4.7 Article

Novel selective κ agonists SLL-039 and SLL-1206 produce potent antinociception with fewer sedation and aversion

Journal

ACTA PHARMACOLOGICA SINICA
Volume 43, Issue 6, Pages 1372-1382

Publisher

NATURE PUBL GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00761-x

Keywords

kappa-opioid receptor agonist; 4,5-expoxymorphinan; antinociception; conditioned place aversion; sedation; U50,488H; morphine; Nor-BNI; beta-FNA

Funding

  1. Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [XDA12040319]
  2. National Natural Science Foundation of China [81773710, 82030112]
  3. Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [2017334]

Ask authors/readers for more resources

SLL-039 and SLL-1206 are potent and long-lasting analgesic agents with antipruritic effects, showing potential as novel analgesics with fewer side effects. They activate K opioid receptors and do not cause sedation or conditioned place aversion, suggesting their promise as effective pain relief options.
SLL-039 (N-cyclopropylmethyl-7 alpha-4'-(N'-benzoyl) amino-phenyl-6,14-endoethano-tetrahydronorthebaine) and SLL-1206 (N-cyclopropylmethyl-7 alpha-3'-(p-methoxybenzyl) amino-phenyl-6,14-endoethano-tetrahydronorthebaine) are two 4,5-epoxymorphinan-based high selective K receptor agonists that we recently discovered. In the present study we characterized their pharmacological properties in comparison with arylacetamide-based typical K agonist U50,488H. We showed that both SLL-039 and SLL-1206 produced potent and long-lasting antinociceptive actions in three different rodent models of pain via activation of K opioid receptor. In hot-plate assay, the antinociceptive potency of SLL-039 and SLL-1206 increased about 11-and 17.3-fold compared to U50,488H and morphine, respectively, with ED50 values of 0.4 mg/kg. Following repeated administration, SLL-1206, SLL-039, and U50,488H all developed analgesic tolerance tested in hot-plate assay. U50,488H and SLL-039 produced antipruritic effects in a dose-dependent manner, whereas SLL-1206 displayed some antipruritic effects only at very low doses. In addition, SLL-1206 was capable of decreasing morphine-induced physical dependence. More importantly, SLL-039 and SLL-1206 at effective analgesic doses did not cause sedation and conditioned place aversion (CPA), whereas U50,488H did. In comparison with SLL-039, SLL-1206 caused similar antinociceptive responses, but fewer sedation and CPA. In conclusion, our results suggest that SLL-039 and SLL-1206 have potential to be developed as novel analgesic agents, and 4,5-expoxymorphinan scaffold is an attractive structure for the development of selective K agonists with fewer side effects.

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