Chemical Conjugation of the Neuropeptide Kyotorphin and Ibuprofen Enhances Brain Targeting and Analgesia
作者:Marta M. B. Ribeiro、Antónia R. T. Pinto、Marco M. Domingues、Isa Serrano、Montserrat Heras、Eduard R. Bardaji、Isaura Tavares、Miguel A. Castanho
DOI:10.1021/mp2003016
日期:2011.10.3
The pharmaceutical potential of natural analgesic, peptides is mainly hampered by their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier, BBB. Increasing peptide-cell membrane Ibuprofen affinity through drug design is a promising strategy to overcome this limitation. To address this challenge, we grafted ibuprofen (IBP), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, to kyotorphin (L-Tyr-L-Arg, KTP), an analgesic neuropeptide unable to cross BBB. Two new KTP derivatives, IBP-KTP (IbKTP-OH) and IBP-KTP-amide (IbKTP-NH2), were synthesized and characterized for membrane interaction, analgesic activity and mechanism of action. Ibuprofen enhanced peptide-membrane interaction, endowing a specificity for anionic fluid bilayers. A direct correlation between anionic lipid affinity and analgesic effect was established, IbKTP-NH2 being the most potent analgesic (from 25 mu mol.kg(-1)). In vitro, IbKTP-NH2 caused the biggest shift in the membrane surface charge of BBB endothelial cells, as quantified using zeta-potential dynamic light scattering. Our results suggest that IbKTP-NH2 crosses the BBB and acts by activating both opioid dependent and independent pathways.