Discovery of a potent and efficacious peptide derivative for δ/μ opioid agonist/neurokinin 1 antagonist activity with a 2',6'-dimethyl-L-tyrosine: in vitro, in vivo, and NMR-based structural studies

J Med Chem. 2011 Apr 14;54(7):2029-38. doi: 10.1021/jm101023r. Epub 2011 Mar 2.

Abstract

Multivalent ligands with δ/μ opioid agonist and NK1 antagonist activities have shown promising analgesic potency without detectable sign of toxicities, including motor skill impairment and opioid-induced tolerance. To improve their biological activities and metabolic stability, structural optimization was performed on our peptide-derived lead compounds by introducing 2',6'-dimethyl-L-tyrosine (Dmt) instead of Tyr at the first position. The compound 7 (Dmt-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-Met-Pro-Leu-Trp-NH-[3',5'-(CF(3))(2)-Bzl]) showed improved multivalent bioactivities compared to those of the lead compounds, had more than 6 h half-life in rat plasma, and had significant antinociceptive efficacy in vivo. The NMR structural analysis suggested that Dmt(1) incorporation in compound 7 induces the structured conformation in the opioid pharmacophore (N-terminus) and simultaneously shifts the orientation of the NK1 pharmacophore (C-terminus), consistent with its affinities and activities at both opioid and NK1 receptors. These results indicate that compound 7 is a valuable research tool to seek a novel analgesic drug.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Analgesics / chemistry
  • Analgesics / metabolism
  • Analgesics / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Drug Discovery*
  • Drug Stability
  • Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate) / metabolism
  • Guinea Pigs
  • Humans
  • Ileum / metabolism
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Micelles
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists*
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Rats
  • Receptors, Neurokinin-1 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu / agonists*
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu / metabolism
  • Receptors, sigma / agonists*
  • Receptors, sigma / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tyrosine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Tyrosine / chemistry
  • Tyrosine / metabolism
  • Tyrosine / pharmacology
  • Vas Deferens / metabolism

Substances

  • Analgesics
  • Micelles
  • Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists
  • Peptides
  • Receptors, Neurokinin-1
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu
  • Receptors, sigma
  • 2',6'-dimethyltyrosine
  • Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate)
  • Tyrosine