Stéphane Dion

New selective agonists for neurokinin receptors: pharmacological tools for receptor characterization

Abstract The neurokinin system is replete with a multiplicity of endogenous ligands (substance P, neurokinin A, neurokinin B) and their receptors (NK 1 , NK 2 and NK 3 ). Neurokinin receptors have previously been studied almost exclusively with natural — but non-selective — agonists. However, new selective agonists have now been developed . Domenico Regoli and colleagues describe how such compounds have been successfully used in vitro to characterize the responses of peripheral organs to neurokinins, and in vivo to elucidate possible physiological roles of the neurokinin system .

Pharmacological receptors for substance P and neurokinins.

The three neurokinins identified in mammals, substance P, neurokinin A and neurokinin B, as well as their C-terminal biologically active fragments, have been used to characterize the responses of a variety of isolated organs. Three preparations selective either for substance P (the dog carotid artery), or for neurokinin A (the rabbit pulmonary artery) or for neurokinin B (the rat portal vein) are described. A neurokinin receptor classification is attempted using the neurokinins and their fragments to determine the order of potency of agonists. Three receptor subtypes have been identified: the NK-P, on which substance P (SP) is more active than neurokinin A (NKA) and neurokinin B (NKB), and the neurokinins are more active than their respective fragments; the NK-A on which NKA greater than NKB greater than SP, and some NKA fragments are more discriminative than their precursor; the NK-B on which NKB greater than NKA greater than SP, and fragments of NKB are less active than their precursor. Among the peptides studied, some potent compounds have been identified that could provide selective receptor ligands.

Selective agonists for substance P and neurokinin receptors

A series of neurokinin analogues and fragments have been prepared in an attempt to identify selective agonists for NK-P, NK-A and NK-B receptors. The compounds have been tested on the dog carotid artery (NK-P receptor system), the rabbit pulmonary artery (NK-A) and the rat portal vein (NK-B). C-terminal substituted analogues of the three neurokinins have provided indication that NK-P receptor selectivity is improved by the oxidation of methionine to Met(O2), while selectivity for NK-A is favoured by replacing Met with NIe. Selectivity for NK-P receptors is further improved by the replacement of Gly9 with Sar. Selectivity and affinity for NK-B receptors is markedly increased when Val7 is replaced with MePhe in both the fragment NKB (4-10) and NKB. The results of the present study indicate that a) [Sar9,Met(O2)11]SP is a potent and selective agonist for the NK-P receptors of the dog carotid artery; b) [MePhe7]NKB is a very potent and selective stimulant of receptors for neurokinin B and c) [Nle10]NKA (4-10) is a promising compound, showing some selectivity for NK-A receptor; further modifications are however needed to improve its affinity.

Receptors for Substance P and Related Neurokinins

The most widely used smooth muscle preparations for neurokinin bioassays have been critically analyzed in order to determine whether neurokinins act directly or by the intermediary of other natural agents. Indeed, part of the contraction of the GPI in response to neurokinins appears to be mediated by acetylcholine and possibly prostaglandins. Active metabolites of the arachidonic acid cascade also intervene in the response of the HUB. Neurokinins produce relaxation of the DCA by stimulating the release of a vascular smooth muscle relaxing factor from the endothelium. In the other preparations (the RD, the RPA without endothelium and the RPV) neurokinins may act directly on the smooth muscle fibers. Neurokinins produce their biological effects by activating specific receptors. Three different receptor types, one for each mammalian neurokinin, have been identified by using four groups of natural peptide sequences and some selective agonists. The receptor for SP is particularly sensitive to SP and physalaemin and shows higher affinity for the whole natural peptides (SP, NKA) than for their C-terminal fragments. The receptor for neurokinin A is highly sensitive to NKA and eledoisin: it shows high affinity for heptapeptide fragments such as NKA4-10 and SP5-11. The receptor for NKB is sensitive to NKB and kassinin more than to the other natural peptides and their fragments. The natural peptides show however little selectivity. Synthetic analogues active on a single receptor type (selective agonists) have been used to find out whether the responses of the isolated organs are due to the activation of one or more than one receptor. It has been found that the GPI, the RD and the HUB contain all three or at least two receptors, while the DCA has only the NK1, the RPA has only the NK2 and the RPV only the NK3 type. Binding sites specific for each neurokinin have been identified in brain and peripheral organs with accurate biochemical assays, using labeled neurokinins. Competitive displacement assays have been performed with a variety of neurokinin-related peptides, and their Ki have been determined. By plotting Ki values against the ED50, estimated from biological assays, positive significant correlations have been found for the monoreceptor (DCA, RPA, RPV) but not for the multiple receptor systems (GPI, RD, HUB). This suggests that pharmacological receptors may be identical with the recognition sites which bind the labeled neurokinins. The availability of monoreceptor systems and of selective agonists opens the way for the identification of potential antagonists and accurate estimation of their affinities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Competitive antagonists discriminate between NK2 tachykinin receptor subtypes

1 We have compared the ability of various tachykinins and selective tachykinin receptor agonists to induce contraction of the endothelium‐denuded rabbit pulmonary artery (RPA) and hamster trachea (HT) and have estimated the affinity of some newly developed NK2 selective antagonists in the same tissues. 2 In confirmation of previous findings, experiments with the agonists indicated that NK2 receptors are the main if not the sole mediators of the response to tachykinins in both RPA and HT. No evidence for significant degradation of neurokinin A (NKA) was found in either tissue when experiments were repeated in the presence of a mixture of peptidase inhibitors (thiorphan, captopril and bestatin, 1 μm each). 3 The peptide antagonists tested were: Peptide I = [Tyr5, d‐Trp6,8,9, Arg10]‐NKA(4–10); Peptide II = [Tyr5, d‐Trp6,8,9, Arg10]‐NKA(3–10); Peptide III = Ac‐Leu‐Asp‐Gln‐Trp‐Phe‐Gly‐NH2. The three peptides produced a concentration‐dependent rightward shift of the concentration‐response curve to NKA in both RPA and HT with no significant depression of the maximal response attainable. The slopes of the Schild plots were not significantly different from unity, indicating a competitive antagonism. Peptides I and II were about 100 times more potent in the RPA than in the HT, while Peptide III was about 100 times more potent in the HT than RPA. 4 The pA2 values obtained in these two tissues with the three antagonists were not significantly different when tested in the absence or presence of peptidase inhibitors, or when a selective NK2 receptor agonist, [βAla8]‐NKA(4–10) was used instead of NKA. Similar pA2 values were obtained after 15 or 90 min of incubation with the antagonists. Peptides I, II and III had no inhibitory effect on contractions produced by noradrenaline in the RPA or by carbachol in the HT. 5 Peptides I, II and III showed weak or no antagonistic activity toward the vasodilatator effect of substance P in the dog carotid artery (NK1 receptor‐mediated) or toward the contractile effect of neurokinin B in the rat portal vein (NK3 receptor‐mediated). 6 These results provide pharmacological evidence for heterogeneity of NK2 receptors in the RPA and HT. The NK2 receptors present in these tissues are not discriminated by natural tachykinins or selective agonists, but are recognized with very different affinity by NK2 receptor antagonists.

Effects of peptides and non-peptides on isolated arterial smooth muscles: Role of endothelium

Peptides and non-peptides acting as vasoconstrictors or vasodilators have been tested in dog isolated carotid arteries with and without endothelium and in the presence and absence of a variety of antagonists and inhibitors of endogenous substances. It has been found that substance P and several other tachykinins, bradykinin, neurotensin, bombesin and acetylcholine relax the isolated artery only when the endothelium is present, while VIP, isopropylnoradrenaline, adenosine, histamine, prostaglandins E1 and E2, glucagon and insulin relax and angiotensin, vasopressin, oxytocin, 5-HT and noradrenaline contract the isolated vessel, no matter whether the endothelium is present or not. Peptide and non-peptide antagonists have been used with success to show that vasoconstrictors and vasodilators act on specific receptors, since their effects are reduced in the presence of antagonists, specific for one or another of the various agents. Inhibitors of the arachidonic acid cascade only reduce the effect of acetylcholine, suggesting that at least two different mechanisms are involved in the endothelium-mediated relaxation of arterial smooth muscles to peptide and non-peptide agents. The results summarised in this paper suggest that the site of action of several vasodilators is the endothelium, while other vasodilators and all the vasoconstrictors influence the arterial vessels tone presumably by acting on the smooth muscle cells.

Characterization of neurokinin receptors in various isolated organs by the use of selective agonists

The three mammalian neurokinins, substance P, neurokinin A and neurokinin B, as well as some agonists selective for their respective receptors, NK-P, NK-A and NK-B, were tested in a variety of pharmacological preparations in order to evaluate if the biological responses of the various tissues were mediated by single or multiple receptor types. Previous observations that the dog carotid artery, the rabbit pulmonary artery and the rat portal vein are selective preparations respectively for SP, NKA and NKB were confirmed in the present study by showing that only the respective selective agonists were active on these tissues. Multiple functional sites were demonstrated in intestinal tissues (guinea pig ileum, rat duodenum), which apparently contain the three neurokinin receptors. A large number of NK-P, together with some NK-A receptor sites were found in the guinea pig and rat urinary bladder. Similarly, the guinea pig trachea and the rabbit mesenteric vein contain NK-A and NK-P functional sites. Rat and rabbit vas deferens stimulated electrically respond as typical NK-A preparations, since they are almost insensitive to SP or NKB selective agonists. A mixture of NK-A and NK-B receptor sites has been shown to be present in the hamster urinary bladder: dog and human urinary bladder definitely contain NK-A receptors and the dog bladder also some NK-P functional sites.

New selective bradykinin receptor antagonists and bradykinin B2 receptor characterization

Substantial progress has been made recently in the field of kinin pharmacology with the identification of sensitive bioassay organs and the discovery of bradykinin B2 receptor antagonists. Data obtained with such compounds in various laboratories support the hypothesis that kinins act on multiple (at least two) receptor types. Domenico Regoli and colleagues review here the basic criteria of receptor characterization as they apply to kinins and present a critical analysis of the bioassay organs and B2 receptor antagonists currently used in kinin pharmacology.

Different receptors are involved in the endothelium-mediated relaxation and the smooth muscle contraction of the rabbit pulmonary artery in response to substance and related neurokinins

Four neurokinins, substance P (SP), neurokinin A (NKA) neurokinin B (NKB) and kassinin (Kass) were used in the present study together with other peptides and nonpeptide agents to demonstrate the existence of two different neurokinin receptor types in the rabbit isolated pulmonary artery. Similar to other arterial vessels, the endothelium-dependent relaxation of the pulmonary artery in response to neurokinins is due to the activation of a SP-P receptor more sensitive to SP than to the other neurokinins. The endothelium-dependent relaxation is an indirect phenomenon, mediated by an unknown endothelial agent, similar to that released by acetylcholine. The contraction of the pulmonary artery in response to neurokinins is due to receptors of the NK-A type, particularly sensitive to NKA and NKB, and much less sensitive to SP. The contraction is a direct phenomenon, apparently not involving any of the known endogenous autacoids and neurotransmitters or metabolites of arachidonic acid. Contraction appears to be due to stimulation by the neurokinins of receptors located in the arterial smooth muscle. The results presented in this paper indicate that NK-A receptors for neurokinins (which are present in the tracheo-bronchial tree) are also to be found in pulmonary vessels and mediate contraction of arterial vascular smooth muscle, an interesting property of neurokinins.

Structure-activity studies of neurokinin A

A structure-activity study on neurokinin A and its C-terminal fragment NKA (4-10) has been performed in order to find selective agonists for the NK-2 receptor and identify chemical modifications suitable for protecting the peptides from degradation, while maintaining activity. Five series of compounds have been prepared and tested: 1. the complete series of the L-Ala monosubstituted analogues of NKA; 2. a series of NKA fragments from the C- or N-terminal; 3. the complete series of NKA (4-10) analogues monosubstituted with beta-Ala; 4. a series of NKA (4-10) analogues with monosubstitutions in pos. 4, 8, 10 or multisubstitutions in two or more of the same positions; and 5. a series of 6 NKA (4-10) analogues monosubstituted with 1-amino,1-cyclohexane carboxylic acid residue. It has been found that the most selective agonists for the NK-2 receptor system are [beta Ala8]NKA (4-10) and [Nle10]NKA (4-10). Protection from aminopeptidase may be obtained by acetylation of the N-terminal amide of NKA (4-10), while partial protection from endopeptidases should be expected from the presence of beta-Ala in position 8. Conformational constraints induced with 1,amino,1-cyclohexane carboxylic acid residue gave weakly active compounds. Multiple substitutions reduce rather than potentiating the favorable effects of the corresponding monosubstituted compounds.