Stereoselective Potencies and Relative Toxicities of γ-Coniceine and N-Methylconiine Enantiomers

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title

Chemical Research in Toxicology

Publication Date

3-20-2013

Publisher

American Chemical Society

Volume

26

Issue

4

First Page

616

Last Page

621

Abstract

γ-Coniceine, coniine, and N-methylconiine are toxic alkaloids present in poison hemlock (Conium maculatum). We previously reported the comparison of the relative potencies of (+)- and (-)-coniine enantiomers. In this study, we synthesized γ-coniceine and the enantiomers of N-methylconiine and determined the biological activity of γ-coniceine and each of the N-methylconiine enantiomers in vitro and in vivo. The relative potencies of these piperidine alkaloids on cells expressing human fetal muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptors had the rank order of γ-coniceine > (−)-N-methylconiine > (±)-N-methylconiine > (+)-N-methylconiine. The relative lethalities of γ-coniceine and (−)-, (±)-, and (+)-N-methylconiine in vivo using a mouse bioassay were 4.4, 16.1, 17.8, and 19.2 mg/kg, respectively. The results from this study suggest γ-coniceine is a more potent agonist than the enantiomers of N-methylconiine and that there is a stereoselective difference in the in vitro potencies of the enantiomers of N-methylconiine that correlates with the relative toxicities of the enantiomers in vivo.

Comments

PubMed PMID: 23514442

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