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Discovery of Novel µ-Opioid Receptor Inverse Agonist from a Combinatorial Library of Tetrapeptides through Structure-Based Virtual Screening. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24213872. [PMID: 31717871 PMCID: PMC6865014 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24213872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, and other µ-opioid receptors (MOR) agonists have been used for decades in antinociceptive therapies. However, these drugs are associated with numerous side effects, such as euphoria, addiction, respiratory depression, and adverse gastrointestinal reactions, thus, circumventing these drawbacks is of extensive importance. With the aim of identifying novel peptide ligands endowed with MOR inhibitory activity, we developed a virtual screening protocol, including receptor-based pharmacophore screening, docking studies, and molecular dynamics simulations, which was used to filter an in-house built virtual library of tetrapeptide ligands. The three top-scored compounds were synthesized and subjected to biological evaluation, revealing the identity of a hit compound (peptide 1) endowed with appreciable MOR inverse agonist effect and selectivity over δ-opioid receptors. These results confirmed the reliability of our computational approach and provided a promising starting point for the development of new potent MOR modulators.
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Stefanucci A, Novellino E, Mirzaie S, Macedonio G, Pieretti S, Minosi P, Szűcs E, Erdei AI, Zádor F, Benyhe S, Mollica A. Opioid Receptor Activity and Analgesic Potency of DPDPE Peptide Analogues Containing a Xylene Bridge. ACS Med Chem Lett 2017; 8:449-454. [PMID: 28435535 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.7b00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
d-Pen2,d-Pen5 enkephalin (DPDPE) is one of the most selective synthetic peptide agonists targeting the δ-opioid receptor. Three cyclic analogues of DPDPE containing a xylene bridge in place of disulfide bond have been synthesized and fully characterized as opioid receptors agonists. The in vitro activity was investigated showing a good affinity of 7a-c for μ- and δ-receptors. In vivo biological assays revealed that 7b is the most potent analogue with the ability to maintain high level of analgesia from 15 to 60 min following intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration, whereas DPDPE was slightly active until 45 min. Compound 7b induced long lasting analgesia also after subcutaneous administration, whereas DPDPE was inactive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azzurra Stefanucci
- Dipartimento
di Farmacia, Università di Chieti-Pescara “G. d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Ettore Novellino
- Dipartimento
di Farmacia, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Via D. Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Sako Mirzaie
- Department
of Biochemistry, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Giorgia Macedonio
- Dipartimento
di Farmacia, Università di Chieti-Pescara “G. d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Stefano Pieretti
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Centro Nazionale
per la Ricerca e la Valutazione Preclinica dei Farmaci, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Minosi
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Centro Nazionale
per la Ricerca e la Valutazione Preclinica dei Farmaci, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Edina Szűcs
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Anna I. Erdei
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Zádor
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Sándor Benyhe
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Adriano Mollica
- Dipartimento
di Farmacia, Università di Chieti-Pescara “G. d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
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Zádor F, Kocsis D, Borsodi A, Benyhe S. Micromolar concentrations of rimonabant directly inhibits delta opioid receptor specific ligand binding and agonist-induced G-protein activity. Neurochem Int 2014; 67:14-22. [PMID: 24508403 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2013.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Revised: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
WHAT IS KNOWN There is a growing number of evidence showing, that the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) antagonist rimonabant has many non-cannabimimetic actions, such as affecting the opioid system. The direct effect of rimonabant on opioid receptors has been studied so far mainly on μ-opioid receptors. However recently the δ-opioid receptor (DOR) receives much more attention as before, due to its potential therapeutic applications, such as nociception or treatment for psychiatric disorders. OBJECTIVES To investigate the direct effect of rimonabant on DOR specific ligand binding and on the DOR mediated G-protein activation. RESULTS Micromolar concentrations of rimonabant directly inhibited the DOR specific agonist binding in radioligand competition binding experiments using Chinese hamster ovary cells stably transfected with mouse DOR (CHO-mDOR). However the inhibition occurred also in the subnanomolar range during DOR specific antagonist binding in similar experimental conditions. In functional [(35)S]GTPγS binding assays rimonabant significantly decreased the basal receptor activity in CHO-mDOR but also in parental CHO cell membranes. During DOR agonist stimulation, micromolar concentration of rimonabant attenuated the DOR G-protein activation and the potency of the activator ligand in [(35)S]GTPγS binding assays performed in CHO-mDOR, in wild type and also in CB1/CB2 double knock-out mouse forebrain membranes. Yet again this inhibitory action was DOR specific, since it did not occur during other specific GPCR agonist mediated G-protein activation. CONCLUSION Rimonabant directly inhibited DOR function in the micromolar concentrations. The inhibitory actions indicate an antagonistic behavior towards DOR which was established by the followings: (i) rimonabant inhibited DOR antagonist binding more effectively than agonist binding, (ii) the inverse agonistic, agonistic effect of the compound can be excluded, and (iii) additionally according to previous findings the allosteric mechanism can also be foreclosed.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- CHO Cells
- Cricetinae
- Cricetulus
- GTP-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate)/metabolism
- Ligands
- Mice
- Piperidines/pharmacology
- Protein Binding
- Pyrazoles/pharmacology
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/genetics
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/agonists
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/metabolism
- Rimonabant
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferenc Zádor
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Dóra Kocsis
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Anna Borsodi
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Sándor Benyhe
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
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Higgs J, Wasowski C, Loscalzo LM, Marder M. In vitro binding affinities of a series of flavonoids for μ-opioid receptors. Antinociceptive effect of the synthetic flavonoid 3,3-dibromoflavanone in mice. Neuropharmacology 2013; 72:9-19. [PMID: 23624290 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2012] [Revised: 03/06/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The pharmacotherapy for the treatment of pain is an active area of investigation. There are effective drugs to treat this problem, but there is also a need to find alternative treatments free of undesirable side effects. In the present work the capacity of a series of flavonoids to bind to the μ opioid receptor was evaluated. The most active compound, 3,3-dibromoflavanone (31), a synthetic flavonoid, presented a significant inhibition of the binding of the selective μ opioid ligand [(3)H]DAMGO, with a Ki of 0.846 ± 0.263 μM. Flavanone 31 was further synthesized using a simple and cheap procedure with good yield. Its in vivo effects in mice, after acute treatments, were studied using antinociceptive and behavioral assays. It showed no sedative, anxiolytic, motor incoordination effects or inhibition of the gastrointestinal transit in mice at the doses tested. It evidenced antinociceptive activity on the acetic acid-induced nociception, hot plate and formalin tests (at 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg). The results showed that the 5-HT2 receptor and the adrenoceptors seem unlikely to be involved in its antinociceptive effects. Naltrexone, a nonselective opioid receptors antagonist, totally blocked compound 31 antinociceptive effects on the hot plate test, but naltrindole (δ opioid antagonist) and nor-binaltorphimine (κ opioid antagonist) did not. These findings demonstrated that 3,3-dibromoflavanone (31), at doses that did not interfere with the motor performance, exerted clear dose dependent antinociception when assessed in the chemical and thermal models of nociception in mice and it seems that its action is related to the activation of the μ opioid receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefina Higgs
- Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956 (C1113AAD), 1113 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Hesperidin induces antinociceptive effect in mice and its aglicone, hesperetin, binds to μ-opioid receptor and inhibits GIRK1/2 currents. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2011; 99:333-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2011.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2010] [Revised: 04/07/2011] [Accepted: 05/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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A comprehensive study on the putative δ-opioid receptor (sub)types using the highly selective δ-antagonist, Tyr-Tic-(2S,3R)-β-MePhe-Phe-OH. Neurochem Int 2011; 59:192-201. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2011.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2011] [Revised: 04/19/2011] [Accepted: 04/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Broda MA, Buczek A, Siodłak D, Rzeszotarska B. The effect of beta-methylation on the conformation of alpha, beta-dehydrophenylalanine: a DFT study. J Pept Sci 2009; 15:465-73. [PMID: 19408247 DOI: 10.1002/psc.1137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Dehydroamino acids are non-coded amino acids that offer unique conformational properties. Dehydrophenylalanine (DeltaPhe) is most commonly used to modify bioactive peptides to constrain the topography of the phenyl ring in the side chain, which commonly serves as a pharmacophore. The Ramachandran maps (in the gas phase and in CHCl(3) mimicking environments) of DeltaPhe analogues with methyl groups at the beta position of the side chain as well as at the C-terminal amide were calculated using the B3LYP/6-31 + G** method. Unexpectedly, beta-methylation alone results in an increase of conformational freedom of the affected DeltaPhe residue. However, further modification by introducing an additional methyl group at C-terminal methyl amide results in a steric crowding that fixes the torsion angle psi of all conformers to the value 123 degrees , regardless of the Z or E position of the phenyl ring. The number of conformers is reduced and the accessible conformational space of the residues is very limited. In particular, (Z)-Delta(betaMe)Phe with the tertiary C-terminal amide can be classified as the amino acid derivative that has a single conformational state as it seems to adopt only the beta conformation.
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Abstract
This paper is the thirtieth consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2007 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, and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia; stress and social status; tolerance and dependence; learning and memory; eating and drinking; alcohol and drugs of abuse; sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology; mental illness and mood; seizures and neurologic disorders; electrical-related activity and neurophysiology; general activity and locomotion; gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions; cardiovascular responses; respiration and thermoregulation; and immunological responses.
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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.
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Birkas E, Kertesz I, Toth G, Bakota L, Gulya K, Szucs M. Synthesis and pharmacological characterization of a novel, highly potent, peptidomimetic delta-opioid radioantagonist, [3H]Tyr-Tic-(2S,3R)-beta-MePhe-Phe-OH. Neuropeptides 2008; 42:57-67. [PMID: 18068762 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2007.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2007] [Revised: 10/03/2007] [Accepted: 10/11/2007] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
[(3)H]Tyr-Tic-(2S,3R)-beta-MePhe-Phe-OH (where Tic: 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid) with a specific radioactivity of 53.7 Ci/mmol was synthesized and characterized in receptor binding assays at 25 degrees C in rat brain membranes. The specific binding was saturable and displayed high affinity, with a K(D) of 0.16+/-0.005 nM and B(max) of 85.9+/-6.3 fmol/mg protein. NaCl increased its affinity by about 4-fold in membranes of rat brain and Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells stably transfected with the human delta-opioid receptors (hDOR-CHO) showing that the new ligand is an antagonist. The prototypic delta-opioid ligands were much more potent than mu- or kappa-specific ligands in competition assays. The autoradiographic distribution of the binding sites of the new ligand agreed with the known locations of the delta-opioid receptors in rat brain. The unlabeled new ligand was about 7-fold more potent than the parent peptide in competing for the binding sites of [(3)H]Tyr-Tic-(2S,3R)-beta-MePhe-Phe-OH in rat brain membranes. Likewise, the threo-beta-methyl analog was 3.8-fold more potent than the parent compound in antagonizing the effect of DPDPE in the [(35)S]GTPgammaS functional assay in hDOR-CHO membranes. The new, highly potent, conformationally constrained antagonist may be a valuable pharmacological tool in understanding the structural and topographical requirements of peptide ligand binding to the delta-opioid receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Birkas
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 521, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary
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