Quantitative analysis of minaprine and some of its metabolites with application to kinetic studies in rats

Novel aminopyridazine derivative of minaprine modified by radiolysis presents potent anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 and DH82 macrophage cells

Radiation molecularly transforms naturally occurring products by inducing the methoxylation, hydroxylation, and alkylation of parent compounds, thereby affecting the anti-inflammatory capacities of those compounds. Minaprine (1) modified by ionizing radiation generated the novel hydroxymethylation hydropyridazine (2), and its chemical structure was determined based on NMR and HRESIMS spectra. Compared to the original minaprine, the novel generated product showed a highly enhanced anti-inflammatory capacity inhibited nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 and DH82 macrophage cells. In addition, minaprinol (2) effectively inhibited cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) at the protein level and pro-inflammatory cytokine (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-10) production in macrophages.

Disposition of minaprine in animals and in human extensive and limited debrisoquine hydroxylators

1. The disposition of 14C-minaprine was studied after oral administration of 5 and 20 mg/kg to rats, dogs and macaques, and of 200 mg to human volunteers with a genetic status of either limited or extensive hydroxylation of debrisoquine. 2. The drug was readily absorbed and a large proportion of the administered radioactivity was excreted within 48 h. The total excretion over 5 days ranged from 83% in monkeys to almost 100% in human with a status of extensive hydroxylators. 3. In the two limited hydroxylators Cmax values of total radioactivity in plasma were 4.6 and 3.7 mg equiv/l respectively. Those in the two extensive hydroxylators were 1.9 and 1.6 respectively. The highest value in the animal species was 8.1 in rats at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Plasma Cmax values of minaprine were 4.0 and 1.4 mg/l in limited hydroxylators and 0.35 and 0.23 mg/l in extensive ones. The highest value in the animal species was 2.7 mg/l in dogs treated with 20 mg/kg. 4. In rats and dogs, the ratios of the plasma AUC values for 20 mg/5 mg doses were close to those of the ratios of the doses administered, whereas in the macaque a slower clearance of radioactivity occurred with the higher dose (t 1/2 beta 5.5 h at 5 mg/kg dose versus 25.7 h at 20 mg/kg dose). 5. Marked species differences were observed in the metabolic pathways. The dog and limited hydroxylators showed higher levels of minaprine and its N-oxide (M4) whereas p-hydroxy-minaprine (M3) prevailed in monkey, rat and extensive hydroxylators. 6. In dogs only, seizures appeared within 10-15 min after dosage with minaprine at 20 mg/kg, when the concentrations of minaprine in erythrocytes (6.9 mg/l) and of M4 in plasma (0.40 mg/l) and erythrocytes (0.25 mg/l), were high. 7. The measurements and clinical observations indicate that onset of an adverse behavioural response in humans is unlikely at the dose of 200 mg.

Metabolism of minaprine in human and animal hepatocytes and liver microsomes--prediction of metabolism in vivo

1. The metabolism of minaprine and its major metabolite p-hydroxyminaprine were studied using hepatocytes and liver microsomes from different species. Metabolism of this drug in vitro was then compared with in vivo data already published. 2. Our results showed that the major metabolic route (4-hydroxylation of the aromatic ring) is the same in the two experimental systems. Other in vivo biotransformation pathways (i.e. N-oxidation, reductive ring cleavage, N-dealkylation, oxidation) were also confirmed in hepatocytes. 3. Similar inter-species variability was observed both in vitro and in vivo. The present study has led to the same conclusion as previous in vivo metabolic investigations, namely, that metabolism in the dog quantitatively differs from that observed in other animal species. 4. These results clearly demonstrate that in vitro models (i.e. isolated hepatocytes and liver microsomes) are powerful tools in predicting the metabolic pathways of a drug in man and animal species.

Effect of the antidepressant minaprine on both forms of monoamine oxidase in the rat

The antidepressant minaprine (3-(2-morpholino-ethylamino) 4-methyl 6-phenyl pyridazine, dihydrochloride) and its main metabolites were examined for their monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitory effects in the rat. In our experimental conditions, minaprine displayed in vitro a very weak affinity for brain MAO A and B with IC50S close to 1 mM. However, ex vivo, after intraperitoneal administration, this drug behaved as a specific and short-acting type A MAO inhibitor (MAOI) of mild potency (ED50 = 12.8 mg/kg). In comparison, the reversible type A MAOIs, moclobemide and cimoxatone, were respectively 14 and 15 times more potent. When administered orally, minaprine proved to be considerably less active. The results presented in this study suggest that minaprine inhibits MAO A mainly after being converted into active metabolites. However, the chloroform extractable metabolites were found inactive in vitro towards this enzyme, suggesting that MAO inhibitory activity is mediated by one or more other non-identified metabolites.

Disposition and metabolism of minaprine in the rat

After iv. injection (5 mg/kg) to rats, minaprine is cleared rapidly from plasma with an elimination t 1/2 of 34 min. After the same dose but given orally the drug is rapidly absorbed from the rat gastrointestinal tract. The ratio of the area under the curves (AUC) of the parent drug indicates low bioavailability (5%). Two metabolites of minaprine (M3 and M5) appeared rapidly in rat plasma and far exceed minaprine concentrations. Other known urinary metabolites of the drug were undetectable in rat plasma and brain within the limits of the sensitivity of the method. Minaprine rapidly enters the central nervous system and then distributes almost evenly in various regions beyond the blood/brain barrier. It concentrates in brain tissue reaching concentrations two-three times those in plasma. It metabolites enter the brain less rapidly and their brain AUC never reached 50% of the plasma AUC.

Neurochemical effects of minaprine, a novel psychotropic drug, on the central cholinergic system of the rat

Minaprine, a novel psychotropic drug with antidepressant, anticataleptic and antiaggressive properties, produced an increase in rat brain regional acetylcholine content at a subconvulsant dose of 30 mg/kg IP. The greatest increase (60%) was produced in the striatum, whereas an increase of about 35% was obtained in the hippocampus and the rest of the cortex. A small but significant increase of 14% was also found in the midbrain-hindbrain region. Minaprine decreased choline content only in the striatum. No tolerance to acute challenge was observed after 10-day chronic treatment. In vitro, the drug had no effect on striatal choline acetyltransferase activity up to a concentration of 160 microM and only weakly displaced (3H) dexetimide from its specific muscarinic receptor binding sites in striatum (IC50, 2 X 10(-4) M). After in vivo administration the drug did not affect sodium-dependent high affinity choline uptake by a hippocampal homogenate. On the other hand, the drug inhibited both striatal and hippocampal acetylcholinesterase activity at high (40-160 microM) concentrations in vitro. In vivo the drug produced a brief (5 min), small (18%) decrease in the enzymic activity which corresponded in time to the peak drug level attained in the brain, but was not concomitant with a change in striatal acetylcholine content. By contrast, the increase in striatal acetylcholine appeared after 30 min when there was no longer inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity and when the level of minaprine in brain was reduced by 78%. Blockade of dopamine receptors by pimozide pretreatment partially prevented the increase in striatal acetylcholine produced by minaprine, whereas interference with cholinergic or serontonergic neurotransmission was without effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Biochemical effects of minaprine on striatal dopaminergic neurons in rats

The biochemical effects of minaprine, a new psychotropic drug, were investigated on striatal dopaminergic neurons in the rat. Minaprine did not displace [3H]spiperone in-vitro binding from striatal membranes but had clear effects on dopamine (DA) metabolites. Homovanillic acid (HVA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) were significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner after intraperitoneal administration of minaprine 30 min before killing. In rats injected with minaprine 15 mg kg-1 i.p. at different intervals, the decrease in striatal HVA and DOPAC was time-dependent and a concomitant rise in 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT) concentrations was observed. The maximum of these effects was reached 30 min after minaprine. When administered 5 min after a monoamineoxidase (MAO) inhibitor (pargyline, 100 mg kg-1 i.p.) and 30 min before killing, minaprine did not affect pargyline-induced changes in HVA, DOPAC and 3-MT levels. This together with other data suggests that minaprine affects DA metabolism by acting, at least partially, at presynaptic level through in-vivo inhibition of MAO activity.