Journal
PHARMACOLOGY BIOCHEMISTRY AND BEHAVIOR
Volume 88, Issue 4, Pages 497-510Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2007.10.008
Keywords
corticotropin-releasing factor; corticotropin-releasing hormone; receptor; CRF1; antagonist; MPZP; alcohol; defensive burying; anxiety; dependence; binding; autoradiography
Funding
- NIAAA NIH HHS [R01 AA008459-21, R01 AA008459, R01 AA012602, P50 AA006420, AA06420, R01 AA012602-12, AA12602, P60 AA006420, P60 AA006420-29, R37 AA008459, AA08459] Funding Source: Medline
- NIDDK NIH HHS [P01 DK026741, DK26741, P01 DK026741-33] Funding Source: Medline
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The extrahypothalamic stress peptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system is an important regulator of behavioral responses to stress. Dysregulation of CRF and the CRF type 1 receptor (CRF1) system is hypothesized to underlie many stress-related disorders. Modulation of the CRF1 system by non-peptide antagonists currently is being explored as a therapeutic approach for anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence. Here, we describe a new, less hydrophilic (cLogP similar to 2.95), small molecule, non-peptide CRF1 antagonist with high affinity (K-i=4.9 nM) and specificity for CRF1 receptors: N,N-bis(2-methoxyethyl)-3-(4-methoxy-2-methylphenyl)-2,5-dimethyl-pyrazolo[1,5-a] pyrimidin-7-amine (MPZP). The compound was systemically administered to adult male rats in two behavioral models dependent on the CRF, system: defensive burying (0, 5, 20 mg/kg, n=6-11 for each dose) and alcohol dependence (0, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg, n=8 for each self-administration group). Acute administration of MPZP reduced burying behavior in the defensive burying model of active anxiety-like behavior. MPZP also attenuated withdrawal-induced excessive drinking in the self-administration model of alcohol dependence without affecting nondependent alcohol drinking or water consumption. The present findings support the proposed significance of the CRF1 system in anxiety and alcohol dependence and introduce a promising new compound for further development in the treatment of alcohol dependence and stress-related disorders. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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