Separation of binding affinity and intrinsic activity of the potent mu-opioid 14-methoxymetopon

Receptor binding studies of 5,14-O-dimethyloxymorphone (14-methoxymetopon) in brain membranes have established its high affinity for mu-binding sites, but its analgesic potency far exceeds the modest increase in binding affinity relative to other opioids. The current study has established the selectivity of [(3)H]14-methoxymetopon for mu sites in calf striatal membranes and for a number of full-length splice variants of the cloned murine mu-opioid receptor 1 (mMOR-1) in transfected cell lines. The binding affinity of [(3)H]14-methoxymetopon for the variants expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells was quite high, with K(D) values around 0.2 nM for all of the variants with the exception of mMOR-1F (K(D) of 1.2 nM). The affinity for most of the expressed variants was greater than that seen in the brain membranes (K(D) of 0.99 nM). Functionally, in guanosine 5'-O-(3-[(35)S]thio)triphosphate ([(35)S]GTPgammaS) binding assays with the MOR-1 variants, 14-methoxymetopon and the mu-opioid peptide [d-Ala(2),N-Me-Phe(4),Gly(5)-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO) showed similar efficacies, as determined by maximal stimulation, but 14-methoxymetopon was up to 65-fold more potent than DAMGO. The greatest difference was seen with mMOR-1E and the least with mMOR-1C, which displayed only a 10-fold difference. These potency differences in the stimulation of [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding far exceeded the differences in binding affinity. The differences between 14-methoxymetopon and DAMGO remained after normalizing the potency shifts based upon receptor binding affinities and varied from 1.2-fold with mMOR-1C to 21-fold for mMOR-1 and 42-fold with mMOR-1F. Thus, 14-methoxymetopon is a potent agonist against all of the mMOR-1 splice variants, but its potency ranged widely despite similar binding affinities for most of the variants and may give insight into its unusual pharmacological profile.

Peripherally mediated antinociception of the mu-opioid receptor agonist 2-[(4,5alpha-epoxy-3-hydroxy-14beta-methoxy-17-methylmorphinan-6beta-yl)amino]acetic acid (HS-731) after subcutaneous and oral administration in rats with carrageenan-induced hindpaw inflammation

Opioids induce analgesia by activating opioid receptors not only within the central nervous system but also on peripheral sensory neurons. This study investigated peripherally mediated antinociception produced by the mu-opioid receptor agonist 2-[(4,5alpha-epoxy-3-hydroxy-14beta-methoxy-17-methylmorphinan-6beta-yl)amino]acetic acid (HS-731) after s.c. and oral administration in rats with carrageenan-induced hindpaw inflammation. Antinociceptive effects after s.c. administration were assessed 3 h after intraplantar carrageenan injection and compared with those of centrally acting mu-opioid agonists 14-methoxymetopon and morphine. Opioid agonists caused dose-dependent increases in inflamed paw withdrawal latencies to mechanical and thermal stimulation. The time course of action was different, in that HS-731 (20 microg/kg s.c.) produced significant long-lasting effects up to 4 h after administration, whereas 14-methoxymetopon (20 microg/kg) and morphine (2 mg/kg) reached their peak of action at 10 to 30 min, and their effect declined rapidly thereafter. Subcutaneous administration of the peripherally selective opioid antagonist naloxone methiodide inhibited antinociception elicited by HS-731 (20 microg/kg s.c.), whereas it was ineffective against 14-methoxymetopon (20 microg/kg s.c.). Moreover, the antinociception produced by 100 microg/kg s.c. HS-731 was dose-dependently reversed by s.c. naloxone methiodide. This indicates that HS-731 preferentially activates peripheral opioid receptors, whereas 14-methoxymetopon mediates analgesia via central mechanisms. Orally administered HS-731 significantly reduced hyperalgesia in the inflamed paw induced by carrageenan, which was reversible by s.c. administered naloxone methiodide. These results show that systemic (s.c. and oral) treatment with the mu-opioid agonist HS-731 produces potent and long-lasting antinociception through peripheral mechanisms in rats with carrageenan-induced hindpaw inflammation.

Effect of a 6-cyano substituent in 14-oxygenated N-methylmorphinans on opioid receptor binding and antinociceptive potency

In a continued effort to find new substitution patterns in morphinans that would produce strong antinociception while inducing lesser side effects, 4,5-oxygen bridge-opened 6-cyano-substituted N-methylmorphinans (1-3) were synthesized. All compounds showed high affinities in the low nanomolar range to the mu opioid receptor and decreased interaction with delta and kappa receptors, thus being mu selective. When tested in vivo, the 6-cyanomorphinanas acted as potent antinociceptive agents which were either more active or equipotent to their 6-keto analogues 4-6.

Mechanistic diversity of the van Leusen reaction applied to 6-ketomorphinans and synthetic potential of the resulting acrylonitrile substructures

Tosylmethyl isocyanide was used to convert 7,8-didehydro-6-ketomorphinans to 6,7-didehydromorphinan-6-carbonitriles with retainment of the 4,5-epoxy ring. However, ring opening occurred in the presence of NaH giving 5,6,7,8-tetradehydromorphinan-6-carbonitriles. Addition of nucleophiles such as Li diisopropylamide or Grignard reagents to the acrylonitrile substructure yielded ring-opened 5,6-didehydro products. Seven products were characterized by X-ray crystal structure analysis and revealed insight into the mechanistic diversity of the van Leusen reaction.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 14-alkoxymorphinans. 22.(1) Influence of the 14-alkoxy group and the substitution in position 5 in 14-alkoxymorphinan-6-ones on in vitro and in vivo activities

Novel 14-alkoxy-substituted (e.g. allyloxy, benzyloxy, naphthylmethoxy) morphinan-6-one derivatives were synthesized and biologically evaluated. Compounds 6-9 and 11 displayed affinities in the subnanomolar range to mu opioid receptors which were comparable to 14-O-methyloxymorphone (1) and 14-methoxymetopon (3), and higher than oxymorphone (2). Opioid binding affinity was sensitive to the character and length of the substituent in position 14. In smooth muscle preparations they behaved as potent agonists. Antinociceptive potencies of compounds 6-11 in the hot-plate test after sc administration in mice were considerably greater than the potency of morphine. In the colonic propulsion test, the most potent analgesic compound 7 showed negligible constipating activity at the analgesic dose. These findings provide further evidence that the nature of the substituent at position 14 has a major impact on the abilities of morphinans to interact with opioid receptors. Introduction of a 5-methyl group has no significant effect on in vitro biological activities, but resulted in decreased antinociceptive potency.

Inverse agonism and neutral antagonism at wild-type and constitutively active mutant delta opioid receptors

The delta opioid receptor modulates nociceptive and emotional behaviors. This receptor has been shown to exhibit measurable spontaneous activity. Progress in understanding the biological relevance of this activity has been slow, partly due to limited characterization of compounds with intrinsic negative activity. Here, we have used constitutively active mutant (CAM) delta receptors in two different functional assays, guanosine 5'-O-(3-thio)triphosphate binding and a reporter gene assay, to test potential inverse agonism of 15 delta opioid compounds, originally described as antagonists. These include the classical antagonists naloxone, naltrindole, 7-benzylidene-naltrexone, and naltriben, a new set of naltrindole derivatives, H-Tyr-Tic-Phe-Phe-OH (TIPP) and H-Tyr-TicPsi[CH2N]Cha-Phe-OH [TICP(Psi)], as well as three 2',6'-dimethyltyrosine-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline-3-carboxylate (Dmt-Tic) peptides. A reference agonist, SNC 80 [(+)-4-[(alphaR)-alpha-((2S,5R)-4-Allyl-2,5-dimethyl-1-piperazinyl)-3-methoxybenzyl]-N,N-diethylbenzamide], and inverse agonist, ICI 174864 (N,N-diallyl-Tyr-Aib-Aib-Phe-Leu), were also included. In a screen using wild-type and CAM M262T delta receptors, naltrindole (NTI) and close derivatives were mostly inactive, and TIPP behaved as an agonist, whereas Dmt-Tic-OH and N,N(CH3)2-Dmt-Tic-NH2 showed inverse agonism. The two latter compounds showed negative activity across 27 CAM receptors, suggesting that this activity was independent from the activation mechanism. These two compounds also exhibited nanomolar potencies in dose-response experiments performed on wild-type, M262T, Y308H, and C328R CAM receptors. TICP(Psi) exhibited strong inverse agonism at the Y308H receptor. We conclude that the stable N,N(CH3)2-Dmt-Tic-NH2 compound represents a useful tool to explore the spontaneous activity of delta receptors, and NTI and novel derivatives behave as neutral antagonists.

In vitro opioid activity profiles of 6-amino acid substituted derivatives of 14-O-methyloxymorphone

A series of 6-amino acid conjugates (glycine, alanine and phenylalanine) of the highly potent opioid analgesic 14-O-methyloxymorphone was developed in an effort to obtain agonists that would have potentially limited ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Binding studies revealed that all derivatives displayed high affinities (0.77-2.58 nM) at the mu-opioid receptor in rat brain membranes. They were potent agonists in mouse vas deferens preparation (IC(50)=5.52-26.8 nM). While the alpha-amino acid epimers are favoured by mu-opioid receptors, the beta-epimers proved to have increased interaction with delta-sites. Only the beta-phenylalanine conjugate showed some preference for delta- over mu-opioid receptors and delta-opioid receptor agonist activity. The relatively high delta-opioid receptor affinity of this analogue was also predicted by molecular modelling studies. The newly developed ionizable derivatives could find clinical applications as potent analgesics without the adverse actions of centrally acting opioids.

Peripheral versus central antinociceptive actions of 6-amino acid-substituted derivatives of 14-O-methyloxymorphone in acute and inflammatory pain in the rat

Opioid analgesics with restricted access to the central nervous system represent a new approach to the treatment of severe pain with an improved safety profile. The objective of this study was to investigate the peripheral and central components of the antinociceptive actions of the 6-amino acid conjugates (glycine, alanine, and phenylalanine) of 14-O-methyloxymorphone. Their antinociceptive activities were compared with those of the centrally penetrating mu-opioid agonists morphine, fentanyl, and 14-O-methyloxymorphone. In the tail-flick test in rats, the 6-amino acid conjugates were 45- to 1170-fold more potent than morphine after i.c.v. administration and 19- to 209-fold after s.c. administration. They showed potencies similar to fentanyl after s.c. administration and were more potent after i.c.v. application. The time course of action was different between s.c. and i.c.v. administration, with significant long-lasting effects after i.c.v. administration. Systemic administration of the peripherally selective opioid antagonist naloxone methiodide antagonized the effects after s.c. but not after i.c.v. administration in the tail-flick test. Subcutaneous 6-amino acid derivatives also elicited antihyper-analgesic effects in the formalin test in rats, which were reversed by systemically administered naloxone methiodide. Although morphine exerts its analgesic effects by central and peripheral mechanisms, the investigated new opioids interact primarily with peripheral opioid receptors after s.c. administration. The present data indicate that the 6-amino acid conjugates of 14-O-methyloxymorphone have limited access to the central nervous system and can mediate antinociception at peripheral sites. Also, they might find clinical application when the central actions of opioids are unwanted.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 14-Alkoxymorphinans. 21. Novel 4-Alkoxy and 14-Phenylpropoxy Derivatives of the μ Opioid Receptor Antagonist Cyprodime

The synthesis, biological, and pharmacological evaluation of novel derivatives of cyprodime are described. Their binding affinities at mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptors were evaluated using receptor binding assay. It was observed that the affinity of these compounds was sensitive to the character and length of the substituent in position 4. Further prolongation of the 4-alkoxy group of cyprodime (1) and its 4-butoxy analogue 2 is detrimental for the mu opioid receptor affinity. Introduction of an arylalkoxy group at C-4 does not increase mu affinity in the case of benzyloxy, while a phenylpropoxy group reduces mu affinity. The delta and kappa affinities were also reduced compared to the reference compounds. A significant increase in the affinity at the mu opioid receptors was achieved by introducing a 14-phenylpropoxy group. Increases in the affinity at delta and kappa receptors were also observed. These findings provide further evidence that the nature of the substituent at position 14 has a major impact on the abilities of morphinans to interact with opioid receptors. In the [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding assay, all tested compounds were partial agonists at mu and delta receptors. Compounds 8 and 17 showed antagonism at kappa receptors, while compound 7 exhibited some partial agonist activity at this receptor. The novel derivatives of cyprodime containing a 14-phenylpropoxy group acted as potent antinociceptives. When tested in vivo, compounds 7, 8, and 17 were considerably more potent than morphine, with phenol 7 showing the highest antinociceptive potency (21-fold in the hot plate test, 38-fold in the tail flick test, and 300-fold in the paraphenylquinone writhing test) in mice. Introduction of a 14-phenylpropoxy substituent leads to a profound alteration in the pharmacological profile of this class of compounds.

Effect of novel non-peptidic delta opioid receptor antagonists on human T and B cell activation

The effects of the antagonist naltrindole (NTI) on cells of the immune system have been largely studied although the mechanisms of action are still unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate, in vitro, the immunomodulatory activity of four new delta-selective opioid compounds structurally related to naltrindole. The effects at different concentrations of these opioid antagonists on proliferative response were studied on normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated with different stimuli: mitogens, the antigen PPD, the anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies (mAb), the superantigen Staphylococcus aureus Cowan strain 1 (SAC) and alloantigens in the mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLR). The immunomodulatory capacity of these compounds was evaluated by determining the interleukin-2 (IL-2) release in mitogen activated PBMC. The present study shows that all the new delta opioid antagonists at 10(-5) M concentration are immunosuppressive. The inhibitory action is also evident at lower concentrations when anti-CD3 mAb and SAC were used as stimulators. In addition, the production of IL-2 was inhibited by the opioid treatment, but this might not be the only mechanism of action.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 14-alkoxymorphinans. 20. 14-phenylpropoxymetopon: an extremely powerful analgesic

The synthesis and the biological and pharmacological evaluation of several 14-phenylpropoxy analogues of 14-methoxymetopon are described. Most of the new compounds were nonselective and exhibited binding affinities in the subnanomolar or low nanomolar range at opioid receptors mu, kappa, delta), with 14-phenylpropoxymetopon (PPOM; 7) displaying the highest affinity for all three opioid receptor types. The most striking finding of this study is that the derivatives from the novel series of N-methyl-14-phenylpropoxymorphinans acted as extremely powerful antinociceptives with potencies higher than that of 14-methoxymetopon (1) and even etorphine. 14-Phenylpropoxymetopon (PPOM; 7) showed considerably increased potency in the in vivo assays in mice (25-fold in the tail-flick assay, 10-fold in the hot-plate assay, and 2.5-fold in the paraphenylquinone writhing test) when compared to etorphine, while it was equipotent to dihydroetorphine in the hot-plate assay and the paraphenylquinone writhing test and ca. twice as potent in the tail-flick assay than this reference compound. The 3-O-alkyl ethers of PPOM, compounds 6 and 8, showed less potency in in vivo assays, but partly surpassed the potency of the 3-OH analogue 14-methoxymetopon (1).

Binding characteristics of [3H]14-methoxymetopon, a high affinity mu-opioid receptor agonist

The highly potent micro -opioid receptor agonist 14-methoxymetopon (4,5alpha-epoxy-3-hydroxy-14beta-methoxy-5beta,17-dimethylmorphinan-6-one) was prepared in tritium labelled form by a catalytic dehalogenation method resulting in a specific radioactivity of 15.9 Ci/mmol. Opioid binding characteristics of [3H]14-methoxymetopon were determined using radioligand binding assay in rat brain membranes. [3H]14-Methoxymetopon specifically labelled a single class of opioid sites with affinity in low subnanomolar range (Ki = 0.43 nm) and maximal number of binding sites of 314 fmol/mg protein. Binding of [3H]14-methoxymetopon was inhibited by ligands selective for the micro -opioid receptor with high potency, while selective kappa-opioids and delta-opioids were weaker inhibitors. 14-Methoxymetopon increased guanosine-5'-O-(3-[35S]thio)-triphosphate ([35S]GTPgammaS) binding with an EC50 of 70.9 nm, thus, providing evidence for the agonist character of this ligand. The increase of [35S]GTPgammaS binding was inhibited by naloxone and selective micro -opioid antagonists, indicating a micro -opioid receptor-mediated action. [3H]14-Methoxymetopon is one of the few nonpeptide mu-opioid receptor agonists available in radiolabelled form up to now. Due to its high affinity and selectivity, high stability and extremely low nonspecific binding (<10%), this radioligand would be an important and useful tool in probing mu-opioid receptor mechanisms, as well as to promote a further understanding of the opioid system at the cellular and molecular level.

Crystal structure of 14 β-hydroxy-3,4-dimethoxy-5β,17-dimethylmorphinan- 6-one, C20H27NO4

C20H27NO4, monoclinic, P1211 (No. 4), a = 12.689(6) Å, b = 7.539(2) Å, c = 19.490(3) Å, β = 105.87(3)0, V = 1793.4 Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.032, wRref(F2) = 0.081, T = 218 K.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 14-alkoxymorphinans. 18. N-substituted 14-phenylpropyloxymorphinan-6-ones with unanticipated agonist properties: extending the scope of common structure-activity relationships

The synthesis, biological, and pharmacological evaluations of 14beta-O-phenylpropyl-substituted morphinan-6-ones are described. The most striking finding of this study was that all of the compounds from the novel series of differently N-substituted 14beta-O-phenylpropylmorphinans acted as powerful opioid agonists. Even with N-substituents such as cyclopropylmethyl and allyl, which are usually associated with distinct antagonist properties, only agonists were obtained. Compared to morphine, the N-cyclopropylmethyl derivative 15 showed considerably increased potency in the in vivo assays in mice (600-fold in the tail-flick assay, 60-fold in the paraphenylquinone writhing test, and 400-fold in the hot-plate assay). Remarkably, most of the new ligands were nonselective and exhibited binding affinities in the subnanomolar range at opioid receptors (mu, kappa, delta), with the N-propyl derivative 19 displaying the highest affinity for the mu-receptor (K(i) = 0.09 nM).