Insecticidal arylalkylbenzhydrolpiperidines: novel inhibitors of voltage‐sensitive sodium and calcium channels in mammalian brain

Using preparations derived from whole mouse brain, we have demonstrated that insecticidal arylalkylbenzhydrolpiperidines inhibit the depolarization of synaptoneurosomes as measured by rhodamine 6G fluorescence and block 22Na+ uptake into synaptosomes, when veratridine is used as the activator. These insecticides also have the ability to potently displace the binding of [3H]batrachotoxinin A 20‐α‐benzoate ([3H]BTX‐B) to neuronal sodium channels in a concentration‐dependent manner. The study compounds can be classified as competitive inhibitors of radioligand binding, since they decrease the affinity of [3H]BTX‐B for site 2 without affecting the concentration of sites labelled by this radioligand. Our kinetic analyses revealed that at its IC50, the 4‐carbomethoxyaminobenzylpiperidine analogue reduces the rate of association of [3H]BTX‐B with site 2, whereas higher concentrations were required to accelerate dissociation of the [3H]BTX‐B:sodium channel complex. These results indicate an ability to interact with both non‐activated and persistently activated states of the voltage‐sensitive sodium channel, but higher affinity for the former. Such a profile also implies that inhibition of [3H]BTX‐B binding to site 2 occurs via an allosteric mechanism. In addition, arylalkylbenzhydrolpiperidines interact with presynaptic voltage‐sensitive calcium channels, since we demonstrate that they inhibit increases in [free Ca++] and 45Ca++ uptake when evoked by high KCl concentration in mouse brain synaptosomal preparations. Such effects generally occur at concentrations that are higher than those required to inhibit sodium channels. Blockade of sodium and calcium channels may therefore contribute to the in vivo neurological effects observed in rodents exposed to these insecticides. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry