Analogues of substance P. Peptides containing D-amino acid residues in various positions of substance P and displaying agonist or receptor selective antagonist effects

Emerging trends of receptor-mediated tumor targeting peptides: A review with perspective from molecular imaging modalities

Natural peptides extracted from natural components such are known to have a relatively short in-vivo half-life and can readily metabolize by endo- and exo-peptidases. Fortunately, synthetic peptides can be easily manipulated to increase in-vivo stability, membrane permeability and target specificity with some well-known natural families. Many natural as well as synthetic peptides target to their endogenous receptors for diagnosis and therapeutic applications. In order to detect these peptides externally, they must be modified with radionuclides compatible with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET). Although, these techniques mainly rely on physiological changes and have profound diagnostic strength over anatomical modalities such as MRI and CT. However, both SPECT and PET observed to possess lack of anatomical reference frame which is a key weakness of these techniques, and unfortunately, cannot be available freely in most clinical centres especially in under-developing countries. Hence, it is need of the time to design and develop economic, patient friendly and versatile strategies to grapple with existing problems without any hazardous side effects. Optical molecular imaging (OMI) has emerged as a novel technique in field of medical science using fluorescent probes as imaging modality and has ability to couple with organic drugs, small molecules, chemotherapeutics, DNA, RNA, anticancer peptide and protein without adding chelators as necessary for radionuclides. Furthermore, this review focuses on difference in imaging modalities and provides ample knowledge about reliable, economic and patient friendly optical imaging technique rather radionuclide-based imaging techniques.

The Neurokinins: Peptidomimetic Ligand Design and Therapeutic Applications

The neurokinins are indisputably essential neurotransmitters in numerous pathoand physiological events. Being widely distributed in the Central Nervous System (CNS) and peripheral tissues, their discovery rapidly promoted them to drugs targets. As a necessity for molecular tools to understand the biological role of this class, endogenous peptides and their receptors prompted the scientific community to design ligands displaying either agonist and antagonist activity at the three main neurokinin receptors, called NK1, NK2 and NK3. Several strategies were implemented for this purpose. With a preference to small non-peptidic ligands, many research groups invested efforts in synthesizing and evaluating a wide range of scaffolds, but only the NK1 antagonist Aprepitant (EMENDT) and its prodrug Fosaprepitant (IVEMENDT) have been approved by the Food Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced and Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (CINV and PONV, respectively). While non-peptidic drugs showed limitations, especially in side effect control, peptidic and pseudopeptidic compounds progressively regained attention. Various strategies were implemented to modulate affinity, selectivity and activity of the newly designed ligands. Replacement of canonical amino acids, incorporation of conformational constraints, and fusion with non-peptidic moieties gave rise to families of ligands displaying individual or dual NK1, NK2 and NK3 antagonism, that ultimately were combined with non-neurokinin ligands (such as opioids) to target enhanced biological impact.

Effects of D-amino acids on lipoperoxidation in rat liver and kidney mitochondria

The effects of the amino acids D-ser, D-asp, and D-ala on lipoperoxidation under conditions of hypertension, alcoholism, and ammonemia in rat liver and kidney mitochondria were studied. Under normal conditions, D-alanine increased in 54% free radicals production in liver mitochondria (p < 0.05). The D-amino acids had no effect on kidney mitochondria. D-ser and D-ala increased lipoperoxidation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) as compared with their normotensive genetic control Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats (p < 0.05). During hypertension and in oxidative stress in the presence of calcium, only D-ala produced 46% and 29% free radicals in liver and kidney mitochondria (p < 0.05), respectively. During chronic alcoholism, D-ser increased lipoperoxidation in 80% in kidney mitochondria (p < 0.05), as compared to control. During ammonemia, D-ser produced 41% free radicals.

Solution conformation of Substance P antagonists-[D-Arg1, D-Trp7,9, Leu11]-SP, [D-Arg1, D-Pro2, D-Trp7,9, Leu11]-SP and [D-Pro2, D-Trp7,9]-SP by CD, NMR and MD simulations

Substance P (SP) is an important neuropeptide involved in pain transmission and induction of inflammation. Its antagonists are being extensively investigated for their non-narcotic analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. With a view towards better understanding the structural requirements of these analogs for efficient interaction with the SP receptor, the conformation of three SP antagonists [D-Arg1, D-Trp7,9, Leu11]-SP, [D-Arg1, D-Pro2, D-Trp7,9, Leu11]-SP and [D-Pro2, D-Trp7,9]-SP has been studied by CD, NMR and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. All three peptides exhibit a high dependence of structure on the solvent. The molecules tend to adopt beta-turns in solvents like DMSO and H2O and form helices in a hydrophobic environment. A direct relation between the helix forming potential of these antagonists with their receptor binding potency has been observed.

Mast cell production of TNF-alpha induced by substance P evidence for a modulatory role of substance P-antagonists

Unregulated increasing of Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) could be pathogenic in inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory role of the Substance P-antagonists (SPAs) through the inhibition of histamine release (HR) and TNF-alpha production from mast cell. Rat peritoneal mast cells (PMC) stimulated with Substance P (SP), in the presence of SPAs or not, were analyzed for HR and TNF-alpha protein production. Competitive Polymerase Chain Reaction, with an internal standard competing with target cDNA for the same primers, was used to determine the TNF-alpha mRNA expression. We show that the increase of either HR and TNF-alpha levels in peritoneal (PMC) after induction with SP was inhibited by pre-incubation with SPA or with the Peptide 101 (P101), while the [D-Pro2, D-Phe7, D-Trp9]-SP (dSP) had no effect. Neuraminidase treatment suggests that dSP, as well as SP, interacts with sialic acid residues on the cell surface. Moreover, SPA and P101 also inhibit the release of histamine and TNF-alpha induced by dSP suggesting that a receptor-independent mechanism is involved. These data could be useful to better understand the mechanisms involved in the mast cell activation and TNF-alpha production in the inflammatory diseases where SP is involved.

3-Alkyl-6-chloro-2-pyrones: selective inhibitors of pancreatic cholesterol esterase

A series of 3-alkyl-6-chloro-2-pyrones with cyclohexane rings tethered to the 3-position was synthesized. The tether ranged from 0 to 4 methylene units. Inhibition of pancreatic cholesterol esterase by this series of pyrones was markedly dependent upon the length of the tether. Dissociation constants as low as 25 nM were observed for 6-chloro-3-(1-ethyl-2-cyclohexyl)-2-pyranone. This class of cholesterol esterase inhibitors functioned as simple competitive inhibitors of substrate binding rather than as suicide substrates or active site inactivators. Trypsin and chymotrypsin were not strongly inhibited by this class of pyrones. Selectivities for cholesterol esterase were greater than 10(3). This is in contrast to 3-aryl-6-chloro-2-pyrones which are nonselective, irreversible inactivators of serine hydrolases. Thus, replacement of the 3-aryl group by an appropriately tethered 3-alkyl ring can produce highly selective inhibitors of cholesterol esterase. A second series of halogen-containing esters was prepared in which cholesterol was esterified with alpha-haloacyl halides. These haloesters were simple substrates of cholesterol esterase with no evidence of irreversible inactivation.

Rational design of high affinity tachykinin NK2 receptor antagonists

The rational discovery of a high affinity NK2 receptor antagonist is described utilizing a general strategy for peptoid design. The contribution to NK2 receptor binding affinity for each amino acid of the hexapeptide 'minimum fragment': Leu-Met-Gln-Trp-Phe-GlyNH2 (8c), was examined by preparing derivatives where each amino acid in turn was replaced with Ala in an 'alanine scan'. The results from this study indicated the primary importance of the Trp and Phe side-chain for binding and led to the observation that Z-Trp-PheNH2 (9a) is a micromolar affinity NK2 receptor dipeptide lead. Further exploration of structure-affinity via conformationally restricted analogues and N- and C-terminus modifications gave a selective, nanomolar affinity NK2 receptor antagonist, (2,3di-CH3OPh)CH2OCO(S)Trp(S)alpha-MePheGlyNH2, PD 147714 (19) with an K(i) = 1.4 nM (hamster urinary bladder membranes and using [125I]-iodohistidyl-NKA (0.1 nM) as the radioligand).

Synthesis of potent antagonists of substance P by modifying the methionyl and glutaminyl residues of its C-terminal hexapeptide and without using D-amino acids

Analogues of [Orn6]-SP6-11 have been synthesized in which the Met11-NH2 residue is replaced by the alpha, gamma-dimethyl, alpha, gamma-dibenzyl and alpha, gamma-di-tert-butyl esters of glutamic acid. These analogues were tested in three in vitro preparations representative of NK-1, NK-2 and NK-3 receptor types for agonist and antagonist activity. The dimethyl analogue is a selective full agonist in the NK-1 receptor type and a weak antagonist in the other two receptor types, while the dibenzyl and the di-tert-butyl analogues are potent antagonists in the NK-1 receptor type and weak antagonists in the other two receptor types. It is concluded that appropriate modification at the alpha-carboxamide and the side chain of the methionine residue of substance P may induce antagonism without using D-amino acids.

Molecular dynamics simulation provides a possible structure for substance P-like peptides in aqueous solution

A hypothetical conformation of the undecapeptide Substance P in aqueous solution is generated by molecular dynamics simulation for 284 ps. The conformation takes explicit solvent interactions into account as well as entropic effects to the extent that phase space is sampled in simulation. The initial conformation is taken from energy minimization studies and modified. In spite of fluctuations through 180 degrees in some backbone dihedral angles, the peptide settles with all backbone dihedrals within +/- 60 degrees from the initial values. In 130 ps, the radius of gyration decreases from 6.2 A to 5.5 A, whereas only fluctuation (+/- .2 A) is observed during the last 150 ps. The root-mean-square deviation at optimal superposition for a pair of conformations from the last 150 ps is 0.6 A, based on backbone atoms. The final structure is close-knit, nearly globular, and stabilized by several long-lived hydrogen bonds. The simulation conformation agrees with the scarce experimental data including a large number of structure-activity relationships. Thus, the simulation conformation is a likely candidate for one of the several conformations, the existence of which has been deduced from nuclear magnetic resonance data. Simulation results and experimental modification studies suggest that Phe 8 and Leu 10 are involved in the primary binding of SP to its receptors.

N-isobutyryl-His-Trp-Ala-Val-D-Ala-His-Leu-NHMe (ICI 216140) a potent in vivo antaconist analogue of bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide (BN/GRP) derived from the C-terminal sequence lacking the final methionine residue

The GRP receptor mediated growth response in Swiss 3T3 cells has been used to identify BN/GRP antagonists. Analysis of bombesin antagonism by substance P analogues and by truncated GRP analogues revealed that deletion of the C-terminal methionine residue was important for antagonism. Des-Met analogues showing potent antagonist activity in the in vitro 3T3 system (IC50 approximately 2nM) were synthesized. Further structural modification of these peptides led to the identification of (CH3)2CHCO-His-Trp-Ala-Val-D-Ala-His-Leu-NHCH3 (ICI 216140) which reduced bombesin-stimulated rat pancreatic amylase secretion to basal levels when administered subcutaneously at 2.0 mg per kg.