Conformational analysis, molecular modeling, and quantitative structure-activity relationship studies of agents for the inhibition of astrocytic chloride transport.

Molecular modeling studies were carried out on a series of 1-oxoisoindolines which are pharmacologically active as inhibitors of astrocytic chloride transport. Conformational analysis revealed that the halogen substituent exerted a pronounced steric directing effect on the acid side chain. The 4-substituted analogs apparently provided for the best spatial arrangement of pharamacophoric elements of the molecules. Conventional quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) studies using lipophilic and dipole moment characteristics of the molecules as physical descriptor variables in the regression equation yielded a statistically significant model. Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) was utilized as a three-dimensional QSAR technique to explore changes in the steric and electrostatic fields of the molecules that can account for differences in biological activity values. A highly predictive model was attained which supported the results from the qualitative and conventional quantitative structure-activity relationship analyses. These modeling techniques represent the evolutionary process by which structure-activity methods were employed to aid in the development of novel more potent inhibitors of astrocytic chloride transport.