Novel highly potent and selective sigma1 receptor antagonists effectively block the binge eating episode in female rats

Fabio Del Bello, Wilma Quaglia, Carlo Cifani, Emanuela Micioni Di Bonaventura, Luca Botticelli, Gianfabio Giorgioni, Pegi Pavletic, Alessandro Piergentili, Alessandro Bonifazi, Dirk Schepmann, Giulio Vistoli, Maria Vittoria Micioni Di Bonaventura

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this paper, the benzo-cracking approach was applied to the potent sigma1 (σ1) receptor antagonist 1 to afford the less conformationally constrained 1,3-dioxane derivatives 2 and 3. To evaluate the effect of the increase in the distance between the two hydrophobic structural elements that flank the basic function, the cis and trans diastereomers of 4 and 5 were also prepared and studied. Compounds 2 and 3 showed affinity values at the σ1 receptor significantly higher than that of the lead compound 1. In particular, 3 displayed unprecedented selectivity over the σ2 receptor, the phencyclidine site of the NMDA receptor, and opioid receptor subtypes, as well as over the dopamine transporter. Docking results supported the structure-activity relationship studies. Due to its interesting biological profile, derivative 3, selected for an in vivo study in a validated preclinical model of binge eating, was able to counteract the overeating of palatable food only in binging rats, without affecting palatable food intake in the control group and anxiety-like and depression-related behaviors in female rats. This result strengthened the involvement of the σ1 receptor in the compulsive-like eating behavior and supported the σ1 receptor as a promising target for the management of eating disorders.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3107-3116
Number of pages10
JournalACS chemical neuroscience
Volume11
Issue number19
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 7 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Binge eating episode
  • Forced swimming test
  • Highly palatable food
  • Open field test
  • Selective sigma1 ligands

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Physiology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology

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