Quantitative structure-activity relationships in the 2,4,5-ring substituted phenylisopropylamines.

The potency of a series of 2,4,5-ring substituted phenylisopropylamines was examined using the rabbit hyperthermia assay. An excellent correlation (r = 0.99) was found between the rabbit hyperthermic and human psychotomimetic potencies. In the hyperthermic model, the 4-X-substituted-2,5-dimethoxyphenylisopropylamines were found to be one to two orders of magnitude more potent than the 2-X- or 5-X-substituted positional isomers (X = -H, -CH3, -SCH3, -Br). Conformational perturbations induced by substituents ortho to the ethylamine side chain were studied with the PCILO and ab initio molecular orbital methods. The variations in the biological activities could not be rationalized in terms of the ability of the ortho substituents to stabilize conformations which mimic LSD. The electronic structures of the positional isomers were examined in the corresponding toluene analogues using the CNDO/2 method. A reasonable correlation (r = 0.98) was found between the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) energy and the ionization potentials reported from photoelectron spectroscopy studies. In the case of the positional isomers, the HOMO energies were ordered as follows: 4-X greater than 5-X greater than 2-X. However, the regression analysis of the relationship between these orbital energies and Log Biological Activity (B.A.) was not impressive. Examination of the partition coefficients (octanol/water) of the positional isomers indicated that the 4-X- and 5-X-substituted compounds have almost equivalent Log P's, but that the 2-X-substituted-4,5-dimethoxyphenylisopropylamines are unusually hydrophilic. The regression of Log H.P. to the HOMO energies resulted in a marginally significant relationship; addition of the Log P's resulted in no significant improvement. Qualitative models based on both regiospecific lipophilicity or electron densities and also metabolic conversion to reactive intermediates are presented.