Binding and functional properties of hexocyclium and sila-hexocyclium derivatives to muscarinic receptor subtypes

Abstract
1 We have compared the binding properties of several hexocyclium and sila-hexocyclium derivatives to muscarinic M1 receptors (in rat brain, human neuroblastoma (NB-OK 1) cells and calf superior cervical ganglia), rat heart M2 receptors, rat pancreas M3 receptors and M4 receptors in rat striatum, with their functional antimuscarinic properties in rabbit vas deferens (M1/M4-like), guinea-pig atria (M2), and guinea-pig ileum (M3) muscarinic receptors. 2 Sila-substitution (C/Si exchange) of hexocyclium (→ sila-hexocyclium) and demethyl-hexocyclium (→ demethyl-sila-hexocyclium) did not significantly affect their affinities for muscarinic receptors. By contrast, sila-substitution of o-methoxy-hexocyclium increased its affinity 2 to 3 fold for all the muscarinic receptor subtypes studied. 3 The p-fluoro- and p-chloro-derivatives of sila-hexocyclium had lower affinities than the parent compound at the four receptor subtypes, in binding and pharmacological studies. 4 In binding studies, o-methoxy-sila-hexocyclium (M1 = M4 ≥ M3 ≥ M2) had a much lower affinity than sila-hexocyclium for the four receptor subtypes, and discriminated the receptor subtypes more poorly than sila-hexocyclium (M1 = M3 > M4 > M2). This is in marked contrast with the very clear selectivity of o-methoxy-sila-hexocyclium for the prejunctional M1/M4-like heteroreceptors in rabbit vas deferens. 5 The tertiary amines demethyl-hexocyclium, demethyl-sila-hexocyclium and demethyl-o-methoxy-sila-hexocyclium had 10 to 30 fold lower affinities than the corresponding quaternary ammonium derivatives.