1. In vitro pharmacological characterisation of a novel cyclic nociceptin/orphanin FQ analogue c[Cys(7,10)]N/OFQ(1-13)NH (2)
T A Barnes, J McDonald, M Kitayama, G Calo', R Guerrini, D G Lambert, D J Rowbotham Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol . 2007 Aug;375(6):369-76. doi: 10.1007/s00210-007-0170-x.
Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) is the endogenous 17 amino acid peptide ligand for the G(i)-protein-coupled N/OFQ receptor (NOP). In an attempt to improve the metabolic stability of N/OFQ, we have produced a truncated cyclic analogue with cysteine residues at positions 7 and 10, c[Cys(7,10)]N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2) (c[Cys(7,10)]). c[Cys(7,10)], the template N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2) and N/OFQ displaced the binding of [(3)H]N/OFQ to Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing recombinant human NOP (CHO(hNOP)) with pK ( i ) values of 9.98, 9.83 and 9.18, respectively. In addition, c[Cys(7,10)], N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2) and N/OFQ stimulated the binding of guanosine triphosphate gamma [(35)S] to CHO(hNOP) cells with pEC(50)/E (max) (stimulation factor) of 9.16/5.5, 9.11/4.9 and 8.35/5.5, respectively. c[Cys(7,10)], N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2) and N/OFQ inhibited forskolin-stimulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) formation with pEC(50) values of 10.08, 10.11 and 9.78, respectively. All ligands produced complete inhibition of cAMP formation. In both functional assays, c[Cys(7,10)] was a full agonist. In a series of metabolism experiments, incubation of 1 nM c[Cys(7,10)], N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2) and N/OFQ with a rat brain homogenate produced a time-dependent loss of peptide that was greatest for the native peptide N/OFQ. Amidation in N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2) produced some metabolic protection, but this was not significantly improved by further inclusion of c[Cys(7,10)]. In summary, c[Cys(7,10)] is a high-affinity, high-potency full agonist of the NOP receptor. However, we were unable to demonstrate clear metabolic protection.
2. Are nociceptin(1-13)NH2 and its structural analogue [ORN(9)]nociceptin(1-13)NH2 able to affect brain antioxidant status in control and kainic acid-treated rats?
Emilia Naydenova, Radoslav Girchev, Almira Pavlova, Albena Alexandrova, Lubomir Petrov, Margarita Kirkova, Galina Nenkova, Elina Tzvetanova Cell Biochem Funct . 2009 Jun;27(4):243-50. doi: 10.1002/cbf.1566.
In-vivo effects of nociceptin (N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2)) on the levels of lipid peroxidation and cell enzyme (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase) and non-enzyme (glutathione) antioxidants in brain of control and kainic acid-treated rats were studied. N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2) effects were compared with those of its structural analogue [Orn(9)]N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2). Kainic acid (25 microg, i.c.v) increased the lipid peroxidation (4 and 24 h after kainic acid treatment) and decreased the glutathione level (1 h after kainic acid injection). We failed to find, any changes in antioxidant enzyme activities, independently of the time of kainic acid treatment. At the background of kainic acid-effects, N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2) and [Orn(9)] N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2), injected 30 min before kainic acid, had no effects on all parameters, tested in brain. In addition, the neuropeptides did not change the antioxidant status in brain of control animals. It might be concluded that N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2) and [Orn(9)]N/OFQ(1-13)NH(2) have neither pro- nor anti-oxidant activity.
3. Pharmacological characterisation of [(pX)Phe4]nociceptin(1-13)amide analogues. 1. In vitro studies
Severo Salvadori, Domenico Regoli, Eiji Hashiba, Remo Guerrini, Anna Rizzi, Valeria Camarda, Daniela Rizzi, Raffaella Bigoni, David G Lambert, Hartmut Berger, Girolamo Calo' Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol . 2002 Jun;365(6):442-9. doi: 10.1007/s00210-002-0548-8.
Phe(4) in the nociceptin (NC) sequence has been identified as the most critical residue for receptor interaction. In the present study, we investigated the pharmacological activity of a series of NC(1-13)NH(2) analogues, in which the hydrogen atom in the para position of Phe(4) was substituted with F, NO(2), CN, Cl, Br, I, CH(3), OH or NH(2). In receptor binding studies, performed using CHO cells expressing the recombinant human NC receptor (CHO(hOP4)) and in rat cerebral cortex membranes, [(pF)Phe(4)]NC(1-13)NH(2), [(pNO(2))Phe(4)]NC(1-13)NH(2), and [(pCN)Phe(4)]NC(1-13)NH(2) displayed higher affinity than NC(1-13)NH(2). The affinity of [(pCl)Phe(4)]NC(1-13)NH(2) was essentially identical to that of NC(1-13)NH(2), while the remaining compounds displayed reduced affinity. In a series of functional assays (stimulation of GTPgammaS binding in CHO(hOP4)cells and rat cerebral cortex membranes and inhibition of cAMP accumulation in CHO(hOP4) cells), the para substituted analogues behaved as full agonists (with the exception of [(pOH)Phe(4)]NC(1-13)NH(2) which acted as a partial agonist in the GTPgammaS binding assays) with the following rank order potency:[(pF)Phe(4)]NC(1-13)NH(2) and [(pNO(2))Phe(4)]NC(1-13)NH(2) were either inactive or displayed micromolar potencies in cAMP accumulation experiments performed on cells expressing classical opioid receptors. All compounds were full agonists in isolated tissues from various species (guinea pig ileum, mouse colon and mouse/rat vas deferens) with the exception of [(pOH)Phe(4)]NC(1-13)NH(2) which displayed partial agonist/weak antagonist activities. The rank order of potency was similar to that found in the other assays. The effects of all analogues were not modified by naloxone. The selective OP(4) receptor antagonist [Nphe(1)]NC(1-13)NH(2), tested in all preparations against one or both of the highly potent derivatives [(pF)Phe(4)]NC(1-13)NH(2) and [(pNO(2))Phe(4)]NC(1-13)NH(2), showed pA(2) values similar to those found against NC, the pA(2) in the GTPgammaS binding/rat cerebral cortex assay being much higher (ca. 7.5) than in the other functional assays (ca. 6). This study further supports the notion that Phe(4) of NC is the critical residue for receptor occupation and activation. Moreover, as part of this study, we have identified two novel, highly potent and selective agonists for the OP(4) receptor, [(pF)Phe(4)]NC(1-13)NH(2) and [(pNO(2))Phe(4)]NC(1-13)NH(2).
