Exploring the first Rimonabant analog-opioid peptide hybrid compound, as bivalent ligand for CB1 and opioid receptors.

Mollica, Adriano; Pelliccia, Sveva; Famiglini, Valeria; Stefanucci, Azzurra; Macedonio, Giorgia; Chiavaroli, Annalisa; Orlando, Giustino; Brunetti, Luigi; Ferrante, Claudio; Pieretti, Stefano; Novellino, Ettore; Benyhe, Sandor; Zador, Ferenc; Erdei, Anna; Szucs, Edina; Samavati, Reza; Dvorácskó, Szabolcs; Tomboly, Csaba; Ragno, Rino; Patsilinakos, Alexandros

Cannabinoid (CB) and opioid systems are both involved in analgesia, food intake, mood and behavior. Due to the co-localization of µ-opioid (MOR) and CB1 receptors in various regions of the central nervous system (CNS) and their ability to form heterodimers, bivalent ligands targeting to both these systems may be good candidates to investigate the existence of possible cross-talking or synergistic effects, also at sub-effective doses. In this work, we selected from a small series of new Rimonabant analogs one CB1R reverse agonist to be conjugated to the opioid fragment Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-NH2. The bivalent compound (9) has been used forin vitrobinding assays, forin vivoantinociception models andin vitrohypothalamic perfusion test, to evaluate the neurotransmitters release.

CANNABINOID receptors; RIMONABANT; OPIOID peptides; LIGAND analysis; CENTRAL nervous system physiology

Journal of Enzyme Inhibition & Medicinal Chemistry, 2017, Vol 32, Issue 1, p444

1475-6366

Academic Journal

10.1080/14756366.2016.1260565