Fluoronorepinephrines: further pharmacological evaluation in vitro and in pithed rats

The effect of 6F-, 5F- and 2F-norepinephrine (6F-, 5F- and 2F-NE) in rat vas deferens, guinea-pig ileum and pithed rats was compared to that of norepinephrine (NE). The rank order of potency on postsynaptic alpha 1-adrenoreceptors, determined from the isometric contraction of vas deferens, was 6F-NE = 5F-NE = NE greater than 2F-NE. A similar pattern was found for presynaptic alpha 2-adrenoreceptor activity in both noradrenergic nerve terminals of vas deferens and cholinergic nerve terminals of the ileum, determined from the inhibition of contraction elicited by electrical field stimulation. The only exception was the 5F isomer which was 7 times less active than NE to activate the alpha 2-adrenoreceptors of vas deferens. Thus, ring fluorination markedly alters both alpha 1- and alpha 2-agonist properties of NE. Moreover, alpha 1/alpha 2 selectivity, at least as far as rat vas deferens is concerned, is not significantly influenced by the introduction of a fluorine atom in the NE molecule. 6F-NE was about 3-4 times more active than NE in pithed rats. In turn, NE was equiactive with 5F-NE. 2F-NE was the least active isomer, being 30- and 100-fold less active than NE and 6F-NE, respectively.