Stereoselective LSD-like Activity in a Series of d-Lysergic Acid Amides of (R)- and (S)-2-Aminoalkanes

Amides of d-lysergic acid with 3-pentyl, (R)- and (S)-2-pentyl, 2-hexyl, and 2-heptyl substituents were synthesized and tested for LSD-like activity. (R)-lysergamides bound more strongly than (S)-amides to 5-HT2A and 5-HT1A receptors in rat brain tissue. As the amide alkyl chain lengthened from pentyl to heptyl, (R)-isomer affinity for 5-HT2A sites decreased, while affinity for 5-HT1A peaked with (R)-2-hexyllysergamide. In rats trained to discriminate LSD from saline, (R)-alkylamides produced stronger LSD-like effects than (S)-isomers, but longer chains reduced activity, with (R)-hexylamide only partially substituting for LSD. Both isomers acted as potent 5-HT2A agonists, but (R)-pentyllysergamide stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis about 20 times more than the (S)-form.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The 3-pentyl-, (R)- and (S)-2-pentyl-, 2-hexyl-, and 2-heptylamides of d-lysergic acid were synthesized and evaluated in biochemical and behavioral assays for LSD-like activity. In radioligand competition studies, the (R)-lysergamides were consistently more potent than the (S)-amides in displacing [3H]ketanserin from 5-HT2A receptors in rat cortical homogenate and in displacing [3H]-8-OH-DPAT ([3H]-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n- propylamino)tetralin) from rat hippocampal 5-HT1A receptors. As the amide alkyl was lengthened from pentyl to heptyl, the affinity of the (R)-isomers for 5-HT2A sites decreased, while affinity for 5-HT1A sites was maximal for the (R)-2-hexyllysergamide. In rats trained to discriminate 0.08 mg/kg LSD tartrate from saline, a similar stereoselective effect was noted in which the (R)-alkylamides were more potent than the (S)-isomers in producing the LSD-like discriminative stimulus effect. However, as the amide alkyl substituent was increased in length, LSD-like activity decreased, with only partial substitution for training drug being observed for the (R)-hexylamide. The (R)- and (S)-pentyllysergamides were also assayed for their ability to activate intracellular phosphoinositide hydrolysis. Consistent with the binding and behavioral studies, these assays showed that both isomers are potent agonists at the 5-HT2A receptor, but that the (R)-pentyllysergamide is approximately 20 times more active than the (S)-pentyllysergamide in stimulating phosphoinositide turnover.