4-Bromoacetamidoprocaine: an affinity ligand for brain muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic receptors.

This study describes the synthesis, receptor binding characteristics, and some behavioral effects of p-bromoacetamidoprocaine (BAP), a new affinity ligand for brain muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic receptors. The reversible binding of [3H]QNB to rat brain membranes was inhibited in a concentration dependent and saturable manner by both procaine and BAP, with Ki values of 4 x 10(-6) and 3 x 10(-7) M, respectively, and complete inhibition at 1 x 10(-5) M. Both procaine and BAP, although at much concentrations, inhibited the binding of [3H]methylcarbamylcholine in a concentration dependent manner, with Ki values of 5 x 10(-5) and 1 x 10(-5) M, respectively, and complete inhibition for both at 1 x 10(-3) M. Plots of the % irreversible inhibition of [3H]QNB, [3H]nicotine, and [3H]MCC vs [BAP] yielded Ki values of 7 x 10(-8), 1 x 10(-4), and 6 x 10(-5) M, respectively. In behavioral studies BAP was able to antagonize the QNB-induced hyperactivity in mice; however, BAP did not appear to alter nicotine-induced seizure activity or other behavioral effects in mice. A plot of the time course of inhibition by BAP for [3H]QNB binding revealed that the inhibition was almost complete within 10 min exposure at 37 degrees. The findings indicate that BAP is a useful affinity ligand for examining the biochemical and functional characteristics of brain cholinergic receptors, particularly the muscarinic which has an affinity near the nM concentration range.