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Piekielna-Ciesielska J, Malfacini D, Djeujo FM, Marconato C, Wtorek K, Calo' G, Janecka A. Functional selectivity of EM-2 analogs at the mu-opioid receptor. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1133961. [PMID: 36909169 PMCID: PMC9998502 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1133961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The mu opioid receptor agonists are the most efficacious pain controlling agents but their use is accompanied by severe side effects. More recent developments indicate that some ligands can differentially activate receptor downstream pathways, possibly allowing for dissociation of analgesia mediated through the G protein from the opioid-related side effects mediated by β-arrestin pathway. In an effort to identify such biased ligands, here we present a series of thirteen endomorphin-2 (EM-2) analogs with modifications in positions 1, 2, and/or 3. All obtained analogs behaved as mu receptor selective agonists in calcium mobilization assay carried out on cells expressing opioid receptors and chimeric G proteins. A Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET) approach was employed to determine the ability of analogs to promote the interaction of the mu opioid receptor with G protein or β-arrestin 2. Nearly half of the developed analogs showed strong bias towards G protein, in addition four compounds were nearly inactive towards β-arrestin 2 recruitment while blocking the propensity of EM-2 to evoke mu-β-arrestin 2 interaction. The data presented here contribute to our understanding of EM-2 interaction with the mu opioid receptor and of the transductional propagation of the signal. In addition, the generation of potent and selective mu receptor agonists strongly biased towards G protein provides the scientific community with novel tools to investigate the in vivo consequences of biased agonism at this receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Davide Malfacini
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Francine Medjiofack Djeujo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Chantal Marconato
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Karol Wtorek
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Girolamo Calo'
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Anna Janecka
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
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Tuhin MTH, Liang D, Liu F, Aldawod H, Amin TU, Ho JS, Emara R, Patel AD, Felmlee MA, Park MS, Uchizono JA, Alhamadsheh MM. Peripherally restricted transthyretin-based delivery system for probes and therapeutics avoiding opioid-related side effects. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3590. [PMID: 35739116 PMCID: PMC9226319 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31342-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Several investigations into the sites of action of opioid analgesics have utilized peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonists (PAMORAs), which have been incorrectly assumed to possess limited permeability across the blood-brain barrier. Unfortunately, the poor pharmacokinetic properties of current PAMORAs have resulted in misunderstandings of the role of central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract in precipitating side effects such as opioid-induced constipation. Here, we develop a drug delivery approach for restricting the passage of small molecules across the blood-brain barrier. This allows us to develop naloxone- and oxycodone-based conjugates that display superior potency, peripheral selectivity, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy in rats compared to other clinically used PAMORAs. These probes allow us to demonstrate that the mu-opioid receptors in the central nervous system have a fundamental role in precipitating opioid-induced constipation. Therefore, our conjugates have immediate use as pharmacological probes and potential therapeutic agents for treating constipation and other opioid-related side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Tariqul Haque Tuhin
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, US
| | - Dengpan Liang
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, US
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, US
| | - Hala Aldawod
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, US
| | - Toufiq Ul Amin
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, US
| | - Joshua S Ho
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, US
| | - Rasha Emara
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, US
| | - Arjun D Patel
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, US
| | - Melanie A Felmlee
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, US
| | - Miki S Park
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, US
| | - James A Uchizono
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, US
| | - Mamoun M Alhamadsheh
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, US.
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