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Nyman J, Guo N, Sandström A, Hallberg M, Nyberg F, Yu L. The amino-terminal heptapeptide of the algesic substance P provides analgesic effect in relieving chronic neuropathic pain. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 892:173820. [PMID: 33345847 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Of painful conditions, somatic pain of acute nociceptive origin can be effectively managed clinically, while neuropathic pain of chronic neuropathy origin is difficult to control. For molecules involved in pain sensation, substance P (SP) is algesic, exacerbating painful sensation, while its amino-terminal fragment, heptapeptide SP(1-7), confers biological activities different from its full-length parent neuropeptide precursor. We previously demonstrated SP(1-7) interaction with pain processing to alleviate chronic pain. Here we evaluated SP(1-7) and its C-terminal amidated analogue SP(1-7)amide, together with SP and opioid agonist DAMGO. We tested mouse behaviors of both acute somatic pain in tail-flick latency assay, and neuropathic pain in sciatic nerve injury model of chronic constriction injury (CCI). DAMGO produced dose-dependent analgesia for somatic pain as expected, so did both SP(1-7) and its analogue SP(1-7)amide, while SP yielded the opposite effect of algesia, in a phenomenon we termed 'contrintus', meaning 'opposite from within' to denote that two peptides of the same origin (SP and its metabolic fragment SP(1-7)) produced opposite effects. In CCI model, DAMGO showed a general reduction in allodynia sensitivity for both nerve-injured and normal paws, without selective effect for neuropathic pain, consistent with clinical observation that opioids are less effective for chronic neuropathic pain. On the other hand, both SP(1-7) and SP(1-7)amide displayed dose-dependent anti-allodynia effect that is selective for neuropathic pain. These findings suggest that SP(1-7) and its analogue may be useful for developing pharmaceuticals to treat neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Nyman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 591, S-751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ning Guo
- Department of Genetics, and Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854-8001, USA
| | - Anja Sandström
- The Beijer Laboratory, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 574, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mathias Hallberg
- The Beijer Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 591, S-751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fred Nyberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 591, S-751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lei Yu
- Department of Genetics, and Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854-8001, USA.
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Xu B, Xiao J, Xu K, Zhang Q, Chen D, Zhang R, Zhang M, Zhu H, Niu J, Zheng T, Li N, Zhang X, Fang Q. VF-13, a chimeric peptide of VD-hemopressin(α) and neuropeptide VF, produces potent antinociception with reduced cannabinoid-related side effects. Neuropharmacology 2020; 175:108178. [PMID: 32544481 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108178] [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: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacological evidence indicated a functional interaction between neuropeptide FF (NPFF) and cannabinoid systems, and the cannabinoids combined with the NPFF receptor agonist neuropeptide VF (NPVF) produced antinociception without tolerance. In the present study, VF-13, a chimeric peptide containing the pharmacophores of the endogenous cannabinoid peptide VD-hemopressin(α) (VD-Hpα) and NPVF, was synthesized and pharmacologically evaluated. In vitro, VF-13 significantly upregulated the phosphorylated level of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in CHO cells stably expressing CB1 receptors and inhibited forskolin-induced cAMP accumulation in HEK293 cells stably expressing NPFF1 or NPFF2 receptors. Moreover, VF-13 induced neurite outgrowth in Neuro 2A cells via CB1 and NPFF receptors. These results suggest that VF-13 exhibits multifunctional agonism at CB1, NPFF1 and NPFF2 receptors in vitro. Interestingly, intracerebroventricular VF-13 produced dose-dependent antinociception in mouse models of tail-flick and carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain via the TRPV1 receptor. In contrast, the reference compound (m)VD-Hpα-NH2 induced CB1 receptor-mediated supraspinal antinociception. Additionally, subcutaneous injection of (m)VD-Hpα-NH2 and VF-13 produced significant antinociception in carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain model. In the tetrad assay, our data demonstrated that VF-13 elicited hypothermia, but not catalepsy and hypoactivity after intracerebroventricular injection. Notably, VF-13 produced non-tolerance forming antinociception over 6 days treatment in both acute and inflammatory pain models. Furthermore, VF-13 had no apparent effects on gastrointestinal transit, pentobarbitone-induced sedation, food intake, and motor coordination at the supraspinal level. In summary, VF-13, a novel chimeric peptide of VD-Hpα and NPVF, produced non-tolerance forming antinociception in preclinical pain models with reduced cannabinoid-related side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, And Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Jian Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, And Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Kangtai Xu
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, And Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Qinqin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, And Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Dan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, And Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Run Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, And Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Mengna Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, And Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Hanwen Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, And Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Jiandong Niu
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, And Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Ting Zheng
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Gansu Health Vocational College, 60 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Ning Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, And Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, And Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Quan Fang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, And Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China.
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Caroleo MC, Brizzi A, De Rosa M, Pandey A, Gallelli L, Badolato M, Carullo G, Cione E. Targeting Neuropathic Pain: Pathobiology, Current Treatment and Peptidomimetics as a New Therapeutic Opportunity. Curr Med Chem 2019; 27:1469-1500. [PMID: 31142248 DOI: 10.2174/0929867326666190530121133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
There is a huge need for pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of chronic Neuropathic Pain (NP), a complex condition where patients can suffer from either hyperalgesia or allodynia originating from central or peripheral nerve injuries. To date, the therapeutic guidelines include the use of tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors and anticonvulsants, beside the use of natural compounds and non-pharmacological options. Unfortunately, these drugs suffer from limited efficacy and serious dose-dependent adverse effects. In the last decades, the heptapeptide SP1-7, the major bioactive metabolite produced by Substance P (SP) cleavage, has been extensively investigated as a potential target for the development of novel peptidomimetic molecules to treat NP. Although the physiological effects of this SP fragment have been studied in detail, the mechanism behind its action is not fully clarified and the target for SP1-7 has not been identified yet. Nevertheless, specific binding sites for the heptapeptide have been found in brain and spinal cord of both mouse and rats. Several Structure-Affinity Relationship (SAR) studies on SP1-7 and some of its synthetic analogues have been carried out aiming to developing more metabolically stable and effective small molecule SP1-7-related amides that could be used as research tools for a better understanding of the SP1-7 system and, in a longer perspective, as potential therapeutic agents for future treatment of NP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Caroleo
- Department of Pharmacy and Health and Nutrition Sciences, University of Calabria, Edificio Polifunzionale, 87026 Rende (CS), Italy
| | - Antonella Brizzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Polo Scientifico San Miniato, Via A. Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Maria De Rosa
- Drug Discovery Unit, Ri.MED Foundation, Palermo 90133, Italy
| | - Ankur Pandey
- Department of Chemistry and Center of Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Luca Gallelli
- Department of Health Science, School of Medicine, University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Mariateresa Badolato
- Department of Pharmacy and Health and Nutrition Sciences, University of Calabria, Edificio Polifunzionale, 87026 Rende (CS), Italy
| | - Gabriele Carullo
- Department of Pharmacy and Health and Nutrition Sciences, University of Calabria, Edificio Polifunzionale, 87026 Rende (CS), Italy
| | - Erika Cione
- Department of Pharmacy and Health and Nutrition Sciences, University of Calabria, Edificio Polifunzionale, 87026 Rende (CS), Italy
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Abstract
Hybrid compounds (also known as chimeras, designed multiple ligands, bivalent compounds) are chemical units where two active components, usually possessing affinity and selectivity for distinct molecular targets, are combined as a single chemical entity. The rationale for using a chimeric approach is well documented as such novel drugs are characterized by their enhanced enzymatic stability and biological activity. This allows their use at lower concentrations, increasing their safety profile, particularly when considering undesirable side effects. In the group of synthetic bivalent compounds, drugs combining pharmacophores having affinities toward opioid and neurokinin-1 receptors have been extensively studied as potential analgesic drugs. Indeed, substance P is known as a major endogenous modulator of nociception both in the peripheral and central nervous systems. Hence, synthetic peptide fragments showing either agonism or antagonism at neurokinin 1 receptor were both assigned with analgesic properties. However, even though preclinical studies designated neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists as promising analgesics, early clinical studies revealed a lack of efficacy in human. Nevertheless, their molecular combination with enkephalin/endomorphin fragments has been considered as a valuable approach to design putatively promising ligands for the treatment of pain. This paper is aimed at summarizing a 20-year journey to the development of potent analgesic hybrid compounds involving an opioid pharmacophore and devoid of unwanted side effects. Additionally, the legitimacy of considering neurokinin-1 receptor ligands in the design of chimeric drugs is discussed.
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Pekošak A, Bulc JŽ, Korat Š, Schuit RC, Kooijman E, Vos R, Rongen M, Verlaan M, Takkenkamp K, Beaino W, Poot AJ, Windhorst AD. Synthesis and Preclinical Evaluation of the First Carbon-11 Labeled PET Tracers Targeting Substance P 1-7. Mol Pharm 2018; 15:4872-4883. [PMID: 30335399 PMCID: PMC6220361 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.8b00518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
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Two
potent SP1–7 peptidomimetics have been successfully
radiolabeled via [11C]CO2-fixation with excellent
yields, purity, and molar activity. l-[11C]SP1–7-peptidomimetic exhibited promising ex vivo biodistribution profile. Metabolite analysis showed that l-[11C]SP1–7-peptidomimetic is stable
in brain and spinal cord, whereas rapid metabolic degradation occurs
in rat plasma. Metabolic stability can be significantly improved by
substituting l-Phe for d-Phe, preserving 70% more
of intact tracer and resulting in better brain and spinal cord tracer
retention. Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning confirmed moderate
brain (1.5 SUV; peak at 3 min) and spinal cord (1.0 SUV; peak at 10
min) uptake for l- and d-[11C]SP1–7-peptidomimetic. A slight decrease in SUV value was
observed after pretreatment with natural peptide SP1–7 in spinal cord for l-[11C]SP1–7-peptidomimetic. On the contrary, blocking using cold analogues of l- and d-[11C]tracers did not reduce the
tracers’ brain and spinal cord exposure. In summary, PET scanning
of l- and d-[11C]SP1–7-peptidomimetics confirms rapid blood–brain barrier and blood–spinal-cord
barrier penetration. Therefore, further validation of these two tracers
targeting SP1–7 is needed in order to define a new
PET imaging target and select its most appropriate radiopharmaceutical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Pekošak
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , VU University Medical Center , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Janez Ž Bulc
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , VU University Medical Center , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Špela Korat
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , VU University Medical Center , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Robert C Schuit
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , VU University Medical Center , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Esther Kooijman
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , VU University Medical Center , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Ricardo Vos
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , VU University Medical Center , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Marissa Rongen
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , VU University Medical Center , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Mariska Verlaan
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , VU University Medical Center , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Kevin Takkenkamp
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , VU University Medical Center , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Wissam Beaino
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , VU University Medical Center , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Alex J Poot
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , VU University Medical Center , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Albert D Windhorst
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , VU University Medical Center , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
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Skogh A, Lesniak A, Sköld C, Karlgren M, Gaugaz FZ, Svensson R, Diwakarla S, Jonsson A, Fransson R, Nyberg F, Hallberg M, Sandström A. An imidazole based H-Phe-Phe-NH 2 peptidomimetic with anti-allodynic effect in spared nerve injury mice. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:2446-2450. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Skogh A, Lesniak A, Gaugaz FZ, Svensson R, Lindeberg G, Fransson R, Nyberg F, Hallberg M, Sandström A. Impact of N-methylation of the substance P 1–7 amide on anti-allodynic effect in mice after peripheral administration. Eur J Pharm Sci 2017; 109:533-540. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2017.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/02/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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