Relationship between copper(ii) complexes with FomA adhesin fragments of F. nucleatum and colorectal cancer. Coordination pattern and ability to promote ROS production.

The copper(ii) ion binding of the Ac-KGHGNG-NH2 and Ac-PTVHNE-NH2 fragments of FomA adhesin from Fusobacterium nucleatum was studied using potentiometry, UV-Vis, CD, EPR and DFT techniques. The coordination pattern was described in a wide range of pH values. Ligands begin interactions with metal ions using imidazole nitrogen. At pH 6.8 (a value typical of the large intestine environment), the metal ion was coordinated by the 3N donor atoms {Nim, 2 × N-amide} in both cases. However, the copper(ii) ion was bound more effectively by the Ac-PTVHNE-NH2 peptide. The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was studied by UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as gel electrophoresis in the presence of H2O2 and/or ascorbic acid. The complexes generated ROS in the highest amounts among all compounds. Moreover, they stimulated the CT26 cell line (mouse colon carcinoma) to produce ROS which lead to oxidative stress. It was also determined that such radicals took part in the plasmid degradation mechanism.

Hybrid analogues of SFTI-1 modified in P1 position by ß- and γ-amino acids and N-substituted ß-alanines.

A series of compounds containing either non-proteinogenic ß-/γ-amino acids or N-substituted ß-alanine residues (ß-peptoid units) in P1 specificity position were synthesized based on the structure of sunflower trypsin inhibitor 1 (SFTI-1). The compounds were synthesized on a solid support; the N-substituted ß-alanines (ßNhlys and ßNhphe) were introduced into a peptidomimetic chain via a two-step approach using acryloyl chloride and an appropriate primary amine. The inhibitory activities were characterized in vitro against bovine α-chymotrypsin or bovine ß-trypsin. Three analogues displayed activity comparable to fully proteinogenic counterparts-monocyclic SFTI-1 and [Phe(5)]SFTI-1. Moreover, all active peptidomimetics were resistant toward proteolytic degradation, even after 24-h incubation at room temperature.

Substrate specificity and inhibitory study of human airway trypsin-like protease.

Human airway trypsin-like protease (HAT), also referred to as TMPRSS11D, is an important physiological enzyme with the main activity pronounced in an airway. In this work we have described the substrate specificity and selectivity study of the protease, performed by the combinatorial approach. Fluorogenic/chromogenic tetrapeptide library was used for this purpose. The most efficiently hydrolyzed substrates' sequences that we selected were ABZ-Arg-Gln-Asp-Arg(Lys)-ANB-NH(2). The most active inhibitor with C-terminal Arg residue underwent detectable proteolysis action in the presence of 35pM of HAT. Based on the selected sequences the two peptide aldehydes were synthesized and (Abz-Arg-Gln-Asp-Arg(Lys)-H) were found to be an effective HAT inhibitor, working in nanomolar range with inhibition constant 54nM and 112nM, respectively.

Orphanin FQ/nociceptin but not Ro 65-6570 inhibits the expression of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference.

The present study investigated the effect of orphanin FQ/nociceptin (OFQ/N), the endogenous ligand of the opioid receptor-like 1 (ORL-1) receptor on the expression of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in rats. To extend this study, the new non-peptidic compound Ro 65-6570 (8-acenaphthen-1-yl-1-phenyl-1,3,8-triaza-spiro[4,5]decan-4-one), with agonist activity at ORL-1 receptors, was examined. The influence of both compounds on cocaine-induced hyperactivity was also studied. Our experiments indicated that intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of OFQ/N, at doses of 10 and 20 microg/rat, significantly suppressed the expression of cocaine-induced place preference. Ro 65-6570 (3 and 6 mg/kg, i.p.) did not change the effect of cocaine, although its acute injection in control rats significantly increased the time spent in the drug-associated compartment of the CPP apparatus. The substances exhibited opposite effects on cocaine-induced hyperactivity (OFQ/N suppressed it but Ro 65-6570 increased it). Our results suggest that the effect of OFQ/N on the expression of cocaine-induced CPP may be a result of its influence on dopamine (DA) neurotransmission in mesolimbic structures. Ro 65-6570 does not share this effect with OFQ/N.

Synthesis, activity on NK-3 tachykinin receptor and conformational solution studies of scyliorhinin II analogs modified at position 16.

Two analogs of a tachykinin family peptides - scyliorhinin II (ScyII): [Aib(16)]ScyII and [Sar(16)]ScyII were synthesized by the solid-phase method using Fmoc chemistry. Conformational studies in water and DMSO-d(6) on these peptides were performed using a combination of two-dimensional NMR and theoretical conformational analysis. The solution structure of the peptides studied is interpreted as an equilibrium of several conformers with different statistical weights. The structure of [Sar(16)]ScyII in water appeared to be more flexible, especially in the C-terminal fragment. A better defined structure for this analog was obtained in DMSO-d(6), in which the analysis resulted in a family of conformers with similar shapes. Some of these conformers were characterized by the presence of a 3(10)-helix in the N-terminal fragment and middle part of the molecule. The introduction of the Aib residue in position 16 significantly rigidifies the structure. For [Aib(16)]ScyII in both solvent systems very similar populations of conformations were obtained which are characterized by the presence of a 3(10)-helix in the 13-18 fragment. A common structural motif was found in conformationally constrained Cys(7)-Cys(13) fragment, which resembles the Greek letter 'omega'. The differences in the solution structure of the C-terminal fragment of the peptides studied are responsible for their specificity. [Aib(16)]ScyII showed 25% the agonistic activity of selective NK-3 agonist - senktide, but it also showed antagonist effect vs. this peptide, whereas [Sar(16)]ScyII appeared to be a full agonist of NK-3 tachykinin receptor.

Dynorphin A inhibits nociceptin-converting enzyme from the rat spinal cord.

Cysteine proteinase found in the spinal cord of rat, called nociceptin-converting enzyme (NCE), is competitively inhibited by dynorphin A and its fragment des-[Tyr(1)]-DYN A. This proteinase converts orphanin FQ/nociceptin (OFQ/N) to two major fragments: OFQ/N(1-11) and further OFQ/N(1-6) with analgesic properties. Dynorphin A at the concentration of 10 microM increases K(M) from 15.0 to 55.9 microM. The calculated K(i) for this interaction was estimated at 3.7 microM. This observation may suggest an interaction between opioid and nociceptive systems which may be affected by the balance between opioid and antiopioid systems. This balance between particular OFQ/N sequences that are derived from the same precursor and regulated by proteinases may play an important role in pain. Interestingly, dynorphin B does not reveal a similar action on the NCE.

C-Terminal glycine is crucial for hyperalgesic activity of nociceptin/orphanin FQ-(1-6).

A C-terminal analog of the hexapeptide orphanin FQ/nociceptin-(1-6), [Ala(6)]-orphanin FQ/nociceptin-(1-6), and a pentapeptide orphanin FQ/nociceptin-(1-5) were tested in vivo for their analgesic/hyperalgesic activity in the hot-plate test with rats. Replacement of the C-terminal glycine by L-alanine (Phe-Gly-Gly-Phe-Thr-Ala) in orphanin FQ/nociceptin-(1-6) abolished the hyperalgesic potency of native orphanin FQ/nociceptin-(1-6) (Phe-Gly-Gly-Phe-Thr-Gly), but analgesic activity was retained and was diminished by naloxone. Removal of the C-terminal amino acid (glycine or alanine) from orphanin FQ/nociceptin-(1-6) caused a significant loss of analgesic activity. It is anticipated that glycine plays a crucial role in the biphasic activity of orphanin FQ/nociceptin-(1-6). This may suggest the existence of a mechanism for terminating the biological action of orphanin FQ/nociceptin.

Determination of nociceptin-orphanin FQ metabolites by capillary LC-MS.

Nociceptin-orphanin FQ (OFQ/N) is a newly discovered peptide involved in pain transmission. The method is described to identify metabolic pathway of this neuropeptide in the spinal cord of rats using capillary size-exclusion liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The applied technique is rapid and selective, and allows for simultaneous measurement and quantitation of several fragments in the incubation mixture.

Solution conformational study of Scyliorhinin I analogues with conformational constraints by two-dimensional NMR and theoretical conformational analysis.

Two analogues of Scyliorhinin I (Scyl), a tachykinin with N-MeLeu in position 8 and a 1,5-disubstituted tetrazole ring between positions 7 and 8, introduced in order to generate local conformational constraints, were synthesized using the solid-phase method. Conformational studies in water and DMSO-d6 were performed on these peptides using a combination of the two-dimensional NMR technique and theoretical conformational analysis. The algorithm of conformational search consisted of the following three stages: (i) extensive global conformational analysis in order to find all low-energy conformations; (ii) calculation of the NOE effects and vicinal coupling constants for each of the low energy conformations; (iii) determining the statistical weights of these conformations by means of a nonlinear least-squares procedure, in order to obtain the best fit of the averaged simulated spectrum to the experimental one. In both solvents the three-dimensional structure of the analogues studied can be interpreted only in terms of an ensemble of multiple conformations. For [MeLeu8]Scyl, the C-terminal 6-10 fragment adopts more rigid structure than the N-terminal one. In the case of the analogue with the tetrazole ring in DMSO-d6 the three-dimensional structure is characterized by two dominant conformers with similar geometry of their backbones. They superimpose especially well (RMSD = 0.28 A) in the 6-9 fragments. All conformers calculated in both solvents superimpose in their C-terminal fragments much better than those of the first analogue. The results obtained indicate that the introduction of the tetrazole ring into the Scyl molecule rigidifies its structure significantly more than that of MeLeu.

Orphanin FQ/nociceptin inhibits morphine withdrawal.

The influence of orphanin FQ/nociceptin (OFQ/N) on the morphine-withdrawal symptom was investigated. Withdrawal syndrome was induced in the morphine-dependent rats by an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 2 mg/kg naloxone hydrochloride--an opioid receptors antagonist. Wet-dog shakes were used as a measure of the abstinence syndrome. Intraventricular injections of OFQ/N (5-20 microg/animal) caused significant inhibition of the withdrawal signs at doses between 15-20 microg, in the morphine-dependent rats. OFQ/N alone did not change behavior of the morphine-dependent animals. The obtained results indicate that OFQ/N can inhibit the morphine withdrawal symptoms induced by naloxone.

Effects of new somatostatin analogs on the cell proliferation of colonic crypts and colonic cancers in rats.

The antiproliferative activity of two new somatostatin (SS) analogs: ASS-51 and ASS-52 have been tested in this study. We assessed their ability to inhibit the DNA synthesis in normal colon crypt cells and in the cells of chemically (dimethylhydrazine)-induced colon cancer in the rats. The incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrDU) into appropriate cell nuclei was used as an index of DNA synthesis. It was found that: 1) Only ASS-51 significantly decreases the colon crypt cell proliferation in the rat when compared to controls. Since both analogs were previously shown to inhibit GH release, these data indicate that the antiproliferogenic effect of ASS-51 is independent of the inhibition of GH release. 2) Both examined analogs did not significantly effect the BrDU incorporation into cell nuclei of chemically-induced colon cancer.