Abstract
We examined the block of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors by n-alkyl (straight chain) diamines and related monoamines and triamines using whole-cell voltage clamp recording of NMDA receptor currents in cultured rat hippocampal neurons and [3H] dizocilpine binding to rat forebrain homogenates. At -60 mV, the diamines (carbon chain lengths 3-12) produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of NMDA receptor current (IC50 values, 6128-7.3 microM). For diamines of carbon chain lengths greater than 6, the inhibition was partially, but not completely, relieved by depolarization, indicating that the block occurs at distinct voltage-dependent and voltage-independent sites. The block produced by short-chain diamines (carbon chain lengths 3-6) was completely relieved by depolarization, indicating little or no interaction with the voltage-independent site. In comparison with the corresponding diamines, homologous monoamines exhibited very low potency, whereas homologous triamines were of equal or lower potency. For long-chain diamines, inhibitory potency at both the voltage-dependent and voltage-independent sites was correlated with carbon chain length (binding energy increasing 600-700 cal/mol-CH2), suggesting that binding to each of the sites is stabilized by a hydrophobic interaction. Affinities for the voltage-dependent blocking site (transformed to 0 mV) and for the voltage-independent blocking site were similar. These values were also similar to the inhibitory potencies of the diamines in the [3H]dizocilpine binding assay. Analysis of the voltage-dependence of block at the voltage-dependent site yielded z delta values for diamines of intermediate length (carbon chain lengths 7-9) that decreased with increasing length from 0.91 to 0.63 [approaching the z delta values of monovalent blockers (approximately 0.54) and one-half of the z delta values of shorter diamines (approximately 1.1)], suggesting that the intermediate length diamines block in a linear, extended chain conformation with one of the charges having incomplete access to a deep binding site. Longer chain diamines (carbon chain lengths 10 and 12) exhibited larger z delta values (0.78 and 0.98, respectively), presumably because enhanced conformational flexibility permitted a folded-over conformation. From the interchange distances of the intermediate length diamines in their lowest energy conformation, we estimated that the total voltage drop within the NMDA receptor channel occurs over a distance of approximately 20 A. The putative polyamine facilitatory site antagonist diethylenetriamine inhibited NMDA-induced currents at the voltage-dependent site (IC50, 654 microM; -60 mV).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
MolPharm articles become freely available 12 months after publication, and remain freely available for 5 years.Non-open access articles that fall outside this five year window are available only to institutional subscribers and current ASPET members, or through the article purchase feature at the bottom of the page.
|