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Wang SY, Zhang YZ, Liu XH, Guo XC, Wang XF, Han FT, Zhang Y, Wang CL. Endomorphin-2 analogs with C-terminal esterification display potent antinociceptive effects in the formalin pain test in mice. Peptides 2024; 171:171116. [PMID: 37951356 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2023.171116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
Previously, we have investigated three C-terminal esterified endomorphin-2 (EM-2) analogs EM-2-Me, EM-2-Et and EM-2-Bu with methyl, ethyl and tert-butyl ester modifications, respectively. These analogs produced significant antinociception in acute pain at the spinal and supraspinal levels, with reduced tolerance and gastrointestinal side effects. The present study was undertaken to determine the analgesic effects and opioid mechanisms of these three analogs in the formalin pain test. Our results demonstrated that intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of 0.67-20 nmol EM-2 analogs EM-2-Me, EM-2-Et and EM-2-Bu produced dose-dependent antinociceptive effects in both phase Ⅰ and phase Ⅱ of formalin pain. EM-2-Me and EM-2-Bu displayed more potent antinociception than morphine. Especially, EM-2-Bu exhibited the highest antinociception in phase Ⅱ of formalin pain, with the ED50 value being 2.1 nmol. Naloxone (80 nmol, i.c.v.) completely antagonized the antinociceptive effects of EM-2-Me, EM-2-Et and EM-2-Bu (20 nmol, i.c.v.) in both phase I and phase Ⅱ of formalin pain, suggesting a central opioid mechanism. Nevertheless, the antinociception induced by EM-2-Me might be involved in the release of dynorphin A, which subsequently acted on κ- opioid receptor. EM-2-Bu produced the antinociception probably by the direct activation of both μ- and δ-opioid receptors. EM-2-Me, EM-2-Et and EM-2-Bu also produced significant analgesic effects after peripheral administration, and the central opioid receptors were involved. Furthermore, EM-2-Bu had no influence on the locomotor activity after i.c.v. injection. The present investigation demonstrated that C-terminal esterified modifications of EM-2 will be beneficial for developing novel therapeutics in formalin pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Yu Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Yu-Zhe Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Xiao-Han Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Xue-Ci Guo
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, China
| | | | - Feng-Tong Han
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Chang-Lin Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, China; State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China.
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2
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Barrett JE, Shekarabi A, Inan S. Oxycodone: A Current Perspective on Its Pharmacology, Abuse, and Pharmacotherapeutic Developments. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 75:1062-1118. [PMID: 37321860 PMCID: PMC10595024 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxycodone, a semisynthetic derivative of naturally occurring thebaine, an opioid alkaloid, has been available for more than 100 years. Although thebaine cannot be used therapeutically due to the occurrence of convulsions at higher doses, it has been converted to a number of other widely used compounds that include naloxone, naltrexone, buprenorphine, and oxycodone. Despite the early identification of oxycodone, it was not until the 1990s that clinical studies began to explore its analgesic efficacy. These studies were followed by the pursuit of several preclinical studies to examine the analgesic effects and abuse liability of oxycodone in laboratory animals and the subjective effects in human volunteers. For a number of years oxycodone was at the forefront of the opioid crisis, playing a significant role in contributing to opioid misuse and abuse, with suggestions that it led to transitioning to other opioids. Several concerns were expressed as early as the 1940s that oxycodone had significant abuse potential similar to heroin and morphine. Both animal and human abuse liability studies have confirmed, and in some cases amplified, these early warnings. Despite sharing a similar structure with morphine and pharmacological actions also mediated by the μ-opioid receptor, there are several differences in the pharmacology and neurobiology of oxycodone. The data that have emerged from the many efforts to analyze the pharmacological and molecular mechanism of oxycodone have generated considerable insight into its many actions, reviewed here, which, in turn, have provided new information on opioid receptor pharmacology. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Oxycodone, a μ-opioid receptor agonist, was synthesized in 1916 and introduced into clinical use in Germany in 1917. It has been studied extensively as a therapeutic analgesic for acute and chronic neuropathic pain as an alternative to morphine. Oxycodone emerged as a drug with widespread abuse. This article brings together an integrated, detailed review of the pharmacology of oxycodone, preclinical and clinical studies of pain and abuse, and recent advances to identify potential opioid analgesics without abuse liability.
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Affiliation(s)
- James E Barrett
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Aryan Shekarabi
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Saadet Inan
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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3
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Scherrer KH, Eans SO, Medina JM, Senadheera SN, Khaliq T, Murray TF, McLaughlin JP, Aldrich JV. Tryptophan Substitution in CJ-15,208 ( cyclo[Phe-D-Pro-Phe-Trp]) Introduces δ-Opioid Receptor Antagonism, Preventing Antinociceptive Tolerance and Stress-Induced Reinstatement of Extinguished Cocaine-Conditioned Place Preference. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1218. [PMID: 37765026 PMCID: PMC10535824 DOI: 10.3390/ph16091218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The macrocyclic tetrapeptide CJ-15,208 (cyclo[Phe-D-Pro-Phe-Trp]) and its D-Trp isomer exhibit kappa opioid receptor (KOR) antagonism which prevents stress-induced reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-conditioned place preference. Here, we evaluated the effects of substitution of Trp and D-Trp on the peptides' opioid activity, antinociceptive tolerance, and the ability to prevent relapse to extinguished drug-CPP. Six analogs were synthesized using a combination of solid-phase peptide synthesis and cyclization in solution. The analogs were evaluated in vitro for opioid receptor affinity in radioligand competition binding assays, efficacy in the [35S]GTPγS assay, metabolic stability in mouse liver microsomes, and for opioid activity and selectivity in vivo in the mouse 55 °C warm-water tail-withdrawal assay. Potential liabilities of locomotor impairment, respiratory depression, acute tolerance, and conditioned place preference (CPP) were also assessed in vivo, and the ameliorating effect of analogs on the reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-place preference was assessed. Substitutions of other D-amino acids for D-Trp did not affect (or in one case increased) KOR affinity, while two of the three substitutions of an L-amino acid for Trp decreased KOR affinity. In contrast, all but one substitution increased mu opioid receptor (MOR) affinity in vitro. The metabolic stabilities of the analogs were similar to those of their respective parent peptides, with analogs containing a D-amino acid being much more rapidly metabolized than those containing an L-amino acid in this position. In vivo, CJ-15,208 analogs demonstrated antinociception, although potencies varied over an 80-fold range and the mediating opioid receptors differed by substitution. KOR antagonism was lost for all but the D-benzothienylalanine analog, and the 2'-naphthylalanine analog instead demonstrated significant delta opioid receptor (DOR) antagonism. Introduction of DOR antagonism coincided with reduced acute opioid antinociceptive tolerance and prevented stress-induced reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-CPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen H. Scherrer
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (K.H.S.); (S.O.E.); (J.M.M.)
| | - Shainnel O. Eans
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (K.H.S.); (S.O.E.); (J.M.M.)
| | - Jessica M. Medina
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (K.H.S.); (S.O.E.); (J.M.M.)
| | - Sanjeewa N. Senadheera
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (S.N.S.); (T.K.)
| | - Tanvir Khaliq
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (S.N.S.); (T.K.)
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Thomas F. Murray
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE 68178, USA;
| | - Jay P. McLaughlin
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (K.H.S.); (S.O.E.); (J.M.M.)
| | - Jane V. Aldrich
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (S.N.S.); (T.K.)
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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Smith MT, Kong D, Kuo A, Imam MZ, Williams CM. Multitargeted Opioid Ligand Discovery as a Strategy to Retain Analgesia and Reduce Opioid-Related Adverse Effects. J Med Chem 2023; 66:3746-3784. [PMID: 36856340 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
The global "opioid crisis" has placed enormous pressure on the opioid ligand discovery community to produce novel opioid analgesics with superior opioid-related adverse-effect profiles compared with morphine. In this Perspective, the multitargeted opioid ligand strategy for the discovery of opioid analgesics with superior preclinical therapeutic indices relative to morphine is reviewed and discussed. Dual-targeted μ-opioid (MOP)/δ-opioid (DOP) ligands in which the in vitro DOP antagonist potency at least equals that of the MOP agonist activity, and are devoid of DOP or κ-opioid (KOP) agonist activity, are sufficiently promising candidates to warrant further investigation. Dual-targeted MOP/NOP partial agonists have superior preclinical therapeutic indices to morphine and/or fentanyl in nonhuman primates and are also considered promising. Based on the poor preclinical and clinical therapeutic indices of cebranopadol, which is a full agonist at MOP, DOP, and NOP receptors and a partial agonist at the KOP receptor, this pharmacologic template should be avoided.
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Role for μ-opioid receptor in antidepressant effects of δ-opioid receptor agonist KNT-127. J Pharmacol Sci 2023; 151:135-141. [PMID: 36828615 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2022.12.008] [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: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous pharmacological data have shown the possible existence of functional interactions between μ- (MOP), κ- (KOP), and δ-opioid receptors (DOP) in pain and mood disorders. We previously reported that MOP knockout (KO) mice exhibit a lower stress response compared with wildtype (WT) mice. Moreover, DOP agonists have been shown to exert antidepressant-like effects in numerous animal models. In the present study, the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST) were used to examine the roles of MOP and DOP in behavioral despair. MOP-KO mice and WT mice were treated with KNT-127 (10 mg/kg), a selective DOP agonist. The results indicated a significant decrease in immobility time in the KNT-127 group compared with the saline group in all genotypes in both tests. In the saline groups, immobility time significantly decreased in MOP-KO mice compared with WT mice in both tests. In female MOP-KO mice, KNT-127 significantly decreased immobility time in the TST compared with WT mice. In male MOP-KO mice, however, no genotypic differences were found in the TST after either KNT-127 or saline treatment. Thus, at least in the FST and TST, the activation of DOP and absence of MOP had additive effects in reducing measures of behavioral despair, suggesting that effects on this behavior by DOP activation occur independently of MOP.
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Jakubík J, Randáková A. Insights into the operational model of agonism of receptor dimers. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022; 17:1181-1191. [PMID: 36369915 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2147502] [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: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Accurate ranking of efficacies and potencies of agonists is essential in the discovery of new selective agonists. For the purpose of system-independent ranking of agonists, the operational model of agonism (OMA) has become a standard. Many receptors function as oligomers which makes functional responses more complex, requiring an extension of the original OMA. AREAS COVERED Explicit equations of the operational model of agonism of receptor dimers (OMARD) were derived. The OMARD can be applied to any receptor possessing two orthosteric sites. The behavior of OMARD was analyzed to demonstrate its complexity and relation to experimental data. Properties of OMARD and OMA equations were compared to demonstrate their pros and cons. EXPERT OPINION Extension of OMA by slope factors gives simple equations of functional response that are easy to fit experimental data but results may be inaccurate because of exponentiation of operational efficacy. Also, such equations cannot accommodate bell-shaped curves. Explicit equations of OMARD give accurate results but are complex and tedious to fit experimental data. All operational models use inter-dependent parameters that are a hurdle in the fitting. A good understanding of OMARD behavior helps to overcome such obstacles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Jakubík
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry, Institute of Physiology CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Randáková
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry, Institute of Physiology CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
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7
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Afrose L, McDermott MV, Bhuiyan AI, Pathak SK, Bobeck EN. GPR171 activation regulates morphine tolerance but not withdrawal in a test-dependent manner in mice. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:442-451. [PMID: 35942845 PMCID: PMC9477863 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A newly deorphanized G protein-coupled receptor, GPR171, is found to be highly expressed within the periaqueductal gray, a pain-modulating region in the brain. Our recent research has shown that a GPR171 agonist increases morphine antinociception in male mice and opioid signaling in vitro . The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of combination treatment in females as well as whether chronic treatment can be used without exacerbating morphine-induced tolerance and withdrawal in female and male mice. Our results demonstrate that activation of GPR171 with an agonist attenuates morphine tolerance in both female and male mice on the tail-flick test, but not the hotplate test. Importantly, the GPR171 agonist in combination with morphine does not exacerbate morphine-induced tolerance and withdrawal during long-term morphine treatment. Taken together, these data suggest that the GPR171 agonist may be combined with morphine to maintain antinociception while reducing the dose of morphine and therefore reducing side effects and abuse liability. The outcome of this study is clearly an important step toward understanding the functional interactions between opioid receptors and GPR171 and developing safer therapeutics for long-term pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Max V. McDermott
- Department of Biology
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
| | - Ashif I. Bhuiyan
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Queens College of The City University of New York, Flushing, New York
- Chemistry Doctoral Program
| | - Sanjai K. Pathak
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Queens College of The City University of New York, Flushing, New York
- Chemistry Doctoral Program
- Biochemistry Doctoral Program, The Graduate Center of The City University of New York, New York
| | - Erin N. Bobeck
- Department of Biology
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
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8
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Quirion B, Beaulieu C, Côté L, Parent JL, Gendron L. Distribution of delta and mu opioid receptor mRNA in rodent dorsal root ganglia neurons. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:4031-4044. [PMID: 35674691 PMCID: PMC9543299 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Primary afferents are responsible for transmitting signals produced by noxious stimuli from the periphery to the spinal cord. Mu and delta opioid receptors (MOP and DOP) have analgesic properties and are highly expressed in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. In humans, spinal DOP is almost exclusively located on central terminals of DRG neurons, whereas in rodents, it is expressed both on presynaptic terminals and spinal neurons. In this study, we aimed to assess the distribution of MOP and DOP in the DRGs of mice and rats. Using in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence, we visualized MOP and DOP mRNA together with various neuronal markers. In rats and mice, we show that both receptors are expressed, albeit to different extents, in all types of neurons, namely, large and medium myelinated neurons (NF200-positive), small nonpeptidergic (IB4- or P2X3R-positive) and peptidergic C fibres (Tac1-positive). Overall, DOP mRNA was found to be mainly expressed in large and medium myelinated neurons, whereas MOP mRNA was mainly found in C fibres. The distribution of MOP and DOP, however, slightly differs between rats and mice, with a higher proportion of small nonpeptidergic C fibres expressing DOP mRNA in mice than in rats. We further found that neither morphine nor inflammation affected the distribution of the receptor mRNA. Because of their location, our results confirm that MOP and DOP have the potential to alleviate similar types of pain and that this effect could slightly differ between species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Béatrice Quirion
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Claudie Beaulieu
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Laurie Côté
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.,Département de Médecine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-Luc Parent
- Département de Médecine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Louis Gendron
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.,Quebec Pain Research Network
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9
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Martins CC, Rosa SG, Zborowski VA, Rodrigues RF, Maroneze A, Nogueira CW, Zeni G. Contribution of Opioid and Nitrergic Systems to m-Trifluoromethyl diphenyl Diselenide Attenuates Morphine-Induced Tolerance in Mice. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:910-919. [PMID: 35319862 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
m-Trifluoromethyl diphenyl diselenide (TFDD) has antinociceptive and antidepressant-like properties and attenuates morphine withdrawal signs in mice. This study investigated if TFDD affects the development of morphine tolerance to its antinociceptive and antidepressant-like effects in mice. We also investigated whether TFDD modulates signaling pathways related to morphine tolerance, including the opioid receptors and some parameters of the nitrergic system. Male adult Swiss mice received morphine alone (5 mg/kg, subcutaneous) and in combination with TFDD (10 mg/kg, intragastric) for 7 days. Mice were subjected to hot plate and forced swim tests on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 of the experimental protocol. Repeated TFDD administrations avoided tolerance development mediated by morphine, including its antinociceptive and antidepressant-like effects. A single morphine dose increased MOR and NOx but decreased iNOS contents in the mouse cerebral cortex. In turn, single morphine and TFDD co-administration restored the MOR and iNOS protein levels. On the other hand, morphine repeated doses enhanced DOR and reduced MOR and NOx contents, whereas the morphine and TFDD association reestablished DOR and NOx levels in the mouse cerebral cortex. In conclusion, some opioid and nitrergic system parameters might contribute to TFDD attenuation of antinociceptive and antidepressant-like tolerance induced by morphine in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina C. Martins
- LASRAFTO, CCNE, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria 97105-900 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Suzan G. Rosa
- LASRAFTO, CCNE, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria 97105-900 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Vanessa A. Zborowski
- LASRAFTO, CCNE, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria 97105-900 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Renata F. Rodrigues
- LASRAFTO, CCNE, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria 97105-900 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Adriano Maroneze
- LASRAFTO, CCNE, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria 97105-900 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Cristina W. Nogueira
- LASRAFTO, CCNE, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria 97105-900 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Gilson Zeni
- LASRAFTO, CCNE, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria 97105-900 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Ferré S, Ciruela F, Dessauer CW, González-Maeso J, Hébert TE, Jockers R, Logothetis DE, Pardo L. G protein-coupled receptor-effector macromolecular membrane assemblies (GEMMAs). Pharmacol Ther 2022; 231:107977. [PMID: 34480967 PMCID: PMC9375844 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest group of receptors involved in cellular signaling across the plasma membrane and a major class of drug targets. The canonical model for GPCR signaling involves three components - the GPCR, a heterotrimeric G protein and a proximal plasma membrane effector - that have been generally thought to be freely mobile molecules able to interact by 'collision coupling'. Here, we synthesize evidence that supports the existence of GPCR-effector macromolecular membrane assemblies (GEMMAs) comprised of specific GPCRs, G proteins, plasma membrane effector molecules and other associated transmembrane proteins that are pre-assembled prior to receptor activation by agonists, which then leads to subsequent rearrangement of the GEMMA components. The GEMMA concept offers an alternative and complementary model to the canonical collision-coupling model, allowing more efficient interactions between specific signaling components, as well as the integration of the concept of GPCR oligomerization as well as GPCR interactions with orphan receptors, truncated GPCRs and other membrane-localized GPCR-associated proteins. Collision-coupling and pre-assembled mechanisms are not exclusive and likely both operate in the cell, providing a spectrum of signaling modalities which explains the differential properties of a multitude of GPCRs in their different cellular environments. Here, we explore the unique pharmacological characteristics of individual GEMMAs, which could provide new opportunities to therapeutically modulate GPCR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergi Ferré
- Integrative Neurobiology Section, National Institute on Drug Addiction, Intramural Research Program, NIH, DHHS, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Francisco Ciruela
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, IDIBELL, University of Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Carmen W. Dessauer
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Javier González-Maeso
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Terence E. Hébert
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec
| | - Ralf Jockers
- University of Paris, Institute Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Diomedes E. Logothetis
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Center for Drug Discovery, School of Pharmacy at the Bouvé College of Health Sciences and College of Science, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Leonardo Pardo
- Laboratory of Computational Medicine, Biostatistics Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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11
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Massaly N, Markovic T, Creed M, Al-Hasani R, Cahill CM, Moron JA. Pain, negative affective states and opioid-based analgesics: Safer pain therapies to dampen addiction. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 157:31-68. [PMID: 33648672 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Across centuries and civilizations opioids have been used to relieve pain. In our modern societies, opioid-based analgesics remain one of the most efficient treatments for acute pain. However, the long-term use of opioids can lead to the development of analgesic tolerance, opioid-induced hyperalgesia, opioid use disorders, and overdose, which can ultimately produce respiratory depressant effects with fatal consequences. In addition to the nociceptive sensory component of pain, negative affective states arising from persistent pain represent a risk factor for developing an opioid use disorder. Several studies have indicated that the increase in prescribed opioid analgesics since the 1990s represents the root of our current opioid epidemic. In this review, we will present our current knowledge on the endogenous opioid system within the pain neuroaxis and the plastic changes occurring in this system that may underlie the occurrence of pain-induced negative affect leading to misuse and abuse of opioid medications. Dissecting the allostatic neuronal changes occurring during pain is the most promising avenue to uncover novel targets for the development of safer pain medications. We will discuss this along with current and potential approaches to treat pain-induced negative affective states that lead to drug misuse. Moreover, this chapter will provide a discussion on potential avenues to reduce the abuse potential of new analgesic drugs and highlight a basis for future research and drug development based on recent advances in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Massaly
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States; Washington University in St Louis, Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, United States; Washington University in St Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.
| | - Tamara Markovic
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States; Washington University in St Louis, Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, United States; Washington University in St Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Meaghan Creed
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States; Washington University in St Louis, Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, United States; Washington University in St Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Ream Al-Hasani
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States; Washington University in St Louis, Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, United States; Washington University in St Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States; Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO, United States; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Catherine M Cahill
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioural Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jose A Moron
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States; Washington University in St Louis, Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, United States; Washington University in St Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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12
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Bird MF, McDonald J, Horley B, O’Doherty JP, Fraser B, Gibson CL, Guerrini R, Caló G, Lambert DG. MOP and NOP receptor interaction: Studies with a dual expression system and bivalent peptide ligands. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0260880. [PMID: 35061679 PMCID: PMC8782398 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioids targeting mu;μ (MOP) receptors produce analgesia in the peri-operative period and palliative care. They also produce side effects including respiratory depression, tolerance/dependence and addiction. The N/OFQ opioid receptor (NOP) also produces analgesia but is devoid of the major MOP side effects. Evidence exists for MOP-NOP interaction and mixed MOP-NOP ligands produce analgesia with reduced side effects. We have generated a HEKMOP/NOP human expression system and used bivalent MOP-NOP and fluorescent ligands to (i) probe for receptor interaction and (ii) consequences of that interaction. We used HEKMOP/NOP cells and two bivalent ligands; Dermorphin-N/OFQ (MOP agonist-NOP agonist; DeNO) and Dermorphin-UFP101 (MOP agonist-NOP antagonist; De101). We have determined receptor binding profiles, GTPγ[35S] binding, cAMP formation and ERK1/2 activation. We have also probed MOP and NOP receptor interactions in HEK cells and hippocampal neurones using the novel MOP fluorescent ligand, DermorphinATTO488 and the NOP fluorescent ligand N/OFQATTO594. In HEKMOP/NOP MOP ligands displaced NOP binding and NOP ligands displaced MOP binding. Using fluorescent probes in HEKMOP/NOP cells we demonstrated MOP-NOP probe overlap and a FRET signal indicating co-localisation. MOP-NOP were also co-localised in hippocampal tissue. In GTPγ[35S] and cAMP assays NOP stimulation shifted the response to MOP rightwards. At ERK1/2 the response to bivalent ligands generally peaked later. We provide evidence for MOP-NOP interaction in recombinant and native tissue. NOP activation reduces responsiveness of MOP activation; this was shown with conventional and bivalent ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. F. Bird
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Management, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - J. McDonald
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Management, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - B. Horley
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Management, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - J. P. O’Doherty
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Management, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - B. Fraser
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - C. L. Gibson
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Psychology Building, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - R. Guerrini
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - G. Caló
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - D. G. Lambert
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Management, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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13
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He XJ, Patel J, Weiss CE, Ma X, Bloodgood BL, Banghart MR. Convergent, functionally independent signaling by mu and delta opioid receptors in hippocampal parvalbumin interneurons. eLife 2021; 10:69746. [PMID: 34787079 PMCID: PMC8716102 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional interactions between G protein-coupled receptors are poised to enhance neuronal sensitivity to neuromodulators and therapeutic drugs. Mu and Delta opioid receptors (MORs and DORs) can interact when overexpressed in the same cells, but whether co-expression of endogenous MORs and DORs in neurons leads to functional interactions is unclear. Here, in mice, we show that both MORs and DORs inhibit parvalbumin-expressing basket cells (PV-BCs) in hippocampal CA1 through partially occlusive signaling pathways that terminate on somato-dendritic potassium channels and presynaptic calcium channels. Using photoactivatable opioid neuropeptides, we find that DORs dominate the response to enkephalin in terms of both ligand-sensitivity and kinetics, which may be due to relatively low expression levels of MOR. Opioid-activated potassium channels do not show heterologous desensitization, indicating that MORs and DORs signal independently. In a direct test for heteromeric functional interactions, the DOR antagonist TIPP-Psi does not alter the kinetics or potency of either the potassium channel or synaptic responses to photorelease of the MOR agonist DAMGO. Thus, aside from largely redundant and convergent signaling, MORs and DORs do not functionally interact in PV-BCs in a way that impacts somato-dendritic potassium currents or synaptic transmission. These findings imply that crosstalk between MORs and DORs, either in the form of physical interactions or synergistic intracellular signaling, is not a preordained outcome of co-expression in neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Jenny He
- Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Janki Patel
- University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Connor E Weiss
- University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Xiang Ma
- University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Brenda L Bloodgood
- Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, United States
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14
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Paul AK, Smith CM, Rahmatullah M, Nissapatorn V, Wilairatana P, Spetea M, Gueven N, Dietis N. Opioid Analgesia and Opioid-Induced Adverse Effects: A Review. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:1091. [PMID: 34832873 PMCID: PMC8620360 DOI: 10.3390/ph14111091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioids are widely used as therapeutic agents against moderate to severe acute and chronic pain. Still, these classes of analgesic drugs have many potential limitations as they induce analgesic tolerance, addiction and numerous behavioural adverse effects that often result in patient non-compliance. As opium and opioids have been traditionally used as painkillers, the exact mechanisms of their adverse reactions over repeated use are multifactorial and not fully understood. Older adults suffer from cancer and non-cancer chronic pain more than younger adults, due to the physiological changes related to ageing and their reduced metabolic capabilities and thus show an increased number of adverse reactions to opioid drugs. All clinically used opioids are μ-opioid receptor agonists, and the major adverse effects are directly or potentially connected to this receptor. Multifunctional opioid ligands or peripherally restricted opioids may elicit fewer adverse effects, as shown in preclinical studies, but these results need reproducibility from further extensive clinical trials. The current review aims to overview various mechanisms involved in the adverse effects induced by opioids, to provide a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and, ultimately, to help develop an effective therapeutic strategy to better manage pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok K. Paul
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia;
| | - Craig M. Smith
- School of Medicine, Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia;
| | - Mohammed Rahmatullah
- Department of Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh;
| | - Veeranoot Nissapatorn
- School of Allied Health Sciences, World Union for Herbal Drug Discovery (WUHeDD) and Research Excellence Center for Innovation and Health Products (RECIHP), Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand;
| | - Polrat Wilairatana
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Mariana Spetea
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80–82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Nuri Gueven
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia;
| | - Nikolas Dietis
- Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus;
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15
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Barker KE, Lecznar AJ, Schumacher JM, Morris JS, Gutstein HB. Subanalgesic morphine doses augment fentanyl analgesia by interacting with delta opioid receptors in male rats. J Neurosci Res 2021; 100:149-164. [PMID: 34520585 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Opioids are commonly used for the treatment of postoperative and post-traumatic pain; however, their therapeutic effectiveness is limited by undesirable and life-threatening side effects. Researchers have long attempted to develop opioid co-administration therapies that enhance analgesia, but the complexity of opioid analgesia and our incomplete mechanistic understanding has made this a daunting task. We discovered that subanalgesic morphine doses (100 ng/kg-10 µg/kg) augmented the acute analgesic effect of fentanyl (20 µg/kg) following subcutaneous drug co-administration to male rats. In addition, administration of equivalent drug ratios to naïve rat spinal cord membranes induced a twofold increase in G protein activation. The rate of GTP hydrolysis remained unchanged. We demonstrated that these behavioral and biochemical effects were mediated by the delta opioid receptor (DOP). Subanalgesic doses of the DOP-selective agonist SNC80 also augmented the acute analgesic effect of fentanyl. Furthermore, co-administration of the DOP antagonist naltrindole with both fentanyl-morphine and fentanyl-SNC80 combinations prevented augmentation of both analgesia and G protein activation. The mu opioid receptor (MOP) antagonist cyprodime did not block augmentation. Confocal microscopy of the substantia gelatinosa of rats treated with fentanyl, subanalgesic morphine, or this combination showed that changes in MOP internalization did not account for augmentation effects. Together, these findings suggest that augmentation of fentanyl analgesia by subanalgesic morphine is mediated by increased G protein activation resulting from a synergistic interaction between or heterodimerization of MOPs and DOPs. This finding is of great therapeutic significance because it suggests a strategy for the development of DOP-selective ligands that can enhance the therapeutic index of clinically used MOP drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Barker
- Department of Anesthesiology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alynn J Lecznar
- Department of Anesthesiology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jill M Schumacher
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Morris
- Biostatistics Division, Perelman School of Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Howard B Gutstein
- Anesthesiology Institute, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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16
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Arttamangkul S, Platt EJ, Carroll J, Farrens D. Functional independence of endogenous µ- and δ-opioid receptors co-expressed in cholinergic interneurons. eLife 2021; 10:69740. [PMID: 34477106 PMCID: PMC8718112 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Class A G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) normally function as monomers, although evidence from heterologous expression systems suggests that they may sometimes form homodimers and/or heterodimers. This study aims to evaluate possible functional interplay of endogenous µ- and δ-opioid receptors (MORs and DORs) in mouse neurons. Detecting GPCR dimers in native tissues, however, has been challenging. Previously, MORs and DORs co-expressed in transfected cells have been reported to form heterodimers, and their possible co-localization in neurons has been studied in knock-in mice expressing genetically engineered receptors fused to fluorescent proteins. Here, we find that single cholinergic neurons in the mouse striatum endogenously express both MORs and DORs. The receptors on neurons from live brain slices were fluorescently labeled with a ligand-directed labeling reagent, NAI-A594. The selective activation of MORs and DORs, with DAMGO (µ-agonist) and deltorphin (δ-agonist) inhibited spontaneous firing in all cells examined. In the continued presence of agonist, the firing rate returned to baseline as the result of receptor desensitization with the application of deltorphin but was less observed with the application of DAMGO. In addition, agonist-induced internalization of DORs but not MORs was detected. When MORs and DORs were activated simultaneously with [Met5]-enkephalin, desensitization of MORs was facilitated but internalization was not increased. Together, these results indicate that while MORs and DORs are expressed in single striatal cholinergic interneurons, the two receptors function independently.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily J Platt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - James Carroll
- Surgery, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - David Farrens
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
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17
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Zhou J, Ma R, Jin Y, Fang J, Du J, Shao X, Liang Y, Fang J. Molecular mechanisms of opioid tolerance: From opioid receptors to inflammatory mediators (Review). Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:1004. [PMID: 34345286 PMCID: PMC8311239 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioids are considered the most effective analgesics for the treatment of both acute and chronic pain. However, prolonged opioid use can induce a certain level of tolerance to its analgesic effects, leading to a reduction in its effectiveness, addiction and abuse. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying opioid tolerance may provide insights into this phenomenon and aid in the development of novel methods to combat the side effects of opioid tolerance. The present review focused on two major contributors to tolerance, opioid receptors and inflammatory mediators. The molecular mechanisms involved in the desensitization of the opioid receptors were briefly described, including their phosphorylation, internalisation and recycling. Subsequently, the effects of Toll like receptor 4/NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3-mediated proinflammatory responses in opioid tolerance were discussed, aiming in supporting the identification of novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhou
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310005, P.R. China
| | - Ruijie Ma
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310005, P.R. China
| | - Ying Jin
- Department of Rehabilitation in Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
| | - Junfan Fang
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Junying Du
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Xiaomei Shao
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Yi Liang
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Jianqiao Fang
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
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18
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Wound Repair and Extremely Low Frequency-Electromagnetic Field: Insight from In Vitro Study and Potential Clinical Application. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22095037. [PMID: 34068809 PMCID: PMC8126245 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22095037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Wound healing is a complex, staged process. It involves extensive communication between the different cellular constituents of various compartments of the skin and its extracellular matrix (ECM). Different signaling pathways are determined by a mutual influence on each other, resulting in a dynamic and complex crosstalk. It consists of various dynamic processes including a series of overlapping phases: hemostasis, inflammation response, new tissue formation, and tissue remodeling. Interruption or deregulation of one or more of these phases may lead to non-healing (chronic) wounds. The most important factor among local and systemic exogenous factors leading to a chronic wound is infection with a biofilm presence. In the last few years, an increasing number of reports have evaluated the effects of extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on tissue repair. Each experimental result comes from a single element of this complex process. An interaction between ELF-EMFs and healing has shown to effectively modulate inflammation, protease matrix rearrangement, neo-angiogenesis, senescence, stem-cell proliferation, and epithelialization. These effects are strictly related to the time of exposure, waveform, frequency, and amplitude. In this review, we focus on the effect of ELF-EMFs on different wound healing phases.
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19
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Singleton S, Baptista-Hon DT, Edelsten E, McCaughey KS, Camplisson E, Hales TG. TRV130 partial agonism and capacity to induce anti-nociceptive tolerance revealed through reducing available μ-opioid receptor number. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 178:1855-1868. [PMID: 33555037 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE β-Arrestin2 recruitment to μ-receptors may contribute to the development of opioid side effects. This possibility led to the development of TRV130 and PZM21, opioids reportedly biased against β-arrestin2 recruitment in favour of G-protein signalling. However, low efficacy β-arrestin2 recruitment by TRV130 and PZM21 may simply reflect partial agonism overlooked due to overexpression of μ-receptors. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Efficacies and apparent potencies of DAMGO, morphine, PZM21 and TRV130 as stimulators of β-arrestin2 recruitment and inhibitors of cAMP accumulation were assessed in CHO cells stably expressing μ-receptors. Receptor availability was depleted through prior exposure of cells to the irreversible antagonist, β-FNA. We also examined whether μ-receptor availability influences TRV130 anti-nociception and/or tolerance using the tail withdrawal assay in wild-type C57BL/6 and μ+/- mice. KEY RESULTS Morphine, PZM21 and TRV130 were partial agonists in the β-arrestin2 recruitment assay. Only TRV130 exhibited partial agonism in the cAMP assay. Exposure to β-FNA to reduce μ-receptor availability further limited the efficacy of TRV130 and revealed morphine and PZM21 to be partial agonists. Despite having partial efficacy in vitro, TRV130 caused potent anti-nociception (ED50 : 0.33 mg·kg-1 ) in wild-type mice, without tolerance after daily administration for 10 days. TRV130 caused similar anti-nociception in μ+/- mice, with marked tolerance on day 4 of injections. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Our findings emphasise the importance of receptor reserve when characterising μ-receptor agonists. Reduced receptor availability reveals that TRV130 is a partial agonist capable of tolerance, despite having limited efficacy for β-arrestin2 recruitment to the μ-receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Singleton
- Institute of Academic Anaesthesia, Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Daniel T Baptista-Hon
- Institute of Academic Anaesthesia, Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau SAR, China
| | - Emily Edelsten
- Institute of Academic Anaesthesia, Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Kirsty S McCaughey
- Institute of Academic Anaesthesia, Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Ewan Camplisson
- Institute of Academic Anaesthesia, Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Tim G Hales
- Institute of Academic Anaesthesia, Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
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20
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Inyang KE, George SR, Laumet G. The µ-δ opioid heteromer masks latent pain sensitization in neuropathic and inflammatory pain in male and female mice. Brain Res 2021; 1756:147298. [PMID: 33516809 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The episodic nature of chronic pain can be studied in the rodent model of latent pain sensitization. After remission, central sensitization is opposed by activation of opioid receptors. At the behavioral level, latent pain sensitization is unmasked when pain hypersensitivity is reinstated by opioid receptor (OR) antagonism. Previous studies have focused on inflammatory pain and male rodents. Whether latent pain sensitization occurs in models of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain in female and male mice is unknown. The first aim of this study was to investigate whether μ- and δ-OR suppress latent pain sensitization in our model of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain in both sexes. Mounting evidence suggests that μ-and δ-ORs form a heteromer and that the heteromer modulates pain sensitivity. Potential implications of the μ-δ OR heteromer in latent pain sensitization have not been fully explored due to a lack of tools to effectively modulate the heteromer. To specifically target the μ-δ OR heteromer, we used a specific interfering peptide blocking the heteromerization. The second aim of this study was to investigate whether disruption of the μ-δOR heteromer, after remission, reinstates pain hypersensitivity. After remission from cisplatin-induced neuropathic pain, antagonism of µ-OR and δOR reinstates pain hypersensitivity in both sexes. After remission from cisplatin-induced neuropathic pain and postoperative pain, disruption of the μ-δOR heteromer reinstates pain hypersensitivity in both sexes. Taken together our findings suggest that the μ-δOR heteromer plays a crucial role in remission in various pain models and may represent a novel therapeutic target to prevent the relapse to pain and the transition to chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susan R George
- Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Geoffroy Laumet
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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21
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Ehrlich AT, Darcq E. Recent advances in basic science methodology to evaluate opioid safety profiles and to understand opioid activities. Fac Rev 2021; 10:15. [PMID: 33718932 PMCID: PMC7946392 DOI: 10.12703/r/10-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioids are powerful drugs used by humans for centuries to relieve pain and are still frequently used as pain treatment in current clinical practice. Medicinal opioids primarily target the mu opioid receptor (MOR), and MOR activation produces unmatched pain-alleviating properties, as well as side effects such as strong rewarding effects, and thus abuse potential, and respiratory depression contributing to death during overdose. Therefore, the ultimate goal is to create opioid pain-relievers with reduced respiratory depression and thus fewer chances of lethality. Efforts are also underway to reduce the euphoric effects of opioids and avoid abuse liability. In this review, recent advances in basic science methodology used to understand MOR pharmacology and activities will be summarized. The focus of the review will be to describe current technological advances that enable the study of opioid analgesics from subcellular mechanisms to mesoscale network responses. These advances in understanding MOR physiological responses will help to improve knowledge and future design of opioid analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliza T Ehrlich
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Emmanuel Darcq
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
- INSERM U1114, UNISTRA University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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22
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Faouzi A, Uprety R, Gomes I, Massaly N, Keresztes AI, Le Rouzic V, Gupta A, Zhang T, Yoon HJ, Ansonoff M, Allaoa A, Pan YX, Pintar J, Morón JA, Streicher JM, Devi LA, Majumdar S. Synthesis and Pharmacology of a Novel μ-δ Opioid Receptor Heteromer-Selective Agonist Based on the Carfentanyl Template. J Med Chem 2020; 63:13618-13637. [PMID: 33170687 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we studied a series of carfentanyl amide-based opioid derivatives targeting the mu opioid receptor (μOR) and the delta opioid receptor (δOR) heteromer as a credible novel target in pain management therapy. We identified a lead compound named MP135 that exhibits high G-protein activity at μ-δ heteromers compared to the homomeric δOR or μOR and low β-arrestin2 recruitment activity at all three. Furthermore, MP135 exhibits distinct signaling profile, as compared to the previously identified agonist targeting μ-δ heteromers, CYM51010. Pharmacological characterization of MP135 supports the utility of this compound as a molecule that could be developed as an antinociceptive agent similar to morphine in rodents. In vivo characterization reveals that MP135 maintains untoward side effects such as respiratory depression and reward behavior; together, these results suggest that optimization of MP135 is necessary for the development of therapeutics that suppress the classical side effects associated with conventional clinical opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelfattah Faouzi
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, St Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States.,Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Rajendra Uprety
- Department of Neurology and Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Ivone Gomes
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Nicolas Massaly
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Attila I Keresztes
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arkansas 85724, United States
| | - Valerie Le Rouzic
- Department of Neurology and Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Achla Gupta
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Tiffany Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Hye Jean Yoon
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Michael Ansonoff
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Abdullah Allaoa
- Department of Neurology and Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Ying Xian Pan
- Department of Neurology and Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - John Pintar
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Jose A Morón
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States.,Department of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - John M Streicher
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arkansas 85724, United States
| | - Lakshmi A Devi
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Susruta Majumdar
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, St Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States.,Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
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23
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Derouiche L, Pierre F, Doridot S, Ory S, Massotte D. Heteromerization of Endogenous Mu and Delta Opioid Receptors Induces Ligand-Selective Co-Targeting to Lysosomes. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25194493. [PMID: 33007971 PMCID: PMC7583997 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25194493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that native mu and delta opioid receptors can associate to form heteromers in discrete brain neuronal circuits. However, little is known about their signaling and trafficking. Using double-fluorescent knock-in mice, we investigated the impact of neuronal co-expression on the internalization profile of mu and delta opioid receptors in primary hippocampal cultures. We established ligand selective mu–delta co-internalization upon activation by 1-[[4-(acetylamino)phenyl]methyl]-4-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinecarboxylic acid, ethyl ester (CYM51010), [d-Ala2, NMe-Phe4, Gly-ol5]enkephalin (DAMGO), and deltorphin II, but not (+)-4-[(αR)-α-((2S,5R)-4-Allyl-2,5-dimethyl-1-piperazinyl)-3-methoxybenzyl]-N,N-diethylbenzamide (SNC80), morphine, or methadone. Co-internalization was driven by the delta opioid receptor, required an active conformation of both receptors, and led to sorting to the lysosomal compartment. Altogether, our data indicate that mu–delta co-expression, likely through heteromerization, alters the intracellular fate of the mu opioid receptor, which provides a way to fine-tune mu opioid receptor signaling. It also represents an interesting emerging concept for the development of novel therapeutic drugs and strategies.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cells, Cultured
- Endocytosis
- Hippocampus/cytology
- Ligands
- Lysosomes
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Neurons/metabolism
- Piperidines/pharmacology
- Protein Multimerization
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/metabolism
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyes Derouiche
- French National Centre for Scientific Research, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, University of Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France; (L.D.); (F.P.); (S.O.)
| | - Florian Pierre
- French National Centre for Scientific Research, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, University of Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France; (L.D.); (F.P.); (S.O.)
| | - Stéphane Doridot
- French National Centre for Scientific Research, Chronobiotron, 67200 Strasbourg, France;
| | - Stéphane Ory
- French National Centre for Scientific Research, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, University of Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France; (L.D.); (F.P.); (S.O.)
| | - Dominique Massotte
- French National Centre for Scientific Research, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, University of Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France; (L.D.); (F.P.); (S.O.)
- Correspondence:
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24
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Tiwari V, He SQ, Huang Q, Liang L, Yang F, Chen Z, Tiwari V, Fujita W, Devi LA, Dong X, Guan Y, Raja SN. Activation of µ-δ opioid receptor heteromers inhibits neuropathic pain behavior in rodents. Pain 2020; 161:842-855. [PMID: 31815916 PMCID: PMC7085422 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Several reports support the idea that µ- and δ-opioid receptors (ORs) may exist as heterodimers in brain regions involved in pain signaling. The unique pharmacology of these heteromers may present a novel analgesic target. However, the role of µ-δ heteromers in sensory neurons involved in pain and opioid analgesia remains unclear, particularly during neuropathic pain. We examined the effects of spinal nerve injury on µ-δ heteromer expression in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and the effects of a µ-δ heteromer-targeting agonist, CYM51010, on neuropathic pain behavior in rats and mice. An L5 spinal nerve ligation (SNL) in rats significantly decreased µ-δ heteromer expression in L5 DRG but increased heteromer levels in uninjured L4 DRG. Importantly, in SNL rats, subcutaneous injection of CYM51010 inhibited mechanical hypersensitivity in a dose-related manner (EC50: 1.09 mg/kg) and also reversed heat hyperalgesia and attenuated ongoing pain (2 mg/kg, subcutaneously). HEK-293T cell surface-labeled with µ- and δ-ORs internalized both receptors after exposure to CYM51010. By contrast, in cells transfected with µ-OR alone, CYM51010 was significantly less effective at inducing receptor internalization. Electrophysiologic studies showed that CYM51010 inhibited the C-component and windup phenomenon in spinal wide dynamic range neurons of SNL rats. The pain inhibitory effects of CYM51010 persisted in morphine-tolerant rats but was markedly attenuated in µ-OR knockout mice. Our studies show that spinal nerve injury may increase µ-δ heterodimerization in uninjured DRG neurons, and that µ-δ heteromers may be a potential therapeutic target for relieving neuropathic pain, even under conditions of morphine tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinod Tiwari
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Shao-Qiu He
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Qian Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Lingli Liang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Fei Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Zhiyong Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Vineeta Tiwari
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Wakako Fujita
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Lakshmi A. Devi
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Xinzhong Dong
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Yun Guan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Srinivasa N. Raja
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
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25
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N-Phenethyl Substitution in 14-Methoxy-N-methylmorphinan-6-ones Turns Selective µ Opioid Receptor Ligands into Dual µ/δ Opioid Receptor Agonists. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5653. [PMID: 32221355 PMCID: PMC7101422 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62530-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphine and structurally-derived compounds are µ opioid receptor (µOR) agonists, and the most effective analgesic drugs. However, their usefulness is limited by serious side effects, including dependence and abuse potential. The N-substituent in morphinans plays an important role in opioid activities in vitro and in vivo. This study presents the synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of new N-phenethyl substituted 14-O-methylmorphinan-6-ones. Whereas substitution of the N-methyl substituent in morphine (1) and oxymorphone (2) by an N-phenethyl group enhances binding affinity, selectivity and agonist potency at the µOR of 1a and 2a, the N-phenethyl substitution in 14-methoxy-N-methylmorphinan-6-ones (3 and 4) converts selective µOR ligands into dual µ/δOR agonists (3a and 4a). Contrary to N-methylmorphinans 1–4, the N-phenethyl substituted morphinans 1a–4a produce effective and potent antinociception without motor impairment in mice. Using docking and molecular dynamics simulations with the µOR, we establish that N-methylmorphinans 1–4 and their N-phenethyl counterparts 1a–4a share several essential receptor-ligand interactions, but also interaction pattern differences related to specific structural features, thus providing a structural basis for their pharmacological profiles. The emerged structure-activity relationships in this class of morphinans provide important information for tuning in vitro and in vivo opioid activities towards discovery of effective and safer analgesics.
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26
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McDermott MV, Afrose L, Gomes I, Devi LA, Bobeck EN. Opioid-Induced Signaling and Antinociception Are Modulated by the Recently Deorphanized Receptor, GPR171. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2019; 371:56-62. [PMID: 31308196 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.119.259242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ProSAAS is one of the most widely expressed proteins throughout the brain and was recently found to be upregulated in chronic fibromyalgia patients. BigLEN is a neuropeptide that is derived from ProSAAS and was recently discovered to be the endogenous ligand for the orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR171. Although BigLEN-GPR171 has been found to play a role in feeding and anxiety behaviors, it has not yet been explored in pain and opioid modulation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this novel neuropeptide-receptor system in opioid-induced antinociception. We found that GPR171 is expressed in GABAergic neurons within the periaqueductal gray, which is a key brain area involved in pain modulation and opioid functions. We also found that, although the GPR171 agonist and antagonist do not have nociceptive effects on their own, they oppositely regulate morphine-induced antinociception with the agonist enhancing and antagonist reducing antinociception. Lastly, we showed that the GPR171 antagonist or receptor knockdown decreases signaling by the mu-opioid receptor, but not the delta-opioid receptor. Taken together, these results suggest that antagonism of the GPR171 receptor reduces mu opioid receptor signaling and morphine-induced antinociception, whereas the GPR171 agonist enhances morphine antinociception, suggesting that GPR171 may be a novel target toward the development of pain therapeutics. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: GPR171 is a recently deorphanized receptor that is expressed within the periaqueductal gray and can regulate mu opioid receptor signaling and antinociception. This research may contribute to the development of new therapeutics to treat pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max V McDermott
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah (M.V.M., L.A., E.N.B.) and Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (I.G., L.A.D.)
| | - Leela Afrose
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah (M.V.M., L.A., E.N.B.) and Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (I.G., L.A.D.)
| | - Ivone Gomes
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah (M.V.M., L.A., E.N.B.) and Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (I.G., L.A.D.)
| | - Lakshmi A Devi
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah (M.V.M., L.A., E.N.B.) and Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (I.G., L.A.D.)
| | - Erin N Bobeck
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah (M.V.M., L.A., E.N.B.) and Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (I.G., L.A.D.)
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27
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Emery MA, Eitan S. Members of the same pharmacological family are not alike: Different opioids, different consequences, hope for the opioid crisis? Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 92:428-449. [PMID: 30790677 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Pain management is the specialized medical practice of modulating pain perception and thus easing the suffering and improving the life quality of individuals suffering from painful conditions. Since this requires the modulation of the activity of endogenous systems involved in pain perception, and given the large role that the opioidergic system plays in pain perception, opioids are currently the most effective pain treatment available and are likely to remain relevant for the foreseeable future. This contributes to the rise in opioid use, misuse, and overdose death, which is currently characterized by public health officials in the United States as an epidemic. Historically, the majority of preclinical rodent studies were focused on morphine. This has resulted in our understanding of opioids in general being highly biased by our knowledge of morphine specifically. However, recent in vitro studies suggest that direct extrapolation of research findings from morphine to other opioids is likely to be flawed. Notably, these studies suggest that different opioid analgesics (opioid agonists) engage different downstream signaling effects within the cell, despite binding to and activating the same receptors. This recognition implies that, in contrast to the historical status quo, different opioids cannot be made equivalent by merely dose adjustment. Notably, even at equianalgesic doses, different opioids could result in different beneficial and risk outcomes. In order to foster further translational research regarding drug-specific differences among opioids, here we review basic research elucidating differences among opioids in pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, their capacity for second messenger pathway activation, and their interactions with the immune system and the dopamine D2 receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Emery
- Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, 4235 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN), College Station, TX, USA
| | - Shoshana Eitan
- Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, 4235 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN), College Station, TX, USA.
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28
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Canals M, Poole DP, Veldhuis NA, Schmidt BL, Bunnett NW. G-Protein-Coupled Receptors Are Dynamic Regulators of Digestion and Targets for Digestive Diseases. Gastroenterology 2019; 156:1600-1616. [PMID: 30771352 PMCID: PMC6508858 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.01.266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of transmembrane signaling proteins. In the gastrointestinal tract, GPCRs expressed by epithelial cells sense contents of the lumen, and GPCRs expressed by epithelial cells, myocytes, neurons, and immune cells participate in communication among cells. GPCRs control digestion, mediate digestive diseases, and coordinate repair and growth. GPCRs are the target of more than one third of therapeutic drugs, including many drugs used to treat digestive diseases. Recent advances in structural, chemical, and cell biology research have shown that GPCRs are not static binary switches that operate from the plasma membrane to control a defined set of intracellular signals. Rather, GPCRs are dynamic signaling proteins that adopt distinct conformations and subcellular distributions when associated with different ligands and intracellular effectors. An understanding of the dynamic nature of GPCRs has provided insights into the mechanism of activation and signaling of GPCRs and has shown opportunities for drug discovery. We review the allosteric modulation, biased agonism, oligomerization, and compartmentalized signaling of GPCRs that control digestion and digestive diseases. We highlight the implications of these concepts for the development of selective and effective drugs to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meritxell Canals
- Centre for Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel P. Poole
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicholas A. Veldhuis
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Brian L. Schmidt
- Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York
| | - Nigel W. Bunnett
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York
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29
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Moreno E, Cavic M, Krivokuca A, Casadó V, Canela E. The Endocannabinoid System as a Target in Cancer Diseases: Are We There Yet? Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:339. [PMID: 31024307 PMCID: PMC6459931 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has been placed in the anti-cancer spotlight in the last decade. The immense data load published on its dual role in both tumorigenesis and inhibition of tumor growth and metastatic spread has transformed the cannabinoid receptors CB1 (CB1R) and CB2 (CB2R), and other members of the endocannabinoid-like system, into attractive new targets for the treatment of various cancer subtypes. Although the clinical use of cannabinoids has been extensively documented in the palliative setting, clinical trials on their application as anti-cancer drugs are still ongoing. As drug repurposing is significantly faster and more economical than de novo introduction of a new drug into the clinic, there is hope that the existing pharmacokinetic and safety data on the ECS ligands will contribute to their successful translation into oncological healthcare. CB1R and CB2R are members of a large family of membrane proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). GPCRs can form homodimers, heterodimers and higher order oligomers with other GPCRs or non-GPCRs. Currently, several CB1R and CB2R-containing heteromers have been reported and, in cancer cells, CB2R form heteromers with the G protein-coupled chemokine receptor CXCR4, the G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) and the tyrosine kinase receptor (TKR) human V-Erb-B2 Avian Erythroblastic Leukemia Viral Oncogene Homolog 2 (HER2). These protein complexes possess unique pharmacological and signaling properties, and their modulation might affect the antitumoral activity of the ECS. This review will explore the potential of the endocannabinoid network in the anti-cancer setting as well as the clinical and ethical pitfalls behind it, and will develop on the value of cannabinoid receptor heteromers as potential new targets for anti-cancer therapies and as prognostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía Moreno
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Milena Cavic
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ana Krivokuca
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vicent Casadó
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Enric Canela
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
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30
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Cai NS, Quiroz C, Bonaventura J, Bonifazi A, Cole TO, Purks J, Billing AS, Massey E, Wagner M, Wish ED, Guitart X, Rea W, Lam S, Moreno E, Casadó-Anguera V, Greenblatt AD, Jacobson AE, Rice KC, Casadó V, Newman AH, Winkelman JW, Michaelides M, Weintraub E, Volkow ND, Belcher AM, Ferré S. Opioid-galanin receptor heteromers mediate the dopaminergic effects of opioids. J Clin Invest 2019; 129:2730-2744. [PMID: 30913037 DOI: 10.1172/jci126912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying non-addictive opioid medications is a high priority in medical sciences, but μ-opioid receptors mediate both the analgesic and addictive effects of opioids. We found a significant pharmacodynamic difference between morphine and methadone that is determined entirely by heteromerization of μ-opioid receptors with galanin Gal1 receptors, rendering a profound decrease in the potency of methadone. This was explained by methadone's weaker proficiency to activate the dopaminergic system as compared to morphine and predicted a dissociation of therapeutic versus euphoric effects of methadone, which was corroborated by a significantly lower incidence of self-report of "high" in methadone-maintained patients. These results suggest that μ-opioid-Gal1 receptor heteromers mediate the dopaminergic effects of opioids that may lead to a lower addictive liability of opioids with selective low potency for the μ-opioid-Gal1 receptor heteromer, exemplified by methadone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jordi Bonaventura
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, and
| | - Alessandro Bonifazi
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Intramural Research Program (IRP), NIH, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas O Cole
- Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Julia Purks
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Amy S Billing
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Ebonie Massey
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael Wagner
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Eric D Wish
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Sherry Lam
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, and
| | - Estefanía Moreno
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Verònica Casadó-Anguera
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aaron D Greenblatt
- Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Vicent Casadó
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amy H Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Intramural Research Program (IRP), NIH, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - John W Winkelman
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Eric Weintraub
- Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Annabelle M Belcher
- Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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31
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Ehrlich AT, Kieffer BL, Darcq E. Current strategies toward safer mu opioid receptor drugs for pain management. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2019; 23:315-326. [PMID: 30802415 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2019.1586882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pain relief remains a major public health challenge. The most efficient available painkillers are opioids targeting the mu opioid receptor (MOR). MORs are expressed in the areas of the brain [including pain and respiratory centers] that are important for processing reward and aversion. Thus, MOR activation efficiently alleviates severe pain, but the concomitant reward and respiratory depressant effects pose a threat; patients taking opioids potentially develop opioid addiction and high risk for overdose. Areas covered: Ongoing efforts to generate safer opioid analgesics are reviewed here. The design of biased compounds that trigger MOR induced G protein over β-arrestin signaling, peripheral opioids, drugs targeting MORs in heteromers and drugs enhancing endogenous opioid activity are discussed. Expert opinion: There is evidence that throttling MOR signaling may lead to an era of opioids that are truly efficient painkillers with lower side effects and risk of overdose. However, few of the drugs derived from the advanced approaches outlined here, are getting approval by regulatory committees for use in clinical settings. Thus, there is an urgent need to (i) better clarify mechanisms underlying the hazardous physiological effects of MOR activation, and (ii) fully validate the safety of these new MOR-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliza T Ehrlich
- a Department of Psychiatry , McGill University, Douglas Hospital Research Center , Montréal , QC , Canada
| | - Brigitte L Kieffer
- a Department of Psychiatry , McGill University, Douglas Hospital Research Center , Montréal , QC , Canada
| | - Emmanuel Darcq
- a Department of Psychiatry , McGill University, Douglas Hospital Research Center , Montréal , QC , Canada
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32
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Usai EM, Manca I, Pettinau F, Mastino A, Pittau B. Chemical Characterization and in vitro
Metabolism of a Novel Class of Delta Opioid Receptor Agonists, Analogs of SNC-80. ChemistrySelect 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201803906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Maria Usai
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology; National Research Council; 09010 Pula (CA) Italy
| | - Ilaria Manca
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology; National Research Council; 09010 Pula (CA) Italy
| | - Francesca Pettinau
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology; National Research Council; 09010 Pula (CA) Italy
| | - Antonio Mastino
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology; National Research Council; 09010 Pula (CA) Italy
- Department of Chemical; Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences; University of Messina; Messina Italy
| | - Barbara Pittau
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology; National Research Council; 09010 Pula (CA) Italy
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Cortés A, Casadó-Anguera V, Moreno E, Casadó V. The heterotetrameric structure of the adenosine A 1-dopamine D 1 receptor complex: Pharmacological implication for restless legs syndrome. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2019; 84:37-78. [PMID: 31229177 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Dopaminergic and purinergic signaling play a pivotal role in neurological diseases associated with motor symptoms, including Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington disease, Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), spinal cord injury (SCI), and ataxias. Extracellular dopamine and adenosine exert their functions interacting with specific dopamine (DR) or adenosine (AR) receptors, respectively, expressed on the surface of target cells. These receptors are members of the family A of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which is the largest protein superfamily in mammalian genomes. GPCRs are target of about 40% of all current marketed drugs, highlighting their importance in clinical medicine. The striatum receives the densest dopamine innervations and contains the highest density of dopamine receptors. The modulatory role of adenosine on dopaminergic transmission depends largely on the existence of antagonistic interactions mediated by specific subtypes of DRs and ARs, the so-called A2AR-D2R and A1R-D1R interactions. Due to the dopamine/adenosine antagonism in the CNS, it was proposed that ARs and DRs could form heteromers in the neuronal cell surface. Therefore, adenosine can affect dopaminergic signaling through receptor-receptor interactions and by modulations in their shared intracellular pathways in the striatum and spinal cord. In this work we describe the allosteric modulations between GPCR protomers, focusing in those of adenosine and dopamine within the A1R-D1R heteromeric complex, which is involved in RLS. We also propose that the knowledge about the intricate allosteric interactions within the A1R-D1R heterotetramer, may facilitate the treatment of motor alterations, not only when the dopamine pathway is hyperactivated (RLS, chorea, etc.) but also when motor function is decreased (SCI, aging, PD, etc.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoni Cortés
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Verònica Casadó-Anguera
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Estefanía Moreno
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vicent Casadó
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Pasquinucci L, Turnaturi R, Montenegro L, Caraci F, Chiechio S, Parenti C. Simultaneous targeting of MOR/DOR: A useful strategy for inflammatory pain modulation. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 847:97-102. [PMID: 30690004 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Development of new analgesics endowed with mu/delta opioid receptor (MOR/DOR) activity represents a promising alternative to MOR selective compounds because of their better therapeutic and tolerability profile. Lately, we have synthetized the MOR/DOR agonist LP2 that showed a long lasting antinociceptive activity in the tail flick test, an acute pain model. Here, we investigate whether LP2 is also effective in the mouse formalin test, a model of inflammatory pain sustained by mechanisms of central sensitization. Moreover, we evaluated a possible peripheral component of LP2 analgesic activity. Different doses of LP2 were tested after either intraperitoneal (i.p.) or intraplantar (i.pl.) administration. LP2 (0.75-1.00 mg/kg, i.p.), dose-dependently, counteracted both phases of the formalin test after i.p. administration. The analgesic activity of LP2 (0.75-1.00 mg/kg) was completely blocked by a pretreatment with the opioid antagonist naloxone (3 mg/kg, i.p.). Differently, the pretreatment with naloxone methiodide (5 mg/kg, i.p.), a peripherally restricted opioid antagonist, completely blocked the lower analgesic dose of LP2 (0.75 mg/kg) but only partially relieved the antinociceptive effects of LP2 at the dose of 1.00 mg/kg, thus revealing a peripheral analgesic component of LP2. I.pl. injections of LP2 (10-20 μg/10 μl) were also performed to investigate a possible effect of LP2 on peripheral nerve terminals. Nociceptive sensitization, which occur both at peripheral and central level, is a fundamental step for pain chronicization, thus LP2 is a promising drug for pain conditions characterized by nociceptive sensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorella Pasquinucci
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Rita Turnaturi
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Lucia Montenegro
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmaceutical Technology Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Filippo Caraci
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | - Santina Chiechio
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | - Carmela Parenti
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
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Qin Y, Ni L, Shi J, Zhu Z, Shi S, Lam AL, Magiera J, Sekar S, Kuo A, Smith MT, Li T. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Fentanyl Analogues Modified at Phenyl Groups with Alkyls. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:201-208. [PMID: 30179508 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of fentanyl analogues modified at the phenyl group of the phenethyl with alkyl and/or hydroxyl and alkoxy, and the phenyl group in the anilido moiety replaced with benzyl or substituted benzyl, were synthesized. The in vitro opioid receptor functional activity of these compounds was evaluated by assessment of their ability to modulate forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation and by their ability to induce β-arrestin2 recruitment. Compound 12 is a potent μ-opioid (MOP) receptor agonist, a potent κ-opioid (KOP) receptor antagonist with weak β-arrestin2 recruitment activity. Compounds 10 and 11 are potent MOP receptor agonists with weak δ-opioid (DOP) receptor antagonist activity and moderate KOP receptor antagonist activity as well as weak β-arrestin2 recruitment activity at the MOP receptor. These compounds are promising leads for discovery of potent opioid analgesics with reduced side effects relative to clinically available strong opioid analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajuan Qin
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Luofan Ni
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Jiawei Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Zhiying Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Saijian Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Ai-leen Lam
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Julia Magiera
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sunderajhan Sekar
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Andy Kuo
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Maree T. Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Tingyou Li
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardiovascular Disease Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
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Gendron L, Nagi K, Zeghal M, Giguère PM, Pineyro G. Molecular aspects of delta opioid receptors. OPIOID HORMONES 2019; 111:49-90. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2019.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Pasternak GW, Childers SR, Pan YX. Emerging Insights into Mu Opioid Pharmacology. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2019; 258:89-125. [PMID: 31598835 DOI: 10.1007/164_2019_270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Opioid analgesics, most of which act through mu opioid receptors, have long represented valuable therapeutic agents to treat severe pain. Concerted drug development efforts for over a 100 years have resulted in a large variety of opioid analgesics used in the clinic, but all of them continue to exhibit the side effects, especially respiratory depression, that have long plagued the use of morphine. The recent explosion in fatalities resulting from overdose of prescription and synthetic opioids has dramatically increased the need for safer analgesics, but recent developments in mu receptor research have provided new strategies to develop such drugs. This chapter reviews recent advances in developing novel opioid analgesics from an understanding of mu receptor structure and function. This includes a summary of the mechanism of agonist binding deduced from the crystal structure of mu receptors. It will also highlight the development of novel agonist mechanisms, including biased agonists, bivalent ligands, and allosteric modulators of mu receptor function, and describe how receptor phosphorylation modulates these pathways. Finally, it will summarize research on the alternative pre-mRNA splicing mechanisms that produces a multiplicity of mu receptor isoforms. Many of these isoforms exhibit different pharmacological specificities and brain circuitry localization, thus providing an opportunity to develop novel drugs with increased therapeutic windows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavril W Pasternak
- Department of Neurology and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Steven R Childers
- Department of Physiology/Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
| | - Ying-Xian Pan
- Department of Neurology and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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Suzuki T, Sawada T, Kawai K, Ishihara Y. Pharmacological profile of TAN-452, a novel peripherally acting opioid receptor antagonist for the treatment of opioid-induced bowel syndromes. Life Sci 2018; 215:246-252. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2018.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Panossian A, Seo EJ, Efferth T. Novel molecular mechanisms for the adaptogenic effects of herbal extracts on isolated brain cells using systems biology. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2018; 50:257-284. [PMID: 30466987 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2018.09.204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adaptogens are natural compounds or plant extracts that increase adaptability and survival of organisms under stress. Adaptogens stimulate cellular and organismal defense systems by activating intracellular and extracellular signaling pathways and expression of stress-activated proteins and neuropeptides. The effects adaptogens on mediators of adaptive stress response and longevity signaling pathways have been reported, but their stress-protective mechanisms are still not fully understood. AIM OF THE STUDY The aim of this study was to identify key molecular mechanisms of adaptogenic plants traditionally used to treat stress and aging-related disorders, i.e., Rhodiola rosea, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Withania somnifera, Rhaponticum carthamoides, and Bryonia alba. MATERIALS AND METHODS To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of adaptogens, we conducted RNA sequencing to profile gene expression alterations in T98G neuroglia cells upon treatment of adaptogens and analyzed the relevance of deregulated genes to adaptive stress-response signaling pathways using in silico pathway analysis software. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION At least 88 of the 3516 genes regulated by adaptogens were closely associated with adaptive stress response and adaptive stress-response signaling pathways (ASRSPs), including neuronal signaling related to corticotropin-releasing hormone, cAMP-mediated, protein kinase A, and CREB; pathways related to signaling involving CXCR4, melatonin, nitric oxide synthase, GP6, Gαs, MAPK, neuroinflammation, neuropathic pain, opioids, renin-angiotensin, AMPK, calcium, and synapses; and pathways associated with dendritic cell maturation and G-coupled protein receptor-mediated nutrient sensing in enteroendocrine cells. All samples tested showed significant effects on the expression of genes encoding neurohormones CRH, GNRH, UCN, G-protein-coupled and other transmembrane receptors TLR9, PRLR, CHRNE, GP1BA, PLXNA4, a ligand-dependent nuclear receptor RORA, transmembrane channels, transcription regulators FOS, FOXO6, SCX, STAT5A, ZFPM2, ZNF396, ZNF467, protein kinases MAPK10, MAPK13, MERTK, FLT1, PRKCH, ROS1, TTN), phosphatases PTPRD, PTPRR, peptidases, metabolic enzymes, a chaperone (HSPA6), and other proteins, all of which modulate numerous life processes, playing key roles in several canonical pathways involved in defense response and regulation of homeostasis in organisms. It is for the first time we report that the molecular mechanism of actions of melatonin and plant adaptogens are alike, all adaptogens tested activated the melatonin signaling pathway by acting through two G-protein-coupled membrane receptors MT1 and MT2 and upregulation of the ligand-specific nuclear receptor RORA, which plays a role in intellectual disability, neurological disorders, retinopathy, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cancer, which are common in aging. Furthermore, melatonin activated adaptive signaling pathways and upregulated expression of UCN, GNRH1, TLR9, GP1BA, PLXNA4, CHRM4, GPR19, VIPR2, RORA, STAT5A, ZFPM2, ZNF396, FLT1, MAPK10, MERTK, PRKCH, and TTN, which were commonly regulated by all adaptogens tested. We conclude that melatonin is an adaptation hormone playing an important role in regulation of homeostasis. Adaptogens presumably worked as eustressors ("stress-vaccines") to activate the cellular adaptive system by inducing the expression of ASRSPs, which then reciprocally protected cells from damage caused by distress. Functional investigation by interactive pathways analysis demonstrated that adaptogens activated ASRSPs associated with stress-induced and aging-related disorders such as chronic inflammation, cardiovascular health, neurodegenerative cognitive impairment, metabolic disorders, and cancer. CONCLUSION This study has elucidated the genome-wide effects of several adaptogenic herbal extracts in brain cells culture. These data highlight the consistent activation of ASRSPs by adaptogens in T98G neuroglia cells. The extracts affected many genes playing key roles in modulation of adaptive homeostasis, indicating their ability to modify gene expression to prevent stress-induced and aging-related disorders. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive look at the molecular mechanisms by which adaptogens exerts stress-protective effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ean-Jeong Seo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudinger Weg 5, Mainz 55128, Germany
| | - Thomas Efferth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudinger Weg 5, Mainz 55128, Germany.
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DiCello JJ, Saito A, Rajasekhar P, Eriksson EM, McQuade RM, Nowell CJ, Sebastian BW, Fichna J, Veldhuis NA, Canals M, Bunnett NW, Carbone SE, Poole DP. Inflammation-associated changes in DOR expression and function in the mouse colon. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2018; 315:G544-G559. [PMID: 29927325 PMCID: PMC6230691 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00025.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous opioids activate opioid receptors (ORs) in the enteric nervous system to control intestinal motility and secretion. The μ-OR mediates the deleterious side effects of opioid analgesics, including constipation, respiratory depression, and addiction. Although the δ-OR (DOR) is a promising target for analgesia, the function and regulation of DOR in the colon are poorly understood. This study provides evidence that endogenous opioids activate DOR in myenteric neurons that may regulate colonic motility. The DOR agonists DADLE, deltorphin II, and SNC80 inhibited electrically evoked contractions and induced neurogenic contractions in the mouse colon. Electrical, chemical, and mechanical stimulation of the colon evoked the release of endogenous opioids, which stimulated endocytosis of DOR in the soma and proximal neurites of myenteric neurons of transgenic mice expressing DOR fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein. In contrast, DOR was not internalized in nerve fibers within the circular muscle. Administration of dextran sulfate sodium induced acute colitis, which was accompanied by DOR endocytosis and an increased density of DOR-positive nerve fibers within the circular muscle. The potency with which SNC80 inhibited neurogenic contractions was significantly enhanced in the inflamed colon. This study demonstrates that DOR-expressing neurons in the mouse colon can be activated by exogenous and endogenous opioids. Activated DOR traffics to endosomes and inhibits neurogenic motility of the colon. DOR signaling is enhanced during intestinal inflammation. This study demonstrates functional expression of DOR by myenteric neurons and supports the therapeutic targeting of DOR in the enteric nervous system. NEW & NOTEWORTHY DOR is activated during physiologically relevant reflex stimulation. Agonist-evoked DOR endocytosis is spatially and temporally regulated. A significant proportion of DOR is internalized in myenteric neurons during inflammation. The relative proportion of all myenteric neurons that expressed DOR and the overlap with the nNOS-positive population are increased in inflammation. DOR-specific innervation of the circular muscle is increased in inflammation, and this is consistent with enhanced responsiveness to the DOR agonist SNC80.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse J. DiCello
- 1Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,7ARC Centre of Excellence in Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ayame Saito
- 1Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,7ARC Centre of Excellence in Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pradeep Rajasekhar
- 1Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,7ARC Centre of Excellence in Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emily M. Eriksson
- 2Division of Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,3Division of Infection and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,4Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rachel M. McQuade
- 1Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cameron J. Nowell
- 1Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Benjamin W. Sebastian
- 1Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jakub Fichna
- 5Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Nicholas A. Veldhuis
- 1Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,6Department of Genetics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,7ARC Centre of Excellence in Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Meritxell Canals
- 1Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,7ARC Centre of Excellence in Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nigel W. Bunnett
- 1Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,7ARC Centre of Excellence in Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,8Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,9Department of Surgery and Pharmacology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Simona E. Carbone
- 1Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,7ARC Centre of Excellence in Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel P. Poole
- 1Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,7ARC Centre of Excellence in Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,10Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Lattanzi R, Rief S, Schmidhammer H, Negri L, Spetea M. In vitro and in vivo Pharmacological Activities of 14- O-Phenylpropyloxymorphone, a Potent Mixed Mu/Delta/Kappa-Opioid Receptor Agonist With Reduced Constipation in Mice. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:1002. [PMID: 30233377 PMCID: PMC6127270 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain, particularly chronic pain, is still an unsolved medical condition. Central goals in pain control are to provide analgesia of adequate efficacy and to reduce complications associated with the currently available drugs. Opioids are the mainstay for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. However, opioid pain medications also cause detrimental side effects, thus highlighting the need of innovative and safer analgesics. Opioids mediate their actions via the activation of opioid receptors, with the mu-opioid receptor as the primary target for analgesia, but also for side effects. One long-standing focus of drug discovery is the pursuit for new opioids exhibiting a favorable dissociation between analgesia and adverse effects. In this study, we describe the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological profiles of the 14-O-phenylpropyl substituted analog of the mu-opioid agonist 14-O-methyloxymorphone (14-OMO). The consequence of the substitution of the 14-O-methyl in 14-OMO with a 14-O-phenylpropyl group on in vitro binding and functional activity, and in vivo behavioral properties (nociception and gastrointestinal motility) was investigated. In binding studies, 14-O-phenylpropyloxymorphone (POMO) displayed very high affinity at mu-, delta-, and kappa-opioid receptors (Ki values in nM, mu:delta:kappa = 0.073:0.13:0.30) in rodent brain membranes, with complete loss of mu-receptor selectivity compared to 14-OMO. In guinea-pig ileum and mouse vas deferens bioassays, POMO was a highly efficacious and full agonist, being more potent than 14-OMO. In the [35S]GTPγS binding assays with membranes from CHO cells expressing human opioid receptors, POMO was a potent mu/delta-receptor full agonist and a kappa-receptor partial agonist. In vivo, POMO was highly effective in acute thermal nociception (hot-plate test, AD50 = 0.7 nmol/kg) in mice after subcutaneous administration, with over 70- and 9000-fold increased potency than 14-OMO and morphine, respectively. POMO-induced antinociception is mediated through the activation of the mu-opioid receptor, and it does not involve delta- and kappa-opioid receptors. In the charcoal test, POMO produced fourfold less inhibition of the gastrointestinal transit than 14-OMO and morphine. In summary, POMO emerges as a new potent mixed mu/delta/kappa-opioid receptor agonist with reduced liability to cause constipation at antinociceptive doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Lattanzi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology “Vittorio Erspamer,” Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Rief
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Helmut Schmidhammer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lucia Negri
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology “Vittorio Erspamer,” Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariana Spetea
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Bivalent ligand that activates mu opioid receptor and antagonizes mGluR5 receptor reduces neuropathic pain in mice. Pain 2018; 158:2431-2441. [PMID: 28891868 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The mu opioid receptor (MOR) and metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) are well-established pharmacological targets in the management of chronic pain. Both receptors are expressed in the spinal cord. MMG22, a bivalent ligand containing 2 pharmacophores separated by 22 atoms, which simultaneously activates MOR and antagonizes mGluR5, has been shown to produce potent reversal of tactile hypersensitivity in rodent models of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-and bone cancer-induced chronic pain. This study assessed whether intrathecal MMG22 also is effective in reducing pain of neuropathic origin. Furthermore, we theorized that MMG22 should reduce hyperalgesia in nerve-injured mice in a manner consistent with a synergistic interaction between MOR and mGluR5. Several weeks after spared nerve injury, tactile hypersensitivity was reversed in mice by the intrathecal injection of MMG22 (0.01-10 nmol) but also by its shorter spacer analog, MMG10, with similar potency. The potencies of the bivalent ligands were 10- to 14-fold higher than those of the compounds upon which the bivalent structure was based, the MOR agonist oxymorphone and the mGluR5 antagonist MPEP. Coadministration of oxymorphone and MPEP demonstrated analgesic synergism, an interaction confirmed by isobolographic analysis. This study indicates that in the spared nerve injury-induced model of neuropathic pain, the 2 pharmacophores of the bivalent ligands MMG22 and MMG10 target MOR and mGluR5 as separate receptor monomers. The observed increase in the potency of MMG22 and MMG10, compared with oxymorphone and MPEP, may reflect the synergistic interaction of the 2 pharmacophores of the bivalent ligand acting at their respective separate receptor monomers.
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Olson KM, Keresztes A, Tashiro JK, Daconta LV, Hruby VJ, Streicher JM. Synthesis and Evaluation of a Novel Bivalent Selective Antagonist for the Mu-Delta Opioid Receptor Heterodimer that Reduces Morphine Withdrawal in Mice. J Med Chem 2018; 61:6075-6086. [PMID: 29939746 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A major limitation in the study of the mu-delta opioid receptor heterodimer (MDOR) is that few selective pharmacological tools exist and no heteromer-selective antagonists. We thus designed a series of variable-length (15-41 atoms) bivalent linked peptides with selective but moderate/low-affinity pharmacophores for the mu and delta opioid receptors. We observed a U-shaped MDOR potency/affinity profile in vitro, with the 24-atom spacer length (D24M) producing the highest MDOR potency/affinity (<1 nM) and selectivity (≥89-fold). We further evaluated D24M in mice and observed that D24M dose-dependently antagonized tail flick antinociception produced by the MDOR agonists CYM51010 and Deltorphin-II, without antagonizing the monomer agonists DAMGO and DSLET. We also observed that D24M sharply reduced withdrawal behavior in models of acute and chronic morphine dependence. These findings suggest that D24M is a first-in-class high-potency MDOR-selective antagonist both in vitro and in vivo.
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Livingston KE, Traynor JR. Allostery at opioid receptors: modulation with small molecule ligands. Br J Pharmacol 2018; 175:2846-2856. [PMID: 28419415 PMCID: PMC6016636 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid receptors are 7-transmembrane domain receptors that couple to heterotrimeric G proteins. The endogenous ligands for opioid receptors are peptides which bind to the orthosteric site on the receptors. The μ-opioid receptor is the target for opioid analgesics, while the δ-opioid receptor has been suggested as a target for pain management, migraine and depression. Similarly, κ-opioid receptors are involved in pain and depression and nociceptin receptors in pain and mood behaviours. However, exogenous orthosteric ligands for opioid receptors cause a myriad of on-target side effects. Recently, selective allosteric ligands for μ- and δ-opioid receptors have been described. These compounds bind to a site on the receptor distinct from the orthosteric site. Occupation of this allosteric site leads to modulation of orthosteric ligand binding affinity and/or efficacy. Allosteric modulators may be positive, negative or silent (neutral) (PAMs, NAMs or SAMs respectively). PAMs may have in vivo activity by enhancing the activity of exogenous drugs or endogenous opioid peptides. Enhancing endogenous opioid peptide activity maintains the temporal and spatial distribution of these molecules but improves, and potentially qualitatively changes, activity at their cognate receptors which could limit side effects compared with traditional opioid drugs. In this review, we describe the rationale and promise for the development of allosteric modulators for opioid receptors, the discovery of selective allosteric modulators, the identification of potential allosteric sites on opioid receptors and the mode of action of the modulators. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Emerging Areas of Opioid Pharmacology. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.14/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John R Traynor
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMIUSA
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He SQ, Xu Q, Tiwari V, Yang F, Anderson M, Chen Z, Grenald SA, Raja SN, Dong X, Guan Y. Oligomerization of MrgC11 and μ-opioid receptors in sensory neurons enhances morphine analgesia. Sci Signal 2018; 11:eaao3134. [PMID: 29921657 PMCID: PMC6328051 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aao3134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The μ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonist morphine is commonly used for pain management, but it has severe adverse effects and produces analgesic tolerance. Thus, alternative ways of stimulating MOR activity are needed. We found that MrgC11, a sensory neuron-specific G protein-coupled receptor, may form heteromeric complexes with MOR. Peptide-mediated activation of MrgC11 enhanced MOR recycling by inducing coendocytosis and sorting of MOR for membrane reinsertion. MrgC11 activation also inhibited the coupling of MOR to β-arrestin-2 and enhanced the morphine-dependent inhibition of cAMP production. Intrathecal coadministration of a low dose of an MrgC agonist potentiated acute morphine analgesia and reduced chronic morphine tolerance in wild-type mice but not in Mrg-cluster knockout (Mrg KO) mice. BAM22, a bivalent agonist of MrgC and opioid receptors, enhanced the interaction between MrgC11 and MOR and produced stronger analgesia than did the individual monovalent agonists. Morphine-induced neuronal and pain inhibition was reduced in Mrg KO mice compared to that in wild-type mice. Our results uncover MrgC11-MOR interactions that lead to positive functional modulation of MOR. MrgC shares genetic homogeneity and functional similarity with human MrgX1. Thus, harnessing this positive modulation of MOR function by Mrg signaling may enhance morphine analgesia in a sensory neuron-specific fashion to limit central side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Qiu He
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Qian Xu
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Vinod Tiwari
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Fei Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Michael Anderson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Zhiyong Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Shaness A Grenald
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Srinivasa N Raja
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Xinzhong Dong
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Yun Guan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Bailey S, Husbands S. Targeting opioid receptor signaling in depression: do we need selective κ opioid receptor antagonists? Neuronal Signal 2018; 2:NS20170145. [PMID: 32714584 PMCID: PMC7373229 DOI: 10.1042/ns20170145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The opioid receptors are a family of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) with close structural homology. The opioid receptors are activated by a variety of endogenous opioid neuropeptides, principally β-endorphin, dynorphins, leu- and met-enkephalins. The clinical potential of targeting opioid receptors has largely focused on the development of analgesics. However, more recent attention has turned to the role of central opioid receptors in the regulation of stress responses, anhedonia and mood. Activation of the κ opioid receptor (KOP) subtype has been shown in both human and rodent studies to produce dysphoric and pro-depressive like effects. This has led to the idea that selective KOP antagonists might have therapeutic potential as antidepressants. Here we review data showing that mixed μ opioid (MOP) and KOP antagonists have antidepressant-like effects in rodent behavioural paradigms and highlight comparable studies in treatment-resistant depressed patients. We propose that developing multifunctional ligands which target multiple opioid receptors open up the potential for fine-tuning hedonic responses mediated by opioids. This alternative approach towards targeting multiple opioid receptors may lead to more effective treatments for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J. Bailey
- Drug and Target Discovery, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K
| | - Stephen M. Husbands
- Drug and Target Discovery, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K
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Abstract
Opioids are the most commonly used and effective analgesic treatments for severe pain, but they have recently come under scrutiny owing to epidemic levels of abuse and overdose. These compounds act on the endogenous opioid system, which comprises four G protein-coupled receptors (mu, delta, kappa, and nociceptin) and four major peptide families (β-endorphin, enkephalins, dynorphins, and nociceptin/orphanin FQ). In this review, we first describe the functional organization and pharmacology of the endogenous opioid system. We then summarize current knowledge on the signaling mechanisms by which opioids regulate neuronal function and neurotransmission. Finally, we discuss the loci of opioid analgesic action along peripheral and central pain pathways, emphasizing the pain-relieving properties of opioids against the affective dimension of the pain experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Corder
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA; .,Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA.,Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
| | - Daniel C Castro
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA;
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA; .,Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.,Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA
| | - Grégory Scherrer
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA; .,Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA.,Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA.,New York Stem Cell Foundation - Robertson Investigator, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
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Wang D, Tawfik VL, Corder G, Low SA, François A, Basbaum AI, Scherrer G. Functional Divergence of Delta and Mu Opioid Receptor Organization in CNS Pain Circuits. Neuron 2018; 98:90-108.e5. [PMID: 29576387 PMCID: PMC5896237 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Revised: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cellular interactions between delta and mu opioid receptors (DORs and MORs), including heteromerization, are thought to regulate opioid analgesia. However, the identity of the nociceptive neurons in which such interactions could occur in vivo remains elusive. Here we show that DOR-MOR co-expression is limited to small populations of excitatory interneurons and projection neurons in the spinal cord dorsal horn and unexpectedly predominates in ventral horn motor circuits. Similarly, DOR-MOR co-expression is rare in parabrachial, amygdalar, and cortical brain regions processing nociceptive information. We further demonstrate that in the discrete DOR-MOR co-expressing nociceptive neurons, the two receptors internalize and function independently. Finally, conditional knockout experiments revealed that DORs selectively regulate mechanical pain by controlling the excitability of somatostatin-positive dorsal horn interneurons. Collectively, our results illuminate the functional organization of DORs and MORs in CNS pain circuits and reappraise the importance of DOR-MOR cellular interactions for developing novel opioid analgesics.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Anterior Horn Cells/chemistry
- Anterior Horn Cells/metabolism
- Anterior Horn Cells/pathology
- Central Nervous System/chemistry
- Central Nervous System/metabolism
- Central Nervous System/pathology
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Nerve Net/chemistry
- Nerve Net/metabolism
- Nerve Net/pathology
- Pain/metabolism
- Pain/pathology
- Pain Measurement/methods
- Posterior Horn Cells/chemistry
- Posterior Horn Cells/metabolism
- Posterior Horn Cells/pathology
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/biosynthesis
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/genetics
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/biosynthesis
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Vivianne L Tawfik
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Gregory Corder
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Sarah A Low
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Amaury François
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Allan I Basbaum
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Grégory Scherrer
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; New York Stem Cell Foundation - Robertson Investigator, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
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