Abstract
Three new amide derivatives of valproic acid have been synthesized and characterized by spectrophotometric studies. The rationale for the preparation of such agents has been based on the observation that chemical combination of the anticonvulsant pharmacophore, valproic acid with amine moieties produces more effective and less toxic amides. The amine components selected in this work also exhibit neuroactivity with the prospect of these agents being biologically active in controlling not just seizures and but also possessing neuroprotective properties. We report here the synthesis and properties of the valproylamides of 5-methoxytryptamine, related to melatonin (1), of N-substituted 2-pyrrolidinone related to piracetam (2), and of adamantylamine related to amantadine (3). In preliminary tests these compounds showed low toxicity and a variety of anticonvulsive properties, including a delay in onset of activity. These compounds and their derivatives are now available to be tested additionally for control of subclinical seizures, enhancement of cognition, behavior modification and alleviation of symptoms and disorders due to neuronal damage.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Dean, J. C. 1996. Valproate. in Wylie, E., Wilkins and Williams (ed.), The Treatment of Epilepsy, Principles and Practice, Baltimore.
Nau, H. and Hendrickx, A. G. 1987. Valproic acid teratogenesis. ISI Atlas. Sci. Pharmacol. 1:52–56.
Nau, H., Hauck, R.-S., and Ehlers, K. 1991. Valproic acid induced neural tube defects in mouse and human:aspects of chirality, alternative drug development, pharmacokinetics and possible mechanisms. Pharmacol. Toxicol. 69:310–321.
Ingram, J. L., Peckham, S. M., Tisdale, B., and Rodier, P. M. 2000. Prenatal exposure of rats to valproic acid reproduces the cerebellar anomalies associated with autism. Neurotoxicol. Teratol. 22:319–324.
Nau, H. and Loscher, W. 1986. Pharmacologic Evaluation of various metabolites and analogs of valproic acid: Teratogenic potencies in mice. Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 6:669–676.
Elmazar, M. M. A., Hauck, R.-S., and Nau, H. 1993. Anticonvulsant and neurotoxic activities of twelve analogs of valproic acid. J. Pharm. Sci. 8282:1255–1258.
Bojic, U., Elmazar, M. M. A., Hauck, R.-S., and Nau, H. 1996. Further branching of valproate-related carboxylic acids reduces the teratogenic activity, but not the anticonvulsant effect. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 9:866–870.
Loscher, W. and Nau, H. 1985. Pharmacological evaluation of various metabolites and analogues of valproic acid. Anticonvulsant and toxic potencies in mice. Neuropharmacol. 24:427–435.
Haj-Yehia, A. and Bialer, M. 1989. Structure pharmacokinetic relationships in a series of valpromide derivatives with antiepileptic activity. Pharm. Res. 8:683–689.
Haj-Yehia, A. and Bialer, M. 1990. Structure pharmacokinetic relationships in a series of short fatty acid amides that possess anticonvulsant activity. J. Pharm. Sci. 79:719–724.
Nau, H. and Scott W. J. Jr. 1986. Weak acids may act as teratogens by accumulating in the basic milieu of the early mammalian embryo. Nature 323:276–278.
Nau, H. and Scott, W. J., Jr. 1987. Teratogenicity of valproic acid and related substances in the mouse: Drug accumulation and pHi in the embryo during organogenesis and structureactivity considerations. Arch. Toxicol. Suppl. 11:128–139.
Bechar, E. and Astroug, H. 1997. Synthesis and pharmacological activity of two derivatives of the amide of valproic acid. Arch. Pharm. Pharm. Med. Chem. 330:273–276.
Chatterjie, N. and Alexander, G. J. 2000. Bonded pharmacophores show striking prolongation of effects. Abst. ASBMB-ASPET Joint Meet Suppl. A10.
Chatterjie, N. and Alexander, G. J. 2001. Valproylmelatonin: A long-acting anticonvulsant. FASEB J. 15:A809.
Chatterjie N., Alexander, G. J., Sechzer, J. A., and Lieberman, K. W. 1995. Amphetamine-naloxone interaction: Prolonged protection by naloxyl-6-alpha-spirohydantoin. FASEB J. 9:A1372.
Hugel, H. M. and Kennaway, D. J. 1995. Synthesis and chemistry of melatonin and related compounds. A review. Org. Prep. Proceed. Int. 27:1–311.
Mevissen, M. and Ebert, U. 1998. Anticonvulsant effects of melatonin in amygdala-kindled rats. Neurosci. Lett. 257:13–16.
Fauteck, J., Schmidt, H., Lerchl, A., Kurlemann, G., and Wittkowski, W. 1999. Melatonin in epilepsy: First results of replacement therapy and first clinical results. Biol. Signals Recept. 8:105–110.
Anton-Tay, F., Diaz, J. L., and Fernandez-Guardiola, A. 1974. On the effect of melatonin upon human brain: Its possible therapeutic implications. Life Sci. 10:841–850.
Espinar, A., Garcia-Oliva, A., Isorna, E. M., Quesada, A., Prada, F. A., and Guerrero, J. M. 2000. Neuroprotection by melatonin from glutamate-induced excitotoxicity during development of the cerebellum in the chick embryo. J. Pineal Res. 28:81–88.
McCabe, P. H. 2000. New anti-epileptic drugs for the 21-st Century. Expert Opin. Pharmacol. 1:633–674.
Danysz, W., Parsons, C. G., Kornhuber, J., Schmidt, W. J., and Quack, G. 1997. Aminoadamantanes as NMDA receptor antagonists and antiparkinsonian agents-preclinical studies. Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 21:455–468.
Kornhuber, J. and Weller, M. 1997. Psychotogenicity and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonism: Implications for neuroprotective pharmacotherapy. Biol. Psychiatry 41:135–144.
Deykin, E. Y. and MacMahon, B. 1979. The increase of seizures among children with autistic symptoms. Am. J. Psychiat. 136:1310–1312.
Holmes, G. L. 1997. Epilepsy in the developing brain, Lessons from the laboratory and clinic. Epilepsia 38:12–30.
Binnie, C. D. and Marston, D. 1992. Cognitive correlation of interictal discharges. Epilepsia 33(Suppl. 6):11–17.
Kushner, S. A., Dewey, S. L., and Kornetsky, C. 1999. The irreversible gamma-aminobutyric acaid (GABA) transaminase inhibitor gamma-vinyl-GABA blocks cocaine self-administration in rats. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Therap. 290:797–802.
Jambaque, I., Chiron, C., Dumas, C., Mumford, J., and Dulac, O. 2000. Mental and behavioral outcome of infantile epilepsy treated by vigabatrin in tuberous sclerosis patients. Epilepsy Res. 38:151–160.
Gilberg, C. 1991. Treatment of epilepsy in autism. J. Autism Dev. Disorders 21:61–77.
Childs, J. A. and Blair, J. L. 1997. Valproic acid treatment of epilepsy in autistic twins. J. Neurosci. Nurs. 29:244–248.
Ballaban-Gil, K. and Tuchman, R. 2000. Epilepsy and epileptiform EEG: Association with autism and language disorders. Ment. Retard. Dev. Disabil. Res. Rev. 6:300–308.
Tuchman, R. 2000. Treatment of seizure disorders and EEG abnormalities in children with autism spectrum disorders. J. Autism Dev. Disorders 30:485–489.
Schiffer, W. K., Gerasimov, M. R., Bermel, R. A., Brodie, J. D., and Dewey, S. L. 2000. Stereoselective inhibition of dopaminergic activity by gamma vinyl-GABA following a nicotine or cocaine challenge: A pet/microdialysis study. Life Sci. 66:169–173.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chatterjie, N., Alexander, G. & Wang, H. Synthesis of Valproic Acid Amides of a Melatonin Derivative, a Piracetam and Amantadine for Biological Tests. Neurochem Res 26, 1171–1176 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012383125480
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012383125480