Drugs selective for nicotinic receptor subtypes: a real possibility or a dream?

Nicotine exerts a number of different effects on the nervous system by interacting with neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). These effects are mediated by its interaction with different nAChR subtypes, and this has led to the finding of subtype specific agonists and antagonists. In the search for subtype-selective drugs, we have synthesized some compounds derived from 4-oxystilbene, two of which (MG624 and F3) are selective ligands for the chick neuronal alpha Bgtx receptors containing the alpha 7 and /or alpha 8 subunits. They have an antagonist action on oocyte-expressed chick and rat alpha 7 subtypes. These compounds are selective toward the alpha 7-containing receptors in chick, but, in mammals, although they still retain their potency toward alpha 7-containing receptors, they are also active in non-alpha 7-containing receptors. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.