title: Linear and cyclic beta-casomorphin analogues with high analgesic activity.
abstract: We investigated the antinociceptive efficacy of casomorphin (CM) derivatives using the vocalization test. Male Wistar rats received chronic microcannulae into the right lateral ventricle. One week later we examined the analgesic effect of CM derivatives 10, 30, 60, and 90 min after intraventricular injection (5 microliters). The analgesic effect was calculated as the individual percent increase in the pain threshold and was compared to controls (saline treatment). The substitution of D-lysine and D-ornithine in position 2 in connection with a cyclization through ring closure of the 2 position side chain amino group to the C-terminal glycine-COOH group resulted in high analgesic potency. The substitution of D-Pro4 was without any effect in the ineffective linear derivatives and decreased the effectiveness in the highly effective cyclic derivatives. The cyclic [D-Orn2]CM-5 and the cyclic [D-Lys2]CM-5 are the CM derivatives with the highest antinociceptive activity. The cyclic [D-Orn2]CM-5 is greater than 1000 times more effective than morphine. We conclude, on the basis of studies of receptor binding and in vitro investigations, that mu receptor activity alone is not responsible for the analgesic activity. The delta receptor and possibly also the kappa receptor could modulate the nociceptive effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Academy, Magdeburg, FRG.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Rüthrich
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grecksch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neubert
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000700:Analgesics / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D004723:Endorphins / Q000737:chemistry*; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D004723:Endorphins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D009020:Morphine; C021968:beta-casomorphins