title: TTA-P2 is a potent and selective blocker of T-type calcium channels in rat sensory neurons and a novel antinociceptive agent.
abstract: Several agents that are preferential T-type calcium (T-channel) blockers have shown promise as being effective in alleviating acute and chronic pain, suggesting an urgent need to identify even more selective and potent T-channel antagonists. We used small, acutely dissociated dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells of adult rats to study the in vitro effects of 3,5-dichloro-N-[1-(2,2-dimethyl-tetrahydro-pyran-4-ylmethyl)-4-fluoro-piperidin-4-ylmethyl]-benzamide (TTA-P2), a derivative of 4-aminomethyl-4-fluoropiperdine, on T currents, as well as other currents known to modulate pain transmission. We found that TTA-P2 potently and reversibly blocked DRG T currents with an IC(50) of 100 nM and stabilized channel in the inactive state, whereas high-voltage-activated calcium and sodium currents were 100- to 1000-fold less sensitive to channel blocking effects. In in vivo studies, we found that intraperitoneal injections of 5 or 7.5 mg/kg TTA-P2 reduced pain responses in mice in phases 1 and 2 of the formalin test. Furthermore, TTA-P2, at 10 mg/kg i.p., selectively and completely reversed thermal hyperalgesia in diabetic rats treated with streptozocin but had no effect on the nociceptive response of healthy animals. The antihyperalgesic effects of TTA-P2 in diabetic rats were completely abolished by administration of oligonucleotide antisense for Ca(V)3.2 isoform of T channels. Thus, TTA-P2 is not only the most potent and selective blocker of T channels in sensory neurons yet described, but it also demonstrates the potential for the pharmacological effectiveness of this approach in addressing altered nociceptive responses in animal models of both inflammatory and neuropathic pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, InJe University Ilsan Paik Hospital and College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Wonjoo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Messinger
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: Veit-Simon
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Eckle
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Obradovic
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salajegheh
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jevtovic-Todorovic
authors.forename: Slobodan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Todorovic
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020747:Calcium Channels, T-Type / Q000187:drug effects*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020747:Calcium Channels, T-Type; D017931:DNA Primers