| abstract |
Oleamide is an endogenous fatty acid primary amide that possesses sleep-inducing properties in animals and has been shown to effect seratonergic systems and block gap junction communication in a structurally specific manner. Certain agents can serve both as an oleamide agonist and as an inhibitor of fatty acid amide hydrolase. Fatty acid amide hydrolase is responsible for the rapid inactivation of oleamide in vivo. The structural features of oleamide required for inhibition of gap junction-mediated chemical and electrical transmission in rat glial cells are defined. Effective inhibitors fall into two classes of fatty acid primary amides of which oleamide and arachidonamide are the prototypical members. Of these two, oleamide constitutes the most effective and its structural requirements for inhibition of the gap junction are well defined. It requires a chain length of 16-24 carbons of which 16-18 carbons appears optimal, a polarized terminal carbonyl group capable of accepting but not necessarily donating a hydrogen bond, a DELTA 9 cis double bond, and a hydrophobic methyl terminus. Within these constraints, a range of modifications are possible, many of which may with enhanced in vivo properties. |