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NEUROPHARMACOLOGY

Novel, Potent, and Selective GABA_C Antagonists Inhibit Myopia Development and Facilitate Learning and Memory

Faculty of Pharmacy A15, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (M.C., S.M., H.-L.K., H.A.-H., R.J.K., J.R.H.); Adrien Albert Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (T.H., G.A.R.J.); School of Optometry and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (K.L.S., D.B.); and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (H.Q.)

This study reports pharmacological and physiological effects of cis- and trans-(3-aminocyclopentanyl)butylphosphinic acid (cis- and trans-3-ACPBPA). These compounds are conformationally restricted analogs of the orally active GABA_B/C receptor antagonist (3-aminopropyl)-n-butylphosphinic acid (CGP36742 or SGS742). cis-[IC₅₀(1) = 5.06 µM and IC₅₀(2) = 11.08 µM; n = 4] and trans-3-ACPMPA [IC₅₀(1) = 72.58 µM and IC₅₀(2) = 189.7 µM; n = 4] seem competitive at GABA_C receptors expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, having no effect as agonists (1 mM) but exerting weak antagonist (1 mM) effects on human GABA_A and GABA_B receptors. cis-3-ACPBPA was more potent and selective than the trans-compound, being more than 100 times more potent at GABA_C than GABA_A or GABA_B receptors. cis-3-ACPBPA was further evaluated on dissociated rat retinal bipolar cells and dose-dependently inhibited the native GABA_C receptor (IC₅₀ = 47 ± 4.5 µM; n = 6). When applied to the eye as intravitreal injections, cis- and trans-3-ACPBPA prevented experimental myopia development and inhibited the associated vitreous chamber elongation, in a dose-dependent manner in the chick model. Doses only 10 times greater than required to inhibit recombinant GABA_C receptors caused the antimyopia effects. Using intraperitoneal administration, cis- (30 mg/kg) and trans-3-ACPBPA (100 mg/kg) enhanced learning and memory in male Wistar rats; compared with vehicle there was a significant reduction in time for rats to find the platform in the Morris water maze task (p < 0.05; n = 10). As the physiological effects of cis- and trans-3-ACPBPA are similar to those reported for CGP36742, the memory and refractive effects of CGP36742 may be due in part to its GABA_C activity.

Address correspondence to: Prof. Mary Chebib, Faculty of Pharmacy A15, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. E-mail: maryc{at}pharm.usyd.edu.au