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An updated model of the GABA(A) benzodiazepine receptor pharmacophore of the alpha 5-BzR/GABA(A) subtype has been constructed prompted by the synthesis of subtype selective ligands in light of the recent developments in both ligand synthesis, behavioral studies, and molecular modeling studies of the binding site itself. A number of BzR/GABA(A) alpha 5 subtype selective compounds were synthesized, notably alpha 5-subtype selective inverse agonist PWZ-029 (1) which is active in enhancing cognition in both rodents and primates. In addition, a chiral positive allosteric modulator (PAM), SH-053-2'F-R-CH3 (2), has been shown to reverse the deleterious effects in the MAM-model of schizophrenia as well as alleviate constriction in airway smooth muscle. Presented here is an updated model of the pharmacophore for alpha 5 beta 2 gamma 2 Bz/GABA(A) receptors, including a rendering of PWZ-029 docked within the alpha 5-binding pocket showing specific interactions of the molecule with the receptor. Differences in the included volume as compared to alpha 1 beta 2 gamma 2, alpha 2 beta 2 gamma 2, and alpha 3 beta 2 gamma 2 will be illustrated for clarity. These new models enhance the ability to understand structural characteristics of ligands which act as agonists, antagonists, or inverse agonists at the Bz BS of GABA(A) receptors.

Over the last years, genetic studies have greatly improved Our knowledge on the receptor subtypes mediating various pharmacological effects of positive allosteric modulators at GABA(A) receptors. This stimulated the development of new benzodiazepine (BZ)-like ligands, especially those inactive/low-active at GABA(A) receptors containing the alpha(1) subunit, with the aim of generating more selective drugs. Hereby, the affinity and efficacy of four recently synthesized BZ site ligands: SH-053-2'N, SH-053-S-CH3-2'F, SH-053-R-CH3-2'F and JY-XHe-053 were assessed. They were also studied in behavioral tests of spontaneous locomotor activity, elevated plus maze, and water maze in rats, which are considered predictive of. respectively, the sedative, anxiolytic, and amnesic influence of BZs. The novel ligands had moderately low to low affinity and mild to partial agonistic efficacy at GABA(A) receptors containing the a, subunit, with variable, but more pronounced efficacy at other BZ-sensitive binding sites. While presumably alpha(1) receptor-mediated sedative effects of GABA(A) modulation were not fully eliminated with any of the ligands tested, only SH-053-2'N and SH-053-S-CH3-2'F, both dosed at 30 mg/kg, exerted anxiolytic effects. The lack of clear anxiolytic-like activity of JY-XHe-053, despite its efficacy at alpha(2)- and alpha(3)-GABA(A) receptors, may have been partly connected with its preferential affinity at alpha(5)-GABA(A) receptors coupled with weak agonist activity at alpha(1)-containing subtypes. The memory impairment in water-maze experiments, generally reported with BZ site agonists, was completely circumvented with all four ligands. The results suggest that a substantial amount of activity at a I GABA(A) receptors is needed for affecting spatial learning and memory impairments, while much weaker activity at alpha(1) and alpha(5)-GABA(A) receptors is sufficient for eliciting sedation.

The clinical use of benzodiazepines (BZs) is hampered by sedation and cognitive deterioration. Although genetic and pharmacological studies suggest that alpha(1)- and alpha(5)-containing GABA(A) receptors mediate and/or modulate these effects, their molecular substrate is not fully elucidated. By the use of two selective ligands: the alpha(1)-subunit affinity-selective antagonist beta-CCt, and the alpha(5)-subunit affinity- and efficacy-selective antagonist XLi093, we examined the mechanisms of behavioural effects of diazepam in the tests of spontaneous locomotor activity and water-maze acquisition and recall, the two paradigms indicative of sedative- and cognition-impairing effects of BZs, respectively. The locomotor-activity decreasing propensity of diazepam (significant at 1.5 and 5 mg/kg) was antagonized by beta-CCt (5 and 15 mg/kg), while it tended to be potentiated by XLi093 in doses of 10 mg/kg, and especially 20 mg/kg. Diazepam decreased acquisition and recall in the water maze, with a minimum effective dose of 1.5 mg/kg. Both antagonists reversed the thigmotaxis induced by 2 mg/kg diazepam throughout the test, suggesting that both GABA(A) receptor subtypes participate in BZ effects on the procedural component of the task. Diazepam-induced impairment in the declarative component of the task, as assessed by path efficiency, the latency and distance before finding the platform across acquisition trials, and also by the spatial parameters in the probe trial, was partially prevented by both, 15 mg/kg beta-CCt and 10 mg/kg XLi093. Combining a BZ with beta-CCt results in the near to control level of performance of a cognitive task, without sedation, and may be worth testing on human subjects.

Classical benzodiazepines (BZs) exert anxiolytic, sedative, hypnotic, muscle relaxant, anticonvulsive, and amnesic effects through potentiation of neurotransmission at GABA(A) receptors containing alpha(1), alpha(2), alpha(3) or alpha(5) subunits. Genetic studies suggest that modulation at the alpha(1) subunit contributes to much of the adverse effects of BZs, most notably sedation, ataxia, and amnesia. Hence, BZ site ligands functionally inactive at GABAA receptors containing the alpha(1) subunit are considered to be promising leads for novel, anxioselective anxiolytics devoid of sedative properties. In pursuing this approach, we used two-electrode voltage clamp experiments in Xenopus oocytes expressing recombinant GABAA receptor subtypes to investigate functional selectivity of three newly synthesized BZ site ligands and also compared their in vivo behavioral profiles. The compounds were functionally selective for alpha(2)-, alpha(3)-, and alpha(5)-containing subtypes of GABA(A) receptors (SH-053-S-CH3 and SH-053-S-CH3-2'F) or essentially selective for alpha(5) subtypes (SH-053-R-CH3). Possible influences on behavioral measures were tested in the elevated plus maze, spontaneous locomotor activity, and rotarod test, which are considered primarily predictive of the anxiolytic, sedative, and ataxic influence of BZs, respectively. The results confirmed the substantially diminished ataxic potential of BZ site agonists devoid of alpha(1) subunit-mediated effects, with preserved anti-anxiety effects at 30 mg/kg of SH-053-S-CH3 and SH-053-S-CH3-2'F. However, all three ligands, dosed at 30 mg/kg, decreased spontaneous locomotor activity, suggesting that sedation may be partly dependent on activity mediated by alpha(5)-containing GABAA receptors. Hence, it could be of importance to avoid substantial agonist activity at alpha(5) receptors by candidate anxioselective anxiolytics, if clinical sedation is to be avoided.

Benzodiazepine (BZ) site ligands affect vigilance, anxiety, memory processes, muscle tone and epileptogenic propensity through modulation of neurotransmission at GABA(A) receptors containing alpha 1, alpha 2, alpha 3 or alpha 5 subunits, and may have numerous experimental and clinical applications. The ability of non-selective BZ site inverse agonists to enhance cognition, documented in animal models and human studies, is clinically not feasible due to potentially unacceptable psychomotor effects. Most investigations to date have proposed the alpha 1 and/or alpha 5 subunit-containing GABA(A) receptors as comprising the memory-modulating population of these receptors. The novel ligand PWZ-029, which we synthesized and characterized electrophysiologically, possesses in vitro binding selectivity and moderate inverse agonist functional selectivity at alpha 5-containing GABA(A) receptors. This ligand has also been examined in rats in the passive and active avoidance, spontaneous locomotor activity, elevated plus maze and grip strength tests, primarily predictive of the effects on the memory acquisition, basal locomotor activity, anxiety level and muscle tone, respectively. The improvement of task learning was detected at the dose of 5 mg/kg in the passive, but not active avoidance test. The inverse agonist PWZ-029 had no effect on anxiety or muscle tone, whereas at higher doses (10 and 20 mg/kg) it decreased locomotor activity. This effect was antagonized by flumazenil. and also by the lower (but not the higher) dose of an agonist (SH-053-R-CH3-2'F) selective for GABA(A) receptors containing the alpha 5 subunit. The hypolocomotor effect of PWZ-029 was not antagonized by the antagonist beta-CCt exhibiting a preferential affinity for alpha 1-subunit-containing receptors. These data suggest that moderate negative modulation at GABA(A) receptors containing the alpha 5 subunit is a sufficient condition for eliciting enhanced encoding/consolidation of declarative memory, while

A modular system for interfacing between a Navy standard UYK-43 computer and a plurality of workstation consoles connected to a control data bus is provided. A first conversion processor is functionally connected to the computer and functionally connected to a backplane. A second conversion processor is functionally connected to the computer and functionally connected to the backplane. The second conversion processor also includes memory for storing status and action information associated with each of the consoles. A system processor is functionally connected to the backplane and a local area network (LAN) processor is functionally connected to the backplane and to the consoles. (KAR) P.1

A modular system for interfacing between a Navy Standard UYK-43 computer and a plurality of workstation consoles connected to a control data bus is provided. A first conversion processor is functionally connected to the computer and functionally connected to a backplane. A second conversion processor is functionally connected to the computer and functionally connected to the backplane. The second conversion processor also includes memory for storing status and action information associated with each of the consoles. A system processor is functionally connected to the backplane and a local area network (LAN) processor is functionally connected to the backplane and to the consoles.