Agonist efficacy denoting the "strength" of agonist action is a cornerstone in the proper assessment of agonist selectivity and signalling bias. The simulation models are very accurate but complex and hard to fit experimental data. The parsimonious operational model of agonism (OMA) has become successful in the determination of agonist efficacies and ranking them. In 1983, Black and Leff introduced the slope factor to the OMA to make it more flexible and allow for fitting steep as well as flat concentration-response curves. First, we performed a functional analysis to indicate the potential pitfalls of the OMA. Namely, exponentiation of operational efficacy may break relationships among the OMA parameters. The fitting of the Black & Leff equation to the theoretical curves of several models of functional responses and the experimental data confirmed the fickleness of the exponentiation of operational efficacy affecting estimates of operational efficacy as well as other OMA parameters. In contrast, fitting The OMA based on the Hill equation to the same data led to better estimates of model parameters. In conclusion, Hill equation-based OMA should be preferred over the Black & Leff equation when functional-response curves differ in the slope factor. Otherwise, the Black & Leff equation should be used with extreme caution acknowledging potential pitfalls.

• MeSH
• biologické modely * MeSH
• počítačová simulace MeSH
• signální transdukce * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors expressed in the central nervous system mediate various functions, including cognition, memory, or reward. Therefore, muscarinic receptors represent potential pharmacological targets for various diseases and conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, addiction, epilepsy, or depression. Muscarinic receptors are allosterically modulated by neurosteroids and steroid hormones at physiologically relevant concentrations. In this review, we focus on the modulation of muscarinic receptors by neurosteroids and steroid hormones in the context of diseases and disorders of the central nervous system. Further, we propose the potential use of neuroactive steroids in the development of pharmacotherapeutics for these diseases and conditions.

• Klíčová slova
• Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cholesterol, depression, muscarinic receptors, neuroactive steroids, neurosteroids, schizophrenia, substance abuse,
• MeSH
• centrální nervový systém MeSH
• cholinergní látky MeSH
• hormony MeSH
• neurosteroidy * farmakologie   MeSH
• receptory muskarinové MeSH
• steroidy farmakologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cholinergní látky MeSH
• hormony MeSH
• neurosteroidy * MeSH
• receptory muskarinové MeSH
• steroidy MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Accurate ranking of efficacies and potencies of agonists is essential in the discovery of new selective agonists. For the purpose of system-independent ranking of agonists, the operational model of agonism (OMA) has become a standard. Many receptors function as oligomers which makes functional responses more complex, requiring an extension of the original OMA. AREAS COVERED: Explicit equations of the operational model of agonism of receptor dimers (OMARD) were derived. The OMARD can be applied to any receptor possessing two orthosteric sites. The behavior of OMARD was analyzed to demonstrate its complexity and relation to experimental data. Properties of OMARD and OMA equations were compared to demonstrate their pros and cons. EXPERT OPINION: Extension of OMA by slope factors gives simple equations of functional response that are easy to fit experimental data but results may be inaccurate because of exponentiation of operational efficacy. Also, such equations cannot accommodate bell-shaped curves. Explicit equations of OMARD give accurate results but are complex and tedious to fit experimental data. All operational models use inter-dependent parameters that are a hurdle in the fitting. A good understanding of OMARD behavior helps to overcome such obstacles.

• Klíčová slova
• GPCRs, Operational model of agonism, allosteric modulation, operational efficacy, receptor channels, receptor dimers,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are membrane receptors involved in many physiological processes. Malfunction of muscarinic signaling is a cause of various internal diseases, as well as psychiatric and neurologic conditions. Cholesterol, neurosteroids, neuroactive steroids, and steroid hormones are molecules of steroid origin that, besides having well-known genomic effects, also modulate membrane proteins including muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Here, we review current knowledge on the allosteric modulation of muscarinic receptors by these steroids. We give a perspective on the research on the non-genomic effects of steroidal compounds on muscarinic receptors and drug development, with an aim to ultimately exploit such knowledge.

• Klíčová slova
• allosteric modulation, cholesterol, muscarinic receptors, neuroactive steroids, neurosteroids,
• MeSH
• cholesterol MeSH
• hormony metabolismus   MeSH
• neurosteroidy * farmakologie   MeSH
• receptory muskarinové MeSH
• steroidy farmakologie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cholesterol MeSH
• hormony MeSH
• neurosteroidy * MeSH
• receptory muskarinové MeSH
• steroidy MeSH

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder without a fully understood pathomechanism, but which involves dysregulation of neurotransmitters and their receptors. The best option for the management of schizophrenia comprises so-called multi-target ligands, similar to the third generation of neuroleptics. Dopamine type 2 receptors (D2Rs) are the main target in the treatment of schizophrenia, in particular for mitigation of the positive symptoms. Due to the high expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 receptors (5-HT3Rs) in human brain areas responsible for emotional behavior, motivation, and cognitive function, 5-HT3Rs represent a potential target for modulating the cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Here we present the design, synthesis, and both in vitro and in vivo biological evaluation of 1,4-disubstituted aromatic piperazines. Screening of in vitro properties revealed the two most promising drug candidates (21 and 24) which were found to be potent D2Rs and moderate 5-HT3R antagonists, and which were forwarded to in vivo studies in Wistar rats. Considering toxicity, administration of the maximal feasible dose of 21 (2 mg/kg) did not produce any side effects. By contrast, the higher solubility of 24 led to revelation of mild and temporary side effects at the dose of 20 mg/kg. Importantly, both 21 and 24 showed facile crossing of the blood-brain barrier, even exerting higher levels in the brain in comparison to plasma. In a behavioral study using the acute amphetamine model of psychosis, we showed that compound 24 ameliorated both positive and negative effects of amphetamine including hyperlocomotion, social impairments, and disruption of prepulse inhibition. The effect of the highest dose (10 mg/kg) was comparable to the effect of the reference dose of aripiprazole (1 mg/kg).

• Klíčová slova
• 1,4-Di-substituted aromatic piperazines, Antipsychotic, Aripiprazole, Cariprazine, Dopamine type 2 receptor, Drug development, Schizophrenia, Serotonin receptor type 3,
• MeSH
• antipsychotika * škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• piperaziny farmakologie   MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• receptory serotoninové MeSH
• schizofrenie * farmakoterapie   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antipsychotika * MeSH
• cariprazine MeSH Prohlížeč
• piperaziny MeSH
• receptory serotoninové MeSH

The membrane cholesterol was found to bind and modulate the function of several G-protein coupled receptors including muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. We investigated the binding of 20 steroidal compounds including neurosteroids and steroid hormones to muscarinic receptors. Corticosterone, progesterone and some neurosteroids bound to muscarinic receptors with the affinity of 100 nM or greater. We established a structure-activity relationship for steroid-based allosteric modulators of muscarinic receptors. Further, we show that corticosterone and progesterone allosterically modulate the functional response of muscarinic receptors to acetylcholine at physiologically relevant concentrations. It can play a role in stress control or in pregnancy, conditions where levels of these hormones dramatically oscillate. Allosteric modulation of muscarinic receptors via the cholesterol-binding site represents a new pharmacological approach at diseases associated with altered cholinergic signalling.

• Klíčová slova
• Allosteric modulation, Muscarinic receptor, Neurosteroid, Steroid hormone,
• MeSH
• acetylcholin metabolismus   MeSH
• alosterická regulace MeSH
• hormony kůry nadledvin metabolismus   MeSH
• kortikosteron metabolismus   MeSH
• křečci praví MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• neurosteroidy metabolismus   MeSH
• pohlavní steroidní hormony metabolismus   MeSH
• progesteron metabolismus   MeSH
• receptory muskarinové metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• křečci praví MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• acetylcholin MeSH
• hormony kůry nadledvin MeSH
• kortikosteron MeSH
• neurosteroidy MeSH
• pohlavní steroidní hormony MeSH
• progesteron MeSH
• receptory muskarinové MeSH

Endogenous neurosteroids and their synthetic analogues-neuroactive steroids-have been found to bind to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors and allosterically modulate acetylcholine binding and function. Using radioligand binding experiments we investigated their binding mode. We show that neuroactive steroids bind to two binding sites on muscarinic receptors. Their affinity for the high-affinity binding site is about 100 nM. Their affinity for the low-affinity binding site is about 10 µM. The high-affinity binding occurs at the same site as binding of steroid-based WIN-compounds that is different from the common allosteric binding site for alcuronium or gallamine that is located between the second and third extracellular loop of the receptor. This binding site is also different from the allosteric binding site for the structurally related aminosteroid-based myorelaxants pancuronium and rapacuronium. Membrane cholesterol competes with neurosteroids/neuroactive steroids binding to both high- and low-affinity binding site, indicating that both sites are oriented towards the cell membrane..

• Klíčová slova
• Allosteric modulation, Cholesterol, Muscarinic receptors, Neuroactive steroids,
• MeSH
• alosterická regulace účinky léků   fyziologie   MeSH
• androstany metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• androsteny metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• benzimidazoly metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• CHO buňky MeSH
• cholesterol metabolismus   MeSH
• Cricetulus MeSH
• křečci praví MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nedepolarizující myorelaxancia metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• neurosteroidy metabolismus   MeSH
• receptory muskarinové metabolismus   MeSH
• triethojodid gallaminia metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• vazebná místa účinky léků   fyziologie   MeSH
• vekuronium analogy a deriváty   metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• křečci praví MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• androstany MeSH
• androsteny MeSH
• benzimidazoly MeSH
• cholesterol MeSH
• nedepolarizující myorelaxancia MeSH
• neurosteroidy MeSH
• rapacuronium MeSH Prohlížeč
• receptory muskarinové MeSH
• triethojodid gallaminia MeSH
• vekuronium MeSH
• WIN 51708 MeSH Prohlížeč
• WIN 62577 MeSH Prohlížeč

A complex evaluation of agonist bias at G-protein coupled receptors at the level of G-protein classes and isoforms including non-preferential ones is essential for advanced agonist screening and drug development. Molecular crosstalk in downstream signaling and a lack of sufficiently sensitive and selective methods to study direct coupling with G-protein of interest complicates this analysis. We performed binding and functional analysis of 11 structurally different agonists on prepared fusion proteins of individual subtypes of muscarinic receptors and non-canonical promiscuous α-subunit of G16 protein to study agonist bias. We have demonstrated that fusion of muscarinic receptors with Gα16 limits access of other competitive Gα subunits to the receptor, and thus enables us to study activation of Gα16 mediated pathway more specifically. Our data demonstrated agonist-specific activation of G16 pathway among individual subtypes of muscarinic receptors and revealed signaling bias of oxotremorine towards Gα16 pathway at the M2 receptor and at the same time impaired Gα16 signaling of iperoxo at M5 receptors. Our data have shown that fusion proteins of muscarinic receptors with α-subunit of G-proteins can serve as a suitable tool for studying agonist bias, especially at non-preferential pathways.

• Klíčová slova
• fusion proteins, muscarinic receptors, non-canonical signaling, signaling bias,
• MeSH
• AMP cyklický metabolismus   MeSH
• CHO buňky MeSH
• Cricetulus MeSH
• inhibiční koncentrace 50 MeSH
• isoxazoly chemie   MeSH
• křečci praví MeSH
• kvartérní amoniové sloučeniny chemie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• molekulární konformace MeSH
• oxotremorin chemie   MeSH
• proteiny vázající GTP - alfa-podjednotky Gq-G11 metabolismus   MeSH
• receptory muskarinové metabolismus   MeSH
• rekombinantní fúzní proteiny chemie   MeSH
• signální transdukce * MeSH
• simulace molekulární dynamiky MeSH
• vazba proteinů MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• křečci praví MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• AMP cyklický MeSH
• G protein alpha 16 MeSH Prohlížeč
• iperoxo MeSH Prohlížeč
• isoxazoly MeSH
• kvartérní amoniové sloučeniny MeSH
• oxotremorin MeSH
• proteiny vázající GTP - alfa-podjednotky Gq-G11 MeSH
• receptory muskarinové MeSH
• rekombinantní fúzní proteiny MeSH

In this pilot study, a series of new 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one derivatives as potential dopamine receptor D2 (D2R) modulators were synthesized and evaluated in vitro. The preliminary structure-activity relationship disclosed that compound 5e exhibited the highest D2R affinity among the newly synthesized compounds. In addition, 5e showed a very low cytotoxic profile and a high probability to cross the blood-brain barrier, which is important considering the observed affinity. However, molecular modelling simulation revealed completely different binding mode of 5e compared to USC-D301, which might be the culprit of the reduced affinity of 5e toward D2R in comparison with USC-D301.

• Klíčová slova
• aripiprazole, blood–brain barrier, dopamine receptor, molecular modeling studies, schizophrenia,
• MeSH
• aripiprazol chemická syntéza   farmakologie   MeSH
• buněčná smrt MeSH
• centrální nervový systém účinky léků   MeSH
• chinolony chemická syntéza   chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• CHO buňky MeSH
• Cricetulus MeSH
• hematoencefalická bariéra účinky léků   patologie   MeSH
• ligandy MeSH
• molekulární modely MeSH
• racionální návrh léčiv MeSH
• receptory dopaminu D2 chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• vazebná místa MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• aripiprazol MeSH
• chinolony MeSH
• dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one MeSH Prohlížeč
• ligandy MeSH
• receptory dopaminu D2 MeSH

Disruption of cholinergic signalling via muscarinic receptors is associated with various pathologies, like Alzheimer's disease or schizophrenia. Selective muscarinic agonists possess therapeutic potential in the treatment of diabetes, pain or Sjögren's syndrome. The orthosteric binding site of all subtypes of the muscarinic receptor is structurally identical, making the development of affinity-based selective agonists virtually impossible. Some agonists, however, are functionally selective; they activate only a subset of receptors or signalling pathways. Others may stabilise specific conformations of the receptor leading to non-uniform modulation of individual signalling pathways (biased agonists). Functionally selective and biased agonists represent a promising approach for selective activation of individual subtypes of muscarinic receptors. In this work we review chemical structures, receptor binding and agonist-specific conformations of currently known functionally selective and biased muscarinic agonists in the context of their intricate intracellular signalling. Further, we take a perspective on the possible use of biased agonists for tissue and organ-specific activation of muscarinic receptors.

• Klíčová slova
• Functional selectivity, G-proteins, Muscarinic receptors, Signalling bias, β-arrestins,
• MeSH
• agonisté muskarinových receptorů farmakologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• receptory muskarinové účinky léků   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• agonisté muskarinových receptorů MeSH
• receptory muskarinové MeSH