Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor efficacy and pharmacological properties of 3-(substituted phenyl)-2β-substituted tropanes

There is a need for different and better aids to tobacco product use cessation. Useful smoking cessation aids, bupropion (2) and varenicline (3), share some chemical features with 3-phenyltropanes (4), which have promise in cocaine dependence therapy. Here we report studies to generate and characterize pharmacodynamic features of 3-phenyltropane analogues. These studies extend our work on the multiple molecular target model for aids to smoking cessation. We identified several new 3-phenyltropane analogues that are superior to 2 in inhibition of dopamine, norepinephrine, and sometimes serotonin reuptake. All of these ligands also act as inhibitors of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) function with a selectivity profile that favors, like 2, inhibition of α3β4*-nAChR. Many of these ligands also block acute effects of nicotine-induced antinociception, locomotor activity, and hypothermia. Importantly, all except one of the analogues tested have better potencies in inhibition of nicotine conditioned place preference than 2. We have identified new compounds that have utility as research tools and possible promise for treatment of nicotine dependence.