Oxytocin and lysine-vasopressin with N5,N5-dialkylglutamine in the 4 position: effect of introducing sterically hindered groups into the hydrophilic cluster of neurohypophyseal hormones.

The synthesis and pharmacological potencies of oxytocin and lysine-vasopressin analogues are reported in which the N5-amide of their glutaminyl residues are dialkylated. These analogues have been studied as an ongoing exploration of the biological effects on the natural hormones of substituting individually one of the amino acid residues, which has a hydrophilic side chain and which are thought to be part of the hydrophilic surface of the hormones. [4-(N5,N5-Dimethylglutamine)]oxytocin (17), [4-(N5,N5-di-n-propylglutamine)]oxytocin (18), and [4-(N5,N5-dimethylglutamine)] lysine-vasopressin (19) were synthesized by clasical solution techniques. Potencies in the in vitro rat uterotonic, avian vasodepressor, rat pressor, and rat antidiuretic assays were determined and are as follows, respectively: for compound 17 3.01 +/- 0.14 units/mg, 4.55 +/- 0.03 units/mg, tachyphylaxis and tachyphylaxis; for compound 18 less than 0.1, less than 0.1, less than 0.05, and less thad 1.88 +/- 0.04 units/mg. The potencies in all cases are significantly less than those of the parent hormone. The results are discussed in terms of the proposed biologically active conformations of the hormones at the uterotonic receptor and at the antidiuretic receptor.