Synthetic antagonists of in vivo responses by the rat uterus to oxytocin.

As part of a program in which we are attempting to synthesize in vivo antagonists of oxytocin, the following four analogues were synthesized and tested for antagonistic activities in rat uterus and rat vasopressor assay systems: [-(beta-mercapto-beta,beta-diethylpropionic acid), 4-threonine]oxytocin (1, dEt2TOT), [1-beta-mercapto-beta,beta-cyclopenta-methylenepropionic acid), 4-threonine]oxytocin [2, d(CH2)5TOT], [1-deaminopenicillamine,2-O-methyltyrosine]oxytocin [3, dPTyr(Me)OT], and [1-deaminopenicillamine,2-O-methyltyrosine,4-threonine]oxytocin [4, dPTyr(Me)TOT]. The required protected intermediates were synthesized by a combination of solid-phase peptide synthesis and by individual 8 + 1 couplings in solution. All four analogues antagonize the actions of oxytocin on the rat uterus (a) in the absence of Mg2+, (b) in the presence of 0.5 mM Mg2+, and (c) in situ. They exhibit, respectively, the following pA2 values in each of the assay systems a-c: (1) (a) 7.72 +/- 0.11, (b) 7.36 +/- 0.09, (c) 6.47 +/- 0.11; (2) (a) 7.91 +/- 0.13, (b) 7.81 +/- 0.09, (c) 6.94 +/- 0.11; (3) (a) 7.76 +/- 0.12, (b) 7.80 +/- 0.12, (c) 6.86 +/- 0.12; (4) (a) 7.64 +/- 0.14, (b) 7.79 +/- 0.09, (c) 6.84 +/- 0.10. They have the following antivasopressor pA2 values: (1) 6.30 +/- 0.13; (2) 5.86 +/- 0.03; (3) 7.59 +/- 0.05; (4) 7.32 +/- 0.04. Compounds 2-4 are among the most potent in vivo antagonists of oxytocin reported to date.