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Yuan Y, Xu T, Huang Y, Shi J. Strategies for developing μ opioid receptor agonists with reduced adverse effects. Bioorg Chem 2024; 149:107507. [PMID: 38850778 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Opioids are currently the most effective and widely used painkillers in the world. Unfortunately, the clinical use of opioid analgesics is limited by serious adverse effects. Many researchers have been working on designing and optimizing structures in search of novel μ opioid receptor(MOR) agonists with improved analgesic activity and reduced incidence of adverse effects. There are many strategies to develop MOR drugs, mainly focusing on new low efficacy agonists (potentially G protein biased agonists), MOR agonists acting on different Gα subtype, targeting opioid receptors in the periphery, acting on multiple opioid receptor, and targeting allosteric sites of opioid receptors, and others. This review summarizes the design methods, clinical applications, and structure-activity relationships of small-molecule agonists for MOR based on these different design strategies, providing ideas for the development of safer novel opioid ligands with therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yuan
- College of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611756, China
| | - Ting Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Yu Huang
- College of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611756, China
| | - Jianyou Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China.
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2
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Vu LY, Luo D, Johnson K, Denehy ED, Songrady JC, Martin J, Trivedi R, Alsum AR, Shaykin JD, Chaudhary CL, Woloshin EJ, Kornberger L, Bhuiyan N, Parkin S, Jiang Q, Che T, Alilain W, Turner JR, Bardo MT, Prisinzano TE. Searching for Synthetic Opioid Rescue Agents: Identification of a Potent Opioid Agonist with Reduced Respiratory Depression. J Med Chem 2024; 67:9173-9193. [PMID: 38810170 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
While in the process of designing more effective synthetic opioid rescue agents, we serendipitously identified a new chemotype of potent synthetic opioid. Here, we report that conformational constraint of a piperazine ring converts a mu opioid receptor (MOR) antagonist into a potent MOR agonist. The prototype of the series, which we have termed atoxifent (2), possesses potent in vitro agonist activity. In mice, atoxifent displayed long-lasting antinociception that was reversible with naltrexone. Repeated dosing of atoxifent produced antinociceptive tolerance and a level of withdrawal like that of fentanyl. In rats, while atoxifent produced complete loss of locomotor activity like fentanyl, it failed to produce deep respiratory depression associated with fentanyl-induced lethality. Assessment of brain biodistribution demonstrated ample distribution of atoxifent into the brain with a Tmax of approximately 0.25 h. These results indicate enhanced safety for atoxifent-like molecules compared to fentanyl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loan Y Vu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
- Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Kai Johnson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Emily D Denehy
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, United States
| | - Judy C Songrady
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Jocelyn Martin
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, United States
| | - Riya Trivedi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Alexia R Alsum
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Jakob D Shaykin
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, United States
| | - Chhabi Lal Chaudhary
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
- Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Eric J Woloshin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Lindsay Kornberger
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Nazmul Bhuiyan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
- Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Sean Parkin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Qianru Jiang
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Tao Che
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Warren Alilain
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC), College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, United States
| | - Jill R Turner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Michael T Bardo
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, United States
| | - Thomas E Prisinzano
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
- Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
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3
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Conibear A, Bailey CP, Kelly E. Biased signalling in analgesic research and development. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2024; 76:102465. [PMID: 38830321 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2024.102465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Ligand bias offers a novel means to improve the therapeutic profile of drugs. With regard to G protein-coupled receptors involved in analgesia, it could be advantageous to develop such drugs if the analgesic effect is mediated by a different cellular signalling pathway than the adverse effects associated with the drug. Whilst this has been explored over a number of years for the μ receptor, it remains unclear whether this approach offers significant benefit for the treatment of pain. Nevertheless, the development of biased ligands at other G protein-coupled receptors in the CNS does offer some promise for the development of novel analgesic drugs in the future. Here we summarise and discuss the recent evidence to support this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Conibear
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Chris P Bailey
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Eamonn Kelly
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.
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4
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Karpov TE, Darwish A, Mitusova K, Postovalova AS, Akhmetova DR, Vlasova OL, Shipilovskikh SA, Timin AS. Controllable synthesis of barium carbonate nano- and microparticles for SPECT and CT imaging. J Mater Chem B 2024; 12:4232-4247. [PMID: 38601990 DOI: 10.1039/d3tb02480f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
The design and synthesis of nano- and microcarriers for preclinical and clinical imaging are highly attractive due to their unique features, for example, multimodal properties. However, broad translation of these carriers into clinical practice is postponed due to the unknown biological reactivity of the new components used for their synthesis. Here, we have developed microcarriers (∼2-3 μm) and nanocarriers (<200 nm) made of barium carbonate (BaCO3) for multiple imaging applications in vivo. In general, barium in the developed carriers can be used for X-ray computed tomography, and the introduction of a diagnostic isotope (99mTc) into the BaCO3 structure enables in vivo visualization using single-photon emission computed tomography. The bioimaging has shown that the radiolabeled BaCO3 nano- and microcarriers had different biodistribution profiles and tumor accumulation efficiencies after intratumoral and intravenous injections. In particular, in the case of intratumoral injection, all the types of used carriers mostly remained in the tumors (>97%). For intravenous injection, BaCO3 microcarriers were mainly localized in the lung tissues. However, BaCO3 NPs were mainly accumulated in the liver. These results were supported by ex vivo fluorescence imaging, direct radiometry, and histological analysis. The BaCO3-based micro- and nanocarriers showed negligible in vivo toxicity towards major organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen. This study provides a simple strategy for the design and fabrication of the BaCO3-based carriers for the development of dual bioimaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timofey E Karpov
- Peter The Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Polytechnicheskaya 29, St. Petersburg 195251, Russian Federation.
- Granov Russian Research Center of Radiology & Surgical Technologies, Leningradskaya Street 70 Pesochny, St. Petersburg 197758, Russian Federation
| | - Aya Darwish
- Peter The Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Polytechnicheskaya 29, St. Petersburg 195251, Russian Federation.
| | - Ksenia Mitusova
- Peter The Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Polytechnicheskaya 29, St. Petersburg 195251, Russian Federation.
| | - Alisa S Postovalova
- Granov Russian Research Center of Radiology & Surgical Technologies, Leningradskaya Street 70 Pesochny, St. Petersburg 197758, Russian Federation
- ITMO University, Lomonosova 9, St. Petersburg 191002, Russian Federation
| | - Darya R Akhmetova
- Peter The Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Polytechnicheskaya 29, St. Petersburg 195251, Russian Federation.
- ITMO University, Lomonosova 9, St. Petersburg 191002, Russian Federation
| | - Olga L Vlasova
- Peter The Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Polytechnicheskaya 29, St. Petersburg 195251, Russian Federation.
| | | | - Alexander S Timin
- Peter The Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Polytechnicheskaya 29, St. Petersburg 195251, Russian Federation.
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5
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Zhao J, Elgeti M, O'Brien ES, Sár CP, Ei Daibani A, Heng J, Sun X, White E, Che T, Hubbell WL, Kobilka BK, Chen C. Ligand efficacy modulates conformational dynamics of the µ-opioid receptor. Nature 2024; 629:474-480. [PMID: 38600384 PMCID: PMC11078757 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07295-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
The µ-opioid receptor (µOR) is an important target for pain management1 and molecular understanding of drug action on µOR will facilitate the development of better therapeutics. Here we show, using double electron-electron resonance and single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer, how ligand-specific conformational changes of µOR translate into a broad range of intrinsic efficacies at the transducer level. We identify several conformations of the cytoplasmic face of the receptor that interconvert on different timescales, including a pre-activated conformation that is capable of G-protein binding, and a fully activated conformation that markedly reduces GDP affinity within the ternary complex. Interaction of β-arrestin-1 with the μOR core binding site appears less specific and occurs with much lower affinity than binding of Gi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Matthias Elgeti
- Jules Stein Eye Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Evan S O'Brien
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Cecília P Sár
- Institute of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Amal Ei Daibani
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jie Heng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoou Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Elizabeth White
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tao Che
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Wayne L Hubbell
- Jules Stein Eye Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Brian K Kobilka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Chunlai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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6
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De Neve J, Elhabazi K, Gonzalez S, Herby C, Schneider S, Utard V, Fellmann-Clauss R, Petit-Demouliere N, Lecat S, Kremer M, Ces A, Daubeuf F, Martin C, Ballet S, Bihel F, Simonin F. Multitarget μ-Opioid Receptor Agonists─Neuropeptide FF Receptor Antagonists Induce Potent Antinociception with Reduced Adverse Side Effects. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38687204 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The design of bifunctional compounds is a promising approach toward the development of strong analgesics with reduced side effects. We here report the optimization of the previously published lead peptide KGFF09, which contains opioid receptor agonist and neuropeptide FF receptor antagonist pharmacophores and is shown to induce potent antinociception and reduced side effects. We evaluated the novel hybrid peptides for their in vitro activity at MOP, NPFFR1, and NPFFR2 and selected four of them (DP08/14/32/50) for assessment of their acute antinociceptive activity in mice. We further selected DP32 and DP50 and observed that their antinociceptive activity is mostly peripherally mediated; they produced no respiratory depression, no hyperalgesia, significantly less tolerance, and strongly attenuated withdrawal syndrome, as compared to morphine and the recently FDA-approved TRV130. Overall, these data suggest that MOP agonist/NPFF receptor antagonist hybrids might represent an interesting strategy to develop novel analgesics with reduced side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolien De Neve
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Khadija Elhabazi
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation Cellulaire, UMR 7242, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Simon Gonzalez
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Claire Herby
- Laboratoire d'Innovation Thérapeutique, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR 7200, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Séverine Schneider
- Laboratoire d'Innovation Thérapeutique, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR 7200, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Valérie Utard
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation Cellulaire, UMR 7242, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Rosine Fellmann-Clauss
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation Cellulaire, UMR 7242, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Nathalie Petit-Demouliere
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation Cellulaire, UMR 7242, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Sandra Lecat
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation Cellulaire, UMR 7242, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Mélanie Kremer
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (INCI), 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Aurelia Ces
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (INCI), 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - François Daubeuf
- Plateforme de Chimie Biologique Intégrative de Strasbourg, UAR 3286, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Charlotte Martin
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Steven Ballet
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Bihel
- Laboratoire d'Innovation Thérapeutique, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR 7200, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Frédéric Simonin
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation Cellulaire, UMR 7242, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
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Roth HG, Das M, Sulima A, Luo D, Kaska S, Prisinzano TE, Kerr AT, Jacobson AE, Rice KC. Functional Activity of Enantiomeric Oximes and Diastereomeric Amines and Cyano Substituents at C9 in 3-Hydroxy- N-phenethyl-5-phenylmorphans. Molecules 2024; 29:1926. [PMID: 38731416 PMCID: PMC11085448 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29091926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The synthesis of stereochemically pure oximes, amines, saturated and unsaturated cyanomethyl compounds, and methylaminomethyl compounds at the C9 position in 3-hydroxy-N-phenethyl-5-phenylmorphans provided μ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists with varied efficacy and potency. One of the most interesting compounds, (2-((1S,5R,9R)-5-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-2-phenethyl-2-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-9-yl)acetonitrile), was found to be a potent partial MOR agonist (EC50 = 2.5 nM, %Emax = 89.6%), as determined in the forskolin-induced cAMP accumulation assay. Others ranged in potency and efficacy at the MOR, from nanomolar potency with a C9 cyanomethyl compound (EC50 = 0.85 nM) to its totally inactive diastereomer, and three compounds exhibited weak MOR antagonist activity (the primary amine 3, the secondary amine 8, and the cyanomethyl compound 41). Many of the compounds were fully efficacious; their efficacy and potency were affected by both the stereochemistry of the molecule and the specific C9 substituent. Most of the MOR agonists were selective in their receptor interactions, and only a few had δ-opioid receptor (DOR) or κ-opioid receptor (KOR) agonist activity. Only one compound, a C9-methylaminomethyl-substituted phenylmorphan, was moderately potent and fully efficacious as a KOR agonist (KOR EC50 = 18 nM (% Emax = 103%)).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hudson G. Roth
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-3373, USA; (H.G.R.); (M.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Madhurima Das
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-3373, USA; (H.G.R.); (M.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Agnieszka Sulima
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-3373, USA; (H.G.R.); (M.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, 789 S. Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (D.L.); (S.K.); (T.E.P.)
| | - Sophia Kaska
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, 789 S. Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (D.L.); (S.K.); (T.E.P.)
| | - Thomas E. Prisinzano
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, 789 S. Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (D.L.); (S.K.); (T.E.P.)
| | - Andrew T. Kerr
- Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-0001, USA;
| | - Arthur E. Jacobson
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-3373, USA; (H.G.R.); (M.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Kenner C. Rice
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-3373, USA; (H.G.R.); (M.D.); (A.S.)
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8
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Ryalls B, Patel M, Sparkes E, Banister SD, Finlay DB, Glass M. Investigating selectivity and bias for G protein subtypes and β-arrestins by synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists at the cannabinoid CB 1 receptor. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 222:116052. [PMID: 38354957 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with widespread expression in the central nervous system. This canonically G⍺i/o-coupled receptor mediates the effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs). Recreational use of SCRAs is associated with serious adverse health effects, making pharmacological research into these compounds a priority. Several studies have hypothesised that signalling bias may explain the different toxicological profiles between SCRAs and THC. Previous studies have focused on bias between G protein activation measured by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) inhibition and β-arrestin translocation. In contrast, the current study characterises bias between G⍺ subtypes of the G⍺i/o family and β-arrestins; this method facilitates a more accurate assessment of ligand bias by assessing signals that have not undergone major amplification. We have characterised G protein dissociation and translocation of β-arrestin 1 and 2 using real-time BRET reporters. The responses produced by each SCRA across the G protein subtypes tested were consistent with the responses produced by the reference ligand AMB-FUBINACA. Ligand bias was probed by applying the operational analysis to determine biases within the G⍺i/o family, and between G protein subtypes and β-arrestins. Overall, these results confirm SCRAs to be balanced, high-efficacy ligands compared to the low efficacy ligand THC, with only one SCRA, 4CN-MPP-BUT7IACA, demonstrating statistically significant bias in one pathway comparison (towards β-arrestin 1 when compared with G⍺oA/oB). This suggests that the adverse effects caused by SCRAs are due to high potency and efficacy at CB1, rather than biased agonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Ryalls
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Monica Patel
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Eric Sparkes
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Samuel D Banister
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David B Finlay
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Michelle Glass
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited (ESR) Kenepuru Science Centre: 34 Kenepuru Drive, Kenepuru, Porirua 5022, New Zealand.
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9
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Polacco BJ, Lobingier BT, Blythe EE, Abreu N, Khare P, Howard MK, Gonzalez-Hernandez AJ, Xu J, Li Q, Novy B, Naing ZZC, Shoichet BK, Coyote-Maestas W, Levitz J, Krogan NJ, Von Zastrow M, Hüttenhain R. Profiling the proximal proteome of the activated μ-opioid receptor. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01588-3. [PMID: 38528119 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01588-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
The μ-opioid receptor (μOR) represents an important target of therapeutic and abused drugs. So far, most understanding of μOR activity has focused on a subset of known signal transducers and regulatory molecules. Yet μOR signaling is coordinated by additional proteins in the interaction network of the activated receptor, which have largely remained invisible given the lack of technologies to interrogate these networks systematically. Here we describe a proteomics and computational approach to map the proximal proteome of the activated μOR and to extract subcellular location, trafficking and functional partners of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activity. We demonstrate that distinct opioid agonists exert differences in the μOR proximal proteome mediated by endocytosis and endosomal sorting. Moreover, we identify two new μOR network components, EYA4 and KCTD12, which are recruited on the basis of receptor-triggered G-protein activation and might form a previously unrecognized buffering system for G-protein activity broadly modulating cellular GPCR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Polacco
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Braden T Lobingier
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Emily E Blythe
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nohely Abreu
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Prachi Khare
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew K Howard
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- TETRAD Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Jiewei Xu
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Qiongyu Li
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brandon Novy
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Zun Zar Chi Naing
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brian K Shoichet
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Willow Coyote-Maestas
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Levitz
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nevan J Krogan
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mark Von Zastrow
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Ruth Hüttenhain
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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10
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Kise R, Inoue A. GPCR signaling bias: an emerging framework for opioid drug development. J Biochem 2024; 175:367-376. [PMID: 38308136 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvae013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Biased signaling, also known as functional selectivity, has emerged as an important concept in drug development targeting G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Drugs that provoke biased signaling are expected to offer an opportunity for enhanced therapeutic effectiveness with minimized side effects. Opioid analgesics, whilst exerting potent pain-relieving effects, have become a social problem owing to their serious side effects. For the development of safer pain medications, there has been extensive exploration of agonists with a distinct balance of G-protein and β-arrestin (βarr) signaling. Recently, several approaches based on protein-protein interactions have been developed to precisely evaluate individual signal pathways, paving the way for the comprehensive analysis of biased signals. In this review, we describe an overview of bias signaling in opioid receptors, especially the μ-opioid receptor (MOR), and how to evaluate signaling bias in the GPCR field. We also discuss future directions for rational drug development through the integration of diverse signal datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoji Kise
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
| | - Asuka Inoue
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
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11
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Kajino K, Tokuda A, Saitoh T. Morphinan Evolution: The Impact of Advances in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. J Biochem 2024; 175:337-355. [PMID: 38382631 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvae021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Morphinan-based opioids, derived from natural alkaloids like morphine, codeine and thebaine, have long been pivotal in managing severe pain. However, their clinical utility is marred by significant side effects and high addiction potential. This review traces the evolution of the morphinan scaffold in light of advancements in biochemistry and molecular biology, which have expanded our understanding of opioid receptor pharmacology. We explore the development of semi-synthetic and synthetic morphinans, their receptor selectivity and the emergence of biased agonism as a strategy to dissociate analgesic properties from undesirable effects. By examining the molecular intricacies of opioid receptors and their signaling pathways, we highlight how receptor-type selectivity and signaling bias have informed the design of novel analgesics. This synthesis of historical and contemporary perspectives provides an overview of the morphinan landscape, underscoring the ongoing efforts to mitigate the problems facing opioids through smarter drug design. We also highlight that most morphinan derivatives show a preference for the G protein pathway, although detailed experimental comparisons are still necessary. This fact underscores the utility of the morphinan skeleton in future opioid drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Kajino
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (IIIS), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Degree Programs in Pure and Applied Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8571, Japan
| | - Akihisa Tokuda
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (IIIS), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Doctoral Program in Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Saitoh
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (IIIS), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Doctoral Program in Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
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12
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Gooding SW, Felth L, Foxall R, Rosa Z, Ireton K, Sall I, Gipoor J, Gaur A, King M, Dirks N, Whistler CA, Whistler JL. Deletion of arrestin-3 does not improve compulsive drug-seeking behavior in a longitudinal paradigm of oral morphine self-administration. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.03.30.534994. [PMID: 38562752 PMCID: PMC10983877 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.30.534994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Opioid drugs are potent analgesics that mimic the endogenous opioid peptides, endorphins and enkephalins, by activating the μ-opioid receptor. Opioid use is limited by side effects, including significant risk of opioid use disorder. Improvement of the effect/side effect profile of opioid medications is a key pursuit of opioid research, yet there is no consensus on how to achieve this goal. One hypothesis is that the degree of arrestin-3 recruitment to the μ-opioid receptor impacts therapeutic utility. However, it is not clear whether increased or decreased interaction of the μ-opioid receptor with arrestin-3 would reduce compulsive drug-seeking. To examine this question, we utilized three genotypes of mice with varying abilities to recruit arrestin-3 to the μ-opioid receptor in response to morphine in a novel longitudinal operant self-administration model. We demonstrate that arrestin-3 knockout and wild type mice have highly variable drug-seeking behavior with few genotype differences. In contrast, in mice where the μ-opioid receptor strongly recruits arrestin-3, drug-seeking behavior is much less varied. We created a quantitative method to define compulsivity in drug-seeking and found that mice lacking arrestin-3 were more likely to meet the criteria for compulsivity whereas mice with enhanced arrestin-3 recruitment did not develop a compulsive phenotype. Our data suggest that opioids that engage both G protein and arrestin-3, recapitulating the endogenous signaling pattern, will reduce abuse liability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lindsey Felth
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Randi Foxall
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire
| | - Zachary Rosa
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Kyle Ireton
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Izabella Sall
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire
| | - Joshua Gipoor
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Anirudh Gaur
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Madeline King
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Noah Dirks
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Cheryl A Whistler
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire
| | - Jennifer L Whistler
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, UC Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, USA
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13
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Janicot R, Maziarz M, Park JC, Zhao J, Luebbers A, Green E, Philibert CE, Zhang H, Layne MD, Wu JC, Garcia-Marcos M. Direct interrogation of context-dependent GPCR activity with a universal biosensor platform. Cell 2024; 187:1527-1546.e25. [PMID: 38412860 PMCID: PMC10947893 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of druggable proteins encoded in the human genome, but progress in understanding and targeting them is hindered by the lack of tools to reliably measure their nuanced behavior in physiologically relevant contexts. Here, we developed a collection of compact ONE vector G-protein Optical (ONE-GO) biosensor constructs as a scalable platform that can be conveniently deployed to measure G-protein activation by virtually any GPCR with high fidelity even when expressed endogenously in primary cells. By characterizing dozens of GPCRs across many cell types like primary cardiovascular cells or neurons, we revealed insights into the molecular basis for G-protein coupling selectivity of GPCRs, pharmacogenomic profiles of anti-psychotics on naturally occurring GPCR variants, and G-protein subtype signaling bias by endogenous GPCRs depending on cell type or upon inducing disease-like states. In summary, this open-source platform makes the direct interrogation of context-dependent GPCR activity broadly accessible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remi Janicot
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Marcin Maziarz
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Jong-Chan Park
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Jingyi Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Alex Luebbers
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Elena Green
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Clementine Eva Philibert
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Hao Zhang
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mathew D Layne
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Joseph C Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mikel Garcia-Marcos
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Department of Biology, College of Arts & Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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14
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Xia J, Li X, Zhu H, Zhou X, Chen J, Li Q, Li S, Chu H, Dong M. The μ-opioid receptor-mediated G i/o protein and β-arrestin2 signaling pathways both contribute to morphine-induced side effects. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 966:176333. [PMID: 38278466 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
The μ-opioid receptor-biased agonist theory holds that Gio protein signaling mediates the analgesic effect of opioids and the related side effects via the β-arrestin2 signaling pathway. A series of μ-opioid-biased agonists have been developed in accordance with this theory, and the FDA has approved TRV130 (as a representative of biased agonists) for marketing. However, several reports have raised the issue of opioid side effects associated with the use of agonists. In this study, five permeable peptides were designed to emulate 11 S/T phosphorylation sites at the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) carboxyl-terminal. In vitro experiments were performed to detect the activation level of G proteins from the cAMP inhibition assay and the β-arrestin2 recruitment by the BRET assay. Designed peptides might effectively interfere with the activation of the Gio and β-arrestin2 pathways when combined with morphine. The resulting morphine-induced tolerance, respiratory inhibition, and constipation in mice showed that the β-arrestin2 pathway was responsible for morphine tolerance while the Gio signaling pathway was involved with respiratory depression and constipation and that these side effects were significantly related to phosphorylation sites S363 and T370. This study may provide new directions for the development of safer and more effective opioid analgesics, and the designed peptides may be an effective tool for exploring the mechanism by which μ-opioid receptors function, with the potential of reducing the side effects that are associated with clinical opioid treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xia
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China
| | - Hongyu Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China
| | - Ji Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China
| | - Qihong Li
- Department of Stomatology, The Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Shupeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Haichen Chu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China
| | - Mingxin Dong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China.
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15
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Tsai MHM, Chen L, Baumann MH, Canals M, Javitch JA, Lane JR, Shi L. In Vitro Functional Profiling of Fentanyl and Nitazene Analogs at the μ-Opioid Receptor Reveals High Efficacy for Gi Protein Signaling. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:854-867. [PMID: 38345920 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Novel synthetic opioids (NSOs), including both fentanyl and non-fentanyl analogs that act as μ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists, are associated with serious intoxication and fatal overdose. Previous studies proposed that G-protein-biased MOR agonists are safer pain medications, while other evidence indicates that low intrinsic efficacy at MOR better explains the reduced opioid side effects. Here, we characterized the in vitro functional profiles of various NSOs at the MOR using adenylate cyclase inhibition and β-arrestin2 recruitment assays, in conjunction with the application of the receptor depletion approach. By fitting the concentration-response data to the operational model of agonism, we deduced the intrinsic efficacy and affinity for each opioid in the Gi protein signaling and β-arrestin2 recruitment pathways. Compared to the reference agonist [d-Ala2,N-MePhe4,Gly-ol5]enkephalin, we found that several fentanyl analogs were more efficacious at inhibiting cAMP production, whereas all fentanyl analogs were less efficacious at recruiting β-arrestin2. In contrast, the non-fentanyl 2-benzylbenzimidazole (i.e., nitazene) analogs were highly efficacious and potent in both the cAMP and β-arrestin2 assays. Our findings suggest that the high intrinsic efficacy of the NSOs in Gi protein signaling is a common property that may underlie their high risk of intoxication and overdose, highlighting the limitation of using in vitro functional bias to predict the adverse effects of opioids. In addition, the extremely high potency of many NSOs now infiltrating illicit drug markets further contributes to the danger posed to public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Hua M Tsai
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Li Chen
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Michael H Baumann
- Designer Drug Research Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Meritxell Canals
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, U.K
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, Midlands NG7 2UH, U.K
| | - Jonathan A Javitch
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - J Robert Lane
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, U.K
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, Midlands NG7 2UH, U.K
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
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16
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Gooding SW, Whistler JL. A Balancing Act: Learning from the Past to Build a Future-Focused Opioid Strategy. Annu Rev Physiol 2024; 86:1-25. [PMID: 38029388 PMCID: PMC10987332 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-042022-015914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The harmful side effects of opioid drugs such as respiratory depression, tolerance, dependence, and abuse potential have limited the therapeutic utility of opioids for their entire clinical history. However, no previous attempt to develop effective pain drugs that substantially ameliorate these effects has succeeded, and the current opioid epidemic affirms that they are a greater hindrance to the field of pain management than ever. Recent attempts at new opioid development have sought to reduce these side effects by minimizing engagement of the regulatory protein arrestin-3 at the mu-opioid receptor, but there is significant controversy around this approach. Here, we discuss the ongoing effort to develop safer opioids and its relevant historical context. We propose a new model that reconciles results previously assumed to be in direct conflict to explain how different signaling profiles at the mu-opioid receptor contribute to opioid tolerance and dependence. Our goal is for this framework to inform the search for a new generation of lower liability opioid analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer L Whistler
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California, USA;
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, UC Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California, USA
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17
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Annuar NAK, Azlan UK, Mediani A, Tong X, Han R, Al-Olayan E, Baharum SN, Bunawan H, Sarian MN, Hamezah HS, Jantan I. An insight review on the neuropharmacological effects, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics and toxicity of mitragynine. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 171:116134. [PMID: 38219389 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Mitragynine is one of the main psychoactive alkaloids in Mitragyna speciosa Korth. (kratom). It has opium-like effects by acting on μ-, δ-, and κ-opioid receptors in the brain. The compound also interacts with other receptors, such as adrenergic and serotonergic receptors and neuronal Ca2+ channels in the central nervous system to have its neuropharmacological effects. Mitragynine has the potential to treat diseases related to neurodegeneration such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as its modulation on the opioid receptors has been reported extensively. This review aimed to provide an up-to-date and critical overview on the neuropharmacological effects, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics and safety of mitragynine as a prospective psychotropic agent. Its multiple neuropharmacological effects on the brain include antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, sedative, stimulant, cognitive, and anxiolytic activities. The potential of mitragynine to manage opioid withdrawal symptoms related to opioid dependence, its pharmacokinetics and toxic effects were also discussed. The interaction of mitragynine with various receptors in the brain produce diverse neuropharmacological effects, which have beneficial properties in neurological disorders. However, further studies need to be carried out on mitragynine to uncover its complex mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamic profiles, addictive potential, and safe dosage to prevent harmful side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Aisyah Khairul Annuar
- Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ummi Kalthum Azlan
- Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ahmed Mediani
- Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Xiaohui Tong
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Rongchun Han
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Ebtesam Al-Olayan
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Syarul Nataqain Baharum
- Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hamidun Bunawan
- Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Murni Nazira Sarian
- Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hamizah Shahirah Hamezah
- Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Ibrahim Jantan
- Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
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18
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Costa AR, Tavares I, Martins I. How do opioids control pain circuits in the brainstem during opioid-induced disorders and in chronic pain? Implications for the treatment of chronic pain. Pain 2024; 165:324-336. [PMID: 37578500 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Brainstem areas involved in descending pain modulation are crucial for the analgesic actions of opioids. However, the role of opioids in these areas during tolerance, opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH), and in chronic pain settings remains underappreciated. We conducted a revision of the recent studies performed in the main brainstem areas devoted to descending pain modulation with a special focus on the medullary dorsal reticular nucleus (DRt), as a distinctive pain facilitatory area and a key player in the diffuse noxious inhibitory control paradigm. We show that maladaptive processes within the signaling of the µ-opioid receptor (MOR), which entail desensitization and a switch to excitatory signaling, occur in the brainstem, contributing to tolerance and OIH. In the context of chronic pain, the alterations found are complex and depend on the area and model of chronic pain. For example, the downregulation of MOR and δ-opioid receptor (DOR) in some areas, including the DRt, during neuropathic pain likely contributes to the inefficacy of opioids. However, the upregulation of MOR and DOR, at the rostral ventromedial medulla, in inflammatory pain models, suggests therapeutic avenues to explore. Mechanistically, the rationale for the diversity and complexity of alterations in the brainstem is likely provided by the alternative splicing of opioid receptors and the heteromerization of MOR. In conclusion, this review emphasizes how important it is to consider the effects of opioids at these circuits when using opioids for the treatment of chronic pain and for the development of safer and effective opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita Costa
- Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- IBMC-Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- I3S- Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Costa is now with the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden and Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
| | - Isaura Tavares
- Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- IBMC-Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- I3S- Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Costa is now with the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden and Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
| | - Isabel Martins
- Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- IBMC-Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- I3S- Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Costa is now with the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden and Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
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19
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Janicot R, Maziarz M, Park JC, Luebbers A, Green E, Zhao J, Philibert C, Zhang H, Layne MD, Wu JC, Garcia-Marcos M. Direct interrogation of context-dependent GPCR activity with a universal biosensor platform. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.02.573921. [PMID: 38260348 PMCID: PMC10802303 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.02.573921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of druggable proteins in the human genome, but progress in understanding and targeting them is hindered by the lack of tools to reliably measure their nuanced behavior in physiologically-relevant contexts. Here, we developed a collection of compact ONE vector G-protein Optical (ONE-GO) biosensor constructs as a scalable platform that can be conveniently deployed to measure G-protein activation by virtually any GPCR with high fidelity even when expressed endogenously in primary cells. By characterizing dozens of GPCRs across many cell types like primary cardiovascular cells or neurons, we revealed new insights into the molecular basis for G-protein coupling selectivity of GPCRs, pharmacogenomic profiles of anti-psychotics on naturally-occurring GPCR variants, and G-protein subtype signaling bias by endogenous GPCRs depending on cell type or upon inducing disease-like states. In summary, this open-source platform makes the direct interrogation of context-dependent GPCR activity broadly accessible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remi Janicot
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Marcin Maziarz
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Jong-Chan Park
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Alex Luebbers
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Elena Green
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Jingyi Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Clementine Philibert
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Hao Zhang
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mathew D. Layne
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Joseph C. Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mikel Garcia-Marcos
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Department of Biology, College of Arts & Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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20
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Zhu C, Lan X, Wei Z, Yu J, Zhang J. Allosteric modulation of G protein-coupled receptors as a novel therapeutic strategy in neuropathic pain. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:67-86. [PMID: 38239234 PMCID: PMC10792987 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a debilitating pathological condition that presents significant therapeutic challenges in clinical practice. Unfortunately, current pharmacological treatments for neuropathic pain lack clinical efficacy and often lead to harmful adverse reactions. As G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are widely distributed throughout the body, including the pain transmission pathway and descending inhibition pathway, the development of novel neuropathic pain treatments based on GPCRs allosteric modulation theory is gaining momentum. Extensive research has shown that allosteric modulators targeting GPCRs on the pain pathway can effectively alleviate symptoms of neuropathic pain while reducing or eliminating adverse effects. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the progress made in GPCRs allosteric modulators in the treatment of neuropathic pain, and discuss the potential benefits and adverse factors of this treatment. We will also concentrate on the development of biased agonists of GPCRs, and based on important examples of biased agonist development in recent years, we will describe universal strategies for designing structure-based biased agonists. It is foreseeable that, with the continuous improvement of GPCRs allosteric modulation and biased agonist theory, effective GPCRs allosteric drugs will eventually be available for the treatment of neuropathic pain with acceptable safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhao Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
- School of Basic Medical Science, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Xiaobing Lan
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wei
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Jianqiang Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
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21
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McCurdy CR, Sharma A, Smith KE, Veltri CA, Weiss ST, White CM, Grundmann O. An update on the clinical pharmacology of kratom: uses, abuse potential, and future considerations. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2024; 17:131-142. [PMID: 38217374 PMCID: PMC10846393 DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2024.2305798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) has generated substantial clinical and scientific interest as a complex natural product. Its predominant alkaloid mitragynine and several stereoisomers have been studied for activity in opioid, adrenergic, and serotonin receptors. While awaiting clinical trial results, the pre-clinical evidence suggests a range of potential therapeutic applications for kratom with careful consideration of potential adverse effects. AREAS COVERED The focus of this review is on the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and potential drug-drug interactions of kratom and its individual alkaloids. A discussion on the clinical pharmacology and toxicology of kratom is followed by a summary of user surveys and the evolving concepts of tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal associated with kratom use disorder. EXPERT OPINION With the increasing use of kratom in clinical practice, clinicians should be aware of the potential benefits and adverse effects associated with kratom. While many patients may benefit from kratom use with few or no reported adverse effects, escalating dose and increased use frequency raise the risk for toxic events in the setting of polysubstance use or development of a use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R McCurdy
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Florida, FL, 32610, U.S.A
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, FL, 32610, U.S.A
| | - Abhisheak Sharma
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Florida, FL, 32610, U.S.A
| | - Kirsten E. Smith
- School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, MD, 21205, U.S.A
| | - Charles A. Veltri
- Midwestern University, College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Glendale, AZ, 85308, U.S.A
| | - Stephanie T. Weiss
- Translational Addiction Medicine Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A
| | - Charles M. White
- University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, Storrs, CT, and Department of Pharmacy, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, U.S.A
| | - Oliver Grundmann
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, FL, 32610, U.S.A
- Midwestern University, College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Glendale, AZ, 85308, U.S.A
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22
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Hill R, Sanchez J, Lemel L, Antonijevic M, Hosking Y, Mistry SN, Kruegel AC, Javitch JA, Lane JR, Canals M. Assessment of the potential of novel and classical opioids to induce respiratory depression in mice. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:3160-3174. [PMID: 37489013 PMCID: PMC10952895 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Opioid-induced respiratory depression limits the use of μ-opioid receptor agonists in clinical settings and is the main cause of opioid overdose fatalities. The relative potential of different opioid agonists to induce respiratory depression at doses exceeding those producing analgesia is understudied despite its relevance to assessments of opioid safety. Here we evaluated the respiratory depressant and anti-nociceptive effects of three novel opioids and relate these measurements to their in vitro efficacy. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Respiration was measured in awake, freely moving male CD-1 mice using whole body plethysmography. Anti-nociception was measured using the hot plate test. Morphine, oliceridine and tianeptine were administered intraperitoneally, whereas methadone, oxycodone and SR-17018 were administered orally. Receptor activation and arrestin-3 recruitment were measured in HEK293 cells using BRET assays. KEY RESULTS Across the dose ranges examined, all opioids studied depressed respiration in a dose-dependent manner, with similar effects at the highest doses, and with tianeptine and oliceridine showing reduced duration of effect, when compared with morphine, oxycodone, methadone and SR-17018. When administered at doses that induced similar respiratory depression, all opioids induced similar anti-nociception, with tianeptine and oliceridine again showing reduced duration of effect. These data were consistent with the in vitro agonist activity of the tested compounds. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS In addition to providing effective anti-nociception, the novel opioids, oliceridine, tianeptine and SR-17018 depress respiration in male mice. However, the different potencies and kinetics of effect between these novel opioids may be relevant to their therapeutic application in different clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob Hill
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, Universities of Nottingham and BirminghamMidlandsUK
| | - Julie Sanchez
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, Universities of Nottingham and BirminghamMidlandsUK
| | - Laura Lemel
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, Universities of Nottingham and BirminghamMidlandsUK
| | - Mirjana Antonijevic
- Division of Biomolecular Science and Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham Biodiscovery InstituteUniversity ParkNottinghamUK
| | - Yselkla Hosking
- Division of Biomolecular Science and Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham Biodiscovery InstituteUniversity ParkNottinghamUK
| | - Shailesh N. Mistry
- Division of Biomolecular Science and Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham Biodiscovery InstituteUniversity ParkNottinghamUK
| | | | - Jonathan A. Javitch
- Departments of Psychiatry and Molecular Pharmacology and TherapeuticsColumbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & SurgeonsNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Division of Molecular TherapeuticsNew York State Psychiatric InstituteNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - J. Robert Lane
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, Universities of Nottingham and BirminghamMidlandsUK
| | - Meritxell Canals
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, Universities of Nottingham and BirminghamMidlandsUK
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23
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He Y, Su Q, Zhao L, Zhang L, Yu L, Shi J. Historical perspectives and recent advances in small molecule ligands of selective/biased/multi-targeted μ/δ/κ opioid receptor (2019-2022). Bioorg Chem 2023; 141:106869. [PMID: 37797454 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
The opioids have been used for more than a thousand years and are not only the most widely prescribed drugs for moderate to severe pain and acute pain, but also the preferred drugs. However, their non-analgesic effects, especially respiratory depression and potential addiction, are important factors that plague the safety of clinical use and are an urgent problem for pharmacological researchers to address. Current research on analgesic drugs has evolved into different directions: de-opioidization; application of pharmacogenomics to individualize the use of opioids; development of new opioids with less adverse effects. The development of new opioid drugs remains a hot research topic, and with the in-depth study of opioid receptors and intracellular signal transduction mechanisms, new research ideas have been provided for the development of new opioid analgesics with less side effects and stronger analgesic effects. The development of novel opioid drugs in turn includes selective opioid receptor ligands, biased opioid receptor ligands, and multi-target opioid receptor ligands and positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) or antagonists and the single compound as multi-targeted agnoists/antagonists for different receptors. PAMs strategies are also getting newer and are the current research hotspots, including the BMS series of compounds and others, which are extensive and beyond the scope of this review. This review mainly focuses on the selective/biased/multi-targeted MOR/DOR/KOR (mu opioid receptor/delta opioid receptor/kappa opioid receptor) small molecule ligands and involves some cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) and structure-based approaches as well as the single compound as multi-targeted agnoists/antagonists for different receptors from 2019 to 2022, including discovery history, activities in vitro and vivo, and clinical studies, in an attempt to provide ideas for the development of novel opioid analgesics with fewer side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye He
- Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China
| | - Qian Su
- Department of Health Management & Institute of Health Management, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China
| | - Liyun Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China
| | - Lijuan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China.
| | - Lu Yu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, 610072, China.
| | - Jianyou Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China; State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, Sichuan, China.
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24
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Glatfelter GC, Vandeputte MM, Chen L, Walther D, Tsai MHM, Shi L, Stove CP, Baumann MH. Alkoxy chain length governs the potency of 2-benzylbenzimidazole 'nitazene' opioids associated with human overdose. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2573-2584. [PMID: 37658878 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06451-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Novel synthetic opioids (NSOs) are emerging in recreational drug markets worldwide. In particular, 2-benzylbenzimidazole 'nitazene' compounds are problematic NSOs associated with serious clinical consequences, including fatal respiratory depression. Evidence from in vitro studies shows that alkoxy chain length can influence the potency of nitazenes at the mu-opioid receptor (MOR). However, structure-activity relationships (SARs) of nitazenes for inducing opioid-like effects in animal models are not well understood compared to relevant opioids contributing to the ongoing opioid crisis (e.g., fentanyl). OBJECTIVES Here, we examined the in vitro and in vivo effects of nitazene analogues with varying alkoxy chain lengths (i.e., metonitazene, etonitazene, isotonitazene, protonitazene, and butonitazene) as compared to reference opioids (i.e., morphine and fentanyl). METHODS AND RESULTS Nitazene analogues displayed nanomolar affinities for MOR in rat brain membranes and picomolar potencies to activate MOR in transfected cells. All compounds induced opioid-like effects on locomotor activity, hot plate latency, and body temperature in male mice, and alkoxy chain length markedly influenced potency. Etonitazene, with an ethoxy chain, was the most potent analogue in MOR functional assays (EC50 = 30 pM, Emax = 103%) and across all in vivo endpoints (ED50 = 3-12 μg/kg). In vivo SARs revealed that ethoxy, isopropoxy, and propoxy chains engendered higher potencies than fentanyl, whereas methoxy and butoxy analogues were less potent. MOR functional potencies, but not MOR affinities, were positively correlated with in vivo potencies to induce opioid effects. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our data show that certain nitazene NSOs are more potent than fentanyl as MOR agonists in mice, highlighting concerns regarding the high potential for overdose in humans who are exposed to these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant C Glatfelter
- Designer Drug Research Unit, National Institute On Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Marthe M Vandeputte
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Li Chen
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institute On Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Donna Walther
- Designer Drug Research Unit, National Institute On Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Meng-Hua M Tsai
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institute On Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institute On Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christophe P Stove
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michael H Baumann
- Designer Drug Research Unit, National Institute On Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
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25
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Patel M, Grimsey NL, Banister SD, Finlay DB, Glass M. Evaluating signaling bias for synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists at the cannabinoid CB 2 receptor. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2023; 11:e01157. [PMID: 38018694 PMCID: PMC10685394 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.1157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid structural evolution and emergence of novel synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) in the recreational market remains a key public health concern. Despite representing one of the largest classes of new psychoactive substances, pharmacological data on new SCRAs is limited, particularly at the cannabinoid CB2 receptor (CB2 ). Hence, the current study aimed to characterize the molecular pharmacology of a structurally diverse panel of SCRAs at CB2 , including 4-cyano MPP-BUT7AICA, 4F-MDMB-BUTINACA, AMB-FUBINACA, JWH-018, MDMB-4en-PINACA, and XLR-11. The activity of SCRAs was assessed in a battery of in vitro assays in CB2 -expressing HEK 293 cells: G protein activation (Gαi3 and GαoB ), phosphorylation of ERK1/2, and β-arrestin 1/2 translocation. The activity profiles of the ligands were further evaluated using the operational analysis to identify ligand bias. All SCRAs activated the CB2 signaling pathways in a concentration-dependent manner, although with varying potencies and efficacies. Despite the detection of numerous instances of statistically significant bias, compound activities generally appeared only subtly distinct in comparison with the reference ligand, CP55940. In contrast, the phytocannabinoid THC exhibited an activity profile distinct from the SCRAs; most notably in the translocation of β-arrestins. These findings demonstrate that CB2 is able to accommodate a structurally diverse array of SCRAs to generate canonical agonist activity. Further research is required to elucidate whether the activation of CB2 contributes to the toxicity of these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Patel
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Natasha L. Grimsey
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health SciencesUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Samuel D. Banister
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of SydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - David B. Finlay
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Michelle Glass
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
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26
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Tsai MHM, Chen L, Baumann MH, Canals M, Javitch JA, Lane JR, Shi L. The in vitro functional profiles of fentanyl and nitazene analogs at the μ-opioid receptor - high efficacy is dangerous regardless of signaling bias. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.10.566672. [PMID: 38014284 PMCID: PMC10680598 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.10.566672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Novel synthetic opioids (NSOs), including both fentanyl and non-fentanyl analogs that act as the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists, are associated with serious intoxication and fatal overdose. Previous studies proposed that G protein biased MOR agonists are safer pain medications, while other evidence indicates that low intrinsic efficacy at MOR better explains reduced opioid side effects. Here, we characterized the in vitro functional profiles of various NSOs at MOR using adenylate cyclase inhibition and β-arrestin2 recruitment assays, in conjunction with the application of the receptor depletion approach. By fitting the concentration-response data to the operational model of agonism, we deduced the intrinsic efficacy and affinity for each opioid in the Gi protein signaling and β-arrestin2 recruitment pathways. Compared to the reference agonist DAMGO, we found that several fentanyl analogs were more efficacious at inhibiting cAMP production, whereas all fentanyl analogs were less efficacious at recruiting β-arrestin2. In contrast, the non-fentanyl 2-benzylbenzimidazole (i.e., nitazene) analogs were highly efficacious and potent in both the cAMP and β-arrestin2 assays. Our findings suggest that the high intrinsic efficacy of the NSOs in Gi protein signaling is a common property that may underlie their high risk of intoxication and overdose, highlighting the limitation of using in vitro functional bias to predict the adverse effects of opioids. Instead, our results show that, regardless of bias, opioids with sufficiently high intrinsic efficacy can be lethal, especially given the extremely high potency of many of these compounds that are now pervading the illicit drug market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Hua M. Tsai
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Li Chen
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Michael H. Baumann
- Designer Drug Research Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Meritxell Canals
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, Midlands, UK
| | - Jonathan A. Javitch
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - J. Robert Lane
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, Midlands, UK
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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27
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Ramos-Gonzalez N, Paul B, Majumdar S. IUPHAR themed review: Opioid efficacy, bias, and selectivity. Pharmacol Res 2023; 197:106961. [PMID: 37844653 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Drugs acting at the opioid receptor family are clinically used to treat chronic and acute pain, though they represent the second line of treatment behind GABA analogs, antidepressants and SSRI's. Within the opioid family mu and kappa opioid receptor are commonly targeted. However, activation of the mu opioid receptor has side effects of constipation, tolerance, dependence, euphoria, and respiratory depression; activation of the kappa opioid receptor leads to dysphoria and sedation. The side effects of mu opioid receptor activation have led to mu receptor drugs being widely abused with great overdose risk. For these reasons, newer safer opioid analgesics are in high demand. For many years a focus within the opioid field was finding drugs that activated the G protein pathway at mu opioid receptor, without activating the β-arrestin pathway, known as biased agonism. Recent advances have shown that this may not be the way forward to develop safer analgesics at mu opioid receptor, though there is still some promise at the kappa opioid receptor. Here we discuss recent novel approaches to develop safer opioid drugs including efficacy vs bias and fine-tuning receptor activation by targeting sub-pockets in the orthosteric site, we explore recent works on the structural basis of bias, and we put forward the suggestion that Gα subtype selectivity may be an exciting new area of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nokomis Ramos-Gonzalez
- Department of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Barnali Paul
- Department of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Susruta Majumdar
- Department of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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28
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Burgraff NJ, Baertsch NA, Ramirez JM. A comparative examination of morphine and fentanyl: unravelling the differential impacts on breathing and airway stability. J Physiol 2023; 601:4625-4642. [PMID: 37778015 DOI: 10.1113/jp285163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This study provides an in-depth analysis of the distinct consequences of the opioid drugs morphine and fentanyl during opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD). We explored the physiological implications of both drugs on ventilation and airway patency in anaesthetized mice. Our results revealed a similar reduction in respiratory frequency with equivalent scaled dosages of fentanyl and morphine, though the onset of suppression was more rapid with fentanyl. Additionally, fentanyl resulted in transient airflow obstructions during the inspiratory cycle, which were absent following morphine administration. Notably, these fentanyl-specific obstructions were eliminated with tracheostomy, implicating the upper airways as a major factor contributing to fentanyl-induced respiratory depression. We further demonstrate that bronchodilators salbutamol and adrenaline effectively reversed these obstructions, highlighting the bronchi's contribution to fentanyl-induced airflow obstruction. Our study also uncovered a significant reduction in sighs during OIRD, which were eliminated by fentanyl and markedly reduced by morphine. Finally, we found that fentanyl-exposed mice had reduced survival under hypoxic conditions compared to mice given morphine, demonstrating that fentanyl becomes more lethal in the context of hypoxaemia. Our findings shed light on the distinct and profound impacts of these opioids on respiration and airway stability and lay the foundation for improved opioid use guidelines and more effective OIRD prevention strategies. KEY POINTS: Both morphine and fentanyl significantly suppressed respiratory frequency, but the onset of suppression was faster with fentanyl. Also, while both drugs increased tidal volume, this effect was more pronounced with fentanyl. Fentanyl administration resulted in transient obstructions during the inspiratory phase, suggesting its unique impact on airway stability. This obstruction was not observed with morphine. The fentanyl-induced obstructions were reversed by administering bronchodilators such as salbutamol and adrenaline. This suggests a possible therapeutic strategy for mitigating the adverse airway effects of fentanyl. Both drugs reduced the frequency of physiological sighs, a key mechanism to prevent alveolar collapse. However, fentanyl administration led to a complete cessation of sighs, while morphine only reduced their occurrence. Fentanyl-treated mice showed a significantly reduced ability to survive under hypoxic conditions compared to those administered morphine. This indicates that the impacts of hypoxaemia during opioid-induced respiratory depression can vary based on the opioid used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Burgraff
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nathan A Baertsch
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jan-Marino Ramirez
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Zheng C, Javitch JA, Lambert NA, Donthamsetti P, Gurevich VV. In-Cell Arrestin-Receptor Interaction Assays. Curr Protoc 2023; 3:e890. [PMID: 37787634 PMCID: PMC10566372 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent ∼30% of current drug targets. Ligand binding to these receptors activates G proteins and arrestins, which function in different signaling pathways. Given that functionally selective or biased ligands preferentially activate one of these two groups of pathways, they may be superior medications for certain disease states. The identification of such ligands requires robust drug screening assays for both G protein and arrestin activity. This unit describes protocols for assays that monitor reversible arrestin recruitment to GPCRs in living cells using either bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) or nanoluciferase complementation (NanoLuc). Two types of assays can be used: one configuration directly measures arrestin recruitment to a GPCR fused to a protein tag at its intracellular C-terminus, whereas the other configuration detects arrestin translocation to the plasma membrane in response to activation of an unmodified GPCR. Together, these assays are powerful tools for studying dynamic interactions between GPCRs and arrestins. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Receptor-arrestin BRET assay to measure ligand-induced recruitment of arrestin to receptors Basic Protocol 2: Receptor-arrestin NANOBIT assay to measure ligand-induced recruitment of arrestin to receptors Alternative Protocol 1: BRET assay to measure ligand-induced recruitment of arrestin to the plasma membrane Alternative Protocol 2: NANOBIT assay to measure ligand-induced recruitment of arrestin to the plasma membrane Support Protocol 1: Optimization of polyethylenimine (PEI) concentration for transfection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jonathan A. Javitch
- Departments of Psychiatry and Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Nevin A. Lambert
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
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Ramos‐Gonzalez N, Groom S, Sutcliffe KJ, Bancroft S, Bailey CP, Sessions RB, Henderson G, Kelly E. Carfentanil is a β-arrestin-biased agonist at the μ opioid receptor. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:2341-2360. [PMID: 37005796 PMCID: PMC10952505 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The illicit use of fentanyl-like drugs (fentanyls), which are μ opioid receptor agonists, and the many overdose deaths that result, has become a major problem. Fentanyls are very potent in vivo, leading to respiratory depression and death. However, the efficacy and possible signalling bias of different fentanyls is not clearly known. Here, we compared the relative efficacy and bias of a series of fentanyls. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH For agonist signalling bias and efficacy measurements, Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer experiments were undertaken in HEK293T cells transiently transfected with μ opioid receptors, to assess Gi protein activation and β-arrestin 2 recruitment. Agonist-induced cell surface receptor loss was assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whilst agonist-induced G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channel current activation was measured electrophysiologically from rat locus coeruleus slices. Ligand poses in the μ opioid receptor were determined in silico using molecular dynamics simulations. KEY RESULTS Relative to the reference ligand DAMGO, carfentanil was β-arrestin-biased, whereas fentanyl, sufentanil and alfentanil did not display bias. Carfentanil induced potent and extensive cell surface receptor loss, whilst the marked desensitisation of G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channel currents in the continued presence of carfentanil in neurones was prevented by a GRK2/3 inhibitor. Molecular dynamics simulations suggested unique interactions of carfentanil with the orthosteric site of the receptor that could underlie the bias. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Carfentanil is a β-arrestin-biased opioid drug at the μ receptor. It is uncertain how such bias influences in vivo effects of carfentanil relative to other fentanyls.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sam Groom
- Department of Pharmacy and PharmacologyUniversity of BathBathUK
| | - Katy J. Sutcliffe
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Sukhvinder Bancroft
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Chris P. Bailey
- Department of Pharmacy and PharmacologyUniversity of BathBathUK
| | | | - Graeme Henderson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Eamonn Kelly
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUniversity of BristolBristolUK
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31
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Wess J, Oteng AB, Rivera-Gonzalez O, Gurevich EV, Gurevich VV. β-Arrestins: Structure, Function, Physiology, and Pharmacological Perspectives. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 75:854-884. [PMID: 37028945 PMCID: PMC10441628 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The two β-arrestins, β-arrestin-1 and -2 (systematic names: arrestin-2 and -3, respectively), are multifunctional intracellular proteins that regulate the activity of a very large number of cellular signaling pathways and physiologic functions. The two proteins were discovered for their ability to disrupt signaling via G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) via binding to the activated receptors. However, it is now well recognized that both β-arrestins can also act as direct modulators of numerous cellular processes via either GPCR-dependent or -independent mechanisms. Recent structural, biophysical, and biochemical studies have provided novel insights into how β-arrestins bind to activated GPCRs and downstream effector proteins. Studies with β-arrestin mutant mice have identified numerous physiologic and pathophysiological processes regulated by β-arrestin-1 and/or -2. Following a short summary of recent structural studies, this review primarily focuses on β-arrestin-regulated physiologic functions, with particular focus on the central nervous system and the roles of β-arrestins in carcinogenesis and key metabolic processes including the maintenance of glucose and energy homeostasis. This review also highlights potential therapeutic implications of these studies and discusses strategies that could prove useful for targeting specific β-arrestin-regulated signaling pathways for therapeutic purposes. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The two β-arrestins, structurally closely related intracellular proteins that are evolutionarily highly conserved, have emerged as multifunctional proteins able to regulate a vast array of cellular and physiological functions. The outcome of studies with β-arrestin mutant mice and cultured cells, complemented by novel insights into β-arrestin structure and function, should pave the way for the development of novel classes of therapeutically useful drugs capable of regulating specific β-arrestin functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Wess
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland (J.W., A.-B.O., O.R.-G.); and Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee (E.V.G., V.V.G.)
| | - Antwi-Boasiako Oteng
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland (J.W., A.-B.O., O.R.-G.); and Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee (E.V.G., V.V.G.)
| | - Osvaldo Rivera-Gonzalez
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland (J.W., A.-B.O., O.R.-G.); and Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee (E.V.G., V.V.G.)
| | - Eugenia V Gurevich
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland (J.W., A.-B.O., O.R.-G.); and Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee (E.V.G., V.V.G.)
| | - Vsevolod V Gurevich
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland (J.W., A.-B.O., O.R.-G.); and Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee (E.V.G., V.V.G.)
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Sanchez-Reyes OB, Zilberg G, McCorvy JD, Wacker D. Molecular insights into GPCR mechanisms for drugs of abuse. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105176. [PMID: 37599003 PMCID: PMC10514560 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Substance abuse is on the rise, and while many people may use illicit drugs mainly due to their rewarding effects, their societal impact can range from severe, as is the case for opioids, to promising, as is the case for psychedelics. Common with all these drugs' mechanisms of action are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which lie at the center of how these drugs mediate inebriation, lethality, and therapeutic effects. Opioids like fentanyl, cannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol, and psychedelics like lysergic acid diethylamide all directly bind to GPCRs to initiate signaling which elicits their physiological actions. We herein review recent structural studies and provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of opioids, cannabinoids, and psychedelics at their respective GPCR subtypes. We further discuss how such mechanistic insights facilitate drug discovery, either toward the development of novel therapies to combat drug abuse or toward harnessing therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar B Sanchez-Reyes
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gregory Zilberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - John D McCorvy
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
| | - Daniel Wacker
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.
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Bonifazi A, Saab E, Sanchez J, Nazarova AL, Zaidi SA, Jahan K, Katritch V, Canals M, Lane JR, Newman AH. Pharmacological and Physicochemical Properties Optimization for Dual-Target Dopamine D 3 (D 3R) and μ-Opioid (MOR) Receptor Ligands as Potentially Safer Analgesics. J Med Chem 2023; 66:10304-10341. [PMID: 37467430 PMCID: PMC11091828 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
A new generation of dual-target μ opioid receptor (MOR) agonist/dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) antagonist/partial agonists with optimized physicochemical properties was designed and synthesized. Combining in vitro cell-based on-target/off-target affinity screening, in silico computer-aided drug design, and BRET functional assays, we identified new structural scaffolds that achieved high affinity and agonist/antagonist potencies for MOR and D3R, respectively, improving the dopamine receptor subtype selectivity (e.g., D3R over D2R) and significantly enhancing central nervous system multiparameter optimization scores for predicted blood-brain barrier permeability. We identified the substituted trans-(2S,4R)-pyrrolidine and trans-phenylcyclopropyl amine as key dopaminergic moieties and tethered these to different opioid scaffolds, derived from the MOR agonists TRV130 (3) or loperamide (6). The lead compounds 46, 84, 114, and 121 have the potential of producing analgesic effects through MOR partial agonism with reduced opioid-misuse liability via D3R antagonism. Moreover, the peripherally limited derivatives could have therapeutic indications for inflammation and neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Bonifazi
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Elizabeth Saab
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Julie Sanchez
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
- Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, Midlands NG2 7AG, United Kingdom
| | - Antonina L. Nazarova
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, Department of Chemistry, Dornsife Center for New Technologies in Drug Discovery and Development, Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Biosciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Saheem A. Zaidi
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, Department of Chemistry, Dornsife Center for New Technologies in Drug Discovery and Development, Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Biosciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Khorshada Jahan
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Vsevolod Katritch
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, Department of Chemistry, Dornsife Center for New Technologies in Drug Discovery and Development, Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Biosciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Meritxell Canals
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
- Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, Midlands NG2 7AG, United Kingdom
| | - J. Robert Lane
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
- Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, Midlands NG2 7AG, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
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Ye L, Li C, Jiang W, Yang Y, Wang W, Zhu H, Hu Z, Li N, Cen X, Wang H, Tian J. Subacute toxicity evaluations of LPM3480392 in rats, a full µ-opioid receptor biased agonist. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1218380. [PMID: 37601058 PMCID: PMC10436550 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1218380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Opiates produce analgesia via G-protein signaling, and adverse effects, such as respiratory depression and decreased bowel motility, by β-arrestin pathway. Oliceridine, a G protein-biased MOR agonist, only presents modest safety advantages as compared to other opiates in clinical trials, possibly due to its limited bias. Our previous study shown that LPM3480392, a full MOR biased agonist, is selective for the Gi pathway over the β-arrestin-2. In the present article, we evaluated the subacute toxicity of LPM3480392 in rats. The rats were administered with control article or LPM3480392 0.6, 1.2 or 2.4 mg/kg/day for 4 consecutive weeks followed by a 4-week recovery phase. Intravenous infusion was conducted at tail vein at 0.2, 0.4 or 0.8 mg/kg/day with a dosing volume of 10 mL/kg and 5 min/rat/dose, three times a day with an interval of approximately 4 h. The concomitant toxicokinetics study was conducted. Two unscheduled rats at 2.4 mg/kg/day died with no clear cause. For the scheduled necropsy, the major effects were associated with the MOR agonist-related pharmacodynamic properties of LPM3480392 (e.g., increased activity, increased muscle tone; decreased food consumption and body weight gain; and clinical chemistry changes related with decreased food consumption) in three LPM3480392 groups. In addition, LPM3480392 at 2.4 mg/kg/day also induced deep respiration and histopathology changes in testis and epididymis in sporadic individual rats. However, different from other opiates, LPM3480392 presents weak/no immunosuppression and the decreased adrenal gland weight, which may be due to LPM3480392' full MOR bias. At the end of recovery phase, all findings were recovered to some extent or completely. In the toxicokinetics study, the dose-dependent elevation of drug exposure was observed, which partly explained the toxicity of high dose. In summary, LPM3480392 has exhibited good safety characteristics in this subacute toxicity study in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ye
- School of Public Health and Management, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Chunmei Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Wanglin Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Yifei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Wenyan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Haibo Zhu
- School of Public Health and Management, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Zhengping Hu
- Medicine and Pharmacy Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Ning Li
- School of Public Health and Management, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaobo Cen
- WestChina-Frontier PharmaTech Co., Ltd., Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Hongbo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Jingwei Tian
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong, China
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35
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Malcolm NJ, Palkovic B, Sprague DJ, Calkins MM, Lanham JK, Halberstadt AL, Stucke AG, McCorvy JD. Mu-opioid receptor selective superagonists produce prolonged respiratory depression. iScience 2023; 26:107121. [PMID: 37416459 PMCID: PMC10320493 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic opioids are increasingly challenging to combat the opioid epidemic and act primarily at opioid receptors, chiefly the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) μ-opioid receptor (MOR), which signals through G protein-dependent and β-arrestin pathways. Using a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) system, we investigate GPCR-signaling profiles by synthetic nitazenes, which are known to cause overdose and death due to respiratory depression. We show that isotonitazene and its metabolite, N-desethyl isotonitazene, are very potent MOR-selective superagonists, surpassing both DAMGO G protein and β-arrestin recruitment activity, which are properties distinct from other conventional opioids. Both isotonitazene and N-desethyl isotonitazene show high potency in mouse analgesia tail-flick assays, but N-desethyl isotonitazene shows longer-lasting respiratory depression compared to fentanyl. Overall, our results suggest that potent MOR-selective superagonists may be a pharmacological property predictive of prolonged respiratory depression resulting in fatal consequences and should be examined for future opioid analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Malcolm
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Barbara Palkovic
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Daniel J. Sprague
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Maggie M. Calkins
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Janelle K. Lanham
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Adam L. Halberstadt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92108, USA
| | - Astrid G. Stucke
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - John D. McCorvy
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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36
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Fouillen A, Bous J, Granier S, Mouillac B, Sounier R. Bringing GPCR Structural Biology to Medical Applications: Insights from Both V2 Vasopressin and Mu-Opioid Receptors. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:606. [PMID: 37367810 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13060606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are versatile signaling proteins that regulate key physiological processes in response to a wide variety of extracellular stimuli. The last decade has seen a revolution in the structural biology of clinically important GPCRs. Indeed, the improvement in molecular and biochemical methods to study GPCRs and their transducer complexes, together with advances in cryo-electron microscopy, NMR development, and progress in molecular dynamic simulations, have led to a better understanding of their regulation by ligands of different efficacy and bias. This has also renewed a great interest in GPCR drug discovery, such as finding biased ligands that can either promote or not promote specific regulations. In this review, we focus on two therapeutically relevant GPCR targets, the V2 vasopressin receptor (V2R) and the mu-opioid receptor (µOR), to shed light on the recent structural biology studies and show the impact of this integrative approach on the determination of new potential clinical effective compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Fouillen
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34000 Montpellier, France
- Centre de Biochimie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Julien Bous
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sébastien Granier
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Bernard Mouillac
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Remy Sounier
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34000 Montpellier, France
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Lambert DG. Opioids and opioid receptors; understanding pharmacological mechanisms as a key to therapeutic advances and mitigation of the misuse crisis. BJA OPEN 2023; 6:100141. [PMID: 37588171 PMCID: PMC10430815 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjao.2023.100141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Opioids are a mainstay in acute pain management and produce their effects and side effects (e.g., tolerance, opioid-use disorder and immune suppression) by interaction with opioid receptors. I will discuss opioid pharmacology in some controversial areas of enquiry of anaesthetic relevance. The main opioid target is the µ (mu,MOP) receptor but other members of the opioid receptor family, δ (delta; DOP) and κ (kappa; KOP) opioid receptors also produce analgesic actions. These are naloxone-sensitive. There is important clinical development relating to the Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ (NOP) receptor, an opioid receptor that is not naloxone-sensitive. Better understanding of the drivers for opioid effects and side effects may facilitate separation of side effects and production of safer drugs. Opioids bind to the receptor orthosteric site to produce their effects and can engage monomer or homo-, heterodimer receptors. Some ligands can drive one intracellular pathway over another. This is the basis of biased agonism (or functional selectivity). Opioid actions at the orthosteric site can be modulated allosterically and positive allosteric modulators that enhance opioid action are in development. As well as targeting ligand-receptor interaction and transduction, modulating receptor expression and hence function is also tractable. There is evidence for epigenetic associations with different types of pain and also substance misuse. As long as the opioid narrative is defined by the 'opioid crisis' the drive to remove them could gather pace. This will deny use where they are effective, and access to morphine for pain relief in low income countries.
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38
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Leon Duque MA, Vallavoju N, Woo CM. Chemical tools for the opioids. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103845. [PMID: 36948231 PMCID: PMC10247539 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The opioids are potent and widely used pain management medicines despite also possessing severe liabilities that have fueled the opioid crisis. The pharmacological properties of the opioids primarily derive from agonism or antagonism of the opioid receptors, but additional effects may arise from specific compounds, opioid receptors, or independent targets. The study of the opioids, their receptors, and the development of remediation strategies has benefitted from derivatization of the opioids as chemical tools. While these studies have primarily focused on the opioids in the context of the opioid receptors, these chemical tools may also play a role in delineating mechanisms that are independent of the opioid receptors. In this review, we describe recent advances in the development and applications of opioid derivatives as chemical tools and highlight opportunities for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Anthony Leon Duque
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America
| | - Nandini Vallavoju
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America
| | - Christina M Woo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America.
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Imam MZ, Kuo A, Ghassabian S, Cai Y, Qin Y, Li T, Smith MT. CYX-5, a G-protein biassed MOP receptor agonist, DOP receptor antagonist and KOP receptor agonist, evokes constipation but not respiratory depression relative to morphine in rats. Pharmacol Rep 2023; 75:634-646. [PMID: 36637684 PMCID: PMC10227131 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-023-00446-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Strong opioid analgesics such as morphine alleviate moderate to severe acute nociceptive pain (e.g. post-surgical or post-trauma pain) as well as chronic cancer pain. However, they evoke many adverse effects and so there is an unmet need for opioid analgesics with improved tolerability. Recently, a prominent hypothesis has been that opioid-related adverse effects are mediated by β-arrestin2 recruitment at the µ-opioid (MOP) receptor and this stimulated research on discovery of G-protein biassed opioid analgesics. In other efforts, opioids with MOP agonist and δ-opioid (DOP) receptor antagonist profiles are promising for reducing side effects c.f. morphine. Herein, we report on the in vivo pharmacology of a novel opioid peptide (CYX-5) that is a G-protein biassed MOP receptor agonist, DOP receptor antagonist and kappa opioid (KOP) receptor agonist. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley received intracerebroventricular bolus doses of CYX-5 (3, 10, 20 nmol), morphine (100 nmol) or vehicle, and antinociception (tail flick) was assessed relative to constipation (charcoal meal and castor oil-induced diarrhoea tests) and respiratory depression (whole body plethysmography). RESULTS CYX-5 evoked naloxone-sensitive, moderate antinociception, at the highest dose tested. Although CYX-5 did not inhibit gastrointestinal motility, it reduced stool output markedly in the castor oil-induced diarrhoea test. In contrast to morphine that evoked respiratory depression, CYX-5 increased tidal volume, thereby stimulating respiration. CONCLUSION Despite its lack of recruitment of β-arrestin2 at MOP, DOP and KOP receptors, CYX-5 evoked constipation, implicating a mechanism other than β-arrestin2 recruitment at MOP, DOP and KOP receptors, mediating constipation evoked by CYX-5 and potentially other opioid ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Zafar Imam
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Andy Kuo
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Sussan Ghassabian
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Yunxin Cai
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yajuan Qin
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tingyou Li
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Maree T Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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Zhao J, Elgeti M, O’Brien ES, Sár CP, EI Daibani A, Heng J, Sun X, Che T, Hubbell WL, Kobilka BK, Chen C. Conformational dynamics of the μ-opioid receptor determine ligand intrinsic efficacy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.28.538657. [PMID: 37163120 PMCID: PMC10168371 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.28.538657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The μ-opioid receptor (μOR) is an important target for pain management and the molecular understanding of drug action will facilitate the development of better therapeutics. Here we show, using double electron-electron resonance (DEER) and single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET), how ligand-specific conformational changes of the μOR translate into a broad range of intrinsic efficacies at the transducer level. We identify several cytoplasmic receptor conformations interconverting on different timescales, including a pre-activated receptor conformation which is capable of G protein binding, and a fully activated conformation which dramatically lowers GDP affinity within the ternary complex. Interaction of β-arrestin-1 with the μOR core binding site appears less specific and occurs with much lower affinity than binding of G protein Gi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Zhao
- Tsinghua-Peaking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University; Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Matthias Elgeti
- Jules Stein Eye Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California; Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Evan S. O’Brien
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Cecília P. Sár
- Institute of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pécs; Szigeti st. 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Amal EI Daibani
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine; Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jie Heng
- Tsinghua-Peaking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University; Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xiaoou Sun
- Tsinghua-Peaking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University; Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Tao Che
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine; Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Wayne L. Hubbell
- Jules Stein Eye Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California; Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Brian K. Kobilka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chunlai Chen
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University; Beijing, 100084, China
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41
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Cai B, El Daibani A, Bai Y, Che T, Krusemark CJ. Direct Selection of DNA-Encoded Libraries for Biased Agonists of GPCRs on Live Cells. JACS AU 2023; 3:1076-1088. [PMID: 37124302 PMCID: PMC10131204 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest superfamily of human membrane target proteins for approved drugs. GPCR ligands can have a complex array of pharmacological activities. Among these activities, biased agonists have potential to serve as both chemical probes to understand specific aspects of receptor signaling and therapeutic leads with more specific, desired activity. Challenges exist, however, in the development of new biased activators due, in part, to the low throughput of traditional screening approaches. DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DELs) dramatically improve the throughput of drug discovery by allowing a collective selection, rather than discrete screening, of large compound libraries. The use of DELs has been largely limited to affinity-based selections against purified protein targets, which identify binders only. Herein, we report a split protein complementation approach that allows direct identification of DNA-linked molecules that induce the dimerization of two proteins. We used this selection with a DEL against opioid receptor GPCRs on living cells for the identification of small molecules that possess the specific function of activation of either β-arrestin or G protein signaling pathways. This approach was applied to δ-, μ-, and κ-opioid receptors and enabled the discovery of compound [66,66], a selective, G-protein-biased agonist of the κ-opioid receptor (EC50 = 100 nM, E max = 82%, Gi bias factor = 6.6). This approach should be generally applicable for the direct selection of chemical inducers of dimerization from DELs and expand the utility of DELs to enrich molecules with a specific and desired biochemical function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Cai
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Center for
Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Amal El Daibani
- Center
for Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Yuntian Bai
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Center for
Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Tao Che
- Center
for Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Casey J. Krusemark
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Center for
Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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Li Z, Liu J, Dong F, Chang N, Huang R, Xia M, Patterson TA, Hong H. Three-Dimensional Structural Insights Have Revealed the Distinct Binding Interactions of Agonists, Partial Agonists, and Antagonists with the µ Opioid Receptor. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087042. [PMID: 37108204 PMCID: PMC10138646 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The United States is experiencing the most profound and devastating opioid crisis in history, with the number of deaths involving opioids, including prescription and illegal opioids, continuing to climb over the past two decades. This severe public health issue is difficult to combat as opioids remain a crucial treatment for pain, and at the same time, they are also highly addictive. Opioids act on the opioid receptor, which in turn activates its downstream signaling pathway that eventually leads to an analgesic effect. Among the four types of opioid receptors, the µ subtype is primarily responsible for the analgesic cascade. This review describes available 3D structures of the µ opioid receptor in the protein data bank and provides structural insights for the binding of agonists and antagonists to the receptor. Comparative analysis on the atomic details of the binding site in these structures was conducted and distinct binding interactions for agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists were observed. The findings in this article deepen our understanding of the ligand binding activity and shed some light on the development of novel opioid analgesics which may improve the risk benefit balance of existing opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Li
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Jie Liu
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Fan Dong
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Nancy Chang
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20903, USA
| | - Ruili Huang
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Menghang Xia
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tucker A Patterson
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Huixiao Hong
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
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Milella MS, D'Ottavio G, De Pirro S, Barra M, Caprioli D, Badiani A. Heroin and its metabolites: relevance to heroin use disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:120. [PMID: 37031205 PMCID: PMC10082801 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02406-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Heroin is an opioid agonist commonly abused for its rewarding effects. Since its synthesis at the end of the nineteenth century, its popularity as a recreational drug has ebbed and flowed. In the last three decades, heroin use has increased again, and yet the pharmacology of heroin is still poorly understood. After entering the body, heroin is rapidly deacetylated to 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM), which is then deacetylated to morphine. Thus, drug addiction literature has long settled on the notion that heroin is little more than a pro-drug. In contrast to these former views, we will argue for a more complex interplay among heroin and its active metabolites: 6-MAM, morphine, and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G). In particular, we propose that the complex temporal pattern of heroin effects results from the sequential, only partially overlapping, actions not only of 6-MAM, morphine, and M6G, but also of heroin per se, which, therefore, should not be seen as a mere brain-delivery system for its active metabolites. We will first review the literature concerning the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of heroin and its metabolites, then examine their neural and behavioral effects, and finally discuss the possible implications of these data for a better understanding of opioid reward and heroin addiction. By so doing we hope to highlight research topics to be investigated by future clinical and pre-clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Stanislaw Milella
- Toxicology Unit, Policlinico Umberto I University Hospital, Rome, Italy.
- Laboratory affiliated to the Institute Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti-Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Ginevra D'Ottavio
- Laboratory affiliated to the Institute Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti-Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy
| | - Silvana De Pirro
- Laboratory affiliated to the Institute Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti-Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research (SERAF), Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Sussex Addiction and Intervention Centre (SARIC), School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | | | - Daniele Caprioli
- Laboratory affiliated to the Institute Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti-Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy.
| | - Aldo Badiani
- Laboratory affiliated to the Institute Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti-Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- Sussex Addiction and Intervention Centre (SARIC), School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
- Fondazione Villa Maraini, Rome, Italy.
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Danaf J, da Silveira Scarpellini C, Montandon G. βγ G-proteins, but not regulators of G-protein signaling 4, modulate opioid-induced respiratory rate depression. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1043581. [PMID: 37089428 PMCID: PMC10117644 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1043581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid medications are the mainstay of pain management but present substantial side-effects such as respiratory depression which can be lethal with overdose. Most opioid drugs, such as fentanyl, act on opioid receptors such as the G-protein-coupled µ-opioid receptors (MOR). G-protein-coupled receptors activate pertussis toxin-sensitive G-proteins to inhibit neuronal activity. Binding of opioid ligands to MOR and subsequent activation G proteins βγ is modulated by regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS). The roles of G-proteins βγ and RGS in MOR-mediated inhibition of the respiratory network are not known. Using rodent models to pharmacologically modulate G-protein signaling, we aim to determine the roles of βγ G-proteins and RGS4. We showed that inhibition of βγ G-proteins using gallein perfused in the brainstem circuits regulating respiratory depression by opioid drugs results in complete reversal of respiratory depression. Blocking of RGS4 using CCG55014 did not change the respiratory depression induced by MOR activation despite co-expression of RGS4 and MORs in the brainstem. Our results suggest that neuronal inhibition by opioid drugs is mediated by G-proteins, but not by RGS4, which supports the concept that βγ G-proteins could be molecular targets to develop opioid overdose antidotes without the risks of re-narcotization often found with highly potent opioid drugs. On the other hand, RGS4 mediates opioid analgesia, but not respiratory depression, and RGS4 may be molecular targets to develop pain therapies without respiratory liability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamil Danaf
- St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Gaspard Montandon
- St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Gaspard Montandon,
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45
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Kelly E, Sutcliffe K, Cavallo D, Ramos-Gonzalez N, Alhosan N, Henderson G. The anomalous pharmacology of fentanyl. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:797-812. [PMID: 34030211 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fentanyl is a key therapeutic, used in anaesthesia and pain management. It is also increasingly used illicitly and is responsible for a large and growing number of opioid overdose deaths, especially in North America. A number of factors have been suggested to contribute to fentanyl's lethality, including rapid onset of action, in vivo potency, ligand bias, induction of muscle rigidity and reduced sensitivity to reversal by naloxone. Some of these factors can be considered to represent 'anomalous' pharmacological properties of fentanyl when compared with prototypical opioid agonists such as morphine. In this review, we examine the nature of fentanyl's 'anomalous' properties, to determine whether there is really a pharmacological basis to support the existence of such properties, and also discuss whether such properties are likely to contribute to overdose deaths involving fentanyls. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Advances in Opioid Pharmacology at the Time of the Opioid Epidemic. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v180.7/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamonn Kelly
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Katy Sutcliffe
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Damiana Cavallo
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Norah Alhosan
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Graeme Henderson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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46
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Groom S, Blum NK, Conibear AE, Disney A, Hill R, Husbands SM, Li Y, Toll L, Kliewer A, Schulz S, Henderson G, Kelly E, Bailey CP. A novel G protein-biased agonist at the μ opioid receptor induces substantial receptor desensitisation through G protein-coupled receptor kinase. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:943-957. [PMID: 33245558 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE G protein-biased μ opioid receptor agonists have the potential to induce less receptor desensitisation and tolerance than balanced opioids. Here, we investigated if the cyclic endomorphin analogue Tyr-c[D-Lys-Phe-Tyr-Gly] (Compound 1) is a G protein-biased μ agonist and characterised its ability to induce rapid receptor desensitisation in mammalian neurones. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The signalling and trafficking properties of opioids were characterised using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer assays, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and phosphosite-specific immunoblotting in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. Desensitisation of opioid-induced currents were studied in rat locus coeruleus neurones using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. The mechanism of Compound 1-induced μ receptor desensitisation was probed using kinase inhibitors. KEY RESULTS Compound 1 has similar intrinsic activity for G protein signalling as morphine. As predicted for a G protein-biased μ agonist, Compound 1 induced minimal agonist-induced internalisation and phosphorylation at intracellular μ receptor serine/threonine residues known to be involved in G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK)-mediated desensitisation. However, Compound 1 induced robust rapid μ receptor desensitisation in locus coeruleus neurons, to a greater degree than morphine. The extent of Compound 1-induced desensitisation was unaffected by activation or inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) but was significantly reduced by inhibition of GRK. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Compound 1 is a novel G protein-biased μ agonist that induces substantial rapid receptor desensitisation in mammalian neurons. Surprisingly, Compound 1-induced desensitisation was demonstrated to be GRK dependent despite its G protein bias. Our findings refute the assumption that G protein-biased agonists will evade receptor desensitisation and tolerance. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed issue on Advances in Opioid Pharmacology at the Time of the Opioid Epidemic. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v180.7/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Groom
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.,School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Nina K Blum
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Alexandra E Conibear
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Alexander Disney
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Rob Hill
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Yangmei Li
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lawrence Toll
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | - Andrea Kliewer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Graeme Henderson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Eamonn Kelly
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Chris P Bailey
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
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47
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Ventriglia E, Rizzo A, Gomez JL, Friedman J, Lam S, Solís O, Rais R, Bonaventura J, Michaelides M. Essential role of P-glycoprotein in the mechanism of action of oliceridine. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:831-842. [PMID: 36434081 PMCID: PMC10066384 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01507-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonists comprise the most effective analgesics, but their therapeutic utility is limited by adverse effects. One approach for limiting such effects has been to develop "biased" MOR agonists that show preference for activating G protein over β-Arrestin signaling. However, the notion of biased agonism has been challenged by recent studies. Oliceridine (Olinvyk®, TRV-130, OLC) is a selective MOR agonist approved by the FDA in 2020 for pain management in controlled clinical settings. Oliceridine purportedly demonstrates diminished adverse effects compared to morphine or other MOR agonists, a profile attributed to its biased agonism. However, recent studies suggest that oliceridine does not display biased agonism but instead weak intrinsic efficacy for G protein and β-Arrestin activation. Nevertheless, these insights have been derived from in vitro studies. To better understand oliceridine's in vivo efficacy profile, we performed a comprehensive assessment of its in vitro and in vivo pharmacology using both cultured cells and rodents. In vitro, oliceridine displayed high MOR affinity and weak intrinsic efficacy. In vivo, oliceridine showed impaired brain penetrance and rapid clearance, effects we attributed to its interaction with the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux transporter. Moreover, we found that P-gp was essential for oliceridine's in vivo efficacy and adverse effect profiles. Taken together with prior studies, our results suggest that oliceridine's in vivo efficacy and adverse effect profiles are not attributed solely to its weak intrinsic efficacy or biased agonism but, to a large extent, its interaction with P-gp as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilya Ventriglia
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Arianna Rizzo
- Departament de Patologia i Terapèutica Experimental, Institute de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
- Neuropharmacology & Pain Group, Neuroscience Program, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Juan L Gomez
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Jacob Friedman
- Medications Development Program, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sherry Lam
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Oscar Solís
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Rana Rais
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Jordi Bonaventura
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
- Departament de Patologia i Terapèutica Experimental, Institute de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain.
- Neuropharmacology & Pain Group, Neuroscience Program, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Michael Michaelides
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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48
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Varga B, Streicher JM, Majumdar S. Strategies towards safer opioid analgesics-A review of old and upcoming targets. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:975-993. [PMID: 34826881 PMCID: PMC9133275 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioids continue to be of use for the treatment of pain. Most clinically used analgesics target the μ opioid receptor whose activation results in adverse effects like respiratory depression, addiction and abuse liability. Various approaches have been used by the field to separate receptor-mediated analgesic actions from adverse effects. These include biased agonism, opioids targeting multiple receptors, allosteric modulators, heteromers and splice variants of the μ receptor. This review will focus on the current status of the field and some upcoming targets of interest that may lead to a safer next generation of analgesics. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Advances in Opioid Pharmacology at the Time of the Opioid Epidemic. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v180.7/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balazs Varga
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - John M. Streicher
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Susruta Majumdar
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
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49
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Lewis V, Bonniwell EM, Lanham JK, Ghaffari A, Sheshbaradaran H, Cao AB, Calkins MM, Bautista-Carro MA, Arsenault E, Telfer A, Taghavi-Abkuh FF, Malcolm NJ, El Sayegh F, Abizaid A, Schmid Y, Morton K, Halberstadt AL, Aguilar-Valles A, McCorvy JD. A non-hallucinogenic LSD analog with therapeutic potential for mood disorders. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112203. [PMID: 36884348 PMCID: PMC10112881 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hallucinations limit widespread therapeutic use of psychedelics as rapidly acting antidepressants. Here we profiled the non-hallucinogenic lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) analog 2-bromo-LSD (2-Br-LSD) at more than 33 aminergic G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). 2-Br-LSD shows partial agonism at several aminergic GPCRs, including 5-HT2A, and does not induce the head-twitch response (HTR) in mice, supporting its classification as a non-hallucinogenic 5-HT2A partial agonist. Unlike LSD, 2-Br-LSD lacks 5-HT2B agonism, an effect linked to cardiac valvulopathy. Additionally, 2-Br-LSD produces weak 5-HT2A β-arrestin recruitment and internalization in vitro and does not induce tolerance in vivo after repeated administration. 2-Br-LSD induces dendritogenesis and spinogenesis in cultured rat cortical neurons and increases active coping behavior in mice, an effect blocked by the 5-HT2A-selective antagonist volinanserin (M100907). 2-Br-LSD also reverses the behavioral effects of chronic stress. Overall, 2-Br-LSD has an improved pharmacological profile compared with LSD and may have profound therapeutic value for mood disorders and other indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vern Lewis
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Emma M Bonniwell
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Janelle K Lanham
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Abdi Ghaffari
- BetterLife Pharma Inc., Vancouver, BC V6H 1A6, Canada
| | | | - Andrew B Cao
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Maggie M Calkins
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | | | - Emily Arsenault
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Andre Telfer
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | | | - Nicholas J Malcolm
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Fatema El Sayegh
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Alfonso Abizaid
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Yasmin Schmid
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kathleen Morton
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Adam L Halberstadt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | | | - John D McCorvy
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
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50
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Coutens B, Ingram SL. Key differences in regulation of opioid receptors localized to presynaptic terminals compared to somas: Relevance for novel therapeutics. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109408. [PMID: 36584882 PMCID: PMC9898207 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109408] [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: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Opioid receptors are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that regulate activity within peripheral, subcortical and cortical circuits involved in pain, reward, and aversion processing. Opioid receptors are expressed in both presynaptic terminals where they inhibit neurotransmitter release and postsynaptic locations where they act to hyperpolarize neurons and reduce activity. Agonist activation of postsynaptic receptors at the plasma membrane signal via ion channels or cytoplasmic second messengers. Agonist binding initiates regulatory processes that include phosphorylation by G protein receptor kinases (GRKs) and recruitment of beta-arrestins that desensitize and internalize the receptors. Opioid receptors also couple to effectors from endosomes activating intracellular enzymes and kinases. In contrast to postsynaptic opioid receptors, receptors localized to presynaptic terminals are resistant to desensitization such that there is no loss of signaling in the continuous presence of opioids over the same time scale. Thus, the balance of opioid signaling in circuits expressing pre- and postsynaptic opioid receptors is shifted toward inhibition of presynaptic neurotransmitter release during continuous opioid exposure. The functional implication of this shift is not often acknowledged in behavioral studies. This review covers what is currently understood about regulation of opioid/nociceptin receptors, with an emphasis on opioid receptor signaling in pain and reward circuits. Importantly, the review covers regulation of presynaptic receptors and the critical gaps in understanding this area, as well as the opportunities to further understand opioid signaling in brain circuits. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Opioid-induced changes in addiction and pain circuits".
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Affiliation(s)
- Basile Coutens
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Susan L Ingram
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
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