Characterization of phenolic compounds and antinociceptive activity of Sempervivum tectorum L. leaf juice.

Sempervivum tectorum L. (houseleek) leaf juice has been known as a traditional herbal remedy. The aim of the present study was the chemical characterization of its phenolic compounds and to develop quantitation methods for its main flavonol glycoside, as well as to evaluate its antinociceptive activity. Lyophilized houseleek leaf juice was studied by HPLC-DAD coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) to identify flavonol glycosides, hydroxy-benzoic and hydroxy-cinnamic acids. Ten flavonol glycosides and sixteen phenolic acid compounds were identified or tentatively characterized. Structure of the main flavonol compound was identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Three characteristic kaempferol glycosides were isolated and determined by LC-ESI-MS/MS with external calibration method, using the isolated compounds as standard. The main flavonol glycoside was also determined by HPLC-DAD. Validated HPLC-DAD and LC-ESI-MS/MS methods were developed to quantify kaempferol-3-O-rhamnosyl-glucoside-7-O-rhamnoside and two other kaempferol glycosides. Antinociceptive activity of houseleek leaf juice was investigated by writhing test of mice. Sempervivum extract significantly reduced pain in the mouse writhing test

Peripheral antinociceptive efficacy and potency of a novel opioid compound 14-O-MeM6SU in comparison to known peptide and non-peptide opioid agonists in a rat model of inflammatory pain

This study compared the peripheral analgesic effects of a novel opioid agonist 14-O-methylmorphine-6-O-sulfate (14-O-MeM6SU), to that of non-peptide (morphine, fentanyl) and peptide opioid agonists (Met-enkephalin; met-ENK and β-endorphin; β-END) in a model of localized inflammatory pain evoked by intraplantar (i.pl.) Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA). Nociceptive responses to local opioid agonists were measured by pressure paw-withdrawal procedures. In addition, the antinociceptive efficacy and potency of these test compounds in vivo was compared to that in vitro using the rat vas deferens (RVD) bioassay. Intraplantar 14-O-MeM6SU (0.32-2.53 nmol/rat), morphine (14.95-112.15 nmol/rat), fentanyl (0.19-2.36 nmol/rat), met-ENK (0.10-10 nmol/rat) and β-END (0.77-5.00 nmol/rat) dose dependently increased paw pressure thresholds exclusively in inflamed hindpaws. At higher doses analgesic effects were also seen in noninflamed paws for 14-O-MeM6SU, morphine and fentanyl but not for met-ENK or β-END. The maximal possible local analgesic effect (%) measured in inflamed paws was 50.6±2.7, 18.23±1.78, 37.44±2.17, 36.00±1.43, and 40.69±0.91 for 14-O-MeM6SU, morphine, fentanyl, met-ENK and β-END, respectively. Interestingly, i.pl. administered opioid peptides met-ENK and β-END displayed a peripheral analgesic ceiling effect. This local antinociception was antagonized by co-administered opioid antagonist naloxone-methiodide (NAL-M). Similar to the analgesic testing, the RVD showed the following efficacy order of the test compounds: 14-O-MeM6SU>β- END>fentanyl>met-ENKâ¢morphine. Taken together, 14-O-MeM6SU was more potent than morphine, fentanyl and met-ENK and β-END and displayed superiority in the maximum antinociceptive effects. The superiority of local antinociceptive effects of 14-O-MeM6SU might be due to both pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic factors. © 2013 Elsevier B.V

Imidazoline versus alpha₂-adrenoceptors in the control of gastric motility in mice.

Several lines of evidence suggest that imidazoline receptors mediate various physiological processes. It is rather difficult, however, to distinguish the imidazoline receptor-mediated effects from the alpha₂-adrenoceptor-mediated ones due to the reasonable affinity of most imidazoline ligands for the alpha₂-adrenoceptors. In the present study the effects of different imidazoline ligands were tested on the electrical field stimulation (EFS)-induced gastric contractions in wild-type (WT), alpha₂A-, alpha₂B- and alpha₂C-adrenoceptor knockout (KO) mice in order to analyze, whether imidazoline I₁ and I₂ receptors take part in the regulation of gastric motor activity. Clonidine, moxonidine and rilmenidine inhibited the EFS-induced gastric contractions in a concentration dependent manner in WT, alpha₂B- and alpha₂C-adrenoceptor KO mice, whereas they had no or only weak effect in alpha₂A-adrenoceptor KO mice. Their effects in WT mice were inhibited by idazoxan and BRL 44408, but not by ARC 239, AGN 192403 and BU 224. The endogenous imidazoline receptor ligand agmatine failed to affect the EFS-induced contractions, while harmane (an other endogenous imidazoline receptor ligand) and 2-BFI (a selective imidazoline I2 receptor agonist) exerted a slight effect in both WT and alpha2A-adrenoceptor KO mice, but this was not reversible by idazoxan, AGN 192403 and BU 224. It can be concluded, that the inhibitory effect of the tested imidazoline compounds on cholinergic gastric contractions is mediated mainly by alpha₂A-adrenoceptors. Although at higher concentrations other receptors may also contribute to their effects, the lack of inhibition by AGN 192403 and BU 224 suggests that these are not imidazoline I₁ and I₂ receptors

New morphine analogues produce peripheral antinociception within a certain dose range of their systemic administration

Growing data support the peripheral opioid antinociceptive effect, particularly, in inflammatory pain models. Here, we examined the antinociceptive effects of the subcutaneously (s.c.) administered, recently synthesized 14-O-Methylmorphine-6-O-sulfate (14-O-MeM6SU) compared to morphine-6-O-sulfate (M6SU) in a rat model of inflammatory pain, induced by an injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) and a mouse model of visceral pain evoked by acetic acid. The s.c. doses of 14-O-MeM6SU and M6SU up to 126 and 547 nmol/kg, respectively produced significant and s.c. or intraplantar (i.pl.) naloxone methiodide (NAL-M) reversible antinociception in inflamed paws compared to non-inflamed paws. These certain doses neither of them affected significantly the thiobutabarbital's sleeping time or rat pulmonary parameters. However, the antinociceptive effects of higher doses were only partially reversed by NAL-M indicating CNS contribution. In mouse writhing test, 14-O-MeM6SU was more potent than M6SU after s.c. or intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injections. Both displayed high s.c./i.c.v. ED50 ratios. The antinociceptive effects of s.c. 14-O-MeM6SU and M6SU up to 136 and 3043 nmol/kg, respectively were fully antagonized by s.c. NAL-M. In addition, the test compounds inhibit the mouse gastrointestinal transit in antinociceptive doses. Taken together, these findings suggest that the systemic administration of the novel compound 14-O-MeM6SU similar to M6SU in specific dose ranges showed peripheral antinociception in rat and mouse inflammatory pain models without central adverse effects. These findings apply for male animals, and need to be confirmed in females. Therefore titration of systemic doses of opioid compounds with limited access to the brain might offer peripheral antinociception of clinical importance

New opioid receptor antagonist: naltrexone-14-O-sulfate synthesis and pharmacology.

Opioid antagonists, naloxone and naltrexone have long been used in clinical practice and research. In addition to their low selectivity, they easily pass through the blood-brain barrier. Quaternization of the amine group in these molecules, (e.g. methylnaltrexone) results in negligible CNS penetration. In addition, zwitterionic compounds have been reported to have limited CNS access. The current study, for the first time gives report on the synthesis and the in vitro [competition binding, G-protein activation, isolated mouse vas deferens (MVD) and mouse colon assay] pharmacology of the zwitterionic compound, naltrexone-14-O-sulfate. Naltrexone, naloxone, and its 14-O-sulfate analogue were used as reference compounds. In competition binding assays, naltrexone-14-O-sulfate showed lower affinity for micro, delta or kappa opioid receptor than the parent molecule, naltrexone. However, the mu/kappa opioid receptor selectivity ratio significantly improved, indicating better selectivity. Similar tendency was observed for naloxone-14-O-sulfate when compared to naloxone. Naltrexone-14-O-sulfate failed to activate GTPgammaS-binding but inhibit the activation evoked by opioid agonists (DAMGO, Ile5,6deltorphin II and U69593), similarly to the reference compounds. Schild plot constructed in MVD revealed that naltrexone-14-O-sulfate acts as a competitive antagonist. In mouse colon, naltrexone-14-O-sulfate antagonized the inhibitory effect of morphine with lower affinity compared to naltrexone and higher affinity when compared to naloxone or naloxone-14-O-sulfate. In vivo (mouse tail-flick test), subcutaneously injected naltrexone-14-O-sulfate antagonized morphine's antinociception in a dose-dependent manner, indicating it's CNS penetration, which was unexpected from such zwitter ionic structure. Future studies are needed to evaluate it's pharmacokinetic profile

New Morphine Analogs Produce Peripheral Antinociception within a Certain Dose Range of Their Systemic Administration

Growing data support peripheral opioid antinociceptive effects, particularly in inflammatory pain models. Here, we examined the antinociceptive effects of subcutaneously administered, recently synthesized 14-O-methylmorphine-6-O-sulfate (14-O-MeM6SU) compared with morphine-6-O-sulfate (M6SU) in a rat model of inflammatory pain induced by an injection of complete Freund's adjuvant and in a mouse model of visceral pain evoked by acetic acid. Subcutaneous doses of 14-O-MeM6SU and M6SU up to 126 and 547 nmol/kg, respectively, produced significant and subcutaneous or intraplantar naloxone methiodide (NAL-M)-reversible antinociception in inflamed paws compared with noninflamed paws. Neither of these doses significantly affected thiobutabarbital-induced sleeping time or rat pulmonary parameters. However, the antinociceptive effects of higher doses were only partially reversed by NAL-M, indicating contribution of the central nervous system. In the mouse writhing test, 14-O-MeM6SU was more potent than M6SU after subcutaneous or intracerebroventricular injections. Both displayed high subcutaneous/intracerebroventricular ED50 ratios. The antinociceptive effects of subcutaneous 14-O-MeM6SU and M6SU up to 136 and 3043 nmol/kg, respectively, were fully antagonized by subcutaneous NAL-M. In addition, the test compounds inhibited mouse gastrointestinal transit in antinociceptive doses. Taken together, these findings suggest that systemic administration of the novel compound 14-O-MeM6SU similar to M6SU in specific dose ranges shows peripheral antinociception in rat and mouse inflammatory pain models without central adverse effects. These findings apply to male animals and must be confirmed in female animals. Therefore, titration of systemic doses of opioid compounds with limited access to the brain might offer peripheral antinociception of clinical importance