Impentamine dihydrobromide

Constitutive activity of histamine h(3) receptors stably expressed in SK-N-MC cells: display of agonism and inverse agonism by H(3) antagonists.[Pubmed:11714875]

J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2001 Dec;299(3):908-14.

Agonist-independent activity of G-protein-coupled receptor, also referred to as constitutive activity, is a well-documented phenomenon and has been reported recently for both the histamine H(1) and H(2) receptors. Using SK-N-MC cell lines stably expressing the human and rat H(3) receptors at physiological receptor densities (500-600 fmol/mg of protein), we show that both the rat and human H(3) receptors show a high degree of constitutive activity. The forskolin-mediated cAMP production in SK-N-MC cells is inhibited strongly upon expression of the G(i)-coupled H(3) receptor. The cAMP production can be further inhibited upon agonist stimulation of the H(3) receptor and can be enhanced by a variety of H(3) antagonists acting as inverse agonists at the H(3) receptor. Thioperamide, clobenpropit, and iodophenpropit raise the cAMP levels in SK-N-MC cells with potencies that match their receptor binding affinities. Surprisingly, impentamine and burimamide act as effective H(3) agonists. Modification of the amine group of impentamine dramatically affected the pharmacological activity of the ligand. Receptor affinity was reduced slightly for most impentamine analogs, but the functional activity of the ligands varied from agonist to neutral antagonist and inverse agonist, indicating that subtle changes in the chemical structures of impentamine analogs have major impact on the (de)activation steps of the H(3) receptor. In conclusion, upon stable expression of the rat and human H(3) receptor in SK-N-MC cells constitutive receptor activity is detected. In this experimental system, H(3) receptors ligands, previously identified as H(3) antagonists, cover the whole spectrum of pharmacological activities, ranging from full inverse agonists to agonists.

Antinociceptive activity of impentamine, a histamine congener, after CNS administration.[Pubmed:10072195]

Life Sci. 1999;64(5):PL79-86.

The brain neuromodulator histamine induces antinociception when administered directly into the rodent CNS. However, several compounds derived from H2 and H3 antagonists also produce antinociception after central administration. Pharmacological studies have shown that a prototype of these agents, improgan, induces analgesia that is not mediated by actions on known histamine receptors. Presently, the antinociceptive properties of a compound that chemically resembles both improgan and histamine were investigated in rats. Intraventricular (i.v.t.) administration of impentamine (4-imidazolylpentylamine) induced reversible, near-maximal antinociception on the hot plate and tail flick tests (15 microg, 98 nmol). The dose-response function was extremely steep, however, since other doses showed either no effect or behavioral toxicity. On the tail flick test, impentamine antinociception was resistant to antagonism by blockers of H1, H2, or H3 receptors, similar to characteristics previously found for improgan. In contrast, histamine antinociception was highly attenuated by H1 and H2 antagonists. These findings suggest that: 1) the histamine congener impentamine may induce antinociception by a mechanism similar to that produced by improgan, and 2) additional histamine receptors may be discovered that are linked to pain-attenuating processes.

Homologs of histamine as histamine H3 receptor antagonists: a new potent and selective H3 antagonist, 4(5)-(5-aminopentyl)-1H-imidazole.[Pubmed:7830269]

J Med Chem. 1995 Jan 20;38(2):266-71.

The influence of alkyl chain length variation on the histamine H3 receptor activity of histamine homologs 1 was investigated. A series of 4(5)-(omega-aminoalkyl)-1H-imidazoles 1 was prepared with an alkyl chain length varying from one methylene group to 10 methylene groups. Besides the H3 activity, the affinities of these compounds for the H1 and H2 receptors were determined. The ethylene chain of histamine is optimal for agonistic activity on all three histamine receptor subtypes. For the H3 receptor, elongation of the alkyl chain from three methylene groups on leads to compounds with antagonistic properties. 4(5)-(5-Aminopentyl)-1H-imidazole (impentamine, 1e) is the most potent and selective H3 antagonist from this series of 4(5)-(omega-aminoalkyl)-1H-imidazoles 1, with a pA2 value of 8.4 (on guinea pig jejunum). A specific antagonistic binding site for this compound is proposed.