Molecular Structure of Two Gastrokinetic Compounds, Cisapride and R53757: Comparison with Dopaminergic D2 Antagonists

The crystal structures of the title compounds have been solved by direct methods from single crystal X-ray diffraction. Cisapride: monoclinic, space group P21/n with a=34.210(4), b=7.642(2), c=9.435(1) Å, β=90.93(1)°, Z=4, final R factor=0.044 for 1178 observed reflections. R53757: monoclinic, space group P21/n with a=28.896(3), b=8.054(2), c=10.957(2) Å, β=91.79(1)°, Z=4, final R factor=0.032 for 933 observed reflections. Cisapride, a non-dopamine blocking gastrokinetic, and its closely related analog, R53757, are compared to two very potent D2 antagonists, tropapride and R48788. The analysis of the X-ray determined structures completed by theoretical conformational studies suggests that the structural requirements for all compounds studied seem to be very similar. As shown by PCILO calculations, the presence of a methoxy group on the cisapride piperidine ring does not prevent an optimal orientation of the three putative pharmacophoric elements described for the D2 receptor. Only the nature of the nitrogen lateral chain differs between the D2 antagonists and cisapride.