Synthesis And Evaluation Of Novel Tropane Compounds As Potential Therapeutics For Drug Abuse

In an effort to search for potential therapeutic agents for cocaine addiction, a novel class of compounds was synthesized and evaluated for in vitro dopamine and serotonin transporter affinities. These unique 3ƒÀ-aryl-3ƒ¿-arylmethoxytropane analogues incorporated the structure of dopamine selective 2-substituted-3-phenyltropanes and the design of serotonin selective meperidine derivatives. In general, the 3ƒÀ-aryl-3ƒ¿-arylmethoxytropane analogues exhibited greater potency for the serotonin transporter than the dopamine transporter. The most potent compounds of this series were 3ƒÀ-phenyl-3ƒ¿.(3, 4-dichlorophenyl)methoxy-8.azabicyclo [3.2.1]nortropane (Ki = 0.06 nM) and 3ƒÀ-(4Œ-chlorophenyl)-3ƒ¿.(4-chlorophenyl)methoxy-8. azabicyclo[3.2.1]nortropane (Ki = 0.09 nM) at the serotonin transporter and their binding affinities were equipotent with paroxetine and fluoxetine (Prozac). A series of 8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-ene derivatives were synthesized from 3-tropinone based on the structure of triple re-uptake inhibitor, DOV 216, 303. The compounds were designed as potential triple re-uptake inhibitors which could exhibit equipotent affinities at the monoamine transporters for dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. A short and efficient synthetic methodology was developed for the synthesis of unique compounds which could exhibit potency for both the dopamine and serotonin transporters. The 3ƒÀ-aryl-3ƒ¿-(4Œ, 4-disubstituteddiphenylmethoxy)tropane analogues were designed as hybrid structures of the dopamine transporter selective benztropines and the serotonin transporter selective meperidine derivatives