, scopolamine, at the dose of 0.3 mg kg −1 . Well-trained rats were treated intra-peritoneally with QNB, followed by another injection containing saline or tacrine (10 mg kg −1 ) or rivastigmine (1.2 mg kg −1 ) or donepezil (2.65 mg kg −1 ) 15 min later. Rats were subjected to the T-maze task 30 min and 24 h following QNB administration. The passage time and number of errors were observed. QNB significantly impaired the performance of rats in both tested times in contrast to short-lasting effect of scopolamine (30 min only). The inhibitors rivastigmine and donepezil significantly attenuated QNB-induced behavioural impairment in the 30 min tests, whereas tacrine failed to have the same effect. Moreover, the performance of tacrine-treated rats was worse due to cholinergic over-stimulation. Beneficial effects of all tested inhibitors including tacrine were evident in the 24 h test.

Several heterocyclic N-piperidine substituted salts were synthesized that were found to inhibit the specific binding of the antagonist [3H] quinuclidinyl benzilate in radioligand muscarinic binding assays (3H-QNB) in bioassays. One of the heterocyclic salts, compound 7, met the significance criteria in these assays (>50% inhibition) at 10 μM of the nonselective muscarinic antagonist (3H-QNB) in cells of the Wistar rat cerebral cortex. Furthermore, this compound displayed 61% inhibition at 10 μM of the antagonist (3H-QNB) for the M5 receptor (IC50 6.34 μM, Ki 3.93 μM, nH = 0.996) in human recombinant CHO cell lines. These data obtained from Ricerca Biosciences suggested that compound 7 was selective for the M5 receptor. Another study from the Czech Academy of Sciences demonstrated that compound 7 was 3 to 8 times more potent at M2 than other subtypes of muscarinic receptors in competition with antagonist N-methylscopolamine and selective for the M1 receptors over M3 and M5 in antagonizing accumulation of inositol phosphates induced by muscarinic agonist carbachol.

Aims Recombinant systems have been used for evaluating the properties of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) on the assumption of cell surface expression. However, many GPCRs, including muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs), have also been reported to be distributed in intracellular organelles in native tissues and cell lines. In this study, we compared the pharmacological profiles of exogenously and endogenously expressed M1-mAChRs, and evaluated the functional properties of these receptors. Main methods Recombinant M1-mAChRs were expressed exogenously in Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-M1 cells) and compared with endogenously expressed M1-mAChRs in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells. The pharmacological and functional profiles were evaluated using cell-permeable antagonists (1-quinuclidinyl-benzilate (QNB), pirenzepine and atropine) and cell-impermeable antagonists (N-methylscopolamine (NMS) or MT-7). Key findings M1-mAChRs were seen at the cell surface and intracellular sites in both cell lines. Under whole cell conditions, intracellular M1-mAChRs were mainly recognized by cell-permeable ligands, but scarcely by cell-impermeable ligands (at less than 100 nM). In CHO-M1 cells, M1-mAChR activation by carbachol resulted in Ca 2 + mobilization, ERK1/2 phosphorylation and a reduction in thymidine incorporation, all of which were completely inhibited by MT-7, indicating the involvement of surface M1-mAChRs. In N1E-115 cells, Ca 2 + mobilization occurred through surface M1-mAChRs, whereas ERK1/2 phosphorylation and acceleration of thymidine incorporation were mediated through intracellular M1-mAChRs. Significance Exogenous and endogenous M1-mAChRs are present at both the cell surface and the intracellular organelles, and the pharmacological properties of geographically distinct M1-mAChRs are different, and may depend on cell background and/or exogenous or endogenous origin.

Assessments of total anticholinergic activity (SAA) in serum are of considerable interest for its potential involvement in cognitive impairment associated with polydrug states in the elderly and other populations. Such estimations have been based on the displacement of radioligand binding in rat brain tissues. The validity of such measurements has been questioned, as a potentially distorting effect of large serum proteins was identified. We sought to develop a modified assay that would be more efficient and free of this potential confound. Cultured CHO cells stably expressing M1 receptors M1WT3 were used. Binding of 3 H-radioligands was conducted in 96-well plates and tested in serum containing known amounts of anticholinergic medications. Effects of endogenous serum proteins were assessed by pre-assay filtration and also by deproteinization with perchloric acid (PCA). Binding of [ 3 H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([ 3 H]QNB) or [ 3 H]N-methyl-scopolamine ([ 3 H]NMS) to M1WT3 cells proved reliable and equally sensitive to varying concentrations of anticholinergic agents. In agreement with previous findings (Cox, Kwatra, Shetty, & Kwatra, 2009), filtration of proteins heavier than 50 kDa essentially reduced SAA values to zero. In contrast, PCA preserved more than 70% of the binding seen untreated cell membranes. Cell-based assays also showed significant signal increases compared to the conventional rat brain-based protocol. Further advantages of the cell-based protocol described here include increased sensitivity and reliability, smaller amounts of radioligand needed, and higher throughput. PCA pretreatment eliminates potential artifacts attributable to serum proteins. This step, together with improvements in efficiency, should contribute significantly to the usefulness of the assay.

G-protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) recognize ligands of widely different efficacies, from inverse to partial and full agonists, which transduce cellular signals at differentiated levels. However, the mechanism of such graded activation remains unclear. Using the Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) method that enables both unconstrained enhanced sampling and free energy calculation, we have performed extensive GaMD simulations (∼19 μs in total) to investigate structural dynamics of the M2 muscarinic GPCR that is bound by the full agonist iperoxo (IXO), the partial agonist arecoline (ARC), and the inverse agonist 3-quinuclidinyl-benzilate (QNB), in the presence or absence of the G-protein mimetic nanobody. In the receptor–nanobody complex, IXO binding leads to higher fluctuations in the protein-coupling interface than ARC, especially in the receptor transmembrane helix 5 (TM5), TM6, and TM7 intracellular domains that are essential elements for GPCR activation, but less flexibility in the receptor extracellular region due to stronger binding compared with ARC. Two different binding poses are revealed for ARC in the orthosteric pocket. Removal of the nanobody leads to GPCR deactivation that is characterized by inward movement of the TM6 intracellular end. Distinct low-energy intermediate conformational states are identified for the IXO- and ARC-bound M2 receptor. Both dissociation and binding of an orthosteric ligand are observed in a single all-atom GPCR simulation in the case of partial agonist ARC binding to the M2 receptor. This study demonstrates the applicability of GaMD for exploring free energy landscapes of large biomolecules and the simulations provide important insights into the GPCR functional mechanism.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) recognize ligands of widely different efficacies, from inverse to partial and full agonists, which transduce cellular signals at differentiated levels. However, the mechanism of such graded activation remains unclear. Using the Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) method that enables both unconstrained enhanced sampling and free energy calculation, we have performed extensive GaMD simulations (∼19 μs in total) to investigate structural dynamics of the M2 muscarinic GPCR that is bound by the full agonist iperoxo (IXO), the partial agonist arecoline (ARC), and the inverse agonist 3-quinuclidinyl-benzilate (QNB), in the presence or absence of the G-protein mimetic nanobody. In the receptor-nanobody complex, IXO binding leads to higher fluctuations in the protein-coupling interface than ARC, especially in the receptor transmembrane helix 5 (TM5), TM6, and TM7 intracellular domains that are essential elements for GPCR activation, but less flexibility in the receptor extracellular region due to stronger binding compared with ARC. Two different binding poses are revealed for ARC in the orthosteric pocket. Removal of the nanobody leads to GPCR deactivation that is characterized by inward movement of the TM6 intracellular end. Distinct low-energy intermediate conformational states are identified for the IXO- and ARC-bound M2 receptor. Both dissociation and binding of an orthosteric ligand are observed in a single all-atom GPCR simulation in the case of partial agonist ARC binding to the M2 receptor. This study demonstrates the applicability of GaMD for exploring free energy landscapes of large biomolecules and the simulations provide important insights into the GPCR functional mechanism.

Investigations on the effect of normal healthy ageing on the muscarinic system have shown conflicting results. Also, in vivo determination of muscarinic receptor binding has been hampered by a lack of subtype selective ligands and differences in methods used for quantification of receptor densities. Recent in vitro and in vivo work with the muscarinic antagonist ( R , R )-I-QNB indicates this ligand has selectivity for m 1 and m 4 muscarinic receptor subtypes. Therefore, we used ( R , R )[ 123 I]-I-QNB and single photon emission tomography to study brain m 1 and m 4 muscarinic receptors in 25 healthy female subjects (11 younger subjects, age range 26–32 years and 14 older subjects, age range 57–82 years). Our aims were to ascertain the viability of tracer administration and imaging within the same day, and to evaluate whether normalization to whole brain, compared to normalization to cerebellum, could alter the clinical interpretation of results. Images were analyzed using the simplified reference tissue model and by two ratio methods: normalization to whole brain and normalization to cerebellum. Significant correlations were observed between kinetic analysis and normalization to cerebellum, but not to whole brain. Both the kinetic analysis and normalization to cerebellum showed age-related reductions in muscarinic binding in frontal, orbitofrontal, and parietal regions. Normalization to whole brain, however, failed to detect age-related changes in any region. Here we show that, for this radiotracer, normalizing to a region of negligible specific binding (cerebellum) significantly improves sensitivity when compared to global normalization.

Muscarinic cholinergic receptors contain two topographically distinct sites: an orthosteric site that binds agonists and regulates signaling, and an allosteric site that binds modulators such as gallamine and alcuronium (1). The orthosteric site is located within the cluster of seven transmembrane helices, as in other G protein-coupled receptors of family A, and it is highly conserved among the five muscarinic subtypes (2). The allosteric site is located at the surface between extracellular loops 2 and 3 (2); it is less conserved than the orthosteric site, and allosteric ligands therefore tend to exhibit greater selectivity among the different subtypes (3). The two sites are linked such that binding of a ligand to one affects binding to the other through a process of heterotropic cooperativity. Such effects and the comparative selectivity of the allosteric site have encouraged studies into allosteric ligands as a novel mode of targeted therapeutic intervention (4). The prevalence of allosteric sites within the broader family of GPCRs is unclear, but the purinergic, chemokine, dopaminergic, and serotonergic receptors all have been reported to bind and respond to allosteric ligands in a manner analogous to that of muscarinic receptors and gallamine (1). GPCRs traditionally have been thought to exist and function as monomers (5). Some GPCRs have been shown to activate G proteins when reconstituted as monomers in size-selective nanodiscs (6-8), and the fluorescence intensities of particles identified by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy have suggested that monomers are the predominant form of M1 muscarinic and formyl peptide receptors expressed in CHO cells (9;10). In contrast, much evidence suggests that most if not all GPCRs exist and function as oligomers within complexes that comprise multiple copies not only of the receptor but also of the G protein and perhaps the effector (11-13). Although the oligomer of receptors often is referred to as a dimer, the common methods of detection seldom distinguish between dimers and larger oligomers (e.g., (14;15)). More discerning methods have identified species that are at least trimers (16-18) or tetramers (19-24). GPCRs of family A also exhibit a characteristic, guanylyl nucleotide-sensitive dispersion of affinities in the binding of agonists. In the case of the M2 muscarinic receptor, those effects can be described quantitatively in terms of cooperative interactions among the four orthosteric sites of a tetramer (19;22). Since the breadth of the dispersion is a measure of efficacy (25;26), such agreement implies that cooperativity is involved in the mechanism whereby the receptor recognizes the agonist and relays the signal to downstream effectors. Cooperativity among four protomers of the M2 receptor also can account for noncompetitive effects in the binding of the antagonists N-methylscopolamine and quinuclidinylbenzilate (22;27;28). The gallamine-specific site on the M2 receptor is the most studied allosteric site of any GPCR (29), yet the implications of an oligomer for heterotropic effects generally have been disregarded. If the oligomeric nature of the system were sensed by an allosteric ligand, two forms of heterotropic cooperativity can be envisaged: intramolecular cooperativity between allosteric and orthosteric ligands on the same protomer (3;30), and intermolecular cooperativity between ligands on different protomers. A tetrameric receptor would possess a total of eight sites—four orthosteric and four allosteric—and potentially could host 16 different heterotropic interactions. The number of interactions is increased further by the possibility of homotropic cooperativity between orthosteric sites, allosteric sites, or both. The present investigation was prompted by two reports in which an allosteric ligand appeared to recognize at least two sites at the M2 receptor. In the first, the Hill coefficient was shown to exceed 1 for the effect of tacrine on the rate of dissociation of N-[3H]methylscopolamine and on its binding at thermodynamic equilibrium (31). In the second, the rate of dissociation of [3H]quinuclidinylbenzilate was increased and decreased in a bell-shaped manner at graded concentrations of gallamine (32). We have reproduced the complex effect of gallamine on the dissociation of [3H]quinuclidinylbenzilate and show that more than two sites are involved. We also show that gallamine affects the binding of N-[3H]methylscopamine in a triphasic, serpentine manner indicative of at least four sites. Essentially the same patterns have been found with M2 receptor from different sources, both in membranes and after extraction in digitonin–cholate. The data can be rationalized in terms of a receptor that is at least tetrameric. Within that complex, a mix of homotropic and heterotropic interactions determines the binding of gallamine and its allosteric effects at orthosteric sites on the same and neighboring protomers. This interpretation recognizes the oligomeric nature of the receptor, in contrast to the common view in which all effects of gallamine are ascribed to one or more sites on a single protomer. The results illustrate the scope for cooperativity within oligomers of GPCRs and argue for a reassessment of heterotropic interactions in those that possess an allosteric site (1;33;34).

Smoking crack cocaine involves the inhalation of cocaine and its pyrolysis product, anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME). There is evidence that cocaine is neurotoxic, but the neurotoxicity of AEME has never been evaluated. AEME seems to have cholinergic agonist properties in the cardiovascular system; however, there are no reports on its effects in the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to investigate the neurotoxicity of AEME and its possible cholinergic effects in rat primary hippocampal cell cultures that were exposed to different concentrations of AEME, cocaine and to a cocaine-AEME combination. We also evaluated the involvement of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the neuronal death induced by these treatments using concomitant incubation of the cells with atropine. Neuronal injury was assessed using 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. The results of the viability assays showed that AEME is a neurotoxic agent that has greater neurotoxic potential than cocaine after 24 and 48 hours of exposure. We also showed that incubation for 48 hours with the combination of both compounds in equipotent concentrations had an additive neurotoxic effect. Although both substances decreased cell viability in the MTT assay, only cocaine increased LDH release. Caspase 3 activity was increased after incubation with 1 mM cocaine and after 6 hours of 0.1 and 1 mM AEME exposure. Atropine prevented the AEME-induced neurotoxicity, which suggests that muscarinic cholinergic receptors are involved in AEME's effects. In addition, binding experiments confirmed that AEME has an affinity for muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Nevertheless, atropine was not able to prevent the neurotoxicity produced by cocaine and the cocaine-AEME combination, suggesting that these treatments activated other neuronal death pathways. Our results suggest a higher risk for neurotoxicity after smoking crack cocaine than after cocaine use alone. Language: en

Background: Multifactorial diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) should be more efficiently tackled by drugs which hit multiple biological targets involved in their pathogenesis. We have recently developed a new family of huprine-tacrine heterodimers, rationally designed to hit multiple targets involved upstream and downstream in the neurotoxic cascade of AD, namely β-amyloid aggregation and formation as well as acetylcholinesterase catalytic activity. Objective: In this study, the aim was to expand the pharmacological profiling of huprine-tacrine heterodimers investigating their effect on muscarinic M1 receptors as well as their neuroprotective effects against an oxidative insult. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rat hippocampus homogenates were used to assess the specific binding of two selected compounds in competition with 1 nM [3H]pirenzepine (for M1 receptors) or 0.8 nM [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (for M2 receptors). For neuroprotection studies, SHSY5Y cell cultures were subjected to 250 µM hydrogen peroxide insult with or without preincubation with some huprine-tacrine heterodimers. Results: A low nanomolar affinity and M1/M2 selectivity has been found for the selected compounds. Huprine-tacrine heterodimers are not neurotoxic to SHSY5Y cells at a range of concentrations from 1 to 0.001 µM, and some of them can protect cells from the oxidative damage produced by hydrogen peroxide at concentrations as low as 0.001 µM. Conclusion: Even though it remains to be determined if these compounds act as agonists at M1 receptors, as it is the case of the parent huprine Y, their low nanomolar M1 affinity and neuroprotective effects expand their multitarget profile and increase their interest as disease-modifying anti-Alzheimer agents.

Three multivariate modelling approaches including partial least squares regression (PLS), genetic algorithm-partial least squares regression (GA-PLS), and principal components-artificial neural network (PC-ANN) analysis were investigated for their application to the simultaneous determination of chlordiazepoxide and clidinium levels in pharmaceuticals. A set of synthetic mixtures of drugs in ethanol and 0.1 M HCL was made, and the prediction abilities of the aforementioned methods were examined using RSE% (relative standard error of the prediction). The PLS and PC-ANN methods were found to be comparable, and GA-PLS produced slightly better results. The predictive models that we built were successfully applied to simultaneously determine the levels of chlordiazepoxide and clidinium in coated tablets.

The study describes development and subsequent validation of a stability indicating reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method for the simultaneous estimation of clidinium bromide (CLI) and chlordiazepoxide (CHLOR) from their combination drug product. Chromatographic separations are performed at ambient temperature on a Phenomenex Luna C(18) (250 mm x 4.6 mm, i.d., 5 microm) column using a mobile phase consisting of potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (0.05 M, pH 4.0 adjusted with 0.5% orthophosphoric acid)-methanol- acetonitrile (40:40:20, v/v/v). The flow rate is 1.0 mL/min, and the detection wavelength is 220 nm. The method is validated with respect to linearity, precision, accuracy, system suitability, and robustness. The utility of the procedure is verified by its application to marketed formulations that were subjected to accelerated degradation studies. The method distinctly separated the drug and degradation products even in actual samples. The products formed in marketed tablet dosage forms are similar to those formed during stress studies.

We recently identified LY2033298 as a novel allosteric potentiator of acetylcholine (ACh) at the M(4) muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR). This study characterized the molecular mode of action of this modulator in both recombinant and native systems. Radioligand-binding studies revealed that LY2033298 displayed a preference for the active state of the M(4) mAChR, manifested as a potentiation in the binding affinity of ACh (but not antagonists) and an increase in the proportion of high-affinity agonist-receptor complexes. This property accounted for the robust allosteric agonism displayed by the modulator in recombinant cells in assays of [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding, extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation, glycogen synthase kinase 3beta phosphorylation, and receptor internalization. We also found that the extent of modulation by LY2033298 differed depending on the signaling pathway, indicating that LY2033298 engenders functional selectivity in the actions of ACh. This property was retained in NG108-15 cells, which natively express rodent M(4) mAChRs. Functional interaction studies between LY2033298 and various orthosteric and allosteric ligands revealed that its site of action overlaps with the allosteric site used by prototypical mAChR modulators. Importantly, LY2033298 reduced [(3)H]ACh release from rat striatal slices, indicating retention of its ability to allosterically potentiate endogenous ACh in situ. Moreover, its ability to potentiate oxotremorine-mediated inhibition of condition avoidance responding in rodents was significantly attenuated in M(4) mAChR knockout mice, validating the M(4) mAChR as a key target of action of this novel allosteric ligand.

Background— Despite the major role attributed to myocardial vagal activity in left ventricular arrhythmogenesis in chronic myocardial infarction, the impact of infarction on left ventricular muscarinic receptor density remains unknown. Methods and Results— Left ventricular muscarinic receptor density was measured in vivo by positron emission tomography using the specific antagonist [ 11 C]methylquinuclidinyl benzilate ([ 11 C]MQNB) in 11 patients 43�20 days after myocardial infarction and 9 healthy volunteers. The extent of myocardial damage was quantified by delayed contrast-enhanced MRI. Three short-axis slices from each subject were analyzed in matched positron emission tomography and MRI images. A 2-injection positron emission tomography protocol was used; [ 11 C]MQNB time-activity curves were obtained in 6 regions per slice and fitted to a 3-compartment ligand-receptor model. Four classes of myocardial regions were considered: normal (in volunteers); remote, supplied by healthy or 70% diameter reduction arteries and without signs of damage; and damaged, with damage. The muscarinic receptor density in remote (67�30 pmol/mL tissue; n=86) and potentially damaged (71�30 pmol/mL tissue; n=42) regions of patients was higher than in normal regions of volunteers (32�17 pmol/mL tissue; n=156; P P P =0.093). Conclusions— Vagal control in patients with chronic myocardial infarction involves muscarinic receptor upregulation in remote nondamaged left ventricular regions. Our results suggest that the receptor density remains within normal values in myocardial regions containing damaged tissue.

The muscarinic receptors in the guinea pig urinary bladder and the longitudinal muscle of the guinea pig ileum were studied by means of a receptor-binding technique. 1-Quinuclidinyl [phenyl 4-3H]benzilate ((-)3H-QNB) was employed as radio-ligand and the separation of bound from free (-) 3H-QNB was performed by microcentrifugation. Under conditions of equilibrium (-)3H-QNB was specifically bound with high affinity to a limited number of sites, 0.32 and 1.62 pmol/mg protein in the bladder and ileum, respectively. The binding appeared to represent a single population of non-interacting binding sites. The apparent dissociation constants were 2.6 x 10(-10) M in the bladder and 1.2 x 10(-9) M in the ileum, whereas the KD-values, estimated by extrapolation to an infinitely low receptor concentration were 1.1 x 10(-10) M (bladder) and 3.1 x 10(-10) M (ileum). The binding of (-)3H-QNB appears to represent an interaction with muscarinic receptors, as it was effectively inhibited by muscarinic antagonists and agonists, but not by a variety of non-cholinergic drugs.

Oxotremorine, a compound widely used as a muscarinic agonist, was found to inhibit binding of 125I-alpha-bungarotoxin to chick myotube nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, IC50 = 79 +/- 5 microM. Oxotremorine also induced a d-tubocurarine sensitive influx of 86Rb in the myotubes (EC50 = 50 +/- 15 microM). Comparative ion-flux studies with carbachol suggested a partial agonist mode of action of oxotremorine.