The synergistic effects of opioid and neuropeptide B/W in rat acute inflammatory and neuropathic pain models.

The use of morphine is controversial due to the incidence of rewarding behavior, respiratory depression, and tolerance, leading to increased drug dose requirements, advancing to morphine addiction. To overcome these barriers, strategies have been taken to combine morphine with other analgesics. Neuropeptide B23 and neuropeptide W23 (NPB23 and NPW23) are commonly used to relieve inflammatory pain and neuropathic pain. As NPB23 and NPW23 system shares similar anatomical basis with opioid system at least in the spinal cord we hypothesized that NPB23 or NPW23 and morphine may synergistically relieve inflammatory pain and neuropathic pain. To test this hypothesis, we demonstrated that µ opioid receptor and NPBW1 receptor (receptor of NPB23 and NPW23) are colocalized in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Secondly, co-administration of morphine witheitherNPB23 or NPW23 synergistically attenuated inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Furthermore, either NPB23 or NPW23 significantly reduced morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and constipation. We also found that phosphorylation of extracellular-regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2) following morphine was profoundly potentiated by the application of NPB23 or NPW23. Hence, combination of morphine with either NPB23 or NPW23 reduced dose of morphine required for pain relief in inflammatory and neuropathic pain, while effectively prevented some side-effects of morphine.

A relaxin-like gonad-stimulating peptide identified from the starfish Astropecten scoparius.

A relaxin-like gonad-stimulating peptide (RGP) in starfish was the first identified invertebrate gonadotropin responsible for final gamete maturation. An RGP ortholog was newly identified from Astropecten scoparius of the order Paxillosida. The A. scoparius RGP (AscRGP) precursor is encoded by a 354 base pair open reading frame and is a 118 amino acid (aa) protein consisting of a signal peptide (26 aa), B-chain (21 aa), C-peptide (47 aa), and A-chain (24 aa). There are three putative processing sites (Lys-Arg) between the B-chain and C-peptide, between the C-peptide and A-chain, and within the C-peptide. This structural organization revealed that the mature AscRGP is composed of A- and B-chains with two interchain disulfide bonds and one intrachain disulfide bond. The C-terminal residues of the B-chain are Gln-Gly-Arg, which is a potential substrate for formation of an amidated C-terminal Gln residue. Non-amidated (AscRGP-GR) and amidated (AscRGP-NH2 ) peptides were chemically synthesized and their effect on gamete shedding activity was examined using A. scoparius ovaries. Both AscRGP-GR and AscRGP-NH2 induced oocyte maturation and ovulation in similar dose-dependent manners. This is the first report on a C-terminally amidated functional RGP. Collectively, these results suggest that AscRGP-GR and AscRGP-NH2 act as a natural gonadotropic hormone in A. scoparius.

Conformational analysis of a cyclic AKH neuropeptide analog that elicits selective activity on locust versus honeybee receptor.

Neuropeptides belonging to the adipokinetic hormone (AKH) family elicit metabolic effects as their main function in insects, by mobilizing trehalose, diacylgycerol, or proline, which are released from the fat body into the hemolymph as energy sources for muscle contraction required for energy-intensive processes, such as locomotion. One of the AKHs produced in locusts is a decapeptide, Locmi-AKH-I (pELNFTPNWGT-NH2). A head-to-tail cyclic, octapeptide analog of Locmi-AKH-I, cycloAKH (cyclo[LNFTPNWG]) was synthesized to severely restrict the conformational freedom of the AKH structure. In vitro, cycloAKH selectively retains full efficacy on a pest insect (desert locust) AKH receptor, while showing little or no activation of the AKH receptor of a beneficial insect (honeybee). Molecular dynamic analysis incorporating NMR data indicate that cycloAKH preferentially adopts a type II ß-turn under micelle conditions, whereas its linear counterpart and natural AKH adopts a type VI ß-turn under similar conditions. CycloAKH, linear LNFTPNWG-NH2, and Locmi-AKH-I feature the same binding site during docking simulations with the desert locust AKH receptor (Schgr-AKHR), but differ in the details of the ligand/receptor interactions. However, cycloAKH failed to enter the binding pocket of the honeybee receptor 3D model during docking simulations. Since the locust AKH receptor has a greater tolerance than the honeybee receptor for the cyclic conformational constraint in vitro receptor assays, it could suggest a greater tolerance for a shift in the direction of the type II ß turn exhibited by cycloAKH from the type VI ß turn of the linear octapeptide and the native locust decapeptide AKH. Selectivity in biostable mimetic analogs could potentially be enhanced by incorporating conformational constraints that emphasize this shift. Biostable mimetic analogs of AKH offer the potential of selectively disrupting AKH-regulated processes, leading to novel, environmentally benign control strategies for pest insect populations.

3D-QSAR based optimization of insect neuropeptide allatostatin analogs.

Allatostatins (AST) are neuropeptides originally described as inhibitors of juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis in insects. Consequently, they have been considered as potential lead compounds for the discovery of new insect growth regulators (IGRs). In the present work, receptor-based three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) was studied with 48 AST analogs, and a general approach for novel potent bioactive AST analogs is proposed. Hence, six novel AST analogs were designed and synthesized. Bioassays indicated that the majority novel analogs exhibited potent JH inhibitory activity, especially analog A6 (IC50: 3.79 nmol/L), which can be used as lead compound to develop new IGRs.

Development of potent and proteolytically stable human neuromedin U receptor agonists.

Neuromedin U (NMU) is a highly conserved endogenous peptide that is involved in a wide range of physiological processes such as regulation of feeding behavior, the stress response and nociception. The major limitation to use NMU as a therapeutic is its short half-life. Here, we describe the development of a set of novel NMU-analogs based on NMU-8, by introducing unnatural amino acids into the native sequence. This approach shows that it is possible to generate molecules with increased potency and improved plasma stability without major changes of the peptidic nature or the introduction of large conjugates. When compared to the native NMU-8 peptide, compounds 16, 18 and 20 have potent agonist activity and affinity for both NMU receptors. Selectivity towards NMUR1 was observed when the Phe residue in position 4 was modified, whereas higher potencies at NMUR2 were found when substitutions of the Pro residue in position 6 were executed. To study the effect of the modifications on the proteolytic stability of the molecules, an in vitro stability assay in human plasma at 37 °C was performed. All analyzed analogs possessed an increased resistance against enzymatic degradation in human plasma resulting in half-lifes from 4 min for NMU-8, up to more than 23 h for compound 42.

Conorfamide-Sr3, a structurally novel specific inhibitor of the Shaker K+ channel.

Conorfamides (CNFs) are toxins initially characterized from the venom duct of the venomous marine snail Conus spurius from the Gulf of Mexico; at their C-termini, these toxins are amidated and have high sequence similarity with the molluskan cardioexcitatory tetrapeptide Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2 (FMRFamide or FMRFa) and other FMRFa-related peptides (FaRPs) found in the five molluskan classes, and in other invertebrate and vertebrate phyla. These peptides were the first FaRPs found to be present in any venom, and they are biologically active in mice, limpets, and/or freshwater snails. However, the molecular targets of the known CNFs (CNF-Sr1 and CNF-Sr2 from C. spurius, and CNF-Vc1 from C. victoriae) remain unidentified. Very recently, three FaRPs from C. textile have been found to potentiate the currents of acid-sensing ion channels. In this work, we characterized a novel conorfamide, CNF-Sr3 (ATSGPMGWLPVFYRF-NH2), comprised of 15 amino acid residues, and with a specific blocking activity for the Shaker subtype of the voltage-gated potassium channels, without significant effect on the Shab, Shaw, Shal and Eag channels. This peptide is the third type of disulfide-free conotoxins that has been discovered to target K+ channels.

Papel de la oxitocina en la regulación de la agresión / Role of oxytocin in the regulation of aggression

La oxitocina (Oxt) es un neuropéptido especialmente relevante por su implicación en las conductas sociales y de afiliación, incluyendo la regulación de la conducta agresiva. En este artículo presentamos una revisión actualizada que examina la relación entre la Oxt y la agresión en modelos animales. La recopilación de artículos se realizó a través de una búsqueda combinada en las bases de datos Web of Knowledge, Scopus y Pubmed (1990-septiembre 2016). Los resultados de estos estudios incluyen evidencias que proceden de la administración de Oxt intranasal, intracerebral, intracerebroventricular, o sus antagonistas, de estudios de lesión, microdiálisis, así como de trabajos con animales modificados genéticamente. En conjunto, los resultados indican que tanto en roedores machos como en hembras la Oxt modula la agresión, aunque no siempre lo hace en el mismo sentido. Se concluye que en la agresión ofensiva la Oxt ejerce generalmente un papel inhibitorio sobre la agresión, mientras que en la agresión maternal se ha observado tanto un papel facilitador como inhibidor, dependiendo de diferentes factores. Se sugiere la necesidad de analizar las variables contextuales e individuales que podrían estar modulando la acción de la Oxt sobre la agresión (AU)

Oxytocin (Oxt) is a neuropeptide particularly relevant for its involvement in social and affiliation behaviours, including the regulation of aggressive behaviours. An updated review is presented, examining the relationships between oxytocin and aggression in animal models. The articles for review were gathered using a combined search on Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and PubMed databases (from 1990 to September 2016). The results of these studies include evidence derived from intranasal, intraventricular and intra-cerebro-ventricular Oxt administration, or from antagonist drugs, lesion studies, microdialysis, as well as works with genetically modified animals. Overall, the results indicate that Oxt modulates aggression both in male and female rodents, although it does not always act in the same direction. It is concluded that Oxt generally exerts an inhibitory role in offensive aggression, whereas in maternal aggression both a facilitating as well as an inhibitor role has been observed, depending on different factors. It is suggested that there is a need to analyse the contextual and individual variables that might be modulating the Oxt action in aggression (AU)

A potential insect growth regulator for cockroach control: design, synthesis and bioactivity of N-terminal-modified allatostatin analogues.

BACKGROUND: The FGLa-allatostatins (ASTs) are a family of neuropeptides that can inhibit juvenile hormone biosynthesis by the corpora allata (CA) in vitro, and therefore they are regarded as insect growth regulator (IGR) candidates for pest control. In our previous studies, an AST mimic, H17, was found to have a significant effect on JH biosynthesis by cockroach CA, both in vitro and in vivo. To discover new potential mimics and explore the substituent effect on the inhibition of JH biosynthesis, 30 analogues, modified with various substituents on the benzene ring at the N-terminus of lead compound H17, were designed and synthesised. Their bioactivity in inhibiting JH biosynthesis by the CA of Diploptera punctata and the potency of M9, M10 and M11 in activation of Dippu-AstR were evaluated. RESULTS: All the analogues showed an effect on JH biosynthesis by CA in vitro. M9, M10 and M11 can activate the Dippu-AstR, albeit with much lower potency than that of AST 1. M11 also exhibited improved in vitro activity (IC50 6.98 nm) in comparison with the lead compound H17 (IC50 29.5 nm). In particular, M11 displayed good in vivo activity in inhibiting JH biosynthesis and basal oocyte growth. CONCLUSION: The structure-activity relationship studies suggest that different positions of substituents on the benzene ring of the cinnamic acid can lead to different activities. The para-substitution on the benzene ring plays an important role in inhibiting JH biosynthesis in vitro. Moreover, M11 is considered to be a potential IGR for cockroach control. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Synthesis and biological activity of FGLamide allatostatin analogs with Phe(3) residue modifications.

A FGLamide allatostatin neuropeptide mimic (H17) is a potential insect growth regulator which inhibits the production of juvenile hormone by the corpora allata. To find more evidence to reveal the structure-activity relationships of the Phe(3) residue in the C-terminal conserved pentapeptide and search for novel analogs with high activity, a series of Phe(3) residue-modified analogs were designed and synthesized using H17 as the lead compound. Bioassay using juvenile hormone (JH) production by corpora allata of the cockroach Diploptera punctata indicated that analogs 4, 11, and 13 showed strong ability to inhibit JH production in vitro, with IC50 of 38.5, 22.5, and 26 nM, respectively. As well, the activity of analog 2 (IC50 : 89.5 nM) proved roughly equivalent to that of H17. Based on the primary structure-activity relationships of Phe(3) residue, we suggest that for analogs containing six-membered aromatic rings, removing the methylene group of Phe(3) or an o-halogen or p-halogen-substituted benzene ring could increase the ability to inhibit biosynthesis of JH. This study will be useful for the design of new allatostatin analogs for insect management. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Synthesis of the Cortistatin Pentacyclic Core by Alkoxide-Directed Metallacycle-Mediated Annulative Cross-Coupling.

The pentacyclic core skeleton of the cortistatins has been prepared in a stereoselective fashion by strategic use of an alkoxide-directed metallacycle-mediated annulative cross-coupling. This metal-centered tandem reaction delivers a polyunsaturated hydrindane and establishes the C13 stereodefined quaternary center with high levels of stereocontrol. Subsequent regio- and stereoselective global hydroboration results in the realization of the DE-trans ring fusion and a tertiary alcohol at C8. Establishment of the ABC-tricyclic subunit was then accomplished through phenolic oxidation/trans-acetalization, chemoselective reduction, regioselective cleavage, and intramolecular alkylation at C5.

Development of a sufficiently reactive thioalkylester involving the side-chain thiol of cysteine applicable for kinetically controlled ligation.

N(α) -Trifluoroacetyl-Cys-Leu-NH2 (TfaC-Leu-NH2 ) was incorporated into thioesters through its side-chain thiol group to develop a more reactive peptide-thioester than the commonly used peptide-3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)-thioester. The TfaC-thioester could be readily synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) with Boc chemistry using in situ neutralization protocols in sufficient yield without any side reaction associated with the use of TfaC. This thioester proved to display a much higher reactivity in the thiol-free native chemical ligation (NCL) reaction than the MPA-thioester and to be comparable to the thioarylester, such as the 4-mercaptophenylacetic acid (MPAA)-thioester, in terms of the ligation rate. We were able to demonstrate the usefulness of the TfaC-thioester by using it to synthesize neuromedin S via a one-pot sequential NCL approach followed by desulfurization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 106: 503-511, 2016.

Charge-Compensated Metallacarborane Building Blocks for Conjugation with Peptides.

The cobalt bis(dicarbollide) complex [commo-3,3'-Co(1,2-C2 B9 H11 )2 ](-) has captured much attention in biochemical and medical contexts, in particular for the treatment of tumors by boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). Derivatives of cobalt bis(dicarbollide) are commonly prepared through ring-opening reactions of cyclic oxonium ions, so the corresponding products are usually charged. Furthermore, attempts to incorporate cobalt bis(dicarbollide) into peptides are rare, despite obvious potential advantages. Here the synthesis of an imidazolium-based charge-compensated cobalt bis(dicarbollide) building block, which allows additional modifications with moieties of biochemical relevance, such as monosaccharides, is reported. Furthermore, conjugates of these building blocks with the Y1 -receptor-selective derivative of neuropeptide Y ([F(7) ,P(34) ]-NPY) retained excellent response to hY1 receptors found to be overexpressed in breast tumors and metastases.

Synthesis, biological activity, and conformational study of N-methylated allatostatin analogues inhibiting juvenile hormone biosynthesis.

An allatostatin (AST) neuropeptide mimic (H17) is a potential insect growth regulator, which inhibits the production of juvenile hormone (JH) by the corpora allata. To determine the effect of conformation of novel AST analogues and their ability to inhibit JH biosynthesis, eight insect AST analogues were synthesized using H17 as the lead compound by N-methylation scanning, which is a common strategy for improving the biological properties of peptides. A bioassay using JH production by corpora allata of the cockroach Diploptera punctata indicated that single N-methylation mimics (analogues 1-4) showed more activity than double N-methylation mimics (analogues 5-8). Especially, analogues 1 and 4 showed roughly equivalent activity to that of H17, with IC50 values of 5.17 × 10(-8) and 6.44 × 10(-8) M, respectively. Molecular modeling based on nuclear magnetic resonance data showed that the conformation of analogues 1 and 4 seems to be flexible, whereas analogues 2 and 3 showed a type IV ß-turn. This flexible linear conformation was hypothesized to be a new important and indispensable structural element beneficial to the activity of AST mimics.

Synthesis and evaluation of novel lipidated neuromedin U analogs with increased stability and effects on food intake.

Neuromedin U (NMU) is a 25 amino acid peptide expressed and secreted in the brain and gastrointestinal tract. Data have shown that peripheral administration of human NMU decreases food intake and body weight and improves glucose tolerance in mice, suggesting that NMU receptors constitute a possible anti-diabetic and anti-obesity drug target. However, the clinical use of native NMU is hampered by a poor pharmacokinetic profile. In the current study, we report in vitro and in vivo data from a series of novel lipidated NMU analogs. In vitro plasma stability studies of native NMU were performed to investigate the proteolytic stability and cleavage sites using LC-MS. Native NMU was found to be rapidly cleaved at the C-terminus between Arg(24) and Asn(25) , followed by cleavage between Arg(16) and Gly(17) . Lipidated NMU analogs were generated using solid-phase peptide synthesis, and in vitro potency was investigated using a human embryonic kidney 293-based inositol phosphate accumulation assay. All lipidated analogs had preserved in vitro activity on both NMU receptors with potency improving as the lipidation site was moved away from the receptor-interacting C-terminal octapeptide segment. In vivo efficacy was assessed in lean mice as reduction in food intake after acute subcutaneous administration of 1, 0.3, 0.1, and 0.03 µmol/kg. These lipidated NMU analogs prolonged the anorectic effect of NMU in a dose-dependent manner. This was likely an effect of improved pharmacokinetic properties because of improved vitro plasma stability. Accordingly, the data demonstrate that lipidated NMU analogs may represent drug candidates for the treatment of obesity.

Peptidomimetics of Arg-Phe-NH2 as small molecule agonists of Mas-related gene C (MrgC) receptors.

A series of Arg-Phe-NH2 peptidomimetics containing an Arg mimetic were synthesized and tested as agonists of human MrgX1, rat MrgC, and mouse MrgC11 receptors. As predicted from the previously established species specificity, these peptidomimetics were found to be devoid of MrgX1 agonist activity. In contrast, these compounds acted as agonists of MrgC and/or MrgC11 with varying degrees of potency. These new peptidomimetics should complement the existing small molecule human MrgX1 agonists and enhance our ability to assess the therapeutic utility of targeting Mrg receptors in rodent models.

Aqueous microwave-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesis using Fmoc strategy. III: racemization studies and water-based synthesis of histidine-containing peptides.

In this study, we describe the first aqueous microwave-assisted synthesis of histidine-containing peptides in high purity and with low racemization. We have previously shown the effectiveness of our synthesis methodology for peptides including difficult sequences using water-dispersible 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-amino acid nanoparticles. It is an organic solvent-free, environmentally friendly method for chemical peptide synthesis. Here, we studied the racemization of histidine during an aqueous-based coupling reaction with microwave irradiation. Under our microwave-assisted protocol using 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride, the coupling reaction can be efficiently performed with low levels of racemization of histidine. Application of this water-based microwave-assisted protocol with water-dispersible 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-amino acid nanoparticles led to the successful synthesis of the histidine-containing hexapeptide neuropeptide W-30 (10-15), Tyr-His-Thr-Val-Gly-Arg-NH2, in high yield and with greatly reduced histidine racemization.

Antioxidant properties of a human neuropeptide and its protective effect on free radical-induced DNA damage.

Human catestatin CgA352-372 (SL21) is an endogenous neuropeptide with multiple biological functions. The present study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant, antibacterial, cytotoxic, and DNA damage protective effects of SL21 neuropeptide. SL21 neuropeptide generated from the C-terminus of chromogranin A (CgA) was synthesized by solid-phase method. Synthetic peptide was subjected to various in vitro antioxidant assays including the scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2-pycryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS(·+) ), and hydroxyl free radicals, metal ion chelation, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and reducing power. Moreover, protective effect of SL21 on H2 O2 -induced DNA damage was analyzed using pTZ57/RT plasmid. Methylthiazoltetrazolium assay was also performed to study the cytotoxic effect of SL21 neuropeptide on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Furthermore, antibacterial and hemolysis assays were conducted. The results demonstrated high activities of SL21 in scavenging free radicals (DPPH, ABTS(·+) , and hydroxyl), chelating of Cu(2+) /Fe(2+) metal ions, reducing power, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in a concentration-dependent manner. SL21 neuropeptide revealed a protective effect on DNA damage caused by hydroxyl radicals. Interestingly, the peptide exhibited no significant cytotoxicity towards peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Furthermore, SL21 peptide displayed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa without any hemolytic activity on human red blood cells. Conclusively, the present study established SL21 (catestatin) as a novel antioxidative peptide that could further be investigated for its potential use as a pharmaceutical agent.

[Antioxidative and detoxifying effects of analogues of delta-sleep inducing peptide (DSIP)].

16 DSIP analogues with substitutions of 1-2 amino acid residues were synthesized in order to investigate their potential use in medicine. Antioxidative properties of these peptides were studied in vitro and their detoxifying activity was examined in vivo on a model of toxicosis that was induced by the cisplatin cytostatic, which has been widely used in the cancer treatment. Practically all the studied DSIP analogues were shown to exhibit considerable direct antioxidative activity (AOA), and that of the ID-6 analogue was higher than AOA of DSIP and comparable with AOA of vitamin C and ß-carotine. This analogue also demonstrated the most pronounced detoxifying effect towards cisplatin action, resulting in a decrease in the animal death from the acute cisplatin toxicity to 17% (in comparison with 50-67% for the control animals) and restoration of a number of cisplatin-sensitive biochemical blood parameters: decrease in the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase and downregulation of the concentration of the final products of nitrogen exchange (creatinine and urea). Thus, the DSIP-relative peptides could be promising agents for the decrease in the toxic effects of cytostatics that are used in oncology.

Development of a neuromedin U-human serum albumin conjugate as a long-acting candidate for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. Comparison with the PEGylated peptide.

Neuromedin U (NMU) is an endogenous peptide implicated in the regulation of feeding, energy homeostasis, and glycemic control, which is being considered for the therapy of obesity and diabetes. A key liability of NMU as a therapeutic is its very short half-life in vivo. We show here that conjugation of NMU to human serum albumin (HSA) yields a compound with long circulatory half-life, which maintains full potency at both the peripheral and central NMU receptors. Initial attempts to conjugate NMU via the prevalent strategy of reacting a maleimide derivative of the peptide with the free thiol of Cys34 of HSA met with limited success, because the resulting conjugate was unstable in vivo. Use of a haloacetyl derivative of the peptide led instead to the formation of a metabolically stable conjugate. HSA-NMU displayed long-lasting, potent anorectic, and glucose-normalizing activity. When compared side by side with a previously described PEG conjugate, HSA-NMU proved superior on a molar basis. Collectively, our results reinforce the notion that NMU-based therapeutics are promising candidates for the treatment of obesity and diabetes.

Fluorinated pseudopeptide analogues of the neuropeptide 26RFa: synthesis, biological, and structural studies.

A series of four fluorinated dipeptide analogues each containing a fluoro-olefin moiety as peptide bond surrogate has been designed and synthesized. These motifs have been successfully introduced into the bioactive C-terminal heptapeptide of the neuropeptide 26RFa by conventional SPPS. We then evaluated the ability of the generated pseudopeptides to increase [Ca²âº](i) in GPR103-transfected cells. For these fluorinated analogues, greater stability in human serum was observed. Their conformations were also investigated, leading to the valuable identification of differences depending on the position of the fluoro-olefin moiety in the sequence.