Relationships between the structure of spiro[[2]benzopyran-1,1′-cyclohexan]-4′-amines and their σ1 receptor affinity and selectivity

Abstract

A set of 31 secondary and tertiary amines of type 5 was synthesized by reductive amination of ketones 6 and 22–24 with amines and NaBH(OAc)3. Usually, cis-configured amines display higher σ1 affinity than trans-configured analogs. Elongation of the distance between the amino moiety and the terminal phenyl ring from one to three CH2 moieties increased the σ1 affinity. Tertiary amines with one small N-substituent are well tolerated by the σ1 receptor. Within this class of compounds, the cyclohexylpiperazines trans-21a (Ki(σ1) = 6.3 nM) and cis-21b (Ki(σ1) = 4.4 nM) show very high σ1 affinity and selectivity over related receptors (σ2 receptor, MOR, DOR, KOR). On the other hand, the cis-configured p-fluorophenylpiperazine cis-20b was identified as high-affinity σ2 ligand (Ki(σ2) = 11 nM) with considerable selectivity over σ1 receptor, MOR, DOR and KOR. Very high MOR affinity (Ki = 2.3 nM), but only moderate affinity towards both σ receptor subtypes was detected for the cis-configured piperidine cis-17b without aryl moiety at the piperidine ring. Thus, cis-17b represents a novel MOR chemotype with high MOR affinity and high selectivity over both σ receptors, DOR and KOR.