Antidepressant and antipsychotic activity of new quinoline- and isoquinoline-sulfonamide analogs of aripiprazole targeting serotonin 5-HT₁A/5-HT₂A/5-HT₇ and dopamine D₂/D₃ receptors.

A series of new quinoline- and isoquinoline-sulfonamide analogs of aripiprazole was synthesized to explore the influence of two structural features - replacement of ether/amide moiety with sulfonamide one, and localization of a sulfonamide group in the azine moiety. In contrast to aripiprazole, compound 33 (N-(3-(4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)propyl)quinoline-7-sulfonamide) and 39 (N-(4-(4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)butyl)isoquinoline-3-sulfonamide) displaying multireceptor 5-HT(1A)/5-HT(2A)/5-HT(7)/D(2)/D(3) profile, and behaving as 5-HT(1A) agonists, D(2) partial agonists, and 5-HT(2A)/5-HT(7) antagonists, produced significant antidepressant activity in FST in mice. On the other hand, their 4-isoquinolinyl analog 40 (N-(4-(4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)butyl)isoquinoline-4-sulfonamide), with similar receptor binding and functional profile, additionally displayed remarkable antipsychotic properties in the MK-801-induced hyperlocomotor activity in mice.