Modification of the 4-phenylbutyl side chain of potent 3-benzazepine-based GluN2B receptor antagonists

Excitotoxicity driven by overactivation of NMDA receptors represents a major mechanism of acute and chronic neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. Negative allosteric modulators interacting with the ifenprodil binding site of the NMDA receptor are able to interrupt this ongoing neurodamaging process. Starting from the potent 3-benzazepine-1,7-diol 4a novel NMDA receptor antagonists were designed by modification of the N-(4-phenylbutyl) side chain. With respect to developing novel fluorinated PET tracers, regioisomeric fluoroethoxy derivatives 11, 12, 14, and 15 were synthesized. Analogs 19 and 20 with various heteroaryl moieties at the end of the N-side chain were prepared by Sonogashira reaction and nucleophilic substitution. The fluoroethyl triazole 37 was obtained by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. In several new ligands, the flexibility of the (hetero) arylbutyl side chain was restricted by incorporation of a triple bond. The affinity towards the ifenprodil binding site was tested in an established competition assay using [H-3] ifenprodil as radioligand. Introduction of a fluoroethoxy moiety at the terminal phenyl ring, replacement of the terminal phenyl ring by a heteroaryl ring and incorporation of a triple bond into the butyl spacer led to considerable reduction of GluN2B affinity. The phenol 15 (K-i=193 nM) bearing a p-fluoroethoxy moiety at the terminal phenyl ring represents the most promising GluN2B ligand of this series of compounds. With exception of 15 showing moderate sigma(2) affinity (K-i=79 nM), the interaction of synthesized 3-benzazepines towards the PCP binding site of the NMDA receptor, sigma(1) and sigma(2) receptors was rather low (K-i > 100 nM).