COMPARATIVE PRESSOR EFFECT OF CERTAIN UNSATURATED ACID ESTERS OF CHOLINE

¹ Department of Pharmacology, University Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi

The following unsaturated acid esters of choline were prepared and tested for their blood pressure effects: acrylyl-, methacrylyl-, crotonyl-, vinylacetyl-, 2-pentenoyl-, 4-pentenoyl-, senecioyl-, tiglyl-, cinnamoyl-, -methyl-cinnamoyl-, and phenylpropiolylcholine.

The blood pressure responses of these esters were compared with those of acetyl-, propionyl-, butyryl-, isovaleryl-, valeryl-, isobutyryl-, and hydrocinnamoylcholine.

Except for acrylylcholine, esters having an unsaturated double bond at the , position exhibited pressor response in the absence of atropine.

Esters with a double bond in a position other than , exhibited a depressor response in the absence of atropine.

In all esters tested after atropine, increasing the length of the acyl side chain increased the pressor response. Maximum activity was observed with 4 carbon atoms in a straight chain.

A double bond in the , position generally enhanced pressor activity.

Substituting a methyl group either at the or position markedly enhanced pressor activity. Substitution at the position was more effective than substitution at the position.

The results are discussed in terms of established principles of physical organic chemistry.