Fluorescent staining of kappa opioid receptors using naltrexamine derivatives and phycoerythrin.

An immunofluorescent technique that is more sensitive than radioligand binding was developed in order to detect opioid receptors expressed on leukocytes. The current study was designed to optimize the method for fluorescently labeling kappa opioid receptors. For these experiments, the opioid antagonist naltrexamine was conjugated to either fluorescein (FITC-NTXamine) or biotin (biotin-NTXamine).

N-cyclobutylmethyl analog of normorphinone, N-CBM-TAMO: a short-term opioid agonist and long-term Mu-selective irreversible opioid antagonist.

The antinociceptive and opioid binding properties of the N-cyclobutylmethyl analog of normorphinone, 14 alpha, 14' beta-[dithiobis[(2-oxo-2, 1-ethanediyl)imino]]bis[7,8-dihydro-N-(cyclobutylmethyl)-normor phinone] (N-CBM-TAMO) were investigated. This compound is a dimer, containing a disulfide capable of binding to thiol groups on the opioid receptor. Competition radioligand binding assays with bovine striatal membranes demonstrated that N-CBM-TAMO displayed a higher affinity for mu opioid receptors than for kappa and delta receptors.

Preventing morphine antinociceptive tolerance by irreversible mu opioid antagonists before the onset of their antagonism.

Irreversible opioid antagonists, when administered at small doses, require several hours to display their antagonism of antinociception mediated by opioid receptors. However, most opioid affinity ligands only need a few minutes to produce wash-resistant inhibition of opioid binding to brain membranes. Our study investigated whether the irreversible antagonists, beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA), 14 alpha, 14'beta-[dithiobis[(2-oxo-2,1-ethanediyl)imino]]-7,8-dihydro-N- (cyclopropylmethyl)normorphine (N-CPM-TAMO), and N-cyclopropylmethyl-5 beta-methyl- beta-(p-nitrocinnamoylamino)-7,8-dihydromorphinone (N-CPM-MET-CAMO) had any effect on morphine-induced antinociceptive tolerance before the appearance of their antagonism in the mouse tail-flick assay.

Identification and quantification of the indole alkaloid ibogaine in biological samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A sensitive and highly selective analytical chemical method for measuring the indole alkaloid ibogaine in biological samples has been developed. The method utilizes organic extraction, derivatization with trifluoroacetic anhydride, and detection by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The deuterated analog of ibogaine, O-[Cd3]-ibogaine, was synthesized and used as an internal standard for the method.

14 alpha,14' beta-[Dithiobis[(2-oxo-2,1-ethanediyl)imino]]bis (7,8-dihydromorphinone) and 14 alpha,14' beta-[dithiobis[(2-oxo-2,1- ethanediyl)imino]]bis[7,8-dihydro-N-(cyclopropylmethyl)normorphinone]: chemistry and opioid binding properties.

14 alpha,14' beta-[Dithiobis[(2-oxo-2,1-ethanediyl)imino]] bis(7,8-dihydromorphinone) (TAMO) (13) was synthesized by condensing 14 beta-amino-7,8-dihydromorphine (4) with acetylthioglycolyl chloride and hydrolyzing the resulting ester with mild base to give a mixture of the thiol 9 and the disulfide 13. Chromatography of the mixture resulted in conversion of the bulk of the thiol 9 to the disulfide 13 by air oxidation. The disulfide 13 was also prepared by condensing the tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether of 4 with the dithiodiglycolyl chloride and treating the resulting product with F- to give the desired product.