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Laux-Biehlmann A, Mouheiche J, Vérièpe J, Goumon Y. Endogenous morphine and its metabolites in mammals: History, synthesis, localization and perspectives. Neuroscience 2013; 233:95-117. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Accepted: 12/07/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Stefano GB, Mantione KJ, Králíčková M, Ptacek R, Kuzelova H, Esch T, Kream RM. Parkinson's disease, L-DOPA, and endogenous morphine: a revisit. Med Sci Monit 2012; 18:RA133-137. [PMID: 22847214 PMCID: PMC3560700 DOI: 10.12659/msm.883259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2012] [Accepted: 06/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical observations stemming from widespread employment of restorative L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) therapy for management of dyskinesia in Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients implicate a regulatory role for endogenous morphine in central nervous system dopamine neurotransmission. Reciprocally, it appears that restorative L-DOPA administration has provided us with a compelling in vivo pharmacological model for targeting peripheral sites involved in endogenous morphine expression in human subjects. The biological activities underlying endogenous morphine expression and its interaction with its major precursor dopamine strongly suggest that endogenous morphine systems are reciprocally dysregulated in PD. These critical issues are examined from historical and current perspectives within our short review.
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Affiliation(s)
- George B. Stefano
- Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York – College at Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY, U.S.A
- Clinic of Psychiatry, 1 Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kirk J. Mantione
- Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York – College at Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY, U.S.A
| | - Milena Králíčková
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Ptacek
- Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York – College at Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY, U.S.A
- Clinic of Psychiatry, 1 Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Kuzelova
- Clinic of Psychiatry, 1 Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Biology and Medical Genetics, 2 Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tobias Esch
- Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York – College at Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY, U.S.A
- Division of Integrative Health Promotion, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany
| | - Richard M. Kream
- Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York – College at Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY, U.S.A
- Clinic of Psychiatry, 1 Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
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Stefano GB, Cadet P, Kream RM, Zhu W. The presence of endogenous morphine signaling in animals. Neurochem Res 2008; 33:1933-9. [PMID: 18777209 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-008-9674-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2007] [Accepted: 03/13/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent empirical findings have contributed valuable mechanistic information in support of a regulated de novo biosynthetic pathway for chemically authentic morphine and related morphinan alkaloids within animal cells. Importantly, we and others have established that endogenously expressed morphine represents a key regulatory molecule effecting local circuit autocrine/paracrine cellular signaling via a novel mu(3) opiate receptor coupled to constitutive nitric oxide production and release. The present report provides an integrated review of the biochemical, pharmacological, and molecular demonstration of mu(3) opiate receptors in historical linkage to the elucidation of mechanisms of endogenous morphine production by animal cells and organ systems. Ongoing research in this exciting area provides a rare window of opportunity to firmly establish essential biochemical linkages between dopamine, a morphine precursor, and animal biosynthetic pathways involved in morphine biosynthesis that have been conserved throughout evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- George B Stefano
- Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York-College at Old Westbury, P.O. Box 210, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA.
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Stefano GB, Kream RM, Mantione KJ, Sheehan M, Cadet P, Zhu W, Bilfinger TV, Esch T. Endogenous morphine/nitric oxide-coupled regulation of cellular physiology and gene expression: implications for cancer biology. Semin Cancer Biol 2007; 18:199-210. [PMID: 18203618 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2007.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2007] [Accepted: 12/05/2007] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is a simplistic, yet complicated, process that promotes uncontrolled growth. In this regard, this unconstrained proliferation may represent primitive phenomena whereby cellular regulation is suspended or compromised. Given the new empirical evidence for a morphinergic presence and its profound modulatory actions on several cellular processes it is not an overstatement to hypothesize that morphine may represent a key chemical messenger in the process of modulating proliferation of diverse cells. This has been recently demonstrated by the finding of a novel opiate-alkaloid selective receptor subtype in human multilineage progenitor cells (MLPC). Adding to the significance of morphinergic signaling are the findings of its presence in plant, invertebrate and vertebrate cells, which also have been shown to synthesize this messenger as well. Interestingly, we and others have shown that some cancerous tissues contain morphine. Furthermore, in medullary histolytic reticulosis, which is exemplified by cells having hyperactivity, the mu3 (mu3) opiate select receptor was not present. Thus, it would appear that morphinergic signaling has inserted itself in many processes taking a long time to evolve, including those regulating the proliferation of cells across diverse phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- George B Stefano
- Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York - SUNY College at Old Westbury, P.O. Box 210, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA.
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Zhu W, Mantione KJ, Shen L, Lee B, Stefano GB. Norlaudanosoline and Nicotine Increase Endogenous Ganglionic Morphine Levels: Nicotine Addiction. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2006; 26:1037-45. [PMID: 16645895 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-006-9021-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2005] [Accepted: 11/11/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
1. Given the presence of morphine, its metabolites and precursors, e.g., norlaudanosoline, in mammalian and invertebrate tissues, it became important to determine if exposing normal excised ganglia to norlaudanosoline would result in increasing endogenous morphine levels. 2. Mytilus edulis pedal ganglia contain 2.2 +/- 0.41 ng/g wet weight morphine as determined by high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to electrochemical detection and radioimmunoassay. 3. Incubation of M. edulis pedal ganglia with norlaudanosoline, a morphine precursor, resulted in a concentration- and time-dependent statistical increase in endogenous morphine levels (6.9 +/- 1.24 ng/g). 4. Injection of animals with nicotine also increased endogenous morphine levels in a manner that was antagonized by atropine, suggesting that nicotine addiction may be related to altering endogenous morphine levels in mammals. 5. We surmise that norlaudanosoline is being converted to morphine, demonstrating that invertebrate neural tissue can synthesize morphine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhu
- Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, P.O. Box 210, Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA
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Zhu W, Ma Y, Cadet P, Yu D, Bilfinger TV, Bianchi E, Stefano GB. Presence of reticuline in rat brain: a pathway for morphine biosynthesis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003; 117:83-90. [PMID: 14499484 DOI: 10.1016/s0169-328x(03)00323-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We demonstrate the presence of reticuline, an isoquinoline alkaloid that was purified and identified in the rat brain. This was achieved by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection. This material was finally identified by nano-electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. The expression of this tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid in rat brain is at 12.7+/-5.4 ng/g wet tissue. Furthermore, rat chow, rat small and large intestine and bacteria cultured from these tissues did not contain either morphine or reticuline, eliminating the possibility of contamination or an exogenous source of these compounds. This finding adds information which suggests that morphine biosynthesis may occur in rat neural tissues, and that its biosynthesis pathway may be similar to that reported in the poppy plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhu
- Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
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Yamada H, Ishii K, Ishii Y, Ieiri I, Nishio S, Morioka T, Oguri K. FORMATION OF HIGHLY ANALGESIC MORPHINE-6-GLUCURONIDE FOLLOWING PHYSIOLOGIC CONCENTRATION OF MORPHINE IN HUMAN BRAIN. J Toxicol Sci 2003; 28:395-401. [PMID: 14746343 DOI: 10.2131/jts.28.395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
3H-Morphine at physiologic concentration was metabolized in vitro to its 3- and 6-glucuronides by human brain homogenate. Recombinant UGT2B7, one of the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isoforms, is able to glucuronidate the 3- and 6-hydroxy groups of morphine at nanomolar concentrations. These results suggest that endogenous morphine is converted to its 6-glucuronide, a more highly analgesic substance than the parent compound, to suppress effectively pain symptoms in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideyuki Yamada
- Laboratory of Molecular Life Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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Goumon Y, Stefano GB, Aunis D, Metz-Boutigue MH. Implication of endogenous morphine in the communication between neuroendocrine and immune systems. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2002; 971:542-3. [PMID: 12438179 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb04523.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Goumon
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 338, Biologie de la Communication Cellulaire, Strasbourg, France.
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Stefano GB, Ottaviani E. The biochemical substrate of nitric oxide signaling is present in primitive non-cognitive organisms. Brain Res 2002; 924:82-9. [PMID: 11743998 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(01)03227-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Nitric oxide has been shown to have diverse actions in the mammalian nervous, immune and vascular systems. These include antimicrobial and antiviral activities as well as the modulation of cell adherence. In the nervous system, nitric oxide modulates neurotransmitter release, neurosecretion and behavioral activities such as feeding. In the present review, we discuss the finding that invertebrate organisms also contain nitric oxide and that they appear to use this multidimensional molecule in a similar manner as noted for mammals. Therefore, nitric oxide signaling appears to have emerged first in these primitive non-cognitive organisms. We conclude that basal nitric oxide functioning was established in these organisms and that this molecule was later employed in man, including its involvement in cognitive neural processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- George B Stefano
- Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York College at Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY 11568-0210, USA.
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Zhu W, Baggerman G, Goumon Y, Casares F, Brownawell B, Stefano GB. Presence of morphine and morphine-6-glucuronide in the marine mollusk Mytilus edulis ganglia determined by GC/MS and Q-TOF-MS. Starvation increases opiate alkaloid levels. BRAIN RESEARCH. MOLECULAR BRAIN RESEARCH 2001; 88:155-60. [PMID: 11295241 DOI: 10.1016/s0169-328x(01)00048-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Morphine and morphine-6-glucuronide, a morphine metabolite, have been identified and quantified in Mytilus edulis pedal ganglia at a level of 2.67+/-0.44 and 0.98+/-0.14 ng/ganglia, respectively by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrochemical detection. These opiate alkaloids were further identified by both gas-chromatography mass spectrometry and nanoflow electrospray ionization double quadrupole orthogonal acceleration Time of Flight mass spectrometry. In animals that were starved, the morphine level rose to 6.38+/-0.88 ng/ganglion and the morphine 6-glucoronide rose to a level of 23.0+/-3.2 ng/ganglion after 30 days. These studies demonstrate that opiate alkaloids are present as naturally occurring signal molecules whose levels respond to stress, i.e., starvation. Opiate alkaloids were not found in the animal's incubation media or food, demonstrating their synthesis occurred in the respective tissue. These new method of opiate alkaloid detection, conclusively proves that morphine and morphine-6-glucuronide are present in animal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Zhu
- Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
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