Jennifer Ong

2-Hydroxy-saclofen: an improved antagonist at central and peripheral GABAB receptors

2-hydroxy-saclofen (2-OH-S), a sulphonic analogue of baclofen, slightly increased the twitch height and reversibly antagonised the GABA- and baclofen-induced depression of twitch contractions in the guinea pig vas deferens and isolated ileum, causing a parallel dextral shift in the baclofen dose-response curve in a competitive manner (pA2 = 5.0) in the latter tissue. 2-OH-S (10-50 microM) reversibly elevated the spike height and antagonised the baclofen (8-20 microM)-induced suppression of ictal discharges in rat cortical slices superfused in Mg2+-free Krebs solution, the spike height declining to control level within 15 min of washout. The antagonism by 2-OH-S on GABAB receptor-mediated actions is selective, as 2-OH-S did not affect depressive responses to adenosine or morphine, or contractile responses to GABA (GABAA receptor-mediated), acetylcholine and carbachol in the ileum. Compared to phaclofen, 2-OH-S is a more potent competitive antagonist of GABAB receptor-mediated actions in the central and peripheral nervous system.

Antagonism at GABAB receptors by saclofen and related sulphonic analogues of baclofen and GABA

Saclofen (the direct sulphonic analogue of baclofen) is a competitive antagonist of baclofen at GABAB receptors in guinea pig ileum and rat cortical slices (estimated pA2 = 5.3), at least twice as potent as 2-hydroxy-saclofen (pA2 = 5). A series of related sulphonic analogues also antagonised baclofen in the guinea pig ileum, including 2-hydroxy-saclofen amide (pA2 = 3.3), 3-amino-2-hydroxy-2-phenyl-propylsulphonic acid (pA2 = 3.5), 3-amino-2-(benzo-(b)-furan-2-yl)-propylsulphonic acid (pA2 = 4.3), and 3-amino-2-(4-chlorophenyl)-prop-1-enesulphonic acid (pA2 = 2.5-3), but none were more active than saclofen which is the most potent specific GABAB antagonist yet found.

Cortisol: A potent biphasic modulator at GABAA-receptor complexes in the guinea pig isolated ileum

Cortisol had a biphasic action on GABAA-receptor-mediated contractile responses, enhancing at picomolar concentrations (1-10 pM) and inhibiting at higher concentrations (10-1000 nM). There was a sinistral shift of the GABA dose-response curve in the presence of 10 pM cortisol, with a significant potentiation of the GABA-induced contractions over the lower dose range of GABA (3-30 microM), whereas 100 nM cortisol caused a non-parallel dextral shift of the GABA dose-response curve, with a depression of the maximum GABA response indicative of non-competitive antagonism. Cortisol at various concentrations did not affect GABAB-receptor-mediated ileal relaxations, or the baclofen-induced depression of twitch contractions to transmural stimulation. Such concentrations of cortisol also did not affect ileal responses to exogenously applied acetylcholine or cholinergic twitch contractions themselves. These results suggest that cortisol is a specific, and very potent modulator at GABAA-receptor complexes in the guinea pig ileum.

GABAB-receptor-mediated actions of baclofen in rat isolated neocortical slice preparations: antagonism by phosphono-analogues of GABA

Baclofen, 3-amino-propylphosphonic acid (3-APPA), and beta-phenyl-GABA (BPG), each reduced the frequency of spontaneous paroxysmal discharges in rat neocortical slices maintained in Mg2+-free medium, reversibly antagonised by phaclofen and 4-amino-butylphosphonic acid (4-ABPA). At lower concentrations, not influencing the discharges, both 3-APPA and BPG also reversibly antagonised this action of baclofen. However, des-chloro-phaclofen was inactive. Thus, phaclofen and 4-ABPA are GABAB-receptor antagonists in neocortex, whereas both 3-APPA and BPG have partial agonist/antagonist activity at cortical GABAB-receptors.

3-aminopropanephosphinic acid is a potent agonist at peripheral and central presynaptic GABAB receptors

The actions of the GABA analog 3-aminopropanephosphinic acid (3-APA) were studied in the guinea-pig isolated ileal preparation and at synapses between cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Like the GABAB receptor agonist, baclofen, 3-APA inhibited the electrically evoked ileal twitch. The EC50 for 3-APA was 0.8 microM; the EC50 for baclofen was 9 microM. In addition, the depressant responses to 3-APA and baclofen were blocked by the GABAB receptor antagonists phaclofen, saclofen, 2-hydroxy-saclofen and delta-aminovaleric acid. 3-APA also mimicked the presynaptic action of baclofen at GABAergic synapses between embryonic rat hippocampal neurons in culture. 3-APA reduced the amplitude of inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) and currents (IPSCs) by greater than 50% at a concentration of 1 microM, while baclofen reduced synaptic transmission to a similar degree at 10 microM. 3-APA did not alter membrane conductance, nor did the drug alter postsynaptic responses to GABA. These data show that 3-APA is a potent agonist at presynaptic GABAB receptors in the periphery and on GABAergic neurons from the central nervous system. The activity of 3-APA at central postsynaptic GABAB receptors remains to be studied.

Benzofuran analogues of baclofen: a new class of central and peripheral GABAB-receptor antagonists.

Two novel beta-(benzo[b]furan) analogues of baclofen (4-amino-3-benzo[b]furan-2-ylbutanoic acid, 9G, and 4-amino-3-(5-methoxybenzo[b]furan-2-yl)butanoic acid, 9H) antagonised the baclofen-induced depression of twitch contractions in the guinea-pig isolated ileum (estimated apparent pA2 3.9 and 4.1 respectively); both 9G and 9H also antagonised in a dose-dependent manner the baclofen-induced reduction of repetitive paroxysmal discharges in rat neo-cortical slice preparations maintained in Mg2+-free Krebs solution. These benzofurans evidently represents a new class of GABAB-receptor antagonist.

Inhibition of baclofen binding to rat cerebellar membranes by phaclofen, saclofen, 3-aminopropylphosphonic acid and related GABAB receptor antagonists.

The inhibition of the binding of the GABAB agonist [3H](-)-baclofen to rat cerebellar membranes by some sulfonic and phosphonic acid analogues of GABA has been studied. These analogues have been shown to act as GABAB antagonists in the rat cortical wedge and the guinea-pig isolated ileum preparations. The order of potency of phaclofen (IC50 118 microM), 2-hydroxysaclofen (IC50 5.1 microM) and saclofen (IC50 7.8 microM) as inhibitors of [3H](-)-baclofen binding was similar to the order of potency of these compounds as GABAB antagonists, whereas 3-aminopropylphosphonic acid (IC50 1.5 microM) and 4-aminobutyl-phosphonic acid (IC50 3.9 microM) were much more potent than anticipated from their relatively weak GABAB antagonist actions. These results indicate that inhibition of [3H](-)-baclofen binding to rat cerebellar membranes does not reflect antagonist activity at GABAB receptors seen in the rat cortical wedge preparation or the guinea-pig isolated ileum preparation. This may indicate a heterogeneity of GABAB binding and receptor sites.

Cortisone: a potent GABAA antagonist in the guinea‐pig isolated ileum

Abstract— In the guinea‐pig isolated ileum, cortisone at 0.001–10 nM induced a non‐competitive, dose‐dependent antagonism of GABAA‐receptor‐mediated contractile responses to applied GABA, depressing the maximum contractile response to GABA (100 μM), without affecting contractile responses to acetylcholine or cholinergic twitch contractions. At higher concentrations (>10 nM), cortisone depressed contractile responses to acetylcholine (10–100 nM) and cholinergic twitch responses to transmural stimulation. Cortisone is thus the most potent non‐competitive antagonist at GABAA‐receptor complexes in the guinea‐pig ileum. From molecular modelling, sterically there appeared little difference between cortisone and cortisol, the latter being an enhancer of GABAA‐receptor‐mediated action in the ileum. However, there were significant differences in electrostatic potentials between the two steroids, due to the different levels of oxidation at C11 which may contribute to such opposing actions.

Differing actions of β-phenyl-GABA and baclofen in the guinea pig isolated ileum

Abstract In the guinea-pig isolated ileum, both γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and baclofen induced a dose-dependent depression of cholinergic twitch contractions to transmural stimulation, sensitive to δ-aminovaleric acid (DAVA) and phosphonobaclofen (phaclofen). β-Phenyl-GABA (BPG) antagonised this depressant action of baclofen and GABA, whilst itself weakly depressing ileal twitch contractions, an effect insensitive to DAVA or phaclofen, and thus unrelated to any GABA B -receptor-mediated effects. These results suggest that the baclofen receptors in the ileum that are antagonised by BPG differ from either of the baclofen receptors in the spinal cord, where the presynaptic receptors are blocked by phaclofen and the postsynaptic receptors are insensitive to phaclofen, with BPG having baclofen-like actions at both sites. Interaction of BPG and baclofen with different receptor populations may explain the differing therapeutic actions of these compounds.

Differing actions of baclofen and 3-amino-propylphosphinic acid in rat neocortical slices

Rat neocortical slices maintained in Mg2(+)-free Krebs medium developed spontaneous paroxysmal discharges which were attenuated or suppressed by the gamma-aminobutyric acid-B (GABAB) receptor agonist baclofen, occasionally accompanied by a slight hyperpolarisation, and antagonised by the specific GABAB-receptor antagonist, 2-OH-saclofen. Over the same dose range, the GABA-analogue 3-amino-propylphosphinic acid (3-APA) caused a marked, prompt hyperpolarisation with little or no effect on the frequency of the discharges, although their amplitude was attenuated. In the presence of 2-OH-saclofen, 3-APA still induced a hyperpolarisation but the amplitude of the discharges was no longer affected. This marked difference in action between baclofen and 3-APA in the rat neocortical slices suggests there may be a heterogeneity of GABAB-receptors.