The conversion of methyl-2-acetoxyethyl-2'-chloroethylamine to an acetylcholine-like aziridinium ion and its action on the isolated guinea pig ileum

Use of acetylcholine mustard to study allosteric interactions at the M(2) muscarinic receptor

We explored the interaction of a nitrogen mustard derivative of acetylcholine with the human M(2) muscarinic receptor expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells using the muscarinic radioligand, [3H]N-methylscopolamine (NMS). Acetylcholine mustard caused a concentration-dependent, first-order loss of [3H]NMS binding at 37 degrees C, with the half-maximal rate constant occurring at 24 microM and a maximal rate constant of 0.16 min(-1). We examined the effects of various ligands on the rate of alkylation of M(2) receptors by acetylcholine mustard. N-methylscopolamine and 4-(trimethylamino)-2-butynyl-(3-chlorophenyl)carbamate (McN-A-343) competitively slowed the rate of alkylation, whereas the inhibition by gallamine reached a plateau at high concentrations, indicating allosteric inhibition. In contrast, 17-beta-hydroxy-17-alpha-ethynyl-5-alpha-androstano[3,2-beta]-pyrimido[1,2-alpha]benzimidazole (WIN 51708) had no effect. We also measured the inhibition of [3H]NMS binding by acetylcholine mustard at 0 degrees C, conditions under which there is little or no detectable covalent binding. In these experiments, the dissociation constant of the aziridinium ion of acetylcholine mustard was estimated to be 12.3 microM. In contrast, the parent mustard and alcoholic hydrolysis product of acetylcholine mustard were without effect. Our results show that measurement of the effects of ligands on the rate of inactivation of the orthosteric site by a small site-directed electrophile is a powerful method for discriminating competitive inhibition from allosterism.

Is ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion a specific cholinergic neurotoxin?

The histopathologic effects of different doses of ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion infused into the caudate-putamen complex or nucleus basalis were evaluated in rats. Although no non-specific tissue damage was observed at the lowest doses of ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion examined--0.01 nmol in 1-microliter vehicle and 0.02 nmol in 2-, 5-, and 10-microliters vehicle in both the striatum and nucleus basalis--minimal but definite non-selective pathology, characterized by gliosis and loss of all neuronal elements in the region affected by the nitrogen mustard, was observed in both targets at a dose of 0.02 nmol 1 microliter and more severely at all doses containing 0.05 and 0.1 nmol ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion. At doses of ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion containing 0.2 nmol of the cytotoxin and greater amounts, non-specific cell loss in intact tissue and extensive cavitation became increasingly the most prominent histologic features of drug action. No statistically significant effects of ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion on striatal choline acetyltransferase activities were found until doses of 0.4 nmol/1 microliter or greater were injected, concentrations of the cytotoxin at which appreciable non-specific pathology was also observed. Levels of dopamine in the caudate-putamen nucleus were reduced by comparatively greater amounts than choline acetyltransferase at doses of 2.5 nmol/2 microliters, 5.0 nmol/2 microliters and 10 nmol/2 microliters cytotoxin, but a significant effect of ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion on striatal L-glutamate decarboxylase activity was found only at a dose of 10 nmol/2 microliters. As no dose of ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion was found that reduced choline acetyltransferase without producing considerable non-specific tissue destruction, the usefulness of the cytotoxin in studying the behavioral and physiological consequences of selective cholinergic hypofunction in the brain must be questioned.

Schistosoma mansoni: species-selective response to N-chloroethyl-acetylcholine derivatives

Three new acetylcholine mustard analogs were tested on schistosome and vertebrate neuromuscular preparations. These compounds extend a previously reported structure-activity series. The new compounds investigated include isopropyl-, cyclohexyl-, and benzyl-2-acetoxyethyl-2'-chloroethylamine (PrM, ChM, and BzM). In schistosome motor activity studies, all of the compounds caused irreversible reductions in the activity of Schistosoma mansoni after 1 hr exposure followed by 19 hr in drug-free medium. Under nonlethal conditions of dosage and exposure time, all compounds blocked carbachol-induced paralysis, indicating a possible action at schistosome cholinergic sites. All the compounds also reduced the labeling of schistosomes by dimethylaminonapthalene-5-sulfonamidoethyl dimethylamine hydrochloride (DDNS), a fluorescent ACh analog. In isolated vertebrate tissue experiments. PrM and ChM had slight agonist activity in the guinea pig ileum, and only PrM had agonist activity in the frog rectus abdominis preparation. PrM and BzM were found to antagonize ACh responses in the guinea pig ileum. Exposure of vertebrate tissues for 1 hr to high concentrations of ChM caused no long-lasting inhibition of ACh, pilocarpine, and serotonin (5HT) responses. Histamine responses were slightly reduced from control. Following 1 hr exposure of vertebrate tissues to PrM, initial reductions in all responses were seen, followed by recoveries to near control. BzM treatment, however, reduced all responses far below control; the tissues did not recover even after washing for 2 hr. It is concluded that ChM and, to a lesser extent, PrM, had a greater effect on schistosomes than on vertebrate tissues. BzM did not display species selectivity in this favorable direction.

The neuropharmacology of schistosomes

The schistosomal nervous system uses some of the same neurotransmitters as the vertebrate system, but significant differences exist with respect to neurotransmitter metabolism and receptor specificity. The cholinergic system has been most extensively studied, and the serotoninergic system has also been examined carefully; catecholamines and benzodiazepines also seem to affect nervous system function. The objective of this work has been to determine whether neuroactive drugs could be used to disrupt the parasites' physiology sufficiently to have therapeutic impact, while avoiding toxic effects on the host nervous system. Promising findings have been made, suggesting that the unique properties of the schistosomal nervous system might be exploited to therapeutic advantage.

Pathways of decomposition of propylbenzilylcholine mustard in neutral and alkaline solution

High-voltage electrophoresis has been used to follow the decomposition of propylbenzilylcholine mustard (PrBCM) in aqueous solution. Dilute solutions of PrBCM in 10 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.5, or Krebs-Henseleit solution allowed to stand for 1 h at room temperature (22-24 degrees C) contain mainly the aziridinium ion derivative. At pH 7.5 the concentration of this ion declines slowly, giving rise first to the N-hydroxyethyl derivative and then ultimately, following hydrolysis of the ester bond, to NN-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)propylamine and benzilic acid. In contrast, in 5 mM NaOH the ester bond undergoes rapid hydrolysis, so that the major species present after 15 min at room temperature is the N-hydroxyethylaziridinium ion. This ion then undergoes slow reaction with hydroxy ion to yield the same final decomposition product, NN-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)propylamine, as is observed at pH 7.5.

Interactions of acetylcholine mustard with acetylcholinesterase

The hydrolysis of acetylcholine and acetylcholine mustard by acetylcholinesterase was compared over a substrate concentration range of 1-10 mM. Reactions were allowed to proceed for 2 min at 25 degrees. Results of these experiments reveal that the substrates have similar affinities for the enzyme, whereas the maximum velocity for the hydrolysis of acetylcholine mustard was significantly lower than for acetylcholine. These findings suggest that acetylcholine mustard has the ability to inactive acetycholinesterase.

The irreversible binding of acetylcholine mustard to muscarinic receptors in intestinal smooth muscle of the guinea-pig

1. Acetylcholine mustard (N-2-chloroethyl-N-methyl-2-acetoxyethylamine), a potent muscarinic agonist, binds virtually irreversibly to muscarinic receptors in longitudinal muscle strips from guinea-pig small intesting, as shown by the inhibition of the binding of E13-H]-propylbenzilycholine mustard ([3-H-PrBCM), an affinity label for the muscarinin receptor. 2. A value for the apparent binding affinity of acetylcholine mustard and a value for the rate constant for the receptor alkylation reaction have been deduced from the rate of onset of the inhibition of [3-H]-PrBCM binding. 3. The kinetic constants obtained may refer largely to the interaction between acetylcholine mustard and the desensitized receptor. 4. At high concentrations acetylcholine mustard practically abolishes the contractile response to carbachol. At the concentrations acetylcholine mustard appears to have multiple actions on the tissue.

Affinity-labelling of the muscarinic receptor of the guinea-pig illeum

1. The activities of some cholinergic compounds were investigated on the terminal ileum of the guinea-pig and their muscarinic potencies were found to be in the following order: acetylcholine (ACh) greater than diazoacetylcholine (DACh) greater than iodoacetylcholine (IACh) greater than azidoacetylcholine (AACh). 2. Protection experiments with atropine showed a decreased affinity of the four cholinergic compounds for the muscarinic receptor, demonstrating a direct interaction of the drugs and the receptor. 3. The maximal contractions (intrinsic activity) caused by DACh were greater than those casued by ACh, IACh and AACh. 4. Incubation of the ileum with ACh was followed by a reversible loss of its ability to contract (desensitization). The time course of recovery was similiar to that after incubation with AACh. 5. IACh caused a partial (50%), irreversible paralysis of the muscle. 6. The furaziridines seem to react partially irreversibly (30%), whereas paranitrophenyldiazonium fluoborate (p-NDP) caused a complete, irreversible blockade of the muscarinic receptor.

Interaction of benzilylcholine mustard, benzilylcholine and lachesine with the histamine receptor in the longitudinal muscle of guinea-pig ileum

1. The histamine receptors of longitudinal muscle strips from guinea-pig ileum were inactivated on extended exposure to concentrations of benzilylcholine mustard (BCM) above 10(-6)M. These concentrations are 3 orders of magnitude greater than those required for inactivation of the muscarinic receptors. Mepyramine (3 x 10(-8)M) afforded complete protection for the histamine receptor against the effects of BCM.2. Recovery from block at 30 degrees C was very slow with a first-order rate constant of approximately 10(-7) s(-1).3. The rate constant, k(2), for the alkylation reaction in which the reversible BCM-receptor complex is converted into an irreversible complex is much greater than the rate constant, k(-1), for dissociation of the reversible complex. The value of the rate constant, k(1), for formation of the reversible complex was 1.1 +/- 0.2 x 10(3)M(-1) s(-1).4. These observations suggested that k(1) was probably not much greater than for BCM acting on the muscarinic receptor, even though the value of k(1) was reduced by more than 2 orders of magnitude. This effect has been established for benzilylcholine and lachesine, reversible analogues of BCM. For both drugs k(1) for the histamine receptor was approximately 3 orders of magnitude less than for the muscarinic receptor, whereas k(1) was greater by a factor of only 6.