molecules Article Evaluation of Substituted N-Phenylpiperazine Analogs as D3 vs. D2 Dopamine Receptor Subtype Selective Ligands Boeun Lee 1 , Michelle Taylor 2, Suzy A. Griffin 2, Tamara McInnis 2, Nathalie Sumien 2 , Robert H. Mach 1 and Robert R. Luedtke 2,* 1 Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
[email protected] (B.L.);
[email protected] (R.H.M.) 2 Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center-Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA;
[email protected] (M.T.); suzy.griffi
[email protected] (S.A.G.);
[email protected] (T.M.);
[email protected] (N.S.) * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: N-phenylpiperazine analogs can bind selectively to the D3 versus the D2 dopamine receptor subtype despite the fact that these two D2-like dopamine receptor subtypes exhibit substantial amino acid sequence homology. The binding for a number of these receptor subtype selective compounds was found to be consistent with their ability to bind at the D3 dopamine receptor subtype in a bitopic manner. In this study, a series of the 3-thiophenephenyl and 4-thiazolylphenyl fluoride substituted N-phenylpiperazine analogs were evaluated. Compound 6a was found to bind at the human D3 receptor with nanomolar affinity with substantial D3 vs. D2 binding selectivity (approximately 500-fold). Compound 6a was also tested for activity in two in-vivo assays: (1) a hallucinogenic-dependent head twitch response inhibition assay using DBA/2J mice and (2) an Citation: Lee, B.; Taylor, M.; Griffin, L-dopa-dependent abnormal involuntary movement (AIM) inhibition assay using unilateral 6- S.A.; McInnis, T.; Sumien, N.; Mach, 6a R.H.; Luedtke, R.R.