Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 14-heteroaromatic-substituted naltrexone derivatives: pharmacological profile switch from mu opioid receptor selectivity to mu/kappa opioid receptor dual selectivity.

ABSTRACT: On the basis of a mu opioid receptor (MOR) homology model and the isosterism concept, three generations of 14-heteroaromatically substituted naltrexone derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as potential MOR-selective ligands. The first-generation ligands appeared to be MOR-selective, whereas the second and the third generation ones showed MOR/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) dual selectivity. Docking of ligands 2 (MOR selective) and 10 (MOR/KOR dual selective) to the three opioid receptor crystal structures revealed a nonconserved-residue-facilitated hydrogen-bonding network that could be responsible for their distinctive selectivity profiles. The MOR/KOR dual-selective ligand 10 showed no agonism and acted as a potent antagonist in the tail-flick assay. It also produced less se

SUBMITTER: Yuan Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4373589 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature