1
|
Simon JP, Dong S. In-silico screening of missense nsSNPs in Delta-opioid receptor protein and their restoring tendency on MCRT interaction; focusing on dynamic nature. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 275:133710. [PMID: 38977046 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133710] [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: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Delta-opioid receptor protein (OPRD1) is one of the potential targets for treating pain. The presently available opioid agonists are known to cause unnecessary side effects. To discover a novel opioid agonist, our research group has synthesized a chimeric peptide MCRT and proved its potential activity through in vivo analysis. Non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) missense mutations affect the functionality and stability of proteins leading to diseases. The current research was focused on understanding the role of MCRT in restoring the binding tendency of OPRD1 nsSNPs missense mutations on dynamic nature in comparison with Deltorphin-II and morphiceptin. The deleterious effects of nsSNPs were analyzed using various bioinformatics tools for predicting structural, functional, and oncogenic influence. The shortlisted nine nsSNPs were predicted for allergic reactions, domain changes, post-translation modification, multiple sequence alignment, secondary structure, molecular dynamic simulation (MDS), and peptide docking influence. Further, the docked complex of three shortlisted deleterious nsSNPs was analyzed using an MDS study, and the highly deleterious shortlisted nsSNP A149T was further analyzed for higher trajectory analysis. MCRT restored the binding tendency influence caused by nsSNPs on the dynamics of stability, functionality, binding affinity, secondary structure, residues connection, motion, and folding of OPRD1 protein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jerine Peter Simon
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shouliang Dong
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China,; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mei C, Zhang J, Niu Z, Simon JP, Yang T, Huang M, Zhang Z, Zhou L, Dong S. MP-13, a novel chimeric peptide of morphiceptin and pepcan-9, produces potent antinociception with limited side effects. Neuropeptides 2024; 107:102440. [PMID: 38875739 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2024.102440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Pharmacological investigations have substantiated the potential of bifunctional opioid/cannabinoid agonists in delivering potent analgesia while minimizing adverse reactions. Peptide modulators of cannabinoid receptors, known as pepcans, have been investigated before. In this study, we designed a series of chimeric peptides based on pepcans and morphiceptin (YPFP-NH2). Here, we combined injections of pepcans and morphiceptin to investigate the combination treatment of opioids and cannabis and compared the analgesic effect with chimeric compounds. Subsequently, we employed computational docking to screen the compounds against opioid and cannabinoid receptors, along with an acute pain model, to identify the most promising peptide. Among these peptides, MP-13, a morphiceptin and pepcan-9 (PVNFKLLSH) construct, exhibited superior supraspinal analgesic efficacy in the tail-flick test, with an ED50 value at 1.43 nmol/mouse, outperforming its parent peptides and other chimeric analogs. Additionally, MP-13 displayed potent analgesic activity mediated by mu-opioid receptor (MOR), delta-opioid receptor (DOR), and cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor pathways. Furthermore, MP-13 did not induce psychological dependence and gastrointestinal motility inhibition at the effective analgesic doses, and it maintained non-tolerance-forming antinociception throughout a 7-day treatment regimen, with an unaltered count of microglial cells in the periaqueductal gray region, supporting this observation. Moreover, intracerebroventricular administration of MP-13 demonstrated dose-dependent antinociception in murine models of neuropathic, inflammatory, and visceral pain. Our findings provide promising insights for the development of opioid/cannabinoid peptide agonists, addressing a crucial gap in the field and holding significant potential for future research and development. PERSPECTIVE: This article offers insights into the combination treatment of pepcans with morphiceptin. Among the chimeric peptides, MP-13 exhibited potent analgesic effects in a series of preclinical pain models with a favorable side-effect profile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Mei
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zhanyu Niu
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jerine Peter Simon
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Tong Yang
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Mingmin Huang
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zhonghua Zhang
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Lanxia Zhou
- Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Cytogenetics and Immunology, the First Hospital, Lanzhou University, 1 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shouliang Dong
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
He C, Wang X, Zhang J, Wang H, Zhao Y, Shah JN, Ma C, Li H, Su W, Zhang Z, Chen S, Zhou L, Dong S. MCRT, a multifunctional ligand of opioid and neuropeptide FF receptors, attenuates neuropathic pain in spared nerve injury model. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2021; 128:731-740. [PMID: 33533572 DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.13566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric peptide MCRT (YPFPFRTic-NH2 ) was a multifunctional ligand of opioid and neuropeptide FF (NPFF) receptors and reported to be potentially antalgic in acute tail-flick test. Here, we developed spared nerve injury (SNI) model to explore its efficacy in chronic neuropathic pain. Analgesic tolerance, opioid-induced hyperalgesia and gastrointestinal transit were measured for safety evaluation. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) and intraplantar (i.pl.) injections were conducted as central and peripheral routes, respectively. Results demonstrated that MCRT alleviated neuropathic pain effectively and efficiently, with the ED50 values of 4.93 nmol/kg at the central level and 3.11 nmol/kg at the peripheral level. The antagonist blocking study verified the involvement of mu-, delta-opioid and NPFF receptors in MCRT produced anti-allodynia. Moreover, the separation of analgesia from unwanted effects was preliminarily achieved and that MCRT caused neither analgesic tolerance nor hyperalgesia after chronic i.c.v. administration, nor constipation after i.pl. administration. Notably, the local efficacy of MCRT in SNI mice was about one thousandfold higher than morphine and ten thousandfold higher than pregabalin, indicating a great promise in the future treatment of neuropathic pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunbo He
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yaofeng Zhao
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jagat Narayan Shah
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chan Ma
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hailan Li
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wenting Su
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shasha Chen
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lanxia Zhou
- The Central Laboratory, The First Hospital, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shouliang Dong
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Szymaszkiewicz A, Włodarczyk J, Mazur M, Olczak J, Fichna J, Zielińska M. Cyclic derivatives of morphiceptin possess anti-transit effect in the gastrointestinal tract and alleviate abdominal pain in mice. Pharmacol Rep 2020; 72:314-321. [PMID: 32125684 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-020-00084-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition with recurring gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms: altered motility and abdominal pain. As endogenous opioid system participates in pain perception and in the control of GI peristalsis, opioids have been proposed as a promising therapy in IBS. In a previous study, we observed that morphiceptin derivative, P-317 (Dmt-cyclo-(D-Lys-Phe-D-Pro-Asp)-NH2), presents promising features to be applied in IBS. In this project, we tested whether modifications in cyclic morphiceptin-based structure: fluorination (compound 1) or peptide bond reduction (compound 2) improve pharmacological effect. METHODS We evaluated tested derivatives in the mouse GI system under physiological (GI transit) and pathophysiological (castor oil diarrhea, stress-induced hypermotility, visceral pain) conditions. RESULTS Both compounds prolonged GI transit. Compound 1 and P-317 inhibited upper GI transit and motility of the colon; compound 2 remained inactive. Compound 1 and P-317 inhibited hypermotility in stressed mice and delayed the acute diarrhea in comparison to control. Only P-317 exerted antinociceptive effect. None of tested derivatives, similar to P-317, affected locomotor activity. CONCLUSIONS Compound 1 is equally effective as P-317 in the mouse GI tract. The peptide bond reduction decreased the activity of compound 2. Fluorination appears to be an efficient way to increase the effects of morphiceptin analogs in the GI tract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agata Szymaszkiewicz
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Mazowiecka 6/8, 92-215, Lodz, Poland
| | - Jakub Włodarczyk
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Mazowiecka 6/8, 92-215, Lodz, Poland
| | - Marzena Mazur
- TriMen Chemicals, Lodz, Poland
- OncoArendi Therapeutics SA, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek Olczak
- TriMen Chemicals, Lodz, Poland
- OncoArendi Therapeutics SA, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jakub Fichna
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Mazowiecka 6/8, 92-215, Lodz, Poland
| | - Marta Zielińska
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Mazowiecka 6/8, 92-215, Lodz, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
This paper is the fortieth consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2017 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, CUNY, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY, 11367, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
He C, Li H, Zhang J, Zhou L, Dong S. In vitro and in vivo characterization of the bifunctional μ- and δ- opioid receptors ligand MCRT on mouse gastrointestinal motility. Neuropeptides 2019; 74:82-87. [PMID: 30738575 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2019.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 12/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chimeric opioid MCRT was a novel multi-target ligand based on morphiceptin and PFRTic-NH2, and produced potent analgesia (ED50 = 0.03 nmol/mouse) with less upper gastrointestinal dysmotility. In this study, we sought to perform the tests to evaluate the pharmacological effects of MCRT on distal colon motility and defecation function. Moreover, opioid receptor antagonists and neuropeptide FF (NPFF) receptor antagonists were utilized to explore the mechanisms. METHODS Isolated mouse colon bioassay and colonic bead expulsion were to characterize MCRT-induced inhibition of colonic motility in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Fecal pellet output was to evaluate the defecation function. RESULTS (1) In vitro, MCRT increased colonic contraction via μ- and δ- opioid receptors (MOR and DOR). (2) In vivo, MCRT delayed colonic bead expulsion (ED50 = 1.1 nmol/mouse) independent of opioid and NPFF receptors. (3) In vivo, MCRT inhibited fecal number (ED50 = 1.43 nmol/mouse) and dry weight (ED50 = 1.63 nmol/mouse), which was mediated by DOR partially but not MOR. CONCLUSIONS (1) Data indicated that MCRT was less prone to induce gastrointestinal dysmotility at analgesic doses, and provided a possibility for safer opioid analgesic. (2) Based on the mechanism explorations, we speculated on the existence of such an opioid receptor subtype or MOR/DOR heterodimer, which was involved in the central analgesia and the in vitro colonic contractions but not the central colonic dysmotility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunbo He
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Hailan Li
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Lanxia Zhou
- The Central Laboratory, The First Hospital, Lanzhou University, 1 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Shouliang Dong
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| |
Collapse
|