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Harman T, Udoh M, McElroy DL, Anderson LL, Kevin RC, Banister SD, Ametovski A, Markham J, Bladen C, Doohan PT, Greba Q, Laprairie RB, Snutch TP, McGregor IS, Howland JG, Arnold JC. MEPIRAPIM-derived synthetic cannabinoids inhibit T-type calcium channels with divergent effects on seizures in rodent models of epilepsy. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1086243. [PMID: 37082241 PMCID: PMC10110893 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1086243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: T-type Ca2+ channels (Cav3) represent emerging therapeutic targets for a range of neurological disorders, including epilepsy and pain. To aid the development and optimisation of new therapeutics, there is a need to identify novel chemical entities which act at these ion channels. A number of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) have been found to exhibit activity at T-type channels, suggesting that cannabinoids may provide convenient chemical scaffolds on which to design novel Cav3 inhibitors. However, activity at cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors can be problematic because of central and peripheral toxicities associated with potent SCRAs. The putative SCRA MEPIRAPIM and its analogues were recently identified as Cav3 inhibitors with only minimal activity at CB1 receptors, opening the possibility that this scaffold may be exploited to develop novel, selective Cav3 inhibitors. Here we present the pharmacological characterisation of SB2193 and SB2193F, two novel Cav3 inhibitors derived from MEPIRAPIM. Methods: The potency of SB2193 and SB2193F was evaluated in vitro using a fluorometric Ca2+ flux assay and confirmed using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. In silico docking to the cryo-EM structure of Cav3.1 was also performed to elucidate structural insights into T-type channel inhibition. Next, in vivo pharmacokinetic parameters in mouse brain and plasma were determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Finally, anticonvulsant activity was assayed in established genetic and electrically-induced rodent seizure models. Results: Both MEPIRAPIM derivatives produced potent inhibition of Cav3 channels and were brain penetrant, with SB2193 exhibiting a brain/plasma ratio of 2.7. SB2193 was further examined in mouse seizure models where it acutely protected against 6 Hz-induced seizures. However, SB2193 did not reduce spontaneous seizures in the Scn1a +/- mouse model of Dravet syndrome, nor absence seizures in the Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rat from Strasbourg (GAERS). Surprisingly, SB2193 appeared to increase the incidence and duration of spike-and-wave discharges in GAERS animals over a 4 h recording period. Conclusion: These results show that MEPIRAPIM analogues provide novel chemical scaffolds to advance Cav3 inhibitors against certain seizure types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Harman
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Pharmacology, Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Udoh
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Pharmacology, Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dan L. McElroy
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Lyndsey L. Anderson
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Pharmacology, Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard C. Kevin
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Pharmacology, Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Samuel D. Banister
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Adam Ametovski
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jack Markham
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Chris Bladen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter T. Doohan
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Pharmacology, Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Quentin Greba
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Robert B. Laprairie
- College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Terrance P. Snutch
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Iain S. McGregor
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - John G. Howland
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Jonathon C. Arnold
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Pharmacology, Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Jonathon C. Arnold,
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Feng XJ, Ma LX, Jiao C, Kuang HX, Zeng F, Zhou XY, Cheng XE, Zhu MY, Zhang DY, Jiang CY, Liu T. Nerve injury elevates functional Cav3.2 channels in superficial spinal dorsal horn. Mol Pain 2019; 15:1744806919836569. [PMID: 30803310 PMCID: PMC6458665 DOI: 10.1177/1744806919836569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cav3 channels play an important role in modulating chronic pain. However, less is known about the functional changes of Cav3 channels in superficial spinal dorsal horn in neuropathic pain states. Here, we examined the effect of partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL) on either expression or electrophysiological properties of Cav3 channels in superficial spinal dorsal horn. Our in vivo studies showed that the blockers of Cav3 channels robustly alleviated PSNL-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, which lasted at least 14 days following PSNL. Meanwhile, PSNL triggered an increase in both mRNA and protein levels of Cav3.2 but not Cav3.1 or Cav3.3 in rats. However, in Cav3.2 knockout mice, PSNL predominantly attenuated mechanical allodynia but not thermal hyperalgesia. In addition, the results of whole-cell patch-clamp recordings showed that both the overall proportion of Cav3 current-expressing neurons and the Cav3 current density in individual neurons were elevated in spinal lamina II neurons from PSNL rats, which could not be recapitulated in Cav3.2 knockout mice. Altogether, our findings reveal that the elevated functional Cav3.2 channels in superficial spinal dorsal horn may contribute to the mechanical allodynia in PSNL-induced neuropathic pain model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Jin Feng
- 1 Center for Experimental Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,2 Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Long-Xian Ma
- 2 Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Cui Jiao
- 3 Department of Pediatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Hai-Xia Kuang
- 3 Department of Pediatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Fei Zeng
- 4 Department of Pain Clinic, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xue-Ying Zhou
- 3 Department of Pediatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiao-E Cheng
- 2 Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Meng-Ye Zhu
- 4 Department of Pain Clinic, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Da-Ying Zhang
- 4 Department of Pain Clinic, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Chang-Yu Jiang
- 5 Jisheng Han Academician Workstation for Pain Medicine, Nanshan Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tao Liu
- 1 Center for Experimental Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,3 Department of Pediatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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