N. N. Novikova

Synthesis and study of the influence of certain products of serotonin metabolism, β-carbolines and related compounds, on the voluntary consumption of alcohol in animals

It is suggested that certain natural serotonin metabolites [i], as well as their cyclic analogs, representing compounds of the group of 8-carbolines, may play a substantial role in processes of formation and manifestation of alcohol dependence, since they intervene in the regulation of alcohol consumption [2, 3], beingproducts of ~n u~uo cyclization of serotonin and its metabolites with acetaldehyde -a metabolite of ethanol [4]. The incorporation of these compounds into the mechanism of formation of alcohol dependence may be determined by their ability to intervene in certain neurochemical processes [4], in particular, the serotoninergic processes. Moreover, the high affinity for the benzodiazepine receptor [5] suggests possible intervention of the compounds under consideration in the emotional processes associated with the attraction to alcohol.

Synthesis and transformations of 2,2-dimethyl-4-chloromethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-?-carboline

The synthesis of 2,2-dimethyl-4-chloromethyl-1,2-dihydro- and -1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-γ-carbolines was developed, and it is shown that the latter undergo rearrangement processes to give 4,4-dimethyl-, 1-piperidino-4,4-dimethyl-, and 1-morpholino-4,4-dimethyl-1, 2,3,4,5,6-hexahydroazepino[4,5-b]indoles, respectively, under the influence of nucleophilic reagents, viz., sodium borohydride, piperidine, and morpholine.

Reduction of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-?-carbolines with alkali metal borohydrides in trifluoroacetic acid

A preparative method for the synthesis of 9- (2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-1,2,3,4,4a, 9a-hexahydro-γ-carbolines by the action of alkali metal borohydrides in trifluoroacetic acid on 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-γ-carbolines was developed. The indicated trifluoroethyl derivatives can also be obtained by reaction of the same reagents with 1,2,3,4,4a,9a-hexahydro-γ-carbolines, which are intermediates in the overall reduction-trifluoroethylation process.