Investigation of the enzymology and pharmacology of novel substrates and inhibitors of dopamine beta-monooxygenase

Dopamine beta-monooxygenase (DBM) was shown to catalyze the selenoxidation of 2-(phenylseleno)ethylamines, selenium-containing analogues of dopamine, by the normal monooxygenase pathway. The compounds 2-(phenylseleno)-ethylamine (PAESe), 2-(4'-hydroxyphenylseleno)ethylamine (pOH PAESe), and 1-(phenylseleno)-2-propylamine (Me PAESe) were synthesized and fully characterized as DBM substrates. Two other classes of compounds were investigated as potential alternate substrates for DBM. The possibility of stereoselective sulfonylation of 2-(phenylsulfenyl)- ethylamine (PAESO) was considered. A unique class of compounds, 2-(phenylthio)ethanols were designed and synthesized as DBM substrates but were found to be a novel class of potent competitive inhibitors of DBM with respect to tyramine. Preliminary experiments were also performed in an effort to demonstrate that the potent antihypertensive and indirect-acting sympathomimetic activity of 2-(phenylthio)ethylamine (PAES) was a result of DBM-oxygenation of this compound in vivo. The specific reserpine-sensitive uptake of [3H]-norepinephrine into rat brain synaptosomes was demonstrated as was the synaptosomal conversion of [3H]-dopamine to [3H]-norepinephrine