N-(ω-(4-(2-Methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)alkyl)carboxamides as Dopamine D2 and D3 Receptor Ligands

The dopamine D3 receptor is recognized as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Targetting high affinity and D3 versus D2 receptor-preferring ligands, the partial agonist BP 897 was taken as a lead structure. Variations in the spacer and the aryl moiety led to N-alkylated 1-(2-methyoxyphenyl)piperazines with markedly improved affinity and selectivity. Molecular modeling studies supported the structural development. Pharmacophore models for dopamine D2 and D3 receptor ligands were developed from their potentially bioactive conformation and were compared in order to get insight into molecular properties of importance for D2/D3 receptor selectivity. For the 72 compounds presented here, an extended and more linear conformation in the aliphatic or aryl spacers turned out to be crucial for dopamine D3 receptor selectivity. Structural diversity in the aryl moiety (benzamides, heteroarylamides, arylimides) had a major influence on (sub)nanomolar D3 receptor affinity, which was optimized with more rigid aryl acrylamide derivatives. Compound 38 (ST 280, (E)-4-iodo-N-(4-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)butyl)cinnamoylamide) displayed a most promising pharmacological profile (K i (hD3) = 0.5 nM; K i (hD2L) = 76.4 nM; selectivity ratio of 153), and above that, compound 38 offered the prospect of a novel radioligand as a pharmacological tool for various D3 receptor-related in vitro and in vivo investigation.