Desformylflustrabromine

Bioactivity

dFBr has been identified as a novel positive allosteric modulator of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor with sub-type specificity for heteromeric receptor with no effect on homomeric sub-type. A recent study has been published which describes the synthesis of water-soluble salts of dFBr and its action has been confirmed as selective potentiator of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor responses by using two-electrode voltage clamp whole cell recordings. In the year 2002 it was reported that dFBr was cytotoxic on human colon cancer cell line HCT 116.

Desformylflustrabromine has also been found to be a positive allosteric modulator for the α2β2 subtype of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Additionally it relieves the inhibition of both α2β2 and α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by β-Amyloid (1–42) Peptide. Thus desformylflustrabromine can potentially be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Many of the analogues and derivatives of dFBr are reported to have a potentiating effect on the α4β2 receptors.

Modulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor function by desformylflustrabromine has also been found to produce analgesic and anti-allodynic effects in animal models, which could potentially make it of interest for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Anti-addictive and pro-cognitive actions have also been demonstrated. Furthermore, limited experimental data suggests a potential use in treating the compulsive behaviors seen in OCD.

References

References

1. (October 2004). "Prenylated indole alkaloids from Flustra foliacea with subtype specific binding on NAChRs". Planta Medica.
2. (January 2005). "Potentiation of human alpha4beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptors by a Flustra foliacea metabolite". Neuroscience Letters.
3. (September 2007). "Synthesis of desformylflustrabromine and its evaluation as an alpha4beta2 and alpha7 nACh receptor modulator". Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters.
4. (2002). "Isolation and structure elucidation of deformylflustrabromine from the North Sea bryozoan Flustra foliacea". Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C.
5. (September 2011). "Allosteric modulator Desformylflustrabromine relieves the inhibition of α2β2 and α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by β-amyloid(1-42) peptide". Journal of Molecular Neuroscience.
6. (October 2011). "Deconstruction of the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor positive allosteric modulator desformylflustrabromine". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
7. (December 2018). "des-Formylflustrabromine (dFBr): A Structure-Activity Study on Its Ability To Potentiate the Action of Acetylcholine at α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors". ACS Chemical Neuroscience.
8. (January 2018). "Allosteric modulation of α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: Desformylflustrabromine potentiates antiallodynic response of nicotine in a mouse model of neuropathic pain". European Journal of Pain.
9. (March 2019). "Acute Administration of Desformylflustrabromine Relieves Chemically Induced Pain in CD-1 Mice". Molecules.
10. (June 2018). "Reversal of Nicotine Withdrawal Signs Through Positive Allosteric Modulation of α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Male Mice". Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
11. (June 2020). "Desformylflustrabromine, a positive allosteric modulator of α4β2-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, enhances cognition in rats". Pharmacological Reports.
12. (2016). "Attenuation of Compulsive-Like Behavior Through Positive Allosteric Modulation of α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Non-Induced Compulsive-Like Mice". Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.