Cannabinoid properties of methylfluorophosphonate analogs

Methylarachidonylfluorophosphonate (MAFP) and related analogs have been shown to inhibit fatty acid amidohydrolase activity (FAAH), the enzyme responsible for hydrolysis of the endogenous cannabinoid ligand anandamide. To fully characterize this class of compounds, methylfluorophosphonate compounds with saturated alkyl chains ranging from C8 to C20 along with C20 unsaturated derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their ability to interact with the CB1 receptor, inhibit FAAH, and produce in vivo pharmacological effects. These analogs demonstrated widely varying affinities for the CB1 receptor. Of the saturated compounds, C8:0 was incapable of displacing [(3)H]CP 55,940 binding, whereas C12:0 exhibited high affinity (2.5 nM). The C20:0 saturated analog had low affinity (900 nM), but the introduction of unsaturation into the C20 analogs restored receptor affinity. However, none of the analogs were capable of fully displacing [(3)H]CP 55,940 binding. On the other hand, all compounds were able to completely inhibit FAAH enzyme activity, with the C20:0 analog being the least potent. The most potent FAAH inhibitor was the short-chained saturated C12:0, whereas the other analogs were 15- to 30-fold less potent. In vivo, the C8:0 and C12:0 analogs were highly potent and fully efficacious in producing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-like effects, whereas the other analogs were either inactive or acted as partial agonists. None was capable of attenuating the agonist effects of THC. Conversely, the C20:0 analog potentiated the effects of anandamide but not those of 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol and THC. The high in vivo potency of the novel short-chain saturated MAFP derivatives (C8:0 and C12:0) underscores the complexity of manipulating the endogenous cannabinoid system.