1
|
Milella MS, D'Ottavio G, De Pirro S, Barra M, Caprioli D, Badiani A. Heroin and its metabolites: relevance to heroin use disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:120. [PMID: 37031205 PMCID: PMC10082801 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02406-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Heroin is an opioid agonist commonly abused for its rewarding effects. Since its synthesis at the end of the nineteenth century, its popularity as a recreational drug has ebbed and flowed. In the last three decades, heroin use has increased again, and yet the pharmacology of heroin is still poorly understood. After entering the body, heroin is rapidly deacetylated to 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM), which is then deacetylated to morphine. Thus, drug addiction literature has long settled on the notion that heroin is little more than a pro-drug. In contrast to these former views, we will argue for a more complex interplay among heroin and its active metabolites: 6-MAM, morphine, and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G). In particular, we propose that the complex temporal pattern of heroin effects results from the sequential, only partially overlapping, actions not only of 6-MAM, morphine, and M6G, but also of heroin per se, which, therefore, should not be seen as a mere brain-delivery system for its active metabolites. We will first review the literature concerning the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of heroin and its metabolites, then examine their neural and behavioral effects, and finally discuss the possible implications of these data for a better understanding of opioid reward and heroin addiction. By so doing we hope to highlight research topics to be investigated by future clinical and pre-clinical studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Stanislaw Milella
- Toxicology Unit, Policlinico Umberto I University Hospital, Rome, Italy.
- Laboratory affiliated to the Institute Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti-Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Ginevra D'Ottavio
- Laboratory affiliated to the Institute Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti-Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy
| | - Silvana De Pirro
- Laboratory affiliated to the Institute Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti-Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research (SERAF), Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Sussex Addiction and Intervention Centre (SARIC), School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | | | - Daniele Caprioli
- Laboratory affiliated to the Institute Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti-Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy.
| | - Aldo Badiani
- Laboratory affiliated to the Institute Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti-Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- Sussex Addiction and Intervention Centre (SARIC), School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
- Fondazione Villa Maraini, Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhou QH, Qin WW, Finel M, He QQ, Tu DZ, Wang CR, Ge GB. A broad-spectrum substrate for the human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases and its use for investigating glucuronidation inhibitors. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 180:252-261. [PMID: 33741369 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.03.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Strong inhibition of the human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase enzymes (UGTs) may lead to undesirable effects, including hyperbilirubinaemia and drug/herb-drug interactions. Currently, there is no good way to examine the inhibitory effects and specificities of compounds toward all the important human UGTs, side-by-side and under identical conditions. Herein, we report a new, broad-spectrum substrate for human UGTs and its uses in screening and characterizing of UGT inhibitors. Following screening a variety of phenolic compound(s), we have found that methylophiopogonanone A (MOA) can be readily O-glucuronidated by all tested human UGTs, including the typical N-glucuronidating enzymes UGT1A4 and UGT2B10. MOA-O-glucuronidation yielded a single mono-O-glucuronide that was biosynthesized and purified for structural characterization and for constructing an LC-UV based MOA-O-glucuronidation activity assay, which was then used for investigating MOA-O-glucuronidation kinetics in recombinant human UGTs. The derived Km values were crucial for selecting the most suitable assay conditions for assessing inhibitory potentials and specificity of test compound(s). Furthermore, the inhibitory effects and specificities of four known UGT inhibitors were reinvestigated by using MOA as the substrate for all tested UGTs. Collectively, MOA is a broad-spectrum substrate for the human UGTs, which offers a new and practical tool for assessing inhibitory effects and specificities of UGT inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Hang Zhou
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Wei-Wei Qin
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Moshe Finel
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Qing-Qing He
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Dong-Zhu Tu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chao-Ran Wang
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Guang-Bo Ge
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yang N, Li S, Yan C, Sun R, He J, Xie Y, Peng Y, Wang G, Aa J. Inhibitory Effects of Endogenous Linoleic Acid and Glutaric Acid on the Renal Glucuronidation of Berberrubine in Mice and on Recombinant Human UGT1A7, 1A8, and 1A9. Mol Pharmacol 2018; 93:216-227. [PMID: 29351921 DOI: 10.1124/mol.117.110668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Berberrubine (BRB) has a strong lipid-lowering effect and can be extensively metabolized into berberrubine-9-O-β-d-glucuronide (BRBG) in vivo. Recently, pharmacokinetics studies showed that the production of BRBG was significantly decreased in the urine of mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD), indicating a decreased glucuronidation capacity. Based on the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isoform identification, hepatic and renal microsomal incubation, glucuronidation was examined to suggest the metabolism of BRB in liver and kidneys. The results showed that the renal UGT activity for metabolizing BRB markedly decreased, which may be highly related to the decreased expression and activity of renal Ugt1a7c. Surprisingly, in vitro studies revealed neither BRB nor BRBG inhibited the renal UGT activity. By employing an integrated strategy of metabolomics and pharmacokinetics, we identified and confirmed for the first time the inhibitory effect of some potential endogenous molecules on the renal glucuronidation of C57BL/6J mice, such as glutaric acid (GA) and linoleic acid (LA). By employing recombinant human UGTs, we found that GA and LA efficiently affect the activity of recombinant human UGT1A7, 1A9, and 1A8 at their normal or abnormal physiologic levels in vivo. GA (2 mM) markedly inhibited the activity of UGT1A7 by 89.4% and UGT1A9 by 32.8%. The inhibition rates reached 99.3% for UGT1A9, 48.3% for UGT1A7, and 46.8% for UGT1A8 with LA at 200 μM. It has been suggested that the endogenous molecules have the potential to affect the efficiency of glucuronidation, which might be a key factor contributing to individual differences in drug metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Na Yang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Sijia Li
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Caixia Yan
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Runbin Sun
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun He
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Xie
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Peng
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangji Wang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiye Aa
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pivaloylcodeine, a new codeine derivative, for the inhibition of morphine glucuronidation. An in vitro study in the rat. Bioorg Med Chem 2013; 21:7955-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2013.09.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Revised: 09/25/2013] [Accepted: 09/26/2013] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
|
5
|
Togna AR, Antonilli L, Dovizio M, Salemme A, De Carolis L, Togna GI, Patrignani P, Nencini P. In vitro morphine metabolism by rat microglia. Neuropharmacology 2013; 75:391-8. [PMID: 23988259 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Revised: 08/07/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Morphine is mainly transformed to morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) in the liver. Glucuronidation is also performed by rat brain homogenates and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are present in the brain. Here we investigated the possibility that microglia transforms morphine into its metabolites M3G and M6G. Primary cultures of neonatal rat microglia were incubated for different intervals of time in basal conditions or with different concentrations of morphine. The following measures were performed on these cultures and/or in the medium: (i) morphine as well as M3G and M6G concentrations; (ii) levels of mRNA coding for UGT1A1, UGT1A6, UGT1A7, and UGT2B1 as well as their protein levels; (iii) released prostaglandin (PG)E2 and nitrite concentrations. Results show that in basal conditions morphine and M3G are produced by microglia; accordingly, these cells expressed UGT1A1, UGT1A6 and UGT1A7, but not UGT2B1. When cultures were exposed to different concentrations of exogenous morphine, M6G was also synthesized. This shift in the glucuronidation was associated with variations in the expression of UGT isozymes. In particular, UGT1A7 expression was rapidly upregulated and this event was translated into enhanced protein levels of UGT1A7; lesser effects were exerted on UGT1A1 and UGT1A6. Upon prolonged exposure to morphine, microglial cell UGT expression returned to baseline conditions or even to reduced levels of expression. Morphine exposure did not affect the synthesis of both PGE2 and nitrites, ruling out a generalized priming of microglia by morphine. In conclusion, this study suggests that morphine glucuronides found in the cerebrospinal liquor upon peripheral morphine administration may at least in part be brain-born, reconciling the conceptual gap between the high hydrophilic features of morphine glucuronides and their presence beyond the blood-brain barrier.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rita Togna
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Letizia Antonilli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Melania Dovizio
- Department of Neuroscience and Imaging, "G. d'Annunzio" University, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy; Center of Excellence on Aging (CeSI), "Gabriele d'Annunzio" University Foundation, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Adele Salemme
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenza De Carolis
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppina I Togna
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Patrignani
- Department of Neuroscience and Imaging, "G. d'Annunzio" University, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy; Center of Excellence on Aging (CeSI), "Gabriele d'Annunzio" University Foundation, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Paolo Nencini
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Nakanishi T, Ikenaga M, Fukuda H, Matsunaga N, Tamai I. Application of quantitative time-lapse imaging (QTLI) for evaluation of Mrp2-based drug–drug interaction induced by liver metabolites. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2012; 263:244-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2012.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2012] [Revised: 06/01/2012] [Accepted: 06/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
|
7
|
Antonilli L, De Carolis L, Brusadin V, Togna AR, Dovizio M, Togna GI, Patrignani P, Nencini P. Repeated exposure to codeine alters morphine glucuronidation by affecting UGT gene expression in the rat. Eur J Pharmacol 2012; 693:7-14. [PMID: 23010468 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2012.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2012] [Revised: 07/05/2012] [Accepted: 07/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
We have previously found that phenantrenic opioids, such as heroin or naltrexone, modulate morphine glucuronidation in the rat. Here we further investigated the effects of phenantrenic opioids on morphine glucuronidation comparing the effects of codeine and heroin. In particular, we measured the synthesis of morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) from morphine: in the liver microsomal preparations obtained from rats repeatedly treated with two different doses of codeine (ex vivo study); in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes previously incubated for 72h with codeine, or heroin (in vitro study); in the latter conditions, the levels of expression of genes coding for uridine-5'-diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) A1, A6, A7 and 2B1 were also determined; finally, the levels of glucuronic acid in rat hepatocytes previously incubated for 72h with codeine or heroin were assessed. The ex vivo study shows that codeine exposure in vivo stimulated liver microsomal M3G formation and de novo synthesis of M6G. Differently, in primary hepatocyte cultures both codeine and heroin inhibited M3G formation, whereas heroin only stimulated de novo synthesis of M6G; moreover, codeine significantly reduced UGT2B1 expression at 6h and caused a trend toward inhibition of UGT1A1 expression at 72h; heroin enhanced UGT2B1 expression and inhibited that of UGT1A1 at 72h; finally, both codeine and heroin depleted UDPGA content of hepatocytes. In conclusion, codeine affects liver glucuronidation of morphine enlightening the possible contribution of changes in the spectrum of UGT gene expression and co-factor synthesis in this phenomenon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Antonilli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Vittorio Erspamer, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
This paper is the 31st consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2008 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides, opioid receptors, opioid agonists and opioid antagonists. The particular topics that continue to be covered include the molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors related to behavior (Section 2), and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia (Section 3); stress and social status (Section 4); tolerance and dependence (Section 5); learning and memory (Section 6); eating and drinking (Section 7); alcohol and drugs of abuse (Section 8); sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (Section 9); mental illness and mood (Section 10); seizures and neurologic disorders (Section 11); electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (Section 12); general activity and locomotion (Section 13); gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (Section 14); cardiovascular responses (Section 15); respiration and thermoregulation (Section 16); and immunological responses (Section 17).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367, United States.
| |
Collapse
|