Antimuscarinic activities of hycanthone analogs: possible relationship with animal toxicity.

The antimuscarinic activity of hycanthone and five antischistosomal analogs was determined in three biological assays of cholinergic systems. A linear relationship was established between the LD50 values of hycanthone analogs in mice and 1) the Ki values obtained from the inhibition of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding to the muscarinic receptors of N4TG1 neuroblastoma cells; 2) the I50 values obtained from the inhibition of alpha-amylase secretion induced by carbachol in pancreatic acini cells; and 3) the KB values obtained from the inhibition of guinea-pig ileum contraction induced by acetylcholine. The linear relationship established between antimuscarinic potency and toxicity in mice suggests that a possible relationship exists between the toxicity of the hycanthone analogs and their antimuscarinic activities. On the other hand, no correlation was established between antischistosomal efficacy and antimuscarinic potency. The Ki and I50 values ranged from 10(-7) to 10(-5) M for the inhibition of the binding of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate to the muscarinic receptors and for the inhibition of alpha-amylase secretion. The KB values determined by the guinea-pig ileum assays were approximately 10(-5) to 10(-6) M. The ranking of antimuscarinic potency of the compounds in the three different assays were in good agreement.