Fluoroethoxy-1,4-diphenethylpiperidine and piperazine derivatives: Potent and selective inhibitors of [3H]dopamine uptake at the vesicular monoamine transporter-2.

A small library of fluoroethoxy-1,4-diphenethyl piperidine and fluoroethoxy-1,4-diphenethyl piperazine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their ability to inhibit [3H]dopamine (DA) uptake at the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT2) and dopamine transporter (DAT), [3H]serotonin (5-HT) uptake at the serotonin transporter (SERT), and [3H]dofetilide binding at the human-ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) channel. The majority of the compounds exhibited potent inhibition of [3H]DA uptake at VMAT2, Ki changes in the nanomolar range (Ki = 0.014-0.073 µM). Compound 15d exhibited the highest affinity (Ki = 0.014 µM) at VMAT2, and had 160-, 5-, and 60-fold greater selectivity for VMAT2 vs. DAT, SERT and hERG, respectively. Compound 15b exhibited the greatest selectivity (>60-fold) for VMAT2 relative to all the other targets evaluated, and 15b had high affinity for VMAT2 (Ki = 0.073 µM). Compound 15b was considered the lead compound from this analog series due to its high affinity and selectivity for VMAT2.