Search

MCRT (YPFPFRTic-NH(2)) is a chimeric opioid peptide based on morphiceptin and PFRTic-NH(2). In order to assess the cardiovascular effect of MCRT, it was administered by intravenous (i.v.) injection targeting at the peripheral nervous system and by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection targeting at the central nervous system. Naloxone and L-NAME were injected before MCRT to investigate possible interactions with MCRT. Results show that administration of MCRT by i.v. or i.c.v. injection could induce bradycardia and decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) at a greater degree than that with morphiceptin and PFRTic-NH(2). When MCRT and NPFF were coinjected, we observed a dose-dependent weakening of these cardiovascular effects by MCRT. Because naloxone completely abolished the cardiovascular effects of MCRT, we conclude that opioid receptors are involved in regulating the MAP of MCRT regardless of modes of injection. The effect of MCRT on heart rate is completely dependent on opioid receptors when MCRT was administered by i.c.v. instead of i.v. The central nitric oxide (NO) pathway is involved in regulating blood pressure by MCRT under both modes of injection, but the peripheral NO pathway had no effect on lowering blood pressure mediated by MCRT when it was administered by i.c.v. Based on the results from different modes of injection, the regulation of heart rate by MCRT mainly involves in the central NO pathway. Lastly, we observed that the cardiovascular effects of MCRT such as bradycardia and decrease of blood pressure, were stronger than that of its parent peptides. Opioid receptors and the NO pathway are involved in the cardiovascular regulation by MCRT, and their degree of involvement differs between intravenous and intracerebroventricular injection.

A chimeric opioid peptide (MCRT, YPFPFRTic-NH(2)) was here designed and synthesized. This peptide was based on morphiceptin (YPFP-NH(2)) and a neuropeptide FF (NPFF) derivative (PFRTic-NH(2)) sharing one proline. This peptide is intended to produce potent analgesia. MCRT was found to induce analgesic activity in a dose- and time-dependent manner, as indicated by a tail flick latency test in mice to which it had been intracerebroventricularly administered (5-60 min, 0.025-2.5 nmol/kg (0.5-50 pmol per mouse), ED(50)=1.49 nmol/kg). At 2.5nmol/kg, MCRT showed significantly higher levels of analgesic activity than morphiceptin or PFR(Tic)amide at 2500 nmol/kg. Naltrindole and cyprodime were found to partially but significantly inhibit this analgesic activity, but naloxone blocked it completely. The kappa opioid receptor antagonist nor-BNI was found to slightly inhibit MCRT and morphiceptin. Pre-injection of BIBP3226 and co-administration of NPFF and MCRT showed that NPFF receptors were involved in the analgesia of MCRT. BIBP3226 was found to weaken the analgesic effects of MCRT, but BIBP3226 could not block the analgesic effects of PFR(Tic)amide. Overall, MCRT was found to have stronger analgesic activity than morphiceptin or PFR(Tic)amide when interacting with mixed μ/δ opioid receptor interactions. MCRT also showed partial interaction with NPFF receptors.