1
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Puls K, Olivé-Marti AL, Hongnak S, Lamp D, Spetea M, Wolber G. Discovery of Novel, Selective, and Nonbasic Agonists for the Kappa-Opioid Receptor Determined by Salvinorin A-Based Virtual Screening. J Med Chem 2024; 67:13788-13801. [PMID: 39088801 PMCID: PMC11345774 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Abstract
Modulating the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) is a promising strategy for treating various human diseases. KOR agonists show potential for treating pain, pruritus, and epilepsy, while KOR antagonists show potential for treating depression, anxiety, and addiction. The diterpenoid Salvinorin A (SalA), a secondary metabolite of Salvia divinorum, is a potent and selective KOR agonist. Unlike typical opioids, SalA lacks a basic nitrogen, which encouraged us to search for nonbasic KOR ligands. Through structure-based virtual screening using 3D pharmacophore models based on the binding mode of SalA, we identified novel, nonbasic, potent, and selective KOR agonists. In vitro studies confirmed two virtual hits, SalA-VS-07 and SalA-VS-08, as highly selective for the KOR and showing G protein-biased KOR agonist activity. Both KOR ligands share a novel spiro-moiety and a nonbasic scaffold. Our findings provide novel starting points for developing therapeutics aimed at treating pain and other conditions in which KOR is a central player.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Puls
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2-4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Aina-Leonor Olivé-Marti
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for
Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Siriwat Hongnak
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for
Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - David Lamp
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for
Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mariana Spetea
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for
Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2-4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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2
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Khatoon H, Faudzi SMM. Balancing acts: The dual faces of fentanyl in medicine and public health. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2024; 71:102507. [PMID: 39127024 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2024.102507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2024] [Revised: 07/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid widely used in medicine for its effective analgesic properties, particularly in surgical procedures and in the treatment of severe, chronic pain. In recent decades, however, there has been a worrying increase in the illicit use of fentanyl, particularly in North America. This rise in illicit use is concerning because fentanyl is associated with polydrug abuse, which adds layers of complexity and dangerous. This review provides a comprehensive examination of fentanyl, focusing on its synthesis and medical use. It also discusses the significance of the piperidine ring in medicinal chemistry as well as the critical role of fentanyl in pain management and anesthesia. Furthermore, it addresses the challenges associated with the abuse potential of fentanyl and the resulting public health concerns. The study aims to strike a balance between the clinical benefits and risks of fentanyl by advocating for innovative uses while addressing public health issues. It examines the chemistry, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of fentanyl and highlights the importance of personalized medicine in the administration of opioids. The review underscores the necessity of continuous research and adaptation in both clinical use and public health strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hena Khatoon
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Siti Munirah Mohd Faudzi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia; Natural Medicines and Product Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
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3
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Stein C. Effects of pH on opioid receptor activation and implications for drug design. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00446-6. [PMID: 38970252 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024] Open
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors are integral membrane proteins that transduce chemical signals from the extracellular matrix into the cell. Traditional drug design has considered ligand-receptor interactions only under normal conditions. However, studies on opioids indicate that such interactions are very different in diseased tissues. In such microenvironments, protons play an important role in structural and functional alterations of both ligands and receptors. The pertinent literature strongly suggests that future drug design should take these aspects into account in order to reduce adverse side effects while preserving desired effects of novel compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Stein
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Experimental Anaesthesiology, Berlin, Germany.
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4
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Baby SM, May WJ, Getsy PM, Coffee GA, Nakashe T, Bates JN, Levine A, Lewis SJ. Fentanyl activates opposing opioid and non-opioid receptor systems that control breathing. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1381073. [PMID: 38698814 PMCID: PMC11063261 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1381073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Fentanyl elicits profound disturbances in ventilatory control processes in humans and experimental animals. The traditional viewpoint with respect to fentanyl-induced respiratory depression is that once the effects on the frequency of breathing (Freq), tidal volume (TV), and minute ventilation (MV = Freq × TV) are resolved, then depression of breathing is no longer a concern. The results of the present study challenge this concept with findings, as they reveal that while the apparent inhibitory effects of fentanyl (75 μg/kg, IV) on Freq, TV, and MV in adult male rats were fully resolved within 15 min, many other fentanyl-induced responses were in full effect, including opposing effects on respiratory timing parameters. For example, although the effects on Freq were resolved at 15 min, inspiratory duration (Ti) and end inspiratory pause (EIP) were elevated, whereas expiratory duration (Te) and end expiratory pause (EEP) were diminished. Since the effects of fentanyl on TV had subsided fully at 15 min, it would be expected that the administration of an opioid receptor (OR) antagonist would have minimal effects if the effects of fentanyl on this and other parameters had resolved. We now report that the intravenous injection of a 1.0 mg/kg dose of the peripherally restricted OR antagonist, methyl-naloxone (naloxone methiodide, NLXmi), did not elicit arousal but elicited some relatively minor changes in Freq, TV, MV, Te, and EEP but pronounced changes in Ti and EIP. In contrast, the injection of a 2.5 mg/kg dose of NLXmi elicited pronounced arousal and dramatic changes in many variables, including Freq, TV, and MV, which were not associated with increases in non-apneic breathing events such as apneas. The two compelling conclusions from this study are as follows: 1) the blockade of central ORs produced by the 2.5 mg/kg dose of NLXmi elicits pronounced increases in Freq, TV, and MV in rats in which the effects of fentanyl had apparently resolved, and 2) it is apparent that fentanyl had induced the activation of two systems with counter-balancing effects on Freq and TV: one being an opioid receptor inhibitory system and the other being a non-OR excitatory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santhosh M. Baby
- Department of Drug Discovery, Galleon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Horsham, PA, United States
| | - Walter J. May
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Paulina M. Getsy
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Gregory A. Coffee
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Tej Nakashe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - James N. Bates
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IO, United States
| | - Alan Levine
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Stephen J. Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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5
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Hollerbach AL, Ibrahim YM, Lin VS, Schultz KJ, Huntley AP, Armentrout PB, Metz TO, Ewing RG. Identification of Unique Fragmentation Patterns of Fentanyl Analog Protomers Using Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations Ion Mobility-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2024; 35:793-803. [PMID: 38469802 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.4c00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The opioid crisis in the United States is being fueled by the rapid emergence of new fentanyl analogs and precursors that can elude traditional library-based screening methods, which require data from known reference compounds. Since reference compounds are unavailable for new fentanyl analogs, we examined if fentanyls (fentanyl + fentanyl analogs) could be identified in a reference-free manner using a combination of electrospray ionization (ESI), high-resolution ion mobility (IM) spectrometry, high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS), and higher-energy collision-induced dissociation (MS/MS). We analyzed a mixture containing nine fentanyls and W-15 (a structurally similar molecule) and found that the protonated forms of all fentanyls exhibited two baseline-separated IM distributions that produced different MS/MS patterns. Upon fragmentation, both IM distributions of all fentanyls produced two high intensity fragments, resulting from amine site cleavages. The higher mobility distributions of all fentanyls also produced several low intensity fragments, but surprisingly, these same fragments exhibited much greater intensities in the lower mobility distributions. This observation demonstrates that many fragments of fentanyls predominantly originate from one of two different gas-phase structures (suggestive of protomers). Furthermore, increasing the water concentration in the ESI solution increased the intensity of the lower mobility distribution relative to the higher mobility distribution, which further supports that fentanyls exist as two gas-phase protomers. Our observations on the IM and MS/MS properties of fentanyls can be exploited to positively differentiate fentanyls from other compounds without requiring reference libraries and will hopefully assist first responders and law enforcement in combating new and emerging fentanyls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Hollerbach
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Yehia M Ibrahim
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Vivian S Lin
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Katherine J Schultz
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Adam P Huntley
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - P B Armentrout
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Thomas O Metz
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Robert G Ewing
- Nuclear, Chemistry & Biology Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
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6
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Lasham J, Djurabekova A, Zickermann V, Vonck J, Sharma V. Role of Protonation States in the Stability of Molecular Dynamics Simulations of High-Resolution Membrane Protein Structures. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:2304-2316. [PMID: 38430110 PMCID: PMC11389979 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c07421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide unmatched spatial and time resolution of protein structure and function. However, the accuracy of MD simulations often depends on the quality of force field parameters and the time scale of sampling. Another limitation of conventional MD simulations is that the protonation states of titratable amino acid residues remain fixed during simulations, even though protonation state changes coupled to conformational dynamics are central to protein function. Due to the uncertainty in selecting protonation states, classical MD simulations are sometimes performed with all amino acids modeled in their standard charged states at pH 7. Here, we performed and analyzed classical MD simulations on high-resolution cryo-EM structures of two large membrane proteins that transfer protons by catalyzing protonation/deprotonation reactions. In simulations performed with titratable amino acids modeled in their standard protonation (charged) states, the structure diverges far from its starting conformation. In comparison, MD simulations performed with predetermined protonation states of amino acid residues reproduce the structural conformation, protein hydration, and protein-water and protein-protein interactions of the structure much better. The results support the notion that it is crucial to perform basic protonation state calculations, especially on structures where protonation changes play an important functional role, prior to the launch of any conventional MD simulations. Furthermore, the combined approach of fast protonation state prediction and MD simulations can provide valuable information about the charge states of amino acids in the cryo-EM sample. Even though accurate prediction of protonation states in proteinaceous environments currently remains a challenge, we introduce an approach of combining pKa prediction with cryo-EM density map analysis that helps in improving not only the protonation state predictions but also the atomic modeling of density data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Lasham
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Amina Djurabekova
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Volker Zickermann
- Institute of Biochemistry II, University Hospital, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Janet Vonck
- Department of Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Vivek Sharma
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- HiLIFE Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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7
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Rademeyer KM, R Nass S, Jones AM, Ohene-Nyako M, Hauser KF, McRae M. Fentanyl dysregulates neuroinflammation and disrupts blood-brain barrier integrity in HIV-1 Tat transgenic mice. J Neurovirol 2024; 30:1-21. [PMID: 38280928 PMCID: PMC11232468 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-023-01186-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Opioid overdose deaths have dramatically increased by 781% from 1999 to 2021. In the setting of HIV, opioid drug abuse exacerbates neurotoxic effects of HIV in the brain, as opioids enhance viral replication, promote neuronal dysfunction and injury, and dysregulate an already compromised inflammatory response. Despite the rise in fentanyl abuse and the close association between opioid abuse and HIV infection, the interactive comorbidity between fentanyl abuse and HIV has yet to be examined in vivo. The HIV-1 Tat-transgenic mouse model was used to understand the interactive effects between fentanyl and HIV. Tat is an essential protein produced during HIV that drives the transcription of new virions and exerts neurotoxic effects within the brain. The Tat-transgenic mouse model uses a glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-driven tetracycline promoter which limits Tat production to the brain and this model is well used for examining mechanisms related to neuroHIV. After 7 days of fentanyl exposure, brains were harvested. Tight junction proteins, the vascular cell adhesion molecule, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β were measured to examine the integrity of the blood brain barrier. The immune response was assessed using a mouse-specific multiplex chemokine assay. For the first time in vivo, we demonstrate that fentanyl by itself can severely disrupt the blood-brain barrier and dysregulate the immune response. In addition, we reveal associations between inflammatory markers and tight junction proteins at the blood-brain barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara M Rademeyer
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, U.S.A
| | - Sara R Nass
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, U.S.A
| | - Austin M Jones
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, U.S.A
| | - Michael Ohene-Nyako
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, U.S.A
| | - Kurt F Hauser
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, U.S.A
| | - MaryPeace McRae
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, U.S.A..
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8
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Li M, Pagare PP, Ma H, St Onge CM, Mendez RE, Gillespie JC, Stevens DL, Dewey WL, Selley DE, Zhang Y. Molecular Pharmacology Profiling of Phenylfentanil and Its Analogues to Understand the Putative Involvement of an Adrenergic Mechanism in Fentanyl-Induced Respiratory Depression. J Med Chem 2024; 67:603-619. [PMID: 38156970 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
While there are approved therapeutics to treat opioid overdoses, the need for treatments to reverse overdoses due to ultrapotent fentanyls remains unmet. This may be due in part to an adrenergic mechanism of fentanyls in addition to their stereotypical mu-opioid receptor (MOR) effects. Herein, we report our efforts to further understanding of the functions these distinct mechanisms impart. Employing the known MOR neutral antagonist phenylfentanil as a lead, 17 analogues were designed based on the concept of isosteric replacement. To probe mechanisms of action, these analogues were pharmacologically evaluated in vitro and in vivo, while in silico modeling studies were also conducted on phenylfentanil. While it did not indicate MOR involvement in vivo, phenylfentanil yielded respiratory minute volumes similar to those caused by fentanyl. Taken together with molecular modeling studies, these results indicated that respiratory effects of fentanyls may also correlate to inhibition of both α1A- and α1B-adrenergic receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengchu Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, 800 East Leigh Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - Piyusha P Pagare
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, 800 East Leigh Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - Hongguang Ma
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, 800 East Leigh Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - Celsey M St Onge
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, 800 East Leigh Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - Rolando E Mendez
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 410 North 12th Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - James C Gillespie
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 410 North 12th Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - David L Stevens
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 410 North 12th Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - William L Dewey
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 410 North 12th Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - Dana E Selley
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 410 North 12th Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, 800 East Leigh Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 410 North 12th Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, 203 East Cary Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
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9
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Che T, Roth BL. Molecular basis of opioid receptor signaling. Cell 2023; 186:5203-5219. [PMID: 37995655 PMCID: PMC10710086 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Opioids are used for pain management despite the side effects that contribute to the opioid crisis. The pursuit of non-addictive opioid analgesics remains unattained due to the unresolved intricacies of opioid actions, receptor signaling cascades, and neuronal plasticity. Advancements in structural, molecular, and computational tools illuminate the dynamic interplay between opioids and opioid receptors, as well as the molecular determinants of signaling pathways, which are potentially interlinked with pharmacological responses. Here, we review the molecular basis of opioid receptor signaling with a focus on the structures of opioid receptors bound to endogenous peptides or pharmacological agents. These insights unveil specific interactions that dictate ligand selectivity and likely their distinctive pharmacological profiles. Biochemical analysis further unveils molecular features governing opioid receptor signaling. Simultaneously, the synergy between computational biology and medicinal chemistry continues to expedite the discovery of novel chemotypes with the promise of yielding more efficacious and safer opioid compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Che
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| | - Bryan L Roth
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill 27599, NC, USA.
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10
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Kirchhofer SB, Lim VJY, Ernst S, Karsai N, Ruland JG, Canals M, Kolb P, Bünemann M. Differential interaction patterns of opioid analgesics with µ opioid receptors correlate with ligand-specific voltage sensitivity. eLife 2023; 12:e91291. [PMID: 37983079 PMCID: PMC10849675 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The µ opioid receptor (MOR) is the key target for analgesia, but the application of opioids is accompanied by several issues. There is a wide range of opioid analgesics, differing in their chemical structure and their properties of receptor activation and subsequent effects. A better understanding of ligand-receptor interactions and the resulting effects is important. Here, we calculated the respective binding poses for several opioids and analyzed interaction fingerprints between ligand and receptor. We further corroborated the interactions experimentally by cellular assays. As MOR was observed to display ligand-induced modulation of activity due to changes in membrane potential, we further analyzed the effects of voltage sensitivity on this receptor. Combining in silico and in vitro approaches, we defined discriminating interaction patterns responsible for ligand-specific voltage sensitivity and present new insights into their specific effects on activation of the MOR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina B Kirchhofer
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, University of MarburgMarburgGermany
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
- Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and NottinghamMidlandsUnited Kingdom
| | - Victor Jun Yu Lim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Sebastian Ernst
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, University of MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Noemi Karsai
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
- Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and NottinghamMidlandsUnited Kingdom
| | - Julia G Ruland
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, University of MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Meritxell Canals
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
- Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and NottinghamMidlandsUnited Kingdom
| | - Peter Kolb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Moritz Bünemann
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, University of MarburgMarburgGermany
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11
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Khoshrang H, Damavand RS, Nasseh H, Tavakoli AA, Esmaeili S, Ghaffari M, Shakiba M. Comparing spinal anesthesia approaches for transurethral lithotripsy in patients with proximal ureteral stones: A randomized clinical trial of bupivacaine alone versus bupivacaine with fentanyl. J Med Life 2023; 16:1508-1513. [PMID: 38313179 PMCID: PMC10835565 DOI: 10.25122/jml-2023-0109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the benefits of spinal anesthesia and the preference of anesthesiologists for this technique, it is less accepted by urologists due to the proximity of the stone place in the ureter and the possibility of pain, restlessness, and occasional movements of the patient during surgery. The current study investigated the success of bupivacaine plus intrathecal fentanyl in patients undergoing transurethral lithotripsy (TUL). In this randomized clinical trial, from April 2021 to September 2021, 54 patients with proximal urolithiasis candidates for TUL were enrolled. Patients were randomly categorized into two groups: group A received bupivacaine 10 mg and 0.5 ml of normal saline, while group B received bupivacaine 10 mg with 0.5 ml (25µg) of intrathecal fentanyl. According to our findings, about 74% of the patients were men, and the mean age of the patients was 66.14±22.46 years. The onset time of the sensory block, sensory block level, pain score, degree of relaxation, depth of the motor block, occurrence of anesthesia complications, oxygen saturation, and mean arterial blood pressure were not significantly different between the two groups. However, the duration of the motor block in group B was longer than in group A (p<0.001). Also, retropulsion was observed only in five patients (18.5%) in group A, significantly higher than in group B (p=0.019). Bupivacaine with fentanyl 25µg provided adequate spinal anesthesia with lower retropulsion in patients with urolithiasis who are candidates for TUL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Khoshrang
- Anesthesiology Research Center, Alzahra Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Reza Shahrokhi Damavand
- Urology Research Center, Razi Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Nasseh
- Urology Research Center, Razi Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Ardalan Akhavan Tavakoli
- Urology Research Center, Razi Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Samaneh Esmaeili
- Urology Research Center, Razi Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Mehdi Ghaffari
- Urology Research Center, Razi Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Maryam Shakiba
- Urology Research Center, Razi Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
- Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, Heshmat Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
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12
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Kapur B, Baldessari F, Lazaratos M, Nar H, Schnapp G, Giorgetti A, Bondar AN. Protons taken hostage: Dynamic H-bond networks of the pH-sensing GPR68. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:4370-4384. [PMID: 37711190 PMCID: PMC10498176 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Proton-sensing G Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) sense changes in the extracellular pH to effect cell signaling for cellular homeostasis. They tend to be overexpressed in solid tumors associated with acidic extracellular pH, and are of direct interest as drug targets. How proton-sensing GPCRs sense extracellular acidification and activate upon protonation change is important to understand, because it may guide the design of therapeutics. Lack of publicly available experimental structures make it challenging to discriminate between conflicting mechanisms proposed for proton-binding, as main roles have been assigned to either an extracellular histidine cluster or to an internal carboxylic triad. Here we present a protocol to derive and evaluate structural models of the proton-sensing GPR68. This approach integrates state-of-the-art homology modeling with microsecond-timescale atomistic simulations, and with a detailed assessment of the compatibility of the structural models with known structural features of class A GPCRs. To decipher structural elements of potential interest for protonation-coupled conformational changes of GPR68, we used the best-compatible model as a starting point for independent atomistic simulations of GPR68 with different protonation states, and graph computations to characterize the response of GPR68 to changes in protonation. We found that GPR68 hosts an extended hydrogen-bond network that inter-connects the extracellular histidine cluster to the internal carboxylic triad, and which can even reach groups at the cytoplasmic G-protein binding site. Taken together, results suggest that GPR68 relies on dynamic, hydrogen-bond networks to inter-connect extracellular and internal proton-binding sites, and to elicit conformational changes at the cytoplasmic G-protein binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhav Kapur
- Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
- Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Michalis Lazaratos
- Department of Physics, Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Group, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Herbert Nar
- Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Gisela Schnapp
- Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Alejandro Giorgetti
- University of Verona, Department of Biotechnology, 37134 Verona, Italy
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine and Institute for Advanced Simulations (IAS-5/INM-9), Computational Biomedicine, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52525 Jülich, Germany
| | - Ana-Nicoleta Bondar
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine and Institute for Advanced Simulations (IAS-5/INM-9), Computational Biomedicine, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52525 Jülich, Germany
- University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Str. Atomiştilor 405, 077125 Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania
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13
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Ramos‐Gonzalez N, Groom S, Sutcliffe KJ, Bancroft S, Bailey CP, Sessions RB, Henderson G, Kelly E. Carfentanil is a β-arrestin-biased agonist at the μ opioid receptor. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:2341-2360. [PMID: 37005796 PMCID: PMC10952505 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The illicit use of fentanyl-like drugs (fentanyls), which are μ opioid receptor agonists, and the many overdose deaths that result, has become a major problem. Fentanyls are very potent in vivo, leading to respiratory depression and death. However, the efficacy and possible signalling bias of different fentanyls is not clearly known. Here, we compared the relative efficacy and bias of a series of fentanyls. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH For agonist signalling bias and efficacy measurements, Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer experiments were undertaken in HEK293T cells transiently transfected with μ opioid receptors, to assess Gi protein activation and β-arrestin 2 recruitment. Agonist-induced cell surface receptor loss was assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whilst agonist-induced G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channel current activation was measured electrophysiologically from rat locus coeruleus slices. Ligand poses in the μ opioid receptor were determined in silico using molecular dynamics simulations. KEY RESULTS Relative to the reference ligand DAMGO, carfentanil was β-arrestin-biased, whereas fentanyl, sufentanil and alfentanil did not display bias. Carfentanil induced potent and extensive cell surface receptor loss, whilst the marked desensitisation of G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channel currents in the continued presence of carfentanil in neurones was prevented by a GRK2/3 inhibitor. Molecular dynamics simulations suggested unique interactions of carfentanil with the orthosteric site of the receptor that could underlie the bias. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Carfentanil is a β-arrestin-biased opioid drug at the μ receptor. It is uncertain how such bias influences in vivo effects of carfentanil relative to other fentanyls.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sam Groom
- Department of Pharmacy and PharmacologyUniversity of BathBathUK
| | - Katy J. Sutcliffe
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Sukhvinder Bancroft
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Chris P. Bailey
- Department of Pharmacy and PharmacologyUniversity of BathBathUK
| | | | - Graeme Henderson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Eamonn Kelly
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUniversity of BristolBristolUK
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14
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Lešnik S, Bren U, Domratcheva T, Bondar AN. Fentanyl and the Fluorinated Fentanyl Derivative NFEPP Elicit Distinct Hydrogen-Bond Dynamics of the Opioid Receptor. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:4732-4748. [PMID: 37498626 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The development of safe therapeutics to manage pain is of central interest for biomedical applications. The fluorinated fentanyl derivative N-(3-fluoro-1-phenethylpiperidin-4-yl)-N-phenylpropionamide (NFEPP) is potentially a safer alternative to fentanyl because unlike fentanyl─which binds to the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) at both physiological and acidic pH─NFEPP might bind to the MOR only at acidic pH typical of inflamed tissue. Knowledge of the protonation-coupled dynamics of the receptor-drug interactions is thus required to understand the molecular mechanism by which receptor activation initiates cell signaling to silence pain. To this end, here we have carried out extensive atomistic simulations of the MOR in different protonation states, in the absence of opioid drugs, and in the presence of fentanyl vs NFEPP. We used graph-based analyses to characterize internal hydrogen-bond networks that could contribute to the activation of the MOR. We find that fentanyl and NFEPP prefer distinct binding poses and that, in their binding poses, fentanyl and NFEPP partake in distinct internal hydrogen-bond networks, leading to the cytoplasmic G-protein-binding region. Moreover, the protonation state of functionally important aspartic and histidine side chains impacts hydrogen-bond networks that extend throughout the receptor, such that the ligand-bound MOR presents at its cytoplasmic G-protein-binding side, a hydrogen-bonding environment where dynamics depend on whether fentanyl or NFEPP is bound, and on the protonation state of specific MOR groups. The exquisite sensitivity of the internal protein-water hydrogen-bond network to the protonation state and to details of the drug binding could enable the MOR to elicit distinct pH- and opioid-dependent responses at its cytoplasmic G-protein-binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samo Lešnik
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Sensors, Beloruska ulica 7, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Urban Bren
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Sensors, Beloruska ulica 7, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, SI-6000 Koper, Slovenia
| | - Tatiana Domratcheva
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biomolecular Mechanisms, Max-Plank-Institute fur Medizinische Forschung, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ana-Nicoleta Bondar
- Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, Atomiştilor 405, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
- Institute of Computational Biomedicine, IAS-5/INM-9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 5428 Jülich, Germany
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15
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Sánchez ML, Rodríguez FD, Coveñas R. Involvement of the Opioid Peptide Family in Cancer Progression. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1993. [PMID: 37509632 PMCID: PMC10377280 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptides mediate cancer progression favoring the mitogenesis, migration, and invasion of tumor cells, promoting metastasis and anti-apoptotic mechanisms, and facilitating angiogenesis/lymphangiogenesis. Tumor cells overexpress peptide receptors, crucial targets for developing specific treatments against cancer cells using peptide receptor antagonists and promoting apoptosis in tumor cells. Opioids exert an antitumoral effect, whereas others promote tumor growth and metastasis. This review updates the findings regarding the involvement of opioid peptides (enkephalins, endorphins, and dynorphins) in cancer development. Anticancer therapeutic strategies targeting the opioid peptidergic system and the main research lines to be developed regarding the topic reviewed are suggested. There is much to investigate about opioid peptides and cancer: basic information is scarce, incomplete, or absent in many tumors. This knowledge is crucial since promising anticancer strategies could be developed alone or in combination therapies with chemotherapy/radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Lisardo Sánchez
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy of the Peptidergic Systems, Institute of Neurosciences of Castilla and León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Francisco D Rodríguez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Group GIR-USAL: BMD (Bases Moleculares del Desarrollo), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Rafael Coveñas
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy of the Peptidergic Systems, Institute of Neurosciences of Castilla and León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Group GIR-USAL: BMD (Bases Moleculares del Desarrollo), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
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16
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Gosu V, Sasidharan S, Saudagar P, Radhakrishnan K, Lee HK, Shin D. Deciphering the intrinsic dynamics of unphosphorylated IRAK4 kinase bound to type I and type II inhibitors. Comput Biol Med 2023; 160:106978. [DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
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17
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Zhai B, Tang J, Liu J, Wang H, Liu K, Peng J, Fang Y. Towards a scalable and controllable preparation of highly-uniform surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates: Defect-free nanofilms as templates. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 647:23-31. [PMID: 37244173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The uniformity and reproducibility of substrates highly determine the applicability of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Production of them, however, remains a challenge. Herein, we report a template-based strategy for the strictly controllable and handily scalable preparation of a very uniform SERS substrate, Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs)/nanofilm, where the template used is a flexible, transparent, self-standing, defect-free and robust nanofilm. Importantly, the obtained AgNPs/nanofilm is self-adhesive to surfaces of different properties and morphologies, ensuring in-situ and at real-time SERS detection. The enhancement factor (EF) of the substrate for rhodamine 6G (R6G) could reach 5.8 × 1010 with a detection limit (DL) of 1.0 × 10-15 mol L-1. Moreover, 500 bending tests and one-month storage showed no observable performance degradation, and up to 50.0 cm2 scaled-up preparation depicted negligible effect upon the structure and the sensing performance. The real-life applicability of AgNPs/nanofilm was demonstrated by the sensitive detection of tetramethylthiuram disulfide on cherry tomato and fentanyl in methanol with a routine handheld Raman spectrometer. This work thus provides a reliable strategy for large area wet-chemical preparation of high-quality SERS substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binbin Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Jiaqi Tang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Jianfei Liu
- Northwest Institute for Non-ferrous Metal Research, Xi'an 710016, China
| | - Hongyue Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Center for Nano Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University and Shaanxi Joint Laboratory of Graphene, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Kaiqiang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Junxia Peng
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China.
| | - Yu Fang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China.
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18
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Lin M, Eubanks LM, Karadkhelkar NM, Blake S, Janda KD. Catalytic Antibody Blunts Carfentanil-Induced Respiratory Depression. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2023; 6:802-811. [PMID: 37200811 PMCID: PMC10186356 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Carfentanil, the most potent of the fentanyl analogues, is at the forefront of synthetic opioid-related deaths, second to fentanyl. Moreover, the administration of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone has proven inadequate for an increasing number of opioid-related conditions, often requiring higher/additional doses to be effective, as such interest in alternative strategies to combat more potent synthetic opioids has intensified. Increasing drug metabolism would be one strategy to detoxify carfentanil; however, carfentanil's major metabolic pathways involve N-dealkylation or monohydroxylation, which do not lend themselves readily to exogenous enzyme addition. Herein, we report, to our knowledge, the first demonstration that carfentanil's methyl ester when hydrolyzed to its acid was found to be 40,000 times less potent than carfentanil in activating the μ-opioid receptor. Physiological consequences of carfentanil and its acid were also examined through plethysmography, and carfentanil's acid was found to be incapable of inducing respiratory depression. Based upon this information, a hapten was chemically synthesized and immunized, allowing the generation of antibodies that were screened for carfentanil ester hydrolysis. From the screening campaign, three antibodies were found to accelerate the hydrolysis of carfentanil's methyl ester. From this series of catalytic antibodies, the most active underwent extensive kinetic analysis, allowing us to postulate its mechanism of hydrolysis against this synthetic opioid. In the context of potential clinical applications, the antibody, when passively administered, was able to reduce respiratory depression induced by carfentanil. The data presented supports further development of antibody catalysis as a biologic strategy to complement carfentanil overdose reversal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingliang Lin
- Departments of Chemistry
and Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute
of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Lisa M. Eubanks
- Departments of Chemistry
and Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute
of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Nishant M. Karadkhelkar
- Departments of Chemistry
and Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute
of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Steven Blake
- Departments of Chemistry
and Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute
of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Kim D. Janda
- Departments of Chemistry
and Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute
of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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19
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Wang X, Wang T, Fan X, Zhang Z, Wang Y, Li Z. A Molecular Toolbox of Positron Emission Tomography Tracers for General Anesthesia Mechanism Research. J Med Chem 2023; 66:6463-6497. [PMID: 37145921 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
With appropriate radiotracers, positron emission tomography (PET) allows direct or indirect monitoring of the spatial and temporal distribution of anesthetics, neurotransmitters, and biomarkers, making it an indispensable tool for studying the general anesthesia mechanism. In this Perspective, PET tracers that have been recruited in general anesthesia research are introduced in the following order: 1) 11C/18F-labeled anesthetics, i.e., PET tracers made from inhaled and intravenous anesthetics; 2) PET tracers targeting anesthesia-related receptors, e.g., neurotransmitters and voltage-gated ion channels; and 3) PET tracers for studying anesthesia-related neurophysiological effects and neurotoxicity. The radiosynthesis, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of the above PET tracers are mainly discussed to provide a practical molecular toolbox for radiochemists, anesthesiologists, and those who are interested in general anesthesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Wang
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Xiaowei Fan
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Yingwei Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Zijing Li
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
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20
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Feng H, Jiang J, Wei GW. Machine-learning repurposing of DrugBank compounds for opioid use disorder. Comput Biol Med 2023; 160:106921. [PMID: 37178605 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic and relapsing condition that involves the continued and compulsive use of opioids despite harmful consequences. The development of medications with improved efficacy and safety profiles for OUD treatment is urgently needed. Drug repurposing is a promising option for drug discovery due to its reduced cost and expedited approval procedures. Computational approaches based on machine learning enable the rapid screening of DrugBank compounds, identifying those with the potential to be repurposed for OUD treatment. We collected inhibitor data for four major opioid receptors and used advanced machine learning predictors of binding affinity that fuse the gradient boosting decision tree algorithm with two natural language processing (NLP)-based molecular fingerprints and one traditional 2D fingerprint. Using these predictors, we systematically analyzed the binding affinities of DrugBank compounds on four opioid receptors. Based on our machine learning predictions, we were able to discriminate DrugBank compounds with various binding affinity thresholds and selectivities for different receptors. The prediction results were further analyzed for ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity), which provided guidance on repurposing DrugBank compounds for the inhibition of selected opioid receptors. The pharmacological effects of these compounds for OUD treatment need to be tested in further experimental studies and clinical trials. Our machine learning studies provide a valuable platform for drug discovery in the context of OUD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongsong Feng
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Jian Jiang
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA; Research Center of Nonlinear Science, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, PR China
| | - Guo-Wei Wei
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA.
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21
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Gosu V, Sasidharan S, Saudagar P, Radhakrishnan K, Lee HK, Shin D. Deciphering the intrinsic dynamics of unphosphorylated IRAK4 kinase bound to type I and type II inhibitors. Comput Biol Med 2023; 160:106978. [PMID: 37172355 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) is a vital protein involved in Toll-like and interleukin-1 receptor signal transduction. Several studies have reported regarding the crystal structure, dynamic properties, and interactions with inhibitors of the phosphorylated form of IRAK4. However, no dynamic properties of inhibitor-bound unphosphorylated IRAK4 have been previously studied. Herein, we report the intrinsic dynamics of unphosphorylated IRAK4 (uIRAK4) bound to type I and type II inhibitors. The corresponding apo and inhibitor-bound forms of uIRAK4 were subjected to three independent simulations of 500 ns (total 1.5 μs) each, and their trajectories were analyzed. The results indicated that all three systems were relatively stable, except for the type II inhibitor-bound form of uIRAK4, which exhibited less compact folding and higher solvent surface area. The intra-hydrogen bonds corroborated the structural deformation of the type-II inhibitor-bound complex, which could be attributed to the long molecular structure of the type-II inhibitor. Moreover, the type II inhibitor bound to uIRAK4 showed higher binding free energy with uIRAK4 than the type I inhibitor. The free energy landscape analysis showed a reorientation of Phe330 side chain from the DFG motif at different metastable states for all the systems. The intra-residual distance between residues Lys213, Glu233, Tyr262, and Phe330 suggests a functional interplay when the inhibitors are bound to uIRAK4, thereby hinting at their crucial role in the inhibition mechanism. Ultimately, the intrinsic dynamics study observed between type I/II inhibitor-bound forms of uIRAK4 may assist in better understanding the enzyme and designing therapeutic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijayakumar Gosu
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Santanu Sasidharan
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, Telangana, 506004, India
| | - Prakash Saudagar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, Telangana, 506004, India
| | - Kamalakannan Radhakrishnan
- Combinatorial Tumor Immunotherapy MRC, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
| | - Hak-Kyo Lee
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea; Department of Agricultural Convergence Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea.
| | - Donghyun Shin
- Department of Agricultural Convergence Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea.
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22
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Kelly E, Sutcliffe K, Cavallo D, Ramos-Gonzalez N, Alhosan N, Henderson G. The anomalous pharmacology of fentanyl. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:797-812. [PMID: 34030211 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fentanyl is a key therapeutic, used in anaesthesia and pain management. It is also increasingly used illicitly and is responsible for a large and growing number of opioid overdose deaths, especially in North America. A number of factors have been suggested to contribute to fentanyl's lethality, including rapid onset of action, in vivo potency, ligand bias, induction of muscle rigidity and reduced sensitivity to reversal by naloxone. Some of these factors can be considered to represent 'anomalous' pharmacological properties of fentanyl when compared with prototypical opioid agonists such as morphine. In this review, we examine the nature of fentanyl's 'anomalous' properties, to determine whether there is really a pharmacological basis to support the existence of such properties, and also discuss whether such properties are likely to contribute to overdose deaths involving fentanyls. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Advances in Opioid Pharmacology at the Time of the Opioid Epidemic. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v180.7/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamonn Kelly
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Katy Sutcliffe
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Damiana Cavallo
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Norah Alhosan
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Graeme Henderson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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23
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Xie B, Le Rouzic VP, Goldberg A, Tsai MHM, Chen L, Zhang T, Sinha A, Pan YX, Baumann MH, Shi L. Binding preference at the μ-opioid receptor underlies distinct pharmacology of cyclopropyl versus valeryl analogs of fentanyl. Neuropharmacology 2023; 227:109442. [PMID: 36731721 PMCID: PMC9974845 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is driving the current opioid crisis, and various fentanyl analogs are appearing in recreational drug markets worldwide. To assess the potential health risks posed by fentanyl analogs, it is necessary to understand structure-activity relationships for these compounds. Here we compared the pharmacology of two structurally related fentanyl analogs implicated in opioid overdose: cyclopropylfentanyl and valerylfentanyl. Cyclopropylfentanyl has a three-carbon ring attached to the carbonyl group on the fentanyl scaffold, whereas valerylfentanyl has a four-carbon chain at the same position. In vitro assays examining μ-opioid receptor (MOR) coupling to G proteins in CHO cells showed that cyclopropylfentanyl is a full agonist (EC50 = 8.6 nM, %Emax = 113%), with potency and efficacy similar to fentanyl (EC50 = 10.3 nM, %Emax = 113%). By contrast, valerylfentanyl is a partial agonist at MOR (EC50 = 179.8 nM, %Emax = 60%). Similar results were found in assays assessing MOR-mediated β-arrestin recruitment in HEK cells. In vivo studies in male CD-1 mice demonstrated that both fentanyl analogs induce naloxone-reversible antinociception and respiratory suppression, but cyclopropylfentanyl is 100-times more potent as an antinociceptive agent (ED50 = 0.04 mg/kg, s. c.) than valerylfentanyl (ED50 = 4.0 mg/kg, s. c.). Molecular simulation results revealed that the alkyl chain of valerylfentanyl cannot be well accommodated by the active state of MOR and may transition the receptor toward an inactive state, converting the fentanyl scaffold to a partial agonist. Taken together, our results suggest that cyclopropylfentanyl presents much greater risk of adverse effects when compared to valerylfentanyl. Moreover, the summed findings may provide clues to the design of therapeutic opioids with reduced adverse side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Xie
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Valerie P Le Rouzic
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Alexander Goldberg
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Meng-Hua M Tsai
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Li Chen
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Tiffany Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Antara Sinha
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Ying-Xian Pan
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Michael H Baumann
- Designer Drug Research Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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Liu DZ, Xu SY. Fentanyl inhibits cell invasion and migration by modulating NF-κB activation in glioma. Brain Res 2023; 1809:148356. [PMID: 37003560 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Fentanyl is widely used for anesthesia and analgesia in cancer patients. Recent studies have revealed its anti-growth effect in several categories of cancer. Gliomas are the most common primary tumors in the central nervous system with poor prognosis. To investigate the effects of fentanyl on gliomas, glioma cells were treated with different concentrations of fentanyl both in vitro and in vivo. Consequences of proliferation and invasive phenotypes, and related protein expression were evaluated in two human glioma cell lines (U251 and U87). Naloxone, Mu Opioid Receptor (MOR) antagonist, was introduced into culture media to assess the involvement of MOR in Fentanyl-mediated changes. When compared with control group, it could be found that Fentanyl inhibited function of glioma cells only at high concentrations. Western blot and immunofluorescence results revealed that Fentanyl exerted its action via modulating NF-κB (P65) activation which is likely independent of MOR . Moreover, overexpression of P65 by transfection P65-expressing vector restored the invasion and migration of glioma cells, which were inhibited by Fentanyl. In summary, this study showed that opioid pain medication Fentanyl was capable of decreasing invasiveness of glioma cells at a high concentration both in vitro and in vivo, likely via modulating P65 activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duan-Zheng Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 253 Gongye Ave, Guangzhou, P.R. China 510282, Department of Anesthesiology and Surgery, Jianle Hospital of Guangdong, 88 Shitan West Road, Guangzhou, 510435, P.R. China
| | - Shi-Yuan Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 253 Gongye Ave. Guangzhou, 510282, P.R. China.
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Mahinthichaichan P, Liu R, Vo QN, Ellis CR, Stavitskaya L, Shen J. Structure-Kinetics Relationships of Opioids from Metadynamics and Machine Learning Analysis. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:2196-2206. [PMID: 36977188 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
The nation's opioid overdose deaths reached an all-time high in 2021. The majority of deaths are due to synthetic opioids represented by fentanyl. Naloxone, which is a FDA-approved reversal agent, antagonizes opioids through competitive binding at the μ-opioid receptor (mOR). Thus, knowledge of the opioid's residence time is important for assessing the effectiveness of naloxone. Here, we estimated the residence times (τ) of 15 fentanyl and 4 morphine analogs using metadynamics and compared them with the most recent measurement of the opioid kinetic, dissociation, and naloxone inhibitory constants (Mann et al. Clin. Pharmacol. Therapeut. 2022, 120, 1020-1232). Importantly, the microscopic simulations offered a glimpse at the common binding mechanism and molecular determinants of dissociation kinetics for fentanyl analogs. The insights inspired us to develop a machine learning approach to analyze the kinetic impact of fentanyl's substituents based on the interactions with mOR residues. This proof-of-concept approach is general; for example, it may be used to tune ligand residence times in computer-aided drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paween Mahinthichaichan
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Ruibin Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Quynh N Vo
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Christopher R Ellis
- DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center, United States Army, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010, United States
| | - Lidiya Stavitskaya
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, United States
| | - Jana Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
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26
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Bodnar RJ. Endogenous opiates and behavior: 2021. Peptides 2023; 164:171004. [PMID: 36990387 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2023.171004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
This paper is the forty-fourth consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2021 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonizts and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, CUNY, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367, USA.
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Hennessy MR, Gutridge AM, French AR, Rhoda ES, Meqbil YJ, Gill M, Kashyap Y, Appourchaux K, Paul B, Wang ZJ, van Rijn RM, Riley AP. Modified Akuamma Alkaloids with Increased Potency at the Mu-opioid Receptor. J Med Chem 2023; 66:3312-3326. [PMID: 36827198 PMCID: PMC10037270 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Akuammine (1) and pseudoakuammigine (2) are indole alkaloids found in the seeds of the akuamma tree (Picralima nitida). Both alkaloids are weak agonists of the mu opioid receptor (μOR); however, they produce minimal effects in animal models of antinociception. To probe the interactions of 1 and 2 at the opioid receptors, we have prepared a collection of 22 semisynthetic derivatives. Evaluation of this collection at the μOR and kappa opioid receptor (κOR) revealed structural-activity relationship trends and derivatives with improved potency at the μOR. Most notably, the introduction of a phenethyl moiety to the N1 of 2 produces a 70-fold increase in potency and a 7-fold increase in selectivity for the μOR. The in vitro potency of this compound resulted in increased efficacy in the tail-flick and hot-plate assays of antinociception. The improved potency of these derivatives highlights the promise of exploring natural product scaffolds to probe the opioid receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline R Hennessy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Anna M Gutridge
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Alexander R French
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Departments of Neurology and Bioengineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Elizabeth S Rhoda
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Yazan J. Meqbil
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Meghna Gill
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Yavnika Kashyap
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Kevin Appourchaux
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Barnali Paul
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Zaijie Jim Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
- Departments of Neurology and Bioengineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Richard M. van Rijn
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Purdue Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Andrew P. Riley
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
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28
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Deventer MH, Persson M, Laus A, Pottie E, Cannaert A, Tocco G, Gréen H, Stove CP. Off-target activity of NBOMes and NBOMe analogs at the µ opioid receptor. Arch Toxicol 2023; 97:1367-1384. [PMID: 36853332 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-023-03465-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are introduced on the illicit drug market at a rapid pace. Their molecular targets are often inadequately elucidated, which contributes to the delayed characterization of their pharmacological effects. Inspired by earlier findings, this study set out to investigate the µ opioid receptor (MOR) activation potential of a large set of psychedelics, substances which typically activate the serotonin (5-HT2A) receptor as their target receptor. We observed that some substances carrying the N-benzyl phenethylamine (NBOMe) structure activated MOR, as confirmed by both the NanoBiT® βarr2 recruitment assay and the G protein-based AequoScreen® Ca2+ release assay. The use of two orthogonal systems proved beneficial as some aspecific, receptor independent effects were found for various analogs when using the Ca2+ release assay. The specific 'off-target' effects at MOR could be blocked by the opioid antagonist naloxone, suggesting that these NBOMes occupy the same common opioid binding pocket as conventional opioids. This was corroborated by molecular docking, which revealed the plausibility of multiple interactions of 25I-NBOMe with MOR, similar to those observed for opioids. Additionally, structure-activity relationship findings seen in vitro were rationalized in silico for two 25I-NBOMe isomers. Overall, as MOR activity of these psychedelics was only noticed at high concentrations, we consider it unlikely that for the tested compounds there will be a relevant opioid toxicity in vivo at physiologically relevant concentrations. However, small modifications to the original NBOMe structure may result in a panel of more efficacious and potent MOR agonists, potentially exhibiting a dual MOR/5-HT2A activation potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie H Deventer
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mattias Persson
- Department of Forensic Genetic and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Antonio Laus
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Eline Pottie
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annelies Cannaert
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Graziella Tocco
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Henrik Gréen
- Department of Forensic Genetic and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden.,Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Christophe P Stove
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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29
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Chiu K, Racz R, Burkhart K, Florian J, Ford K, Iveth Garcia M, Geiger RM, Howard KE, Hyland PL, Ismaiel OA, Kruhlak NL, Li Z, Matta MK, Prentice KW, Shah A, Stavitskaya L, Volpe DA, Weaver JL, Wu WW, Rouse R, Strauss DG. New science, drug regulation, and emergent public health issues: The work of FDA's division of applied regulatory science. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 9:1109541. [PMID: 36743666 PMCID: PMC9893027 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1109541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Division of Applied Regulatory Science (DARS) moves new science into the drug review process and addresses emergent regulatory and public health questions for the Agency. By forming interdisciplinary teams, DARS conducts mission-critical research to provide answers to scientific questions and solutions to regulatory challenges. Staffed by experts across the translational research spectrum, DARS forms synergies by pulling together scientists and experts from diverse backgrounds to collaborate in tackling some of the most complex challenges facing FDA. This includes (but is not limited to) assessing the systemic absorption of sunscreens, evaluating whether certain drugs can convert to carcinogens in people, studying drug interactions with opioids, optimizing opioid antagonist dosing in community settings, removing barriers to biosimilar and generic drug development, and advancing therapeutic development for rare diseases. FDA tasks DARS with wide ranging issues that encompass regulatory science; DARS, in turn, helps the Agency solve these challenges. The impact of DARS research is felt by patients, the pharmaceutical industry, and fellow regulators. This article reviews applied research projects and initiatives led by DARS and conducts a deeper dive into select examples illustrating the impactful work of the Division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Chiu
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Rebecca Racz
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Keith Burkhart
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Jeffry Florian
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Kevin Ford
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - M. Iveth Garcia
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Robert M. Geiger
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Kristina E. Howard
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Paula L. Hyland
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Omnia A. Ismaiel
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Naomi L. Kruhlak
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Zhihua Li
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Murali K. Matta
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Kristin W. Prentice
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States,Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, VA, United States
| | - Aanchal Shah
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States,Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, VA, United States
| | - Lidiya Stavitskaya
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Donna A. Volpe
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - James L. Weaver
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Wendy W. Wu
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Rodney Rouse
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - David G. Strauss
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Science, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States,*Correspondence: David G. Strauss,
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30
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Puls K, Wolber G. Solving an Old Puzzle: Elucidation and Evaluation of the Binding Mode of Salvinorin A at the Kappa Opioid Receptor. Molecules 2023; 28:718. [PMID: 36677775 PMCID: PMC9861206 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The natural product Salvinorin A (SalA) was the first nitrogen-lacking agonist discovered for the opioid receptors and exhibits high selectivity for the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) turning SalA into a promising analgesic to overcome the current opioid crisis. Since SalA's suffers from poor pharmacokinetic properties, particularly the absence of gastrointestinal bioavailability, fast metabolic inactivation, and subsequent short duration of action, the rational design of new tailored analogs with improved clinical usability is highly desired. Despite being known for decades, the binding mode of SalA within the KOR remains elusive as several conflicting binding modes of SalA were proposed hindering the rational design of new analgesics. In this study, we rationally determined the binding mode of SalA to the active state KOR by in silico experiments (docking, molecular dynamics simulations, dynophores) in the context of all available mutagenesis studies and structure-activity relationship (SAR) data. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive evaluation of SalA's binding mode since the determination of the active state KOR crystal structure. SalA binds above the morphinan binding site with its furan pointing toward the intracellular core while the C2-acetoxy group is oriented toward the extracellular loop 2 (ECL2). SalA is solely stabilized within the binding pocket by hydrogen bonds (C210ECL2, Y3127.35, Y3137.36) and hydrophobic contacts (V1182.63, I1393.33, I2946.55, I3167.39). With the disruption of this interaction pattern or the establishment of additional interactions within the binding site, we were able to rationalize the experimental data for selected analogs. We surmise the C2-substituent interactions as important for SalA and its analogs to be experimentally active, albeit with moderate frequency within MD simulations of SalA. We further identified the non-conserved residues 2.63, 7.35, and 7.36 responsible for the KOR subtype selectivity of SalA. We are confident that the elucidation of the SalA binding mode will promote the understanding of KOR activation and facilitate the development of novel analgesics that are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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31
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Zhang H, Yang L, Yu Z, Li D, Li L, Li S, Yan J, Li X. Impact of fentanyl analgesia on the accuracy of HVPG measurements in patients with cirrhosis: a prospective, multicenter study. Hepatol Commun 2023; 7:e0002. [PMID: 36633485 PMCID: PMC9833446 DOI: 10.1097/hc9.0000000000000002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HVPG measurement is the gold standard for assessing portal hypertension. Many patients decline HVPG measurements due to associated pain. According to previous studies, propofol sedation during HVPG measurements potentially alters HVPG readings. However, opioid analgesics' effects on HVPG await full elucidation. This study aimed to evaluate fentanyl analgesia's effects on HVPG measurement accuracy in patients with cirrhosis. METHODS This prospective, multicenter study included patients with cirrhosis undergoing HVPG measurements, which were performed preanalgesia and under analgesia with fentanyl injection (1.0 or 1.5 μg/kg). RESULTS Of the 48 enrolled patients with cirrhosis, 23 were administered 1.0 μg/kg fentanyl analgesia during HVPG measurement. The HVPG was 13.4±4.9 mm Hg in preanalgesia and 13.5±5.2 mm Hg under analgesia. HVPG measurement accuracy was not altered after fentanyl analgesia (p = 0.801). The following measures also did not change: heart rate (p = 0.132), mean arterial pressure (p = 0.348), and blood oxygen saturation (p = 0.748); however, respiratory rate (p = 0.001) changes occurred. The Verbal Numerical Rating Score for comfort under analgesia was higher than that in preanalgesia (p = 0.001). Twenty-five patients were administered 1.5 μg/kg fentanyl analgesia during HVPG measurement. The HVPG was 19.5±5.7 mm Hg in preanalgesia and 19.6±5.6 mm Hg under analgesia. HVPG measurement accuracy did not alter after fentanyl analgesia (p = 0.469). Similarly, the following measures did not change: mean arterial pressure (p = 0.871) and oxygen saturation (p = 0.327); nevertheless, respiratory rate (p = 0.015) and heart rate (p = 0.019) changes occurred. The Verbal Numerical Rating Score for comfort under analgesia was higher than that in preanalgesia (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Fentanyl analgesia did not alter HVPG measurement accuracy, and fentanyl improved comfort in patients with cirrhosis during HVPG measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijun Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Operating Theater, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lili Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui, China
| | - Ziniu Yu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Interventional Treatment Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dan Li
- Evidence Based Social Science Research Center/Health Technology Assessment Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lei Li
- Interventional Radiology Department, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shuangxi Li
- Interventional Radiology Department, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jun Yan
- The Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xun Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Operating Theater, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- The Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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32
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Salas-Estrada L, Fiorillo B, Filizola M. Metadynamics simulations leveraged by statistical analyses and artificial intelligence-based tools to inform the discovery of G protein-coupled receptor ligands. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1099715. [PMID: 36619585 PMCID: PMC9816996 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1099715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are a large family of membrane proteins with pluridimensional signaling profiles. They undergo ligand-specific conformational changes, which in turn lead to the differential activation of intracellular signaling proteins and the consequent triggering of a variety of biological responses. This conformational plasticity directly impacts our understanding of GPCR signaling and therapeutic implications, as do ligand-specific kinetic differences in GPCR-induced transducer activation/coupling or GPCR-transducer complex stability. High-resolution experimental structures of ligand-bound GPCRs in the presence or absence of interacting transducers provide important, yet limited, insights into the highly dynamic process of ligand-induced activation or inhibition of these receptors. We and others have complemented these studies with computational strategies aimed at characterizing increasingly accurate metastable conformations of GPCRs using a combination of metadynamics simulations, state-of-the-art algorithms for statistical analyses of simulation data, and artificial intelligence-based tools. This minireview provides an overview of these approaches as well as lessons learned from them towards the identification of conformational states that may be difficult or even impossible to characterize experimentally and yet important to discover new GPCR ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marta Filizola
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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33
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Harris JA, Liu R, Martins de Oliveira V, Vázquez-Montelongo EA, Henderson JA, Shen J. GPU-Accelerated All-Atom Particle-Mesh Ewald Continuous Constant pH Molecular Dynamics in Amber. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:7510-7527. [PMID: 36377980 PMCID: PMC10130738 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Constant pH molecular dynamics (MD) simulations sample protonation states on the fly according to the conformational environment and user specified pH conditions; however, the current accuracy is limited due to the use of implicit-solvent models or a hybrid solvent scheme. Here, we report the first GPU-accelerated implementation, parametrization, and validation of the all-atom continuous constant pH MD (CpHMD) method with particle-mesh Ewald (PME) electrostatics in the Amber22 pmemd.cuda engine. The titration parameters for Asp, Glu, His, Cys, and Lys were derived for the CHARMM c22 and Amber ff14sb and ff19sb force fields. We then evaluated the PME-CpHMD method using the asynchronous pH replica-exchange titration simulations with the c22 force field for six benchmark proteins, including BBL, hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL), staphylococcal nuclease (SNase), thioredoxin, ribonuclease A (RNaseA), and human muscle creatine kinase (HMCK). The root-mean-square deviation from the experimental pKa's of Asp, Glu, His, and Cys is 0.76 pH units, and the Pearson's correlation coefficient for the pKa shifts with respect to model values is 0.80. We demonstrated that a finite-size correction or much enlarged simulation box size can remove a systematic error of the calculated pKa's and improve agreement with experiment. Importantly, the simulations captured the relevant biology in several challenging cases, e.g., the titration order of the catalytic dyad Glu35/Asp52 in HEWL and the coupled residues Asp19/Asp21 in SNase, the large pKa upshift of the deeply buried catalytic Asp26 in thioredoxin, and the large pKa downshift of the deeply buried catalytic Cys283 in HMCK. We anticipate that PME-CpHMD will offer proper pH control to improve the accuracies of MD simulations and enable mechanistic studies of proton-coupled dynamical processes that are ubiquitous in biology but remain poorly understood due to the lack of experimental tools and limitation of current MD simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Harris
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland21201, United States
| | - Ruibin Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland21201, United States
| | - Vinicius Martins de Oliveira
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland21201, United States.,Lilly Biotechnology Center, San Diego, California92121, United States
| | | | - Jack A Henderson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland21201, United States
| | - Jana Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland21201, United States
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de Oliveira VM, Liu R, Shen J. Constant pH molecular dynamics simulations: Current status and recent applications. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 77:102498. [PMID: 36410222 PMCID: PMC9933785 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Many important protein functions are carried out through proton-coupled conformational dynamics. Thus, the ability to accurately model protonation states dynamically has wide-ranging implications. Over the past two decades, two main types of constant pH methods (discrete and continuous) have been developed to enable proton-coupled molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. In this short review, we discuss the current status of the development and highlight recent applications that have advanced our understanding of protein structure-function relationships. We conclude the review by outlining the remaining challenges in the method development and projecting important areas for future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius Martins de Oliveira
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, 20201, Maryland, U.S.A
| | - Ruibin Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, 20201, Maryland, U.S.A
| | - Jana Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, 20201, MD, USA.
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Lahmy R, Hübner H, Schmidt MF, Lachmann D, Gmeiner P, König B. Photochromic Fentanyl Derivatives for Controlled μ-Opioid Receptor Activation. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202201515. [PMID: 35899620 PMCID: PMC9826449 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202201515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Photoswitchable ligands as biological tools provide an opportunity to explore the kinetics and dynamics of the clinically relevant μ-opioid receptor. These ligands can potentially activate or deactivate the receptor when desired by using light. Spatial and temporal control of biological activity allows for application in a diverse range of biological investigations. Photoswitchable ligands have been developed in this work, modelled on the known agonist fentanyl, with the aim of expanding the current "toolbox" of fentanyl photoswitchable ligands. In doing so, ligands have been developed that change geometry (isomerize) upon exposure to light, with varying photophysical and biochemical properties. This variation in properties could be valuable in further studying the functional significance of the μ-opioid receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranit Lahmy
- Institute of Organic ChemistryDepartment of Chemistry and PharmacyUniversity of Regensburg93053RegensburgGermany
| | - Harald Hübner
- Department of Chemistry and PharmacyFriedrich Alexander University91052ErlangenGermany
| | - Maximilian F. Schmidt
- Department of Chemistry and PharmacyFriedrich Alexander University91052ErlangenGermany
| | - Daniel Lachmann
- Institute of Organic ChemistryDepartment of Chemistry and PharmacyUniversity of Regensburg93053RegensburgGermany
| | - Peter Gmeiner
- Department of Chemistry and PharmacyFriedrich Alexander University91052ErlangenGermany
| | - Burkhard König
- Institute of Organic ChemistryDepartment of Chemistry and PharmacyUniversity of Regensburg93053RegensburgGermany
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36
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Molecular recognition of morphine and fentanyl by the human μ-opioid receptor. Cell 2022; 185:4361-4375.e19. [PMID: 36368306 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Morphine and fentanyl are among the most used opioid drugs that confer analgesia and unwanted side effects through both G protein and arrestin signaling pathways of μ-opioid receptor (μOR). Here, we report structures of the human μOR-G protein complexes bound to morphine and fentanyl, which uncover key differences in how they bind the receptor. We also report structures of μOR bound to TRV130, PZM21, and SR17018, which reveal preferential interactions of these agonists with TM3 side of the ligand-binding pocket rather than TM6/7 side. In contrast, morphine and fentanyl form dual interactions with both TM3 and TM6/7 regions. Mutations at the TM6/7 interface abolish arrestin recruitment of μOR promoted by morphine and fentanyl. Ligands designed to reduce TM6/7 interactions display preferential G protein signaling. Our results provide crucial insights into fentanyl recognition and signaling of μOR, which may facilitate rational design of next-generation analgesics.
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Ślusarz MJ. Molecular insights into the mechanism of sugar-modified enkephalin binding to opioid receptors. Comput Biol Chem 2022; 101:107783. [DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2022.107783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Sheng Z, Liu Q, Cheng C, Li M, Barash J, Kofke WA, Shen Y, Xie Z. Fentanyl induces autism-like behaviours in mice by hypermethylation of the glutamate receptor gene Grin2b. Br J Anaesth 2022; 129:544-554. [PMID: 35697546 DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2022.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental factors contribute to autism spectrum disorder. Fentanyl, one of the most widely used opioid analgesics in anaesthesia, can induce neurotoxicity, but its role in autism remains unknown. We determined whether fentanyl induced autism-like behaviours in young mice and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS Young male and female mice received fentanyl at postnatal days 6, 8, and 10, and performed behavioural tests, including three-chamber social preference, elevated plus maze, grooming behaviour, and open-field test, from postnatal days 30-32. Expression of Grin2b, the gene encoding the GluN2B subunit of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, was assessed in the anterior cingulate cortex of male mice using fluorescence in situ hybridisation histochemistry. We used bisulfite target sequencing to determine Grin2b hypermethylation sites after fentanyl treatment. In the specific activation and rescue experiments, we injected the mu opioid receptor agonist [D-Ala,2 N-MePhe,4 Gly-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO) or Grin2b overexpression lentivirus into the anterior cingulate cortex of male mice. RESULTS Fentanyl induced autism-like behaviours in both young male and female mice, and downregulated Grin2b expression (0.49-fold [0.08] vs 1.00-fold [0.09]; P<0.01) and GluN2B protein amounts (0.38-fold [0.07] vs 1.00-fold [0.12]; P<0.01) in the anterior cingulate cortex through hypermethylation of Grin2b. The mu-opioid receptor antagonist naloxone and overexpression of Grin2b in anterior cingulate cortex attenuated the fentanyl-induced effects, whereas DAMGO injection into the anterior cingulate cortex induced autism-like behaviours. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that fentanyl induces autism-like behaviours in young mice via an epigenetic mechanism. Further research is required to determine possible clinical relevance to autism risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Sheng
- Anesthesia and Brain Research Institute, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qidong Liu
- Anesthesia and Brain Research Institute, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chun Cheng
- Anesthesia and Brain Research Institute, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengzhu Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jed Barash
- Department of Medicine, Soldiers' Home, Chelsea, MA, USA
| | - W Andrew Kofke
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yuan Shen
- Anesthesia and Brain Research Institute, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zhongcong Xie
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
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Henderson JA, Liu R, Harris JA, Huang Y, de Oliveira VM, Shen J. A Guide to the Continuous Constant pH Molecular Dynamics Methods in Amber and CHARMM [Article v1.0]. LIVING JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2022; 4:1563. [PMID: 36776714 PMCID: PMC9910290 DOI: 10.33011/livecoms.4.1.1563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Like temperature and pressure, solution pH is an important environmental variable in biomolecular simulations. Virtually all proteins depend on pH to maintain their structure and function. In conventional molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of proteins, pH is implicitly accounted for by assigning and fixing protonation states of titratable sidechains. This is a significant limitation, as the assigned protonation states may be wrong and they may change during dynamics. In this tutorial, we guide the reader in learning and using the various continuous constant pH MD methods in Amber and CHARMM packages, which have been applied to predict pK a values and elucidate proton-coupled conformational dynamics of a variety of proteins including enzymes and membrane transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruibin Liu
- University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Yandong Huang
- University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Jana Shen
- University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD
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40
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Girame H, Garcia-Borràs M, Feixas F. Changes in Protonation States of In-Pathway Residues can Alter Ligand Binding Pathways Obtained From Spontaneous Binding Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:922361. [PMID: 35860361 PMCID: PMC9289141 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.922361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-ligand binding processes often involve changes in protonation states that can be key to recognize and orient the ligand in the binding site. The pathways through which (bio)molecules interplay to attain productively bound complexes are intricate and involve a series of interconnected intermediate and transition states. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and enhanced sampling techniques are commonly used to characterize the spontaneous binding of a ligand to its receptor. However, the effect of protonation state changes of in-pathway residues in spontaneous binding MD simulations remained mostly unexplored. Here, we used molecular dynamics simulations to reconstruct the trypsin-benzamidine binding pathway considering different protonation states of His57. This residue is part of the trypsin catalytic triad and is located more than 10 Å away from Asp189, which is responsible for benzamidine binding in the trypsin S1 pocket. Our MD simulations showed that the binding pathways that benzamidine follow to target the S1 binding site are critically dependent on the His57 protonation state. Binding of benzamidine frequently occurs when His57 is protonated in the delta nitrogen while the binding process is significantly less frequent when His57 is positively charged. Constant-pH MD simulations retrieved the equilibrium populations of His57 protonation states at trypsin active pH offering a clearer picture of benzamidine recognition and binding. These results indicate that properly accounting for protonation states of distal residues can be important in spontaneous binding MD simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ferran Feixas
- Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi (IQCC) and Departament de Química, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain
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41
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Zádor F, Király K, Essmat N, Al-Khrasani M. Recent Molecular Insights into Agonist-specific Binding to the Mu-Opioid Receptor. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:900547. [PMID: 35769909 PMCID: PMC9234319 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.900547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid agonists produce their analgesic effects primarily by acting at the µ-opioid receptor (µOR). µOR agonists with different efficacies exert diverse molecular changes in the µOR which dictate the faith of the receptor’s signaling pathway and possibly it’s the degree of desensitization. Since the development of the active conformations of the µOR, growing data have been published in relation to ligand-specific changes in µOR activation. In this regard, this review summarizes recent data regarding the most studied opioid agonists in in silico µOR activation, including how these ligands are recognized by the µOR, how their binding signal is transmitted toward the intracellular parts of the µOR, and finally, what type of large-scale movements do these changes trigger in the µOR’s domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferenc Zádor
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- *Correspondence: Ferenc Zádor,
| | - Kornél Király
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nariman Essmat
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mahmoud Al-Khrasani
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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42
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In Vitro, In Vivo and In Silico Characterization of a Novel Kappa-Opioid Receptor Antagonist. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15060680. [PMID: 35745598 PMCID: PMC9229160 DOI: 10.3390/ph15060680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) antagonists are promising innovative therapeutics for the treatment of the central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The new scaffold opioid ligand, Compound A, was originally found as a mu-opioid receptor (MOR) antagonist but its binding/selectivity and activation profile at the KOR and delta-opioid receptor (DOR) remain elusive. In this study, we present an in vitro, in vivo and in silico characterization of Compound A by revealing this ligand as a KOR antagonist in vitro and in vivo. In the radioligand competitive binding assay, Compound A bound at the human KOR, albeit with moderate affinity, but with increased affinity than to the human MOR and without specific binding at the human DOR, thus displaying a preferential KOR selectivity profile. Following subcutaneous administration in mice, Compound A effectively reverse the antinociceptive effects of the prototypical KOR agonist, U50,488. In silico investigations were carried out to assess the structural determinants responsible for opioid receptor subtype selectivity of Compound A. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations and dynamic pharmacophore (dynophore) generation revealed differences in the stabilization of the chlorophenyl moiety of Compound A within the opioid receptor binding pockets, rationalizing the experimentally determined binding affinity values. This new chemotype bears the potential for favorable ADMET properties and holds promise for chemical optimization toward the development of potential therapeutics.
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43
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Han Y, Cao L, Yuan K, Shi J, Yan W, Lu L. Unique Pharmacology, Brain Dysfunction, and Therapeutic Advancements for Fentanyl Misuse and Abuse. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:1365-1382. [PMID: 35570233 PMCID: PMC9107910 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00872-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fentanyl is a fully synthetic opioid with analgesic and anesthetic properties. It has become a primary driver of the deadliest opioid crisis in the United States and elsewhere, consequently imposing devastating social, economic, and health burdens worldwide. However, the neural mechanisms that underlie the behavioral effects of fentanyl and its analogs are largely unknown, and approaches to prevent fentanyl abuse and fentanyl-related overdose deaths are scarce. This review presents the abuse potential and unique pharmacology of fentanyl and elucidates its potential mechanisms of action, including neural circuit dysfunction and neuroinflammation. We discuss recent progress in the development of pharmacological interventions, anti-fentanyl vaccines, anti-fentanyl/heroin conjugate vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies to attenuate fentanyl-seeking and prevent fentanyl-induced respiratory depression. However, translational studies and clinical trials are still lacking. Considering the present opioid crisis, the development of effective pharmacological and immunological strategies to prevent fentanyl abuse and overdose are urgently needed.
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Xie B, Goldberg A, Shi L. A comprehensive evaluation of the potential binding poses of fentanyl and its analogs at the µ-opioid receptor. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:2309-2321. [PMID: 35615021 PMCID: PMC9123087 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Fentanyl and its analogs are selective agonists of the µ-opioid receptor (MOR). Among novel synthetic opioids (NSOs), they dominate the recreational drug market and are the main culprits for the opioid crisis, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. By taking advantage of the crystal structures of the MOR, several groups have investigated the binding mechanism of fentanyl, but have not reached a consensus, in terms of both the binding orientation and the fentanyl conformation. Thus, the binding mechanism of fentanyl at the MOR remains an unsolved and challenging question. Here, we carried out a systematic computational study to investigate the preferred fentanyl conformations, and how these conformations are being accommodated in the MOR binding pocket. We characterized the free energy landscape of fentanyl conformations with metadynamics simulations, and compared and evaluated several possible fentanyl binding conditions in the MOR with long-timescale molecular dynamics simulations. Our results indicate that the most preferred binding pose in the MOR binding pocket corresponds well with the global minimum on the energy landscape of fentanyl in the absence of the receptor, while the energy landscape can be reconfigured by modifying the fentanyl scaffold. The interactions with the receptor may stabilize a slightly unfavored fentanyl conformation in an alternative binding pose. By extending similar investigations to fentanyl analogs, our findings establish a structure–activity relationship of fentanyl binding at the MOR. In addition to providing a structural basis to understand the potential toxicity of the emerging NSOs, such insights will contribute to developing new, safer analgesics.
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45
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Shan X, Lee L, Clewes RJ, Howle CR, Sambrook MR, Clary DC. Computational analyses of the vibrational spectra of fentanyl, carfentanil and remifentanil. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2022; 270:120763. [PMID: 35007908 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2021.120763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The infrared (IR) spectra of fentanyl, carfentanil and remifentanil, and protonated salts, are computed using quantum chemistry methods. New experimental FTIR spectra are also reported and compared to the calculations. The accuracy of two density functional theory methods, B3LYP and M06-2X, are tested against higher level theories (MP2) and the experimental data. Gas phase IR spectra are calculated for both the neutral and protonated molecules in order to compare with the experimental data measured for various salts of fentanyl and its analogues. Key vibrational modes are selected and studied in detail using a vibrational mode locality calculation. The main contributing atomic movements in these vibrational modes are identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Shan
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, United Kingdom
| | - Linda Lee
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Rhea J Clewes
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher R Howle
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Mark R Sambrook
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - David C Clary
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, United Kingdom.
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46
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Lipiński PFJ, Matalińska J. Fentanyl Structure as a Scaffold for Opioid/Non-Opioid Multitarget Analgesics. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052766. [PMID: 35269909 PMCID: PMC8910985 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the strategies in the search for safe and effective analgesic drugs is the design of multitarget analgesics. Such compounds are intended to have high affinity and activity at more than one molecular target involved in pain modulation. In the present contribution we summarize the attempts in which fentanyl or its substructures were used as a μ-opioid receptor pharmacophoric fragment and a scaffold to which fragments related to non-opioid receptors were attached. The non-opioid ‘second’ targets included proteins as diverse as imidazoline I2 binding sites, CB1 cannabinoid receptor, NK1 tachykinin receptor, D2 dopamine receptor, cyclooxygenases, fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase and σ1 receptor. Reviewing the individual attempts, we outline the chemistry, the obtained pharmacological properties and structure-activity relationships. Finally, we discuss the possible directions for future work.
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47
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Puls K, Schmidhammer H, Wolber G, Spetea M. Mechanistic Characterization of the Pharmacological Profile of HS-731, a Peripherally Acting Opioid Analgesic, at the µ-, δ-, κ-Opioid and Nociceptin Receptors. Molecules 2022; 27:919. [PMID: 35164182 PMCID: PMC8840597 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27030919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulated preclinical and clinical data show that peripheral restricted opioids provide pain relief with reduced side effects. The peripherally acting opioid analgesic HS-731 is a potent dual μ-/δ-opioid receptor (MOR/DOR) full agonist, and a weak, partial agonist at the κ-opioid receptor (KOR). However, its binding mode at the opioid receptors remains elusive. Here, we present a comprehensive in silico evaluation of HS-731 binding at all opioid receptors. We provide insights into dynamic interaction patterns explaining the different binding and activity of HS-731 on the opioid receptors. For this purpose, we conducted docking, performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and generated dynamic pharmacophores (dynophores). Our results highlight two residues important for HS-731 recognition at the classical opioid receptors (MOR, DOR and KOR), particular the conserved residue 5.39 (K) and the non-conserved residue 6.58 (MOR: K, DOR: W and KOR: E). Furthermore, we assume a salt bridge between the transmembrane helices (TM) 5 and 6 via K2275.39 and E2976.58 to be responsible for the partial agonism of HS-731 at the KOR. Additionally, we experimentally demonstrated the absence of affinity of HS-731 to the nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) receptor. We consider the morphinan phenol Y1303.33 responsible for this affinity lack. Y1303.33 points deep into the NOP receptor binding pocket preventing HS-731 binding to the orthosteric binding pocket. These findings provide significant structural insights into HS-731 interaction pattern with the opioid receptors that are important for understanding the pharmacology of this peripheral opioid analgesic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Puls
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmcy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, D-14195 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Helmut Schmidhammer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmcy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, D-14195 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Mariana Spetea
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
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48
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Davis S, Zhu J. Substance abuse and neurotransmission. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2022; 93:403-441. [PMID: 35341573 PMCID: PMC9759822 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2021.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The number of people who suffer from a substance abuse disorder has continued to rise over the last decade; particularly, the number of drug-related overdose deaths has sharply increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Converging lines of clinical observations, supported by imaging and neuropsychological performance testing, have demonstrated that substance abuse-induced dysregulation of neurotransmissions in the brain is critical for development and expression of the addictive properties of abused substances. Recent scientific advances have allowed for better understanding of the neurobiological processes that mediates drugs of abuse and addiction. This chapter presents the past classic concepts and the recent advances in our knowledge about how cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, alcohol, and nicotine alter multiple neurotransmitter systems, which contribute to the behaviors associated with each drug. Additionally, we discuss the interactive effects of HIV-1 or COVID-19 and substance abuse on neurotransmission and neurobiological pathways. Finally, we introduce therapeutic strategies for development of pharmacotherapies for substance abuse disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Davis
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Jun Zhu
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.
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Mahinthichaichan P, Vo QN, Ellis CR, Shen J. Kinetics and Mechanism of Fentanyl Dissociation from the μ-Opioid Receptor. JACS AU 2021; 1:2208-2215. [PMID: 34977892 PMCID: PMC8715493 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Driven by illicit fentanyl, opioid related deaths have reached the highest level in 2020. Currently, an opioid overdose is resuscitated by the use of naloxone, which competitively binds and antagonizes the μ-opioid receptor (mOR). Thus, knowledge of the residence times of opioids at mOR and the unbinding mechanisms is valuable for assessing the effectiveness of naloxone. In the present study, we calculate the fentanyl-mOR dissociation time and elucidate the mechanism by applying an enhanced sampling molecular dynamics (MD) technique. Two sets of metadynamics simulations with different initial structures were performed while accounting for the protonation state of the conserved H2976.52, which has been suggested to modulate the ligand-mOR affinity and binding mode. Surprisingly, with the Nδ-protonated H2976.52, fentanyl can descend as much as 10 Å below the level of the conserved D1473.32 before escaping the receptor and has a calculated residence time τ of 38 s. In contrast, with the Nϵ- and doubly protonated H2976.52, the calculated τ are 2.6 and 0.9 s, respectively. Analysis suggests that formation of the piperidine-Hid297 hydrogen bond strengthens the hydrophobic contacts with the transmembrane helix (TM) 6, allowing fentanyl to explore a deep pocket. Considering the experimental τ of ∼4 min for fentanyl and the role of TM6 in mOR activation, the deep insertion mechanism may be biologically relevant. The work paves the way for large-scale computational predictions of opioid dissociation rates to inform evaluation of strategies for opioid overdose reversal. The profound role of the histidine protonation state found here may shift the paradigm in computational studies of ligand-receptor kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paween Mahinthichaichan
- Division
of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office
of Translational Sciences, Center for Drug
Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, United States
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Quynh N. Vo
- Division
of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office
of Translational Sciences, Center for Drug
Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, United States
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Christopher R. Ellis
- Division
of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office
of Translational Sciences, Center for Drug
Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, United States
| | - Jana Shen
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
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50
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Cai Z, Luo F, Wang Y, Li E, Huang Y. Protein p K a Prediction with Machine Learning. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:34823-34831. [PMID: 34963965 PMCID: PMC8697405 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c05440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Protein pK a prediction is essential for the investigation of the pH-associated relationship between protein structure and function. In this work, we introduce a deep learning-based protein pK a predictor DeepKa, which is trained and validated with the pK a values derived from continuous constant-pH molecular dynamics (CpHMD) simulations of 279 soluble proteins. Here, the CpHMD implemented in the Amber molecular dynamics package has been employed (Huang Y.J. Chem. Inf. Model.2018, 58, 1372-1383). Notably, to avoid discontinuities at the boundary, grid charges are proposed to represent protein electrostatics. We show that the prediction accuracy by DeepKa is close to that by CpHMD benchmarking simulations, validating DeepKa as an efficient protein pK a predictor. In addition, the training and validation sets created in this study can be applied to the development of machine learning-based protein pK a predictors in the future. Finally, the grid charge representation is general and applicable to other topics, such as the protein-ligand binding affinity prediction.
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