Ever since the idea arose that melatonin might promote sleep and resynchronize circadian rhythms, many research groups have centered their efforts on obtaining new melatonin receptor ligands whose pharmacophores include an aliphatic chain of variable length united to an N-alkylamide and a methoxy group (or a bioisostere), linked to a central ring. Substitution of the indole ring found in melatonin with a naphthalene or quinoline ring leads to compounds of similar affinity. The next step in this structural approximation is to introduce a quinoxaline ring (a bioisostere of the quinoline and naphthalene rings) as the central nucleus of future melatoninergic ligands.
                                    自从有人提出
褪黑素可能促进睡眠并重新同步昼夜节律以来,许多研究团队一直致力于获得新的
褪黑素受体
配体,其药效基团包括一条可变长度的脂肪链,与N-烷基酰胺和一个甲氧基团(或
生物等排体)相连,连接在一个中心环上。将
褪黑素中的
吲哚环替换为
萘环或
喹啉环会得到亲和力相似的化合物。下一步,在这种结构逼近中,将引入一个
喹喔啉环(
喹啉环和
萘环的
生物等排体)作为未来
褪黑素能
配体的中心核。