trk-820 and norbinaltorphimine

Several chemically diverse pruritogens, including bombesin, compound 48/80, norbinaltorphimine, and 5'-GNTI, cause rodents to scratch excessively in a stable, uniform manner and consequently provide convenient animal models of itch against which potential antipruritics may be evaluated, structure-activity relationships established, and the nature of spontaneous, repetitive behavior itself analyzed. Decreasing the number of scratching bouts in these apparently simple models has been the requisite first step in the progress of kappa opioid agonists such as nalbuphine, asimadoline, and CR845 toward clinical testing as antipruritics. Nalfurafine is the prime example of a kappa agonist spanning the developmental divide between scratching mice models and commercialization within 10 years. Patients undergoing hemodialysis and suffering from the itching associated with uremic pruritus, and potentially those inflicted with atopic dermatitis, are the beneficiaries.

Topics: Animals; Dynorphins; Guanidines; Humans; Ligands; Mice; Morphinans; Naltrexone; p-Methoxy-N-methylphenethylamine; Peptide Fragments; Pruritus; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Spiro Compounds

Strategies are needed to decrease the abuse liability of mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonists. One strategy under consideration is to combine MOR agonists with kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonists.. The effects of KOR agonists (U50488, nalfurafine) on fentanyl-vs.-food choice were compared under conditions where the KOR agonists were added to the intravenously self-administered fentanyl (contingent delivery) or administered as subcutaneous pretreatments (non-contingent delivery) in male and female rats.. Rats were trained to respond under a concurrent schedule of fentanyl (0, 0.32-10 μg/kg/infusion) and food reinforcement. In experiment 1, U50488 and nalfurafine were co-administered with fentanyl as fixed-proportion mixtures (contingent administration). In experiment 2, U50488 (1-10 mg/kg) and nalfurafine (3.2-32 μg/kg) were administered as acute pretreatments (non-contingent administration). The selective KOR antagonist, nor-BNI (32 mg/kg), was administered prior to contingent and non-contingent KOR-agonist treatment in experiment 3.. Both U50488 and nalfurafine decreased fentanyl choice when administered contingently, demonstrating that KOR agonists punish opioid choice. However, evidence for punishment corresponded with an elimination of operant responding in the majority of rats. Non-contingent U50488 and nalfurafine administration only decreased the number of choices made during the behavioral session without altering fentanyl choice. Contingent and non-contingent KOR-agonist effects on fentanyl choice were both attenuated by nor-BNI.. These results illustrate that the effects of KOR agonists on fentanyl reinforcement are dependent upon the contingencies under which they are administered.

Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Animals; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Fentanyl; Male; Morphinans; Naltrexone; Narcotic Antagonists; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Reinforcement, Psychology; Spiro Compounds

Combinations of mu and kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonists have been proposed as potential analgesic formulations with reduced abuse liability. The current studies extend previous work by investigating the typical KOR agonist, salvinorin A, and the atypical KOR agonist, nalfurafine, as deterrents of oxycodone self-administration using a progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement.. In separate experiments, adult male rhesus monkeys (N = 4/experiment) were trained under a PR schedule of reinforcement to self-administer cocaine (0.1 mg/kg/injection) and saline on alternating days. Oxycodone (0.01-0.1 mg/kg/injection) alone and combined with salvinorin A (experiment 1; 0.006, 0.012 mg/kg/injection) or nalfurafine (experiment 2; 0.0001-0.00032 mg/kg/injection) were tested within the alternating cocaine and saline baseline. The mechanism of nalfurafine's effects on oxycodone self-administration was investigated via pretreatment with the KOR antagonist, nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI; 10 mg/kg; i.m.).. All subjects self-administered oxycodone alone above saline levels at sufficiently large doses, and combining salvinorin A or nalfurafine with oxycodone reduced the mean number of injections per session to saline levels (experiment 1) or to levels that were significantly lower than oxycodone alone (experiment 2). The ability of nalfurafine to reduce oxycodone self-administration was reversed by pretreatment with nor-BNI.. These results demonstrate that KOR agonists, including the clinically used KOR agonist, nalfurafine, can punish self-administration of a prescription opioid analgesic, oxycodone, in rhesus monkeys and that nalfurafine's punishing effect is KOR-dependent. Combinations of KOR agonists with prescription opioids may have reduced abuse liability.

Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Animals; Behavior, Addictive; Cocaine; Diterpenes, Clerodane; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Macaca mulatta; Male; Morphinans; Naltrexone; Narcotic Antagonists; Oxycodone; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Reinforcement, Psychology; Self Administration; Spiro Compounds

Nalfurafine is the first clinically approved kappa-opioid receptor (KOP-r) agonist as an antipruritus drug with few side effects in humans (e.g., sedation, depression, and dysphoria). No study, however, has been done using nalfurafine on alcohol drinking in rodents or humans.. We investigated whether nalfurafine alone or in combination with mu-opioid receptor (MOP-r) antagonist naltrexone changed excessive alcohol drinking in male and female C57BL/6J (B6) mice subjected to a chronic intermittent-access drinking paradigm (2-bottle choice, 24-hour access every other day) for 3 weeks. Neuronal proopiomelanocortin enhancer (nPE) knockout mice with brain-specific deficiency of beta-endorphin (endogenous ligand of MOP-r) were used as a genetic control for the naltrexone effects.. Single administration of nalfurafine decreased alcohol intake and preference in both male and female B6 mice in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment with nor-BNI (a selective KOP-r antagonist) blocked the nalfurafine effect on alcohol drinking, indicating a KOP-r-mediated mechanism. Pharmacological effects of a 5-dosing nalfurafine regimen were further evaluated: The repeated nalfurafine administrations decreased alcohol consumption without showing any blunted effects, suggesting nalfurafine did not develop a tolerance after the multidosing regimen tested. Nalfurafine did not produce any sedation (spontaneous locomotor activity), anhedonia-like (sucrose preference test), anxiety-like (elevated plus maze test), or dysphoria-like (conditioned place aversion test) behaviors, suggesting that nalfurafine had few side effects. Investigating synergistic effects between low-dose naltrexone and nalfurafine, we found that single combinations of nalfurafine and naltrexone, at doses lower than individual effective dose, profoundly decreased excessive alcohol intake in both sexes. The effect of nalfurafine on decreasing alcohol consumption was confirmed in nPE-/- mice, suggesting independent mechanisms by which nalfurafine and naltrexone reduced alcohol drinking.. The clinically utilized KOP-r agonist nalfurafine in combination with low-dose naltrexone has potential in alcoholism treatment.

Topics: Alcohol Deterrents; Alcohol Drinking; Alcohol-Related Disorders; Animals; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Drug Tolerance; Female; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Morphinans; Naltrexone; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Saccharin; Spiro Compounds; Sucrose

The dynorphin/κ-opioid receptor (KOR) system has been previously implicated in the regulation of cognition, but the neural circuitry and molecular mechanisms underlying KOR-mediated cognitive disruption are unknown. Here, we used an operational test of cognition involving timing and behavioral inhibition and found that systemic KOR activation impairs performance of male and female C57BL/6 mice in the differential reinforcement of low response rate (DRL) task. Systemic KOR antagonism also blocked stress-induced disruptions of DRL performance. KOR activation increased 'bursts' of incorrect responses in the DRL task and increased marble burying, suggesting that the observed disruptions in DRL performance may be attributed to KOR-induced increases in compulsive behavior. Local inactivation of KOR by injection of the long-acting antagonist nor-BNI in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), but not the infralimbic prefrontal cortex (PFC) or dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), prevented disruption of DRL performance caused by systemic KOR activation. Cre-dependent genetic excision of KOR from dopaminergic, but not serotonergic neurons, also blocked KOR-mediated disruption of DRL performance. At the molecular level, we found that these disruptive effects did not require arrestin-dependent signaling, because neither global deletion of G-protein receptor kinase 3 (GRK3) nor cell-specific deletion of GRK3/arrestin-dependent p38α MAPK from dopamine neurons blocked KOR-mediated DRL disruptions. We then showed that nalfurafine, a clinically available G-biased KOR agonist, could also produce DRL disruptions. Together, these studies demonstrate that KOR activation in VTA dopamine neurons disrupts behavioral inhibition in a GRK3/arrestin-independent manner and suggests that KOR antagonists could be beneficial for decreasing stress-induced compulsive behaviors.

Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Compulsive Behavior; Disease Models, Animal; Dopaminergic Neurons; Dorsal Raphe Nucleus; Female; Inhibition, Psychological; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Morphinans; Naltrexone; Narcotic Antagonists; Prefrontal Cortex; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Reinforcement, Psychology; Spiro Compounds; Stress, Psychological; Ventral Tegmental Area

Abnormalities in dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission in the forebrain are believed to be involved in the underlying mechanism of schizophrenia; therefore, the direct blockade of the receptors associated with these systems is a central strategy for schizophrenia treatment, even though this strategy concurrently produces adverse effects like extrapyramidal effects. Kappa opioid receptors exist extensively in the brain and recent reports have suggested that these receptors are involved in modulating the release of several neurotransmitters including dopamine and serotonin. In the present study, we investigated the effect of TRK-820, (E)-N-[17-(cyclopropylmethyl)-4,5alpha-epoxy-3,14-dihydroxymorphinan-6beta-yl]-3-(furan-3-yl)-N-methylprop-2-enamide monohydrochloride, a selective kappa opioid receptor agonist, on phencyclidine-induced rat behavioral changes and on biochemical changes in the prefrontal cortex. First, TRK-820 dose-dependently inhibited phencyclidine-induced rat hyperlocomotion, which is one of the abnormal behaviors recognized as a rodent schizophrenia model. The inhibitory effect was completely antagonized with nor-BNI (nor-binaltorphimine hydrochloride), a selective kappa opioid receptor antagonist. Second, TRK-820 dose-dependently inhibited phencyclidine-induced stereotyped behaviors including head-weaving, which is considered a behavioral syndrome based on the impairment of the serotonergic system. Third, in an in vivo microdialysis study, TRK-820 dose-dependently attenuated the biochemical changes of both dopamine and serotonin in the prefrontal cortex of rats treated with phencyclidine without affecting their basal levels in normal rats. The initial findings that TRK-820 potentially modulates such monoamine changes and ameliorates abnormal behaviors related to their changes may suggest its therapeutic potential against the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Disease Models, Animal; Dopamine; Extracellular Space; Hyperkinesis; Male; Morphinans; Naltrexone; Phencyclidine; Prefrontal Cortex; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Schizophrenia; Serotonin; Spiro Compounds

The G-protein activations induced by kappa-opioid receptor agonists, (-)U50,488H, U69,593 and TRK-820 in the mouse lower midbrain, striatum and limbic forebrain were determined by monitoring guanosine-5'-o-(3-[35S]thio)triphosphate ([35S]GTP gamma S) binding. All kappa-opioid receptor agonists produced approximately 40, 20 and 10% increases of [35S]GTP gamma S binding over baseline in the lower midbrain, striatum and limbic forebrain, respectively. The increases of [35S]GTP gamma S binding induced by kappa-opioid receptor agonists were completely reversed by the selective kappa-opioid receptor antagonist, norbinaltorphimine (norBNI), in all brain regions. The intrinsic activities of kappa-opioid receptor agonists for G-protein activation in brain regions observed in the present study are not correlated with densities of kappa-opioid receptor binding sites from previous reports. The present results suggest that the catalytic efficiency of kappa-opioid receptor-G-protein coupling may be variable in different brain regions.

Topics: 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer; Animals; Benzeneacetamides; Brain; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Male; Mice; Morphinans; Naltrexone; Narcotic Antagonists; Pyrrolidines; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Spiro Compounds

The effects of kappa-opioid receptor agonists trans-3,4-dichloro-N-(2-(1-pyrollidinyl)-cyclohexyl) benzeneacetamide ((-)-U50,488H) and 17-cyclopropylmethyl-3,14beta-dihydroxy-4,5alpha-epoxy-6beta-[N-methyl-trans-3-(3-furyl)acrylamido]morphinan hydrochloride (TRK-820) on the G-protein activation and antinociception induced by the selective mu-opioid receptor agonist, [D-Ala(2),N-MePhe(4),Gly-ol(5)]enkephalin (DAMGO), were determined in mice. G-protein activation was measured by monitoring the guanosine-5'-O-(3-[35S]thio)triphosphate ([35S]GTPgammaS) binding in the mouse pons/medulla. DAMGO (10 microM) produced a marked increase of [35S]GTPgammaS binding to the mouse pons/medulla membrane. On the other hand, both TRK-820 and (-)-U50,488H produced small but significant increases of [35S]GTPgammaS binding to the mouse pons/medulla membrane. These increases by both TRK-820 and (-)-U50,488H were completely reversed by the selective kappa-opioid receptor antagonist, norbinaltorphimine. Under these same conditions, the DAMGO-induced increase of [35S]GTPgammaS binding was significantly attenuated by TRK-820 in a concentration-dependent manner, but not by (-)-U50,488H. In the tail-flick test, DAMGO (16 ng) given intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.), produced a marked antinociception. The antinociception induced by DAMGO was dose-dependently blocked by co-treatment with TRK-820, but not (-)-U50,488H, in mice pretreated with norbinaltorphimine (5 microg, i.c.v.). The present results provide direct evidence for the antagonistic property of TRK-820 for mu-opioid receptors, in addition to the full agonistic property for kappa-opioid receptors.

Topics: 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer; Analgesics; Animals; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; GTP-Binding Proteins; In Vitro Techniques; Injections, Intraventricular; Medulla Oblongata; Mice; Morphinans; Naltrexone; Narcotic Antagonists; Pain Measurement; Pons; Radioligand Assay; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Receptors, Opioid, mu; Spiro Compounds

The role of central mu- and kappa-opioid receptors in the regulation of itch sensation was examined using pruritogen-induced mouse scratching behavior model. Intracerebroventricular administration of beta-funaltrexamine, a selective mu-opioid receptor antagonist, inhibited the scratching behavior induced by intradermal substance P, but subcutaneous administration of beta-funaltrexamine did not. Similarly, the scratching inhibitory activity of subcutaneously administered TRK-820, (-)-17-(cyclopropylmethyl)-3, 14beta-dihydroxy-4, 5alpha-epoxy-6beta-[N-methyl-trans-3-(3-furyl) acrylamido] morphinan hydrochloride, a kappa-opioid receptor agonist, was antagonized by intracerebroventricular administration of nor-binaltorphimine (10 microg/site), a kappa-opioid receptor antagonist, but was not by subcutaneous administration of nor-binaltorphimine. In addition, the scratching induced by the direct activation of central mu-opioid receptor by intracisternal morphine was significantly and dose-dependently inhibited by subcutaneous administration of TRK-820. Taken all together, it is suggested that the central mu-opioid receptors play a role in the processing of itch sensation, and the activation of central kappa-opioid receptors antagonize the central mu-opioid receptor mediated itch processing, thereby suppressing itch sensation.

Topics: Animals; Antipruritics; Behavior, Animal; Injections, Intraventricular; Injections, Subcutaneous; Ketotifen; Male; Mice; Morphinans; Morphine; Motor Activity; Naltrexone; Narcotic Antagonists; Pruritus; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Receptors, Opioid, mu; Spiro Compounds; Substance P

The effects of the kappa-opioid receptor agonist, TRK-820, (-)-17-(cyclopropylmethyl)-3, 14beta-dihydroxy-4, 5alpha-epoxy-6beta-[N-methyl-trans-3-(3-furyl) acrylamido] morphinan hydrochloride, on the itch sensation were compared with those of histamine H1 receptor antagonists, using the mouse pruritogen-induced scratching model. Peroral administration of TRK-820 reduced the numbers of substance P- or histamine-induced scratches dose dependently. No obvious suppression of the spontaneous locomotor activity was observed at the doses used for the experiments, indicating that the inhibition of scratches was not due to the effect on general behavior. Furthermore, the scratching inhibitory activity of TRK-820 was dose dependently antagonized by the specific kappa-opioid receptor antagonist, nor-binaltorphimine, suggesting that the inhibitory activity was mediated via kappa-opioid receptors. Histamine H1 receptor antagonists, chlorpheniramine and ketotifen, did not inhibit substance P-induced scratches, or did so only partially. Both antihistamines inhibited the histamine-induced scratches completely. These results suggest that TRK-820 has antipruritic activity which is mediated by kappa-opioid receptors, and is effective in both antihistamine-sensitive and -resistant pruritus.

Topics: Animals; Antipruritics; Chlorpheniramine; Disease Models, Animal; Histamine; Histamine H1 Antagonists; Ketotifen; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Morphinans; Motor Activity; Naltrexone; Pruritus; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Spiro Compounds; Substance P

The effects of the novel kappa-opioid receptor agonist TRK-820 on the rewarding and locomotor-enhancing effects of morphine were investigated in mice. Morphine (1-5 mg/kg, s.c.) caused a dose-related preference for the drug-associated place. In contrast, TRK-820 (0.003-0.03 mg/kg, s.c.) did not produce a significant preference for either compartment of the test box. In combination studies, co-injection of TRK-820 (0.01 and 0.03 mg/kg, s.c.) with morphine significantly suppressed the morphine (5 mg/kg, s.c.)-induced place preference, and this effect of TRK-820 was antagonized by pretreatment with nor-BN1 (3 mg/kg, s.c.), a selective kappa-opioid receptor antagonist. TRK-820 also suppressed morphine-induced hyperlocomotion, and this suppression was also blocked by nor-BNI. These results suggest that TRK-820 suppresses the rewarding and locomotor-enhancing effects of morphine through the activation of kappa-opioid receptors. Thus, we propose that TRK-820 may be useful for controlling pain while reducing undesirable side-effects.

Topics: Animals; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Male; Mice; Morphinans; Morphine; Motor Activity; Naltrexone; Narcotics; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Reward; Spiro Compounds

TRK-820 ((-)-17-cyclopropylmethyl-3,14b-dihydroxy-4,5a-epoxy-6b-[N-methyl-trans-3-(3-furyl)acrylamide]morphinan hydrochloride) has been shown to be a potent opioid kappa-receptor agonist with pharmacological properties different from those produced by kappa1-opioid receptor agonists in rodents. To ascertain whether or not these properties of TRK-820 would be extended to primates, the antinociceptive effect of TRK-820 was evaluated in cynomolgus monkeys by the hot-water tail-withdrawal procedure. TRK-820 given intramuscularly (i.m.) produced a potent antinociceptive effect that was 295- and 495-fold more potent than morphine with the 50 degrees C and 55 degrees C hot-water tests, respectively, and 40-fold more potent than U-50,488H and 1,000-fold more potent than pentazocine in the 50 degrees C hot-water test. The duration of antinociceptive effects of TRK-820 treatment (0.01 and 0.03 mg/kg, i.m.) lasted more than 6 h, which was much longer than those of U-50,488H. The antinociception produced by the higher dose (0.03 mg/kg, i.m.) of TRK-820 was not inhibited by nor-binaltorphimine (3.2 and 10 mg/kg, s.c.) or by naloxone (0.1 mg/kg, s.c.), although the antinociception induced by a lower dose of TRK-820 (0.01 mg/kg, i.m.) was inhibited by nor-binaltorphimine (10 mg/kg, s.c.). The same doses of nor-binaltorphimine and naloxone effectively inhibited the antinociception induced by the higher doses of U-50,488H (1.0 mg/kg, i.m.) and morphine (10 mg/kg, i.m.), respectively. These results indicate that the antinociception induced by TRK-820 is less sensitive to nor-binaltorphimine and suggest that it is mediated by the stimulation of a subtype of kappa-opioid receptor different from the kappa-opioid receptor in cynomolgus monkeys.

Topics: 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer; Analgesics; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; Analgesics, Opioid; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Macaca fascicularis; Morphinans; Morphine; Naloxone; Naltrexone; Pain Measurement; Pentazocine; Pentobarbital; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Spiro Compounds