Disposition of the opioid antagonist, nalmefene, in rat and dog.

1. The disposition of nalmefene in rat and dog was studied using in vitro and in vivo methodology. In vitro metabolite profiles were obtained following incubation of nalmefene with liver microsomes and biological fluids were assayed to profile in vivo metabolites. Characterization of metabolites was accomplished using hplc, co-chromatography with synthetic standards, or LC/MS. 2. In rat, tissue distribution and metabolite plasma concentration-time data were obtained following intravenous bolus dosing of nalmefene. 3. The results indicate that the primary phase I metabolite of nalmefene from liver microsome incubations was the N-dealkylated metabolite, nornalmefene. Quantitative metabolite production was rat >> dog. In vivo, nornalmefene glucuronide was the major metabolite in rat urine, whereas nalmefene glucuronide(s) were predominant in dog urine. 4. More than 90% of the radioactive dose was recovered in the rat excreta and tissues 24 h after an intravenous bolus dose of 14C-nalmefene, with no apparent organ-specific retention of radioactivity. 5. Pharmacokinetic analysis of the rat plasma metabolite data indicated that terminal half-lives for nalmefene and nornalmefene were comparable (approximately 1 h). However, Cmax and AUC of nornalmefene were < or = 7% that of corresponding nalmefene values.

D-amino acid and alanine scans of the bioactive portion of porcine motilin.

A recent systematic study of porcine motilin fragments has clearly shown that biological activity resides in the amino-terminal end. The amino-terminal tetradecapeptide retains more than 90% of the potency of the full molecule. We now examined the effect of replacement of residues 1 through 11 by either their D-isomer or by alanine in [Leu13]pMOT(1-14). Peptides were synthesized using Fmoc solid phase methodology, purified by HPLC, and assayed for their ability to displace bound motilin (rabbit antral smooth muscle homogenate) and to induce contractions (isolated rabbit duodenal segments). The negative logarithm of the concentration displacing 50% of the tracer (pIC50), or producing 50% of the maximal contractile response (pEC50), was determined. All compounds were still full agonists. A reduction in potency of more than two log units was seen for the compounds in which residues 1 (Phe), 4 (Ile), and 7 (Tyr) were replaced by Ala and residues 3 (Pro), 4 (Ile), and 6 (Thr) by their D-isomer. The largest drop was noted for the analogs substituted at position 4. For all compounds there was an almost perfect correlation between the pIC50 and the pEC50 values (r = 0.96), although the pEC50 was consistently smaller. These results show that the biological activity of motilin is mainly determined by the first seven residues. The pharmacophore consists of the aromatic rings from Phe1 and Tyr7 and the aliphatic side chains from Val2 and Ile4. Pro3, Phe5, and Thr6 may stabilize the bioactive conformation.

Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of [Leu13]porcine motilin fragments.

Several peptide fragments representing N-terminal, C-terminal, and internal sequences of [Leu13]porcine motilin ([Leu13]pMOT) were synthesized using Fmoc solid phase methodology. Peptides were assayed for motilin receptor binding activity in a rabbit antrum smooth muscle preparation and for stimulation of contractile activity in segments of rabbit duodenum. In vitro activity was directly correlated with motilin receptor binding affinity for all [Leu13]pMOT fragments examined. N-Terminal fragments of just over half the length of the native peptide are nearly equipotent as full-length motilin. These results suggest that the N-terminal segment, together with residues from the mid-portion of the molecule, constitutes the bioactive portion of pMOT. The C-terminal segment, in contrast, contributes little to receptor binding affinity or in vitro activity.

Capillary zone electrophoresis studies of motilin peptides. Effects of charge, hydrophobicity, secondary structure and length.

Motilin is a gut hormone, which is involved in gastrointestinal motility. Capillary electrophoresis studies were made on 24 peptides that are N-terminal, C-terminal or internal fragments of motilin. The isoelectric point, total charge and hydrophobicity were calculated for all of the peptides. The effects of buffers and pH on migration time and resolution were studied. These included citrate buffer, pH 2.5; phosphate buffer, pH 7.0 and borate buffer, pH 10.0. A capillary zone electrophoresis method was developed to resolve 14 of the motilin peptides. Secondary structure predictions were made using the Chou-Fasman method. Circular dichroism spectra were collected to confirm presence of alpha-helix in several fragments. Effects of charge, hydrophobicity, secondary structure and length of the motilin fragments on migration time were studied.

Metaphit inhibits dopamine transport and binding of [3H]methylphenidate, a proposed marker for the dopamine transport complex.

Metaphit, an acylating derivative of phencyclidine, was shown to interact with components of the dopamine nerve terminal in rat striatal tissue. This compound, previously demonstrated to be an irreversible inhibitor at the phencyclidine receptor, was shown in these experiments to irreversibly inhibit synaptosomal [3H]dopamine uptake. It also inhibited binding of [3H]methylphenidate to its recognition site, which is thought to be a subunit of the dopamine transporter. Although the inhibition was due primarily to a reduction in the binding and transport capacity of the systems studied, increases in the apparent KD of [3H]methylphenidate and the Km of [3H]dopamine were also observed. Differences in the behavior of Metaphit and phencyclidine in these dopaminergic systems compared to their effects on the NMDA receptor-linked phencyclidine receptor suggest that Metaphit may be interacting with two distinct molecular sites in the rat striatum.

Synthetic peptide analogues differentially alter the binding affinities of cyclic nucleotide dependent protein kinases for nucleotide substrates.

Analogues of a synthetic heptapeptide substrate corresponding to the sequence around a phosphorylation site in histone H2B [Glass, D. B. & Krebs, E. G. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 1196-1200] were used to assess interactions between the peptide substrate and the ATP binding sites of cGMP-dependent protein kinase and the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The affinity of each protein kinase for lin-benzo-ADP was determined in the absence and presence of substrate peptide by fluorescence anisotropy titrations [Bhatnagar, D., Roskoski, R., Jr., Rosendahl, M. S., & Leonard, N. J. (1983) Biochemistry 22, 6310-6317]. The Kd values of cGMP-dependent protein kinase for lin-benzo-ADP in the absence and presence of cGMP were 7.6 and 9.7 microM, respectively. Histone H2B(29-35) (Arg-Lys-Arg-Ser-Arg-Lys-Glu) had no effect on nucleotide affinity in either the absence or presence of cGMP. However, when lysine-34 located two residues after the phosphorylatable serine is replaced with an alanyl residue, the resulting [Ala34]histone H2B(29-35) and its analogue peptides interact with cGMP-dependent protein kinase and/or the nucleotide in a fashion that decreases nucleotide binding affinity approximately 3-fold. This amino acid replacement had previously been shown to cause an increase in Vmax and a decrease in the pH optimum for the phosphotransferase reaction. Replacement of positively charged residues at positions 30 and 31 of the peptide also decreased nucleotide affinity. Other analogues of histone H2B(29-35) failed to affect binding of lin-benzo-ADP to the active site of the cGMP-dependent enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Phencyclidine (PCP)-like inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate-evoked striatal acetylcholine release, H-TCP binding and synaptosomal dopamine uptake by metaphit, a proposed PCP receptor acylator.

The phencyclidine (PCP) receptor acylator, metaphit, has been reported to act as a PCP antagonist. Recent electrophysiological and behavioral assessments of metaphit action have revealed, however, that this compound can also act as a PCP-like agonist. The present study examined the effects of metaphit on the inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced 3H-acetylcholine (ACh) release, 3H-TCP binding and synaptosomal 3H-dopamine (DA) uptake in the rat striatum. Preincubation of striatal slices for 10 min in the presence of metaphit, followed by a prolonged washout, produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of the ACh release evoked by 300 microM NMDA. At high concentrations, preincubation with PCP also resulted in inhibition of this measure. However, this could be reduced by extending the washout period, a procedure which had no effect on the inhibition produced by metaphit. At 10 microM, metaphit resulted in a 53% reduction in NMDA-evoked ACh release while PCP had no effect under identical conditions. Preincubation of slices in 10 microM PCP and metaphit reduced the metaphit inhibition by 62%. The effects of PCP and metaphit, alone or in combination, on NMDA-induced ACh release were paralleled by a loss of 3H-TCP binding sites in striatal tissue incubated under identical conditions suggesting that metaphit exerts long-lasting agonist-like actions on PCP receptors coupled to NMDA receptors. Although these results do not explain the ability of metaphit to antagonize PCP effects in other assays, we did observe that preincubation of striatal synaptosomes with metaphit also resulted in an irreversible inhibition of 3H-DA uptake. These data are discussed in relation to the interaction of metaphit with PCP receptors in various systems.

Enantiomeric and diastereomeric dioxadrols: behavioral, biochemical and chemical determination of the configuration necessary for phencyclidine-like properties.

Dioxadrol exists in four isomeric forms. alpha-(+)-Dioxadrol (dexoxadrol) showed phencyclidine (PCP)-like activity in rhesus monkeys trained to discriminate s.c. administration of ketamine, but neither alpha-(-)-dioxadrol (levoxadrol) nor beta-(+/-)-dioxadrol showed such activity. In addition, response-contingent i.v. dexoxadrol maintained higher rates of responding than either levoxadrol or beta-dioxadrol in monkeys experienced with ketamine self-administration. The order of potency in displacing bound 1-[1-(2-thienyl)cyclohexyl]piperidine from binding sites in rat brain homogenates was dexoxadrol much greater than levoxadrol = beta-(+/-)-dioxadrol. Viewed in the context of previous studies with stereochemical probes of the PCP receptor, these results extend and confirm the supposition that dexoxadrol and levoxadrol are the stereochemical probes of choice in the study of effects mediated through PCP receptors. The absolute configuration of dexoxadrol was determined to be 4S, 6S by X-ray crystallography, thus defining the optimum chirality necessary for receptor binding and PCP-like activity in the dioxadrol series. Based on these and other considerations, receptor-active conformations of dexoxadrol and PCP are proposed.

Chronic morphine upregulates a mu-opiate binding site labeled by [3H]cycloFOXY: a novel opiate antagonist suitable for positron emission tomography.

CycloFOXY (17-cyclopropylmethyl-3,14-dihydroxy-4,5-alpha-epoxy-6-beta- fluoromorphinan) is a novel opiate antagonist synthesized as a ligand suitable for in vivo visualization of opiate receptors using positron emission transaxial tomography. In this paper we report that [3H]cycloFOXY labels two distinct opiate binding sites in rat brain membranes, tentatively identified as mu and kappa. Furthermore, chronic administration of morphine results in a selective up-regulation of the mu binding site. The implications of this finding for models of the opioid receptors and the mechanism of the sodium effect are discussed.

Metaphit irreversibly inhibits [3H]threo-(+/-)-methylphenidate binding to rat striatal tissue.

Metaphit (1-[1-(3-isothiocyanatophenyl)cyclohexyl]-piperidine), a derivative of phencyclidine that contains an isothiocyanate group on the meta position of the aromatic ring, resembles its parent compound (phencyclidine) in its ability to inhibit the binding of the stimulant drug [3H]threo-(+/-)-methylphenidate to crude synaptosomal membranes from rat striatal tissue (IC50 = 1.4 and 6.2 microM for phencyclidine and Metaphit, respectively). Unlike phencyclidine, however, Metaphit appears to inhibit binding of the radiolabeled stimulant in an irreversible manner, as the degree of inhibition of binding of the stimulant does not diminish when the Metaphit-treated tissue is subjected to repeated washings before determination of the binding of [3H]threo-(+/-)-methylphenidate. This finding suggests that Metaphit may be a useful tool in the study of the molecular basis of stimulant action.

Probes for narcotic receptor mediated phenomena. 13. Potential irreversible narcotic antagonist-based ligands derived from 6,14-endo-ethenotetrahydronororipavine with 7-(methoxyfumaroyl)amino, (bromoacetyl)amino, or isothiocyanate electrophiles: chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmacology.

N-Allyl-, N-(cyclopropylmethyl)-, and N-propyl-endo-ethenotetrahydronororipavines (N-substituted 6,14-endo-etheno-4,5-epoxy-3-hydroxy-6-methoxymorphinans) were synthesized with potential acylating or alkylating moieties at the C-7 position (isothiocyanato, (bromoacetyl)amino, and (methoxyfumaroyl)amino) and examined in vivo for their narcotic agonist and antagonist activities and for their ability to interact with opioid receptors in vitro. The N-(cyclopropylmethyl)-substituted compounds were found to have the highest affinity for opioid receptors among these N-substituted compounds, although all of them were found to be reasonably potent narcotic antagonists in the mouse tail flick vs. morphine assay. Their in vivo potency ranged from 1/8 to 4 times that of nalorphine on intravenous injection in mice. Rat brain membrane binding studies indicated that the compounds interacted with opioid receptors with potencies that ranged from 0.5 times that of morphine (8c, 9c, and 10c) to 0.017 that of morphine (8b). Among the compounds studied here, only the previously reported isothiocyanato compound (10c) and (methoxyfumaroyl)amino compound (8c) interacted irreversibly and selectively with mu or delta opioid receptors, respectively, in assays using NG108-15 neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cells and/or in a rat brain membrane preparation. Both 8c and 10c were found to interact irreversibly, to a limited extent, with kappa opioid sites in rat brain membranes in which the mu and delta opioid receptors were depleted by interaction with the mu-selective irreversible ligand BIT and the delta-selective irreversible ligand FIT. Neither compound showed irreversible actions in the electrically stimulated mouse vas deferens preparation.

Electrophysiological interactions of isomers of cyclazocine with the phencyclidine antagonist metaphit in rat cerebellar Purkinje neurons.

Metaphit, 1-(1-(3-isothiocyanatophenyl) cyclohexyl) piperidine, an analog of phencyclidine (PCP) has been shown previously to selectively block PCP receptors and to irreversibly antagonize the depressant effect of PCP in cerebellum. In this study, we examined the electrophysiological interactions of metaphit and naloxone with stereoisomers of cyclazocine, an agent known to have analgesic and psychotomimetic activity in behavioral studies, effects that have been ascribed to opiate and PCP receptor activity. A dose-dependent and reversible slowing of Purkinje neuron discharge was seen with local application of (+)- or (-)-cyclazocine. We found that the blockade of (-)-cyclazocine effects required both high doses of naloxone and the presence of metaphit, whereas the responses to (+)-cyclazocine were blocked by metaphit alone on most cerebellar Purkinje neurons. These findings suggest that the depressant reaction of (+)-cyclazocine in cerebellar Purkinje neurons is primarily mediated through PCP receptors. (-)-Cyclazocine responses, on the other hand, appear to be due to activity at both PCP and kappa opioid receptors.

Metaphit, an acylating ligand for phencyclidine receptors: characterization of in vivo actions in the rat.

Metaphit, which acylates phencyclidine (PCP) receptors in vitro, was shown to acylate PCP receptors and antagonize the behavioral and electrophysiological effects of PCP in vivo. Metaphit (2 mumol/rat) administered i.c.v. produced PCP-like stereotyped behavior and ataxia in 10 to 20% of rats. At a lower dose, Metaphit (1 mumol/rat) antagonized the ability of PCP to induce stereotyped behavior and ataxia for 3 and 4 days, respectively. The Metaphit-induced antagonism of PCP induction of stereotyped behavior and ataxia was dose-dependent and specific as Metaphit did not antagonize induction of stereotyped behavior by amphetamine. Further evidence for a specific PCP receptor mechanism was the finding that PCP pretreatment blocked the effects of subsequent Metaphit administration. Metaphit also antagonized PCP-induction of stereotyped behavior, but not ataxia, after i.v. administration. Doses of Metaphit that produced long-term antagonism of the behavioral effects of PCP also produced a significant decrease in the maximum binding, but not Kd, of the binding of the PCP analog, [3H]-1-(2-thienyl)cyclohexyl]piperidine, in Metaphit-pretreated rats. The binding of [3H]etorphine and [3H]spiroperidol was not altered significantly by pretreating rats with Metaphit. (-)-Cyclazocine and (+)-SKF 10,047 induced stereotyped behavior and ataxia that was not antagonized by Metaphit-pretreatment. In electrophysiological experiments, Metaphit, like PCP, initially depressed the firing of caudate neurons as does PCP, but then irreversibly inhibited PCP-induced depression of caudate neurons. These results suggest that metaphit antagonized the effects of PCP by selectively acylating PCP receptors and that (-)-cyclazocine- and (+)-SKF 10,047-induced behavioral effects are not mediated primarily by PCP receptors.

Metaphit, a receptor acylator, inactivates cocaine binding sites in striatum and antagonizes cocaine-induced locomotor stimulation in rodents.

The PCP analog metaphit, a proposed PCP receptor acylator, produced a concentration-dependent loss of the number of high-affinity [3H]cocaine binding sites in rodent striatum. In addition, 24 h after administration of metaphit, a dose of 25 mg/kg of cocaine was not effective in stimulating locomotor behavior of rodents. The results suggest that metaphit antagonizes cocaine-induced locomotor stimulation by acylating cocaine binding sites on dopaminergic nerve terminals.

Is Metaphit a phencyclidine antagonist? Studies with ketamine, phencyclidine and N-methylaspartate.

The dissociative anaesthetics, phencyclidine and ketamine, block excitation of central neurones by N-methylaspartate. Using the technique of microelectrophoresis on rat spinal neurones in vivo Metaphit, a phencyclidine receptor acylating agent, was tested to see whether it would antagonise this effect of dissociative anaesthetics. The predominant effect of Metaphit was, however, to reduce N-methylaspartate induced excitation. It is concluded that Metaphit has mixed agonist/antagonist effects at the phencyclidine receptor.

Metaphit, a proposed phencyclidine receptor acylator: phencyclidine-like behavioral effects and evidence of absence of antagonist activity in pigeons and in rhesus monkeys.

Metaphit, a derivative of phencyclidine (PCP), binds irreversibly to PCP sites and appears to act as an antagonist of PCP under some conditions and as a PCP-like agonist under other conditions. To describe further these conditions, the authors investigated the behavioral effects of metaphit by using different routes of administration, behavioral procedures and species. In pigeons, metaphit induced PCP-like catalepsy after i.c.v. administration and, after i.m. administration, produced PCP-like discriminative stimulus effects and stereotyped operant responding. In rhesus monkeys, metaphit produced ataxia and convulsions but did not induce catalepsy, anesthesia or PCP-like discriminative stimulus effects. None of the effects of PCP-type drugs [i.e., PCP, ketamine or (+/-)-SKF 10,047] in pigeons or rhesus monkeys was antagonized by metaphit. Metaphit potentiated the discriminative stimulus effects of PCP and of SKF 10,047 in pigeons. These results suggest that metaphit acts not as an antagonist of PCP but as a PCP-like agonist under these conditions. Metaphit's potentiation of behavioral effects of PCP may be related to the presumed ability of metaphit to acylate PCP receptors. The extent to which metaphit produces PCP-like behavioral effects in part may be species dependent.

Antagonism of phencyclidine action by metaphit in rat cerebellar Purkinje neurons: an electrophysiological study.

Metaphit (1-[1-(3-isothiocyanatophenyl)-cyclohexyl]piperidine), a derivative of the psychotomimetic drug phencyclidine (PCP), is postulated to bind irreversibly to PCP receptors. We examined here the electrophysiological interactions of metaphit with PCP in rat cerebellar cortex, since a specific effect of PCP on cerebellar neuronal circuitry has been shown. Metaphit, applied locally to Purkinje neurons by micropressure ejection through multibarreled micropipettes, has a reversible depressant action lasting for 5-20 min. Following this, PCP-induced inhibition is blocked with no recovery despite repeated applications of PCP for over an hour. This blockade was not seen unless the dose of metaphit was sufficient to transiently depress Purkinje neuron discharge. Metaphit does not antagonize inhibitory effects of locally applied norepinephrine or gamma-aminobutyric acid. This electrophysiological data suggests that metaphit is an irreversible antagonist of PCP in the cerebellum.

Effects of metaphit, a proposed phencyclidine receptor acylator, on catalepsy in pigeons.

Metaphit, a derivative of phencyclidine (PCP), irreversibly binds to PCP sites in rat brain homogenates. PCP-induced catalepsy in pigeons, which is a pharmacologically specific and stereoselective phenomenon, was used to study pharmacological consequences of the proposed covalent bonding of metaphit to PCP sites. Metaphit pretreatment increased the cataleptic effects induced by cumulative doses of PCP-type drugs (i.e., PCP, ketamine and m-amino PCP) and of drugs that have PCP-like actions (i.e., dexoxadrol, LY 154716 and cyclazocine). Metaphit did not affect pentobarbital-induced loss of righting, head-drop and eye closure. Metaphit itself induced a PCP-like catalepsy. Isobolographic analysis of the interactions between metaphit and PCP-like drugs suggested that metaphit potentiated the catalepsy-inducing effects of these drugs. The possibility that metaphit exerts its potentiating effects by inhibition of PCP biotransformation was evaluated by measuring plasma and brain concentrations of PCP after pretreatment with either metaphit or SKF-525A, an inhibitor of the enzyme systems involved in PCP biotransformation. SKF-525A, but not metaphit, increased brain levels of PCP. The results suggest that metaphit acts not as an antagonist of PCP but as a less-potent, long-acting, specific PCP-like agonist. Potentiation by metaphit of the cataleptic effects of chemically diverse drugs with PCP-like actions does not appear to be based on inhibition of the enzyme systems involved in metabolism of those drugs.