1. Investigation of the structure-activity relationship in a series of new LVV- and VV-hemorphin-7 analogues designed as potential anticonvulsant agents
Petar Todorov, Stela Georgieva, Petia Peneva, Jana Tchekalarova Amino Acids. 2022 Feb;54(2):261-275. doi: 10.1007/s00726-021-03112-6. Epub 2022 Jan 3.
In the present study, a series of new analogues of both LVV- and VV-hemorphin-7 have been synthesized and characterized. They were modified at the N- and C-terminus with varied amino acids (Ile, D-Leu, D-Val, D-Phe) and enantiopure chiral S- and R- α-aminophosphonic acids ((dimethoxyphosphoryl)methyl)-valine and ((dimethoxyphosphoryl) methyl)-leucine) to optimize the physicochemical properties and to enhance their anticonvulsant potency. The novel peptide analogues were prepared by solid-phase peptide synthesis-Fmoc-strategy. Their structure-property relationship was studied by FT-IR spectroscopy and electrochemical methods. The lipophilicity is also presented. The anticonvulsant activity of peptide analogues, administered intracerebroventricularly, at doses of 1, 2.5, and 5 μg/10 μL, respectively, was explored by 6-Hz psychomotor seizure test, maximal electroshock test (MES) and a timed intravenous pentylenetetrazole (ivPTZ) infusion test in mice. The potential neurological toxicity of the substances was checked by a rotarod test. The H7 was used as a positive control. The H7-1 peptide analogue was the most active molecule against the psychomotor seizures, while H7-6 and H7-7 showed comparable to the positive group H7 potency in the MES test. The H7-5 to H7-8 analogues at the two tested doses of 2.5 and 5 μg/10 μl raised the threshold against ivPTZ-induced myoclonic, clonic, and tonic seizures. None of the hemorphin analogues exhibited neurotoxicity in the rotarod test. In conclusion, our results suggest that modified at N- and C-terminus of certain amino acids in the hemorphin analogues have a crucial role as a basis to design new LVV- and VV-hemorphin-7 analogues for experimental and clinical use.
2. Amino acid analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography after derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl chloride Literature overview and further study
A Jámbor, I Molnár-Perl J Chromatogr A. 2009 Apr 10;1216(15):3064-77. doi: 10.1016/j.chroma.2009.01.068. Epub 2009 Jan 29.
A literature overview is given of HPLC methods currently in use to determine amino acids as their 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (FMOC) derivatives. On the basis of the detailed literature overview an exhaustive derivatization study was performed with 22 amino acids, applying photodiode array (DAD) and fluorescence (FL) detection simultaneously, in order to clear up the controversial points of FMOC derivatization. Model investigations have been carried out as a function of the reaction time and reaction conditions, such as the molar concentration of the reagent, the molar ratios of the reactants, the pH and the solvent composition of the reaction medium. Special emphasis was put (i) on the evaluation of the blank values of the reagents, as a function of the composition and that of the pH of the reaction medium, (ii) on the unambiguous quantitation of all amino acids, including the less reactive aspartic and glutamic acids, as well as on the formation and transformation of histidine and tyrosine, existing partly, as single (N-FMOC-histidine, N-FMOC-tyrosine), partly as double labeled species (N,NH-FMOC-histidine, N,O-FMOC-tyrosine). Reproducibilities of 22 amino acids, including both histidine and tyrosine derivatives, obtained under optimum derivatization conditions are presented (at 0.5mM FMOC concentration corresponding to the molar ratios of [FMOC]/[amino acids](T)=5.5/1 (note: the superscript 'T' means the total of amino acids), with acetonitrile containing reagents, at pH 9, derivatization time=20 min), and characterized with the relative standard deviation percentages of their responses (
3. Antinociceptive Effects of VV-Hemorphin-5 Peptide Analogues Containing Amino phosphonate Moiety in Mouse Formalin Model of Pain
Borislav Assenov, Daniela Pechlivanova, Elena Dzhambazova, Petia Peneva, Petar Todorov Protein Pept Lett. 2021;28(4):442-449. doi: 10.2174/0929866527666200813200714.
Background: Hemorphins are endogenous hemoglobin-derived peptides that belong to the family of "atypical" opioid peptides with both affinities to opioid receptors and ability to release other endogenous opioid peptides. Objective: In the present study, peptide analogues of Valorphin (VV-hemorphin-5) containing amino phosphonate moiety synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis (Fmoc-strategy) were investigated for their potential antinociceptive activities and compared to the reference VV-H in formalin- induced model of acute and inflammatory pain in mice. Methods: The hemorphin analogues were prepared by replacement of the one and/or two N-terminal Val in VV-hemorphin5 (VV-H) with ((dimethoxy phosphoryl) methyl)-L-valine and ((dimethoxy phosphoryl) methyl)-L-leucine to obtain the compounds pVV-H, pL-H, and pLV-H. Aiming to additionally prove the importance of amino acid valine, we introduced the ((dimethoxy phosphoryl) methyl)-L-leucine to the N-side of VV-hemorphin-5 (pLVV-H). The experiments were carried out on adult male ICR mice. All peptides were administered intracerebroventricularly at three doses (50, 25 and 12,5 μg/mouse). We have studied the effects of the peptides on acute (1st phase) and inflammatory (2nd phase) pain reaction using un experimental model with intraplantar formalin injection. Results: VV-H showed a significant antinociceptive effect both in the acute and inflammatory phases of the test. Although Valorphin hexa-, hepta-, and octapeptide analogs demonstrated a significant antinociceptive effect, they showed substantial differences considering their effective dose and the phase of the test as compared to the Valorphin. Discussion: Data showed that modified heptapeptides pVV-H and pLV-H exerted the same or better antinociception in acute and inflammatory pain, in comparison to the reference peptide, while pL-H and pLVV-H analogues were less effective. Conclusion: Our study contributes to the elucidation of the role of Valine and the number of amino acid residues in the structure of hemorphin peptide analogs in their effectiveness in suppressing both acute and inflammatory experimental pain.
