Phenylacetic acids and the structurally related non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac bind to specific gamma-hydroxybutyric acid sites in rat brain

Petrine Wellendorph, Signe Høg, Christian Skonberg, Hans Bräuner-Osborne

    15 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is a proposed neurotransmitter or neuromodulator with a yet unresolved mechanism of action. GHB binds to both specific high-affinity GHB binding sites and to gamma-aminobutyric acid subtype B (GABA(B)) receptors in the brain. To separate specific GHB effects from GABA(B) receptor effects, it is imperative to develop GHB selective and potent compounds. We generated the compound, 4-(biphen-4-yl)-4-hydroxybutyric acid, which is the 4-hydroxyl analogue of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) fenbufen (referred to as gamma-hydroxyfenbufen). When measured in a rat brain homogenate [(3)H]NCS-382 binding assay, gamma-hydroxyfenbufen inhibited [(3)H]NCS-382 binding with a 10-fold higher affinity than GHB (K(i) 0.44 microM), thus establishing it as a novel lead structure. The active metabolite of fenbufen, 4-biphenylacetic acid inhibited [(3)H]NCS-382 binding with a twofold higher affinity than GHB. Measuring the affinities of structurally related NSAIDs for the [(3)H]NCS-382 site identified diclofenac, a clinically relevant NSAID (Voltaren, Diclon) of the phenylacetic acid (PAA) type, as a GHB ligand (K(i) value of 5.1 microM). Other non-NSAID PAAs also exhibited affinities similar to GHB. Our data raise the interesting possibility that the widely used over-the-counter drug compound, diclofenac, might affect GHB binding at relevant clinical dosages. Furthermore, the identification of PAAs as GHB ligands supplies new information about the structural preferences of the GHB ligand-binding site.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalFundamental and Clinical Pharmacology
    Volume23
    Issue number2
    Pages (from-to)207-213
    Number of pages7
    ISSN0767-3981
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2009

    Keywords

    • Animals
    • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
    • Binding Sites
    • Brain
    • Diclofenac
    • Hydroxybutyrates
    • Ligands
    • Male
    • Phenylacetates
    • Protein Binding
    • Rats
    • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
    • Receptors, Cell Surface
    • Structure-Activity Relationship

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