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Robinson KC, Kemény LV, Fell GL, Hermann AL, Allouche J, Ding W, Yekkirala A, Hsiao JJ, Su MY, Theodosakis N, Kozak G, Takeuchi Y, Shen S, Berenyi A, Mao J, Woolf CJ, Fisher DE. Reduced MC4R signaling alters nociceptive thresholds associated with red hair. Sci Adv 2021; 7:eabd1310. [PMID: 33811065 PMCID: PMC11057701 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd1310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Humans and mice with natural red hair have elevated basal pain thresholds and an increased sensitivity to opioid analgesics. We investigated the mechanisms responsible for higher nociceptive thresholds in red-haired mice resulting from a loss of melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) function and found that the increased thresholds are melanocyte dependent but melanin independent. MC1R loss of function decreases melanocytic proopiomelanocortin transcription and systemic melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) levels in the plasma of red-haired (Mc1re/e ) mice. Decreased peripheral α-MSH derepresses the central opioid tone mediated by the opioid receptor OPRM1, resulting in increased nociceptive thresholds. We identified MC4R as the MSH-responsive receptor that opposes OPRM1 signaling and the periaqueductal gray area in the brainstem as a central area of opioid/melanocortin antagonism. This work highlights the physiologic role of melanocytic MC1R and circulating melanocortins in the regulation of nociception and provides a mechanistic framework for altered opioid signaling and pain sensitivity in red-haired individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen C Robinson
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and MGH Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lajos V Kemény
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and MGH Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Gillian L Fell
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and MGH Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Andrea L Hermann
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and MGH Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
- Doctoral School of Clinical Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Jennifer Allouche
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and MGH Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Weihua Ding
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Ajay Yekkirala
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, and Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jennifer J Hsiao
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and MGH Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Mack Y Su
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and MGH Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Nicholas Theodosakis
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and MGH Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Gabor Kozak
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, University of Szeged, Szeged H-6720, Hungary
- University Neurology Hospital and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yuichi Takeuchi
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, University of Szeged, Szeged H-6720, Hungary
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
- Neurocybernetics Excellence Center, University of Szeged, 10 Dom sqr, Szeged 6720, Hungary
- Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
| | - Shiqian Shen
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Antal Berenyi
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, University of Szeged, Szeged H-6720, Hungary
- Neurocybernetics Excellence Center, University of Szeged, 10 Dom sqr, Szeged 6720, Hungary
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University, New York City, NY 10016, USA
- HCEMM-USZ Magnetotherapeutics Research Group, University of Szeged, 10 Dom sqr, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Jianren Mao
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Clifford J Woolf
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, and Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David E Fisher
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and MGH Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA.
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Talbot S, Doyle B, Huang J, Wang JC, Ahmadi M, Roberson DP, Yekkirala A, Foster SL, Browne LE, Bean BP, Levy BD, Woolf CJ. Vagal sensory neurons drive mucous cell metaplasia. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2020; 145:1693-1696.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Abstract
Opioids represent an efficacious therapeutic modality for some, but not all pain states. Singular reliance on opioid therapy for pain management has limitations, and abuse potential has deleterious consequences for patient and society. Our understanding of pain biology has yielded insights and opportunities for alternatives to conventional opioid agonists. The aim is to have efficacious therapies, with acceptable side effect profiles and minimal abuse potential, which is to say an absence of reinforcing activity in the absence of a pain state. The present work provides a nonexclusive overview of current drug targets and potential future directions of research and development. We discuss channel activators and blockers, including sodium channel blockers, potassium channel activators, and calcium channel blockers; glutamate receptor-targeted agents, including N-methyl-D-aspartate, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid, and metabotropic receptors. Furthermore, we discuss therapeutics targeted at γ-aminobutyric acid, α2-adrenergic, and opioid receptors. We also considered antagonists of angiotensin 2 and Toll receptors and agonists/antagonists of adenosine, purine receptors, and cannabinoids. Novel targets considered are those focusing on lipid mediators and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Of interest is development of novel targeting strategies, which produce long-term alterations in pain signaling, including viral transfection and toxins. We consider issues in the development of druggable molecules, including preclinical screening. While there are examples of successful translation, mechanistically promising preclinical candidates may unexpectedly fail during clinical trials because the preclinical models may not recapitulate the particular human pain condition being addressed. Molecular target characterization can diminish the disconnect between preclinical and humans' targets, which should assist in developing nonaddictive analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nebojsa Nick Knezevic
- From the *Department of Anesthesiology, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago, Illinois; Departments of †Anesthesiology and ‡Surgery, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois; §Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; ‖Blue Therapeutics, Harvard Innovation Launch Lab, Allston, Massachusetts; and Departments of ¶Anesthesiology and #Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
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Chandran V, Coppola G, Nawabi H, Omura T, Versano R, Huebner EA, Zhang A, Costigan M, Yekkirala A, Barrett L, Blesch A, Michaelevski I, Davis-Turak J, Gao F, Langfelder P, Horvath S, He Z, Benowitz L, Fainzilber M, Tuszynski M, Woolf CJ, Geschwind DH. A Systems-Level Analysis of the Peripheral Nerve Intrinsic Axonal Growth Program. Neuron 2016; 89:956-70. [PMID: 26898779 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 239] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The regenerative capacity of the injured CNS in adult mammals is severely limited, yet axons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) regrow, albeit to a limited extent, after injury. We reasoned that coordinate regulation of gene expression in injured neurons involving multiple pathways was central to PNS regenerative capacity. To provide a framework for revealing pathways involved in PNS axon regrowth after injury, we applied a comprehensive systems biology approach, starting with gene expression profiling of dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) combined with multi-level bioinformatic analyses and experimental validation of network predictions. We used this rubric to identify a drug that accelerates DRG neurite outgrowth in vitro and optic nerve outgrowth in vivo by inducing elements of the identified network. The work provides a functional genomics foundation for understanding neural repair and proof of the power of such approaches in tackling complex problems in nervous system biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijayendran Chandran
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Homaira Nawabi
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Takao Omura
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Revital Versano
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Eric A Huebner
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alice Zhang
- Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Michael Costigan
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ajay Yekkirala
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Lee Barrett
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Armin Blesch
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Izhak Michaelevski
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Jeremy Davis-Turak
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Fuying Gao
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Peter Langfelder
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Zhigang He
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Larry Benowitz
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mike Fainzilber
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Mark Tuszynski
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Clifford J Woolf
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Naour ML, Akgün E, Yekkirala A, Lunzer MM, Powers MD, Kalyuzhny AE, Portoghese PS. Bivalent ligands that target μ opioid (MOP) and cannabinoid1 (CB1) receptors are potent analgesics devoid of tolerance. J Med Chem 2013; 56:5505-13. [PMID: 23734559 PMCID: PMC3849126 DOI: 10.1021/jm4005219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Given that μ opioid (MOP) and canabinoid (CB1) receptors are colocalized in various regions of the central nervous system and have been reported to associate as heteromer (MOP-CB1) in cultured cells, the possibility of functional, endogenous MOP-CB1 in nociception and other pharmacologic effects has been raised. As a first step in investigating this possibility, we have synthesized a series of bivalent ligands 1-5 that contain both μ agonist and CB1 antagonist pharmacophores for use as tools to study the functional interaction between MOP and CB1 receptors in vivo. Immunofluorescent studies on HEK293 cells coexpressing both receptors suggested 5 (20-atom spacer) to be the only member of the series that bridges the protomers of the heteromer. Antinociceptive testing in mice revealed 5 to be the most potent member of the series. As neither a mixture of monovalent ligands 9 + 10 nor bivalents 2-5 produced tolerance in mice, MOR-CB1 apparently is not an important target for reducing tolerance.
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MESH Headings
- Analgesics, Opioid/chemical synthesis
- Analgesics, Opioid/chemistry
- Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacology
- Animals
- Cell Membrane/drug effects
- Cell Membrane/metabolism
- Drug Design
- Drug Tolerance
- Endocytosis/drug effects
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique
- HEK293 Cells
- Humans
- Injections, Intraventricular
- Injections, Spinal
- Ligands
- Male
- Mice, Inbred ICR
- Models, Chemical
- Molecular Structure
- Pain/physiopathology
- Pain/prevention & control
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/agonists
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/genetics
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/metabolism
- Structure-Activity Relationship
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Le Naour
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Eyup Akgün
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Ajay Yekkirala
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Mary M. Lunzer
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Mike D. Powers
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Alexander E. Kalyuzhny
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Philip S. Portoghese
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN55455
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Zhang S, Yekkirala A, Tang Y, Portoghese PS. A bivalent ligand (KMN-21) antagonist for mu/kappa heterodimeric opioid receptors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2009; 19:6978-80. [PMID: 19892550 PMCID: PMC5060004 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2009.10.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2009] [Revised: 10/08/2009] [Accepted: 10/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
In an effort to develop antagonists for kappa-mu opioid receptor heterodimers, a series of bivalent ligands 3-6 containing kappa- and mu-antagonist pharmacophores were designed and synthesized. Evaluation of the series in HEK-293 cells revealed 4 (KMN-21) to selectively antagonize the activation of kappa-mu heterodimers, suggesting possible bridging of receptors when the bivalent ligand spacer contains 21 atoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijun Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ajay Yekkirala
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ye Tang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Philip S. Portoghese
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Lunzer MM, Yekkirala A, Hebbel RP, Portoghese PS. Naloxone acts as a potent analgesic in transgenic mouse models of sickle cell anemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:6061-5. [PMID: 17389363 PMCID: PMC1851616 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0700295104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sickle cell anemia is a common genetic disorder in African Americans. Opioid analgesics are traditionally the treatment for the severe pain associated with this disease. Here we reveal that the opioid antagonist naloxone possesses potent analgesic activity in two transgenic mouse models of sickle cell anemia (NY1DD and hBERK1) and not in their respective controls (ICR-CD1 and C57BL/6J) when administered by three parenteral routes [intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.), intrathecal, and subcutaneous]. In the NY1DD mice, naloxone (i.c.v.) possessed approximately 300-fold greater potency than morphine (i.c.v.). Other opioid antagonists (naltrexone, norbinaltorphimine, and naltrindole) were substantially less effective in producing analgesia. Naloxone and morphine were synergistic in NY1DD mice, suggesting different receptor systems. Microarray analysis suggested naloxone-induced down-regulation of the CC chemokine receptor (CCR)5 in NY1DD mice but not in control mice. Pretreatment of control mice with CC chemokine ligand 5 [CCL5 (RANTES)] enabled naloxone to produce analgesia similar to that observed in NY1DD mice. Mu opioid receptor knockout mice treated similarly also displayed analgesia. That the effect of CCL5 was specifically related to CCR5 and/or CCR1 activation was demonstrated by antagonism of analgesia with the chemokine antagonist methionylated RANTES. Similar antagonism of naloxone-induced analgesia also was observed when NY1DD mice were pretreated with methionylated RANTES. These results indicate that CCR5/CCR1 receptors are directly or indirectly involved in analgesia produced by naloxone. The present study suggests that naloxone may be clinically useful in the treatment of pain associated with sickle cell disease and other disorders involving inflammation.
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MESH Headings
- Analgesics/administration & dosage
- Analgesics/pharmacology
- Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacology
- Anemia, Sickle Cell/drug therapy
- Anemia, Sickle Cell/physiopathology
- Animals
- Chemokine CCL5/pharmacology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Down-Regulation
- Drug Synergism
- Injections, Intraventricular
- Injections, Spinal
- Injections, Subcutaneous
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Inbred ICR
- Mice, Knockout
- Mice, Transgenic
- Morphine/pharmacology
- Naloxone/administration & dosage
- Naloxone/pharmacology
- Pain/drug therapy
- Pain/genetics
- Pain/metabolism
- Pain Measurement/drug effects
- Receptors, CCR5/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary M. Lunzer
- *Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, and
| | - Ajay Yekkirala
- *Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, and
| | - Robert P. Hebbel
- Vascular Biology Center and Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology–Oncology–Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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