N-substituted-3-arylpyrrolidines: potent and selective ligands at serotonin 1A receptor

3-Arylpyrrolidines are synthesized through the coupling of N-benzyl-3-(methanesulfonyloxy)pyrrolidine with diarylcuprates. Pharmacological evaluation of a series of N-substituted-3-arylpyrrolidines toward several neurotransmitter receptors indicated that some of them are good ligands for serotonin 1A receptor. Particularly, N-[(N-saccharino)butyl]pyrrolidines were found to be potent and selective ligands. A preliminary biological evaluation for several selected compounds indicated that they are potentially effective antianxiety and antidepressant agents.