Transformation of a kappa-opioid receptor antagonist to a kappa-agonist by transfer of a guanidinium group from the 5'- to 6'-position of naltrindole

Recent advances in selective opioid receptor agonists and antagonists

Opioid analgesics provide outstanding benefits for relief of severe pain. The mechanisms of the analgesia accompanied with some side effects have been investigated by many scientists to shed light on the complex biological processes at the molecular level. New opioid drugs and therapies with more desirable properties can be developed on the bases of accurate insight of the opioid ligand-receptor interaction and clear knowledge of the pharmacological behavior of opioid receptors and the associated proteins. Toward this goal, recent advances in selective opioid receptor agonists and antagonists including opioid ligand-receptor interactions are summarized in this review article.

2-Chloro-N(6)-cyclopentyladenosine, adenosine A(1) receptor agonist, antagonizes the adenosine A(3) receptor

The potent adenosine A(1) receptor agonists, N(6)-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) and 2-chloro-N(6)-cyclopentyladenosine (CCPA), were studied in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing the human adenosine A(3) receptor. CPA, but not CCPA, induced phosphoinositide turnover. CPA inhibited forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP production (EC(50) value of 242+/-47 nM). CCPA competitively antagonized the effects of agonist Cl-IB-MECA (2-chloro-N(6)-(3-iodobenzyl)-5'-N-methylcarbamoyladenosine) with K(B) value of 5.0 nM. CPA competition curves versus the A(3) antagonist radioligand [3H]PSB-11 (8-ethyl-4-methyl-2-phenyl-(8R)-4,5,7,8-tetrahydro-1H-imidazo[2.1-i]purin-5-one) were right-shifted four-fold by 100 microM GTP, which had no effect on binding of CCPA or the antagonist MRS 1220 (N-[9-chloro-2-(2-furanyl)[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]quinazolin-5-yl]benzene-acetamide). Thus, CCPA is a moderately potent antagonist (K(i)=38 nM) of the human A(3) adenosine receptor.