Effects of dextromethorphan site ligands and allosteric modifiers on the binding of (+)-[3H]3-(-3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-(1-propyl)piperidine.

Equilibrium binding analysis demonstrated that (+)-[3H]3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-(1-propyl)piperidine [(+)-[3H]3-PPP] binds in guinea pig brain homogenates to high and low affinity sites with Kd values of 25 nM and 0.9 microM, respectively. Competition studies with dextromethorphan (DM) site ligands and other drugs against (+)-[3H]3-PPP demonstrated that their Ki values and rank order of potency are identical to those found previously against [3H] DM. Most significant, ropizine produced a concentration-dependent increase in the binding of (+)-[3H]3-PPP, with an inhibitory component at high concentrations, as described previously for [3H]DM. Similarly, phenytoin increased the binding of (+)-[3H]3-PPP in the same fashion as that of [3H]DM. Computer-assisted analysis of equilibrium binding of (+)-[3H]3-PPP in the presence of 10 microM ropizine demonstrated that the binding increase produced is due to a 3-fold increase in the affinity for (+)-[3H]3-PPP. These results, and our previous finding that sigma ligands inhibit [3H] DM binding with a rank order of potency similar to that for sites labeled with (+)-[3H]3-PPP or (+)-[3H]SKF10,047 strongly suggest that sigma ligands bind to the high affinity DM site. These findings, and the inability of DM and other antitussives to produce psychotomimetic side effects, suggest that the high affinity DM sites can mediate only the nonpsychotomimetic effects of sigma ligands. However, further studies are necessary to determine the physiological role and therapeutic potential of the DM high affinity sites.