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Smith MT, Kong D, Kuo A, Imam MZ, Williams CM. Analgesic Opioid Ligand Discovery Based on Nonmorphinan Scaffolds Derived from Natural Sources. J Med Chem 2022; 65:1612-1661. [PMID: 34995453 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Strong opioid analgesics, including morphine, are the mainstays for treating moderate to severe acute pain and alleviating chronic cancer pain. However, opioid-related adverse effects, including nausea or vomiting, sedation, respiratory depression, constipation, pruritus (itch), analgesic tolerance, and addiction and abuse liability, are problematic. In addition, the use of opioids to relieve chronic noncancer pain is controversial due to the "opioid crisis" characterized by opioid misuse or abuse and escalating unintentional death rates due to respiratory depression. Hence, considerable research internationally has been aimed at the "Holy Grail" of the opioid analgesic field, namely the discovery of novel and safer opioid analgesics with improved opioid-related adverse effects. In this Perspective, medicinal chemistry strategies are addressed, where structurally diverse nonmorphinan-based opioid ligands derived from natural sources were deployed as lead molecules. The current state of play, clinical or experimental status, and novel opioid ligand discovery approaches are elaborated in the context of retaining analgesia with improved safety and reduced adverse effects, especially addiction liability.
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Zhou J, Zhao L, Wei S, Wang Y, Zhang X, Ma M, Wang K, Liu X, Wang R. Contribution of the μ opioid receptor and enkephalin to the antinociceptive actions of endomorphin-1 analogs with unnatural amino acid modifications in the spinal cord. Peptides 2021; 141:170543. [PMID: 33794284 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2021.170543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Endomorphin analogs containing unnatural amino acids have demonstrated potent analgesic effects in our previous studies. In the present study, the differences in antinociception and the mechanisms thereof for analogs 1-3 administered intracerebroventricularly and intrathecally were explored. All analogs at different routes of administration produced potent analgesia compared to the parent peptide endomorphin-1. Multiple antagonists and antibodies were used to explore the mechanisms of action of these analogs, and it was inferred that analogs 1-3 stimulated the μ opioid receptor to induce antinociception. Moreover, the antibody data suggested that analog 2 may induce the release of immunoreactive [Leu5]-enkephaline and [Met5]-enkephaline to produce a secondary component of antinociception at the spinal level and analog 3 may stimulate the the release of immunoreactive [Met5]-enkephaline at the spinal level. Finally, analogs 2 and 3 produced no acute tolerance in the spinal cord. We hypothesize that the unique characteristics of the endomorphin analogs result from their capacities to stimulate the release of endogenous antinociceptive substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Long Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Shuang Wei
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China.
| | - Xianghui Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Mengtao Ma
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Kairong Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China.
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China.
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Mizoguchi H, Fujii H. Exploring μ-Opioid Receptor Splice Variants as a Specific Molecular Target for New Analgesics. Curr Top Med Chem 2020; 20:2866-2877. [PMID: 32962616 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200922113430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Since a μ-opioid receptor gene containing multiple exons has been identified, the variety of splice variants for μ-opioid receptors have been reported in various species. Amidino-TAPA and IBNtxA have been discovered as new analgesics with different pharmacological profiles from morphine. These new analgesics show a very potent analgesic effect but do not have dependence liability. Interestingly, these analgesics show the selectivity to the morphine-insensitive μ-opioid receptor splice variants. The splice variants, sensitive to these new analgesics but insensitive to morphine, may be a better molecular target to develop the analgesics without side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Mizoguchi
- Department of Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1 Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8558, Japan
| | - Hideaki Fujii
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Medical Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
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Abstract
This paper is the thirty-sixth consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2013 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, Flushing, NY 11367, United States.
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