NR2B selective NMDA receptor antagonists with tetrahydro-3-benzazepine-1,7-diol scaffold have been designed by formal cleavage and reconstitution of the piperidine ring of the lead compound ifenprodil (1). The secondary amine 10 represents the central building block for the synthesis of more than 25 tetrahydro-3-benzazepin-1-ols. Generally 7-hydroxy derivatives display higher NR2B receptor affinities than the corresponding 7-benzyloxy compounds. A distance of four atoms (five bond lengths) between the basic amino group and the terminal aryl moiety led to highest NR2B affinity. 3-(4-Phenylbutyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine-1,7-diol (WMS-1410, 25) represents the most promising NR2B antagonist of this series showing a K(i)-value of 14nM. Compound 25 reveals excellent selectivity over more than 100 further relevant target proteins, antagonizes glutamate induced excitotoxicity (IC(50)=18.4nM) and is metabolically more stable than ifenprodil. Up to a dose of 100mg/kg 25 is well tolerated by mice and it shows dose dependent analgesic activity in the late neuropathic pain phase of the formalin assay.
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