Pure and Applied Chemistry

Abstract: Endomorphins (endomorphin-1,H-Tyr-Pro-Trp-Phe-NH 2 ,endomorphin-2, Tyr-Pro-Phe-Phe-NH₂) are potent and selective µ-opioid receptor agonists. In order to improve the affinity and chemical stability of endomorphins, we have designed, synthesized, and characterized novel analogs with unnatural (2 ',6 '-dimethyltyrosine, Dmt) and/or ß-alicyclic amino acids (ACPC and ACHC). Radioligand binding assay indicated that several of the novel analogs exhibit high affinity for both µ-and d-opioid receptors in rat-or mouse-brain membrane preparations. The most promising derivatives—such as Dmt-Pro-Trp/Phe-Phe-NH₂, Dmt-(1 S,2R)-ACPC-Phe-Phe-NH₂, and Dmt-(1S,2R)-ACHC-Phe-Phe-NH₂ )—were characterized in recombinant cell lines expressing human µ-or d-opioid receptors. Interestingly, while these novel peptides were potent opioid agonists in the functional [³⁵S]GTPgammaS binding assays in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing the µ-opioid receptors, some behaved as antagonist or inverse agonist in the human d-opioid receptor-expressing CHO cells. Since it has previously been demonstrated that the coadministration of d-antagonists with µ-analgesics attenuates the development of analgesic tolerance, introduction of high-affinity d-antagonist properties into the µ-agonist endomorphins is expected to lead to potent analgesics that produce limited tolerance.