title: The opioid mu agonist/delta antagonist DIPP-NH(2)[Psi] produces a potent analgesic effect, no physical dependence, and less tolerance than morphine in rats.
abstract: Opioid compounds with mixed mu agonist/delta antagonist properties are expected to be analgesics with low propensity to produce tolerance and dependence. In an effort to strengthen the mu agonist component of the mixed mu agonist/delta antagonist H-Tyr-Tic-Phe-Phe-NH(2) (TIPP-NH(2)), analogues containing structurally modified tyrosine residues in place of Tyr(1) were synthesized. Among the prepared compounds, H-Dmt-Tic-Phe-Phe-NH(2) (DIPP-NH(2); Dmt = 2',6'-dimethyltyrosine) and H-Dmt-TicPsi[CH(2)NH]Phe-Phe-NH(2) (DIPP-NH(2)[Psi]) retained a mixed mu agonist/delta antagonist profile, as determined in the guinea pig ileum and mouse vas deferens assays, whereas H-Tmt-Tic-Phe-Phe-NH(2) (Tmt = N,2',6'-trimethyltyrosine) was a partial mu agonist/delta antagonist and H-Tmt-TicPsi[CH(2)NH]Phe-Phe-NH(2) was a mu antagonist/delta antagonist. DIPP-NH(2)[Psi] showed binding affinities in the subnanomolar range for both mu and delta receptors in the rat brain membrane binding assays, thus representing the first example of a balanced mu agonist/delta antagonist with high potency. In the rat tail flick test, DIPP-NH(2)[Psi] given icv produced a potent analgesic effect (ED(50) = 0.04 microg), being about 3 times more potent than morphine (ED(50) = 0.11 microg). It produced less acute tolerance than morphine but still a certain level of chronic tolerance. Unlike morphine, DIPP-NH(2)[Psi] produced no physical dependence whatsoever upon chronic administration at high doses (up to 4.5 microg/h) over a 7-day period. In conclusion, DIPP-NH(2)[Psi] fulfills to a large extent the expectations based on the mixed mu agonist/delta antagonist concept with regard to analgesic activity and the development of tolerance and dependence.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Peptide Research, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2W 1R7.
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Schiller
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fundytus
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Merovitz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weltrowska
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lemieux
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Coderre
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D000818:Animals; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000819:agonists*; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: C121722:2',6'-dimethyltyrosyl--1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-3-isoquinolinecarbonyl-psi(CH2MH)-phenylalanyl-phenylalaninamide; C121668:2',6'-dimethyltyrosyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-3-isoquinolinecarbonyl-phenylalanyl-phenylalaninamide; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009842:Oligopeptides; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; C116539:tyrosyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro--3-isoquinolinecarbonyl-phenylalanyl-phenylalaninamide; D009020:Morphine