Gr. Martin et al., RECEPTOR SPECIFICITY AND TRIGEMINO-VASCULAR INHIBITORY ACTIONS OF A NOVEL 5-HT1B 1D RECEPTOR PARTIAL AGONIST, 311C90 (ZOLMITRIPTAN)/, British Journal of Pharmacology, 121(2), 1997, pp. 157-164
1 311C90 (zolmitriptan zomig: ino)ethyl]-1H-indole-5-yl]methyl]-2-oxaz
olidinone) is a novel 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonist with proven efficacy
in the acute treatment of migraine. Here, we describe the receptor spe
cificity of the drug and its actions on trigeminal-evoked plasma prote
in extravasation into the dura mater of the anaesthetized guinea-pig.
2 At the '5-HT1B-like' receptor mediating vascular contraction (rabbit
saphenous vein), the compound a potent (p[A(50)]=6.79+/-0.06) partial
agonist achieving 77+/-4% of the maximum effect to 5-hydroxytryptamin
e (5-HT). In the same experiments, sumatriptan (p[A(50)]=6.48+/-0.04)
was half as potent as 311C90 and produced 97+/-2% of the 5-HT maximum
effect. Studies in which receptor inactivation methods were used to es
timate the affinity (pK(A)) and efficacy relative to 5-HT (tau(red)) f
or each agonist confirmed that 311C90 exhibits higher affinity than su
matriptan (pK(A)=6.63+/-0.04 and 6.16+/-0.03, respectively) and that b
oth drugs are partial agonists relative to 5-HT (tau(red)=0.61+/-0.03
and 0.63+/-0.10, respectively, compared to 5-HT=10). 3 Consistent with
its effects in rabbit saphenous vein, 311C90 also produced concentrat
ion-dependent contractions of primate basilar artery and human epicard
ial coronary artery rings. In basilar artery, agonist potency (p[A(50)
]=6.92+/-0.07) was Similar to that demonstrated in rabbit saphenous ve
in, again being 2-3 fold higher than for sumatriptan (p[A(50)]=6.46+/-
0.03). Both agonists produced about 50% of the maximum response obtain
ed with 5-HT in the same preparations. In rings of human coronary arte
ry, the absolute potency of 311C90 and sumatriptan was higher than in
primate basilar artery (p[A(50)]=7.3+/-0.1 and 6.7+/-0.1, respectively
), but maximum effects relative to 5-HT were lower (37+/-8% and 35+/-7
%, respectively). In both types of vessel, the inability of 5-HT1B/1D
agonists to achieve the same maximum as the endogenous agonist 5-HT is
explained by the additional presence of 5-HT2A receptors. 4 311C90 di
splayed high affinity at human recombinant 5-HT1D (formerly 5-HT1D alp
ha) and 5-HT1B (formerly 5-HT1D beta) receptors in transfected CHO-K1
cell membranes (pIC(50) values=9.16+/-0.12 and 8.32+/-0.09, respective
ly). In intact cells, the drug produced concentration-dependent inhibi
tion of forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase (p[A(50)]=9.9 and 9.5, r
espectively) achieving the same maximum effect as 5-HT. Excepting huma
n recombinant 5-HT1A and 5-ht(1F) receptors at which the drug behaved
as an agonist with modest affinity (pIC(50)=6.45+/-0.11 and 7.22+/-0.1
2, respectively), 311C90 exhibited low, or no detectable affinity (pK(
i) or pK(B) less than or equal to 5.5) at numerous other monoamine rec
eptors, including other 5-HT receptor subtypes. 5 When administered to
anaesthetized guinea-pigs ten minutes before unilateral electrical st
imulation of the trigeminal ganglion (1.2 mA, 5 Hz, 5 ms, 5 min), 311C
90 (3-30 mu g kg(-1), i.v.) caused a dose-dependent inhibition of [I-1
25]-albumin extravasation within the ipsilateral dura mater. At the sa
me doses, the drug also produced dose-dependent falls in cranial vascu
lar conductance (32.3+/-7.5% at 30 mu g kg(-1)), as measured in the ea
r by laser doppler flowmetry. 6 These results show that 311C90, a nove
l member of the 5-HT1B/1D agonist drug class, exhibits a high degree o
f pharmacological specificity. Its potent partial agonist action at '5
-HT1B-like' receptors in intracranial arteries, coupled with potent ag
onism at 5-HT1D and 5-HT1B receptors and an ability to inhibit neuroge
nic plasma protein extravasation in the dura, are consistent with its
utility as an effective acute treatment for migraine.