Synthesis, modeling, and pharmacological evaluation of UMB 425, a mixed μ agonist/δ antagonist opioid analgesic with reduced tolerance liabilities

ACS Chem Neurosci. 2013 Sep 18;4(9):1256-66. doi: 10.1021/cn4000428. Epub 2013 Jun 11.

Abstract

Opioid narcotics are used for the treatment of moderate-to-severe pain and primarily exert their analgesic effects through μ receptors. Although traditional μ agonists can cause undesired side effects, including tolerance, addition of δ antagonists can attenuate said side effects. Herein, we report 4a,9-dihydroxy-7a-(hydroxymethyl)-3-methyl-2,3,4,4a,5,6-hexahydro-1H-4,12-methanobenzofuro[3,2-e]isoquinolin-7(7aH)-one (UMB 425) a 5,14-bridged morphinan-based orvinol precursor synthesized from thebaine. Although UMB 425 lacks δ-specific motifs, conformationally sampled pharmacophore models for μ and δ receptors predict it to have efficacy similar to morphine at μ receptors and similar to naltrexone at δ receptors, due to the compound sampling conformations in which the hydroxyl moiety interacts with the receptors similar to orvinols. As predicted, UMB 425 exhibits a mixed μ agonist/δ antagonist profile as determined in receptor binding and [(35)S]GTPγS functional assays in CHO cells. In vivo studies in mice show that UMB 425 displays potent antinociception in the hot plate and tail-flick assays. The antinociceptive effects of UMB 425 are blocked by naloxone, but not by the κ-selective antagonist norbinaltorphimine. During a 6-day tolerance paradigm, UMB 425 maintains significantly greater antinociception compared to morphine. These studies thus indicate that, even in the absence of δ-specific motifs fused to the C-ring, UMB 425 has mixed μ agonist/δ antagonist properties in vitro that translate to reduced tolerance liabilities in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics, Opioid / chemical synthesis*
  • Analgesics, Opioid / chemistry
  • Analgesics, Opioid / pharmacology
  • Analgesics, Opioid / toxicity
  • Animals
  • CHO Cells
  • Computer Simulation
  • Cricetulus
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Drug Tolerance
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Models, Chemical
  • Molecular Structure
  • Morphine / pharmacology
  • Naloxone / pharmacology
  • Naltrexone / analogs & derivatives
  • Naltrexone / pharmacology
  • Narcotic Antagonists / chemical synthesis
  • Narcotic Antagonists / chemistry
  • Narcotic Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Narcotic Antagonists / toxicity
  • Nociceptive Pain / drug therapy
  • Pain Measurement
  • Protein Binding
  • Receptors, Opioid, delta / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptors, Opioid, delta / genetics
  • Receptors, Opioid, kappa / drug effects
  • Receptors, Opioid, kappa / genetics
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu / agonists*
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu / genetics
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Thebaine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Thebaine / chemical synthesis
  • Thebaine / chemistry
  • Thebaine / pharmacology
  • Thebaine / toxicity
  • Transfection

Substances

  • 4a,9-dihydroxy-7a-(hydroxymethyl)-3-methyl-2,3,4,4a,5,6-hexahydro-1H-4,12-methanobenzofuro(3,2-e)isoquinolin-7(7aH)-one
  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Narcotic Antagonists
  • Receptors, Opioid, delta
  • Receptors, Opioid, kappa
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu
  • Thebaine
  • Naloxone
  • norbinaltorphimine
  • Naltrexone
  • Morphine