Synthesis of Potential Haptens with Morphine Skeleton and Determination of Protonation Constants

Vaccination could be a promising alternative warfare against drug addiction and abuse. For this purpose, so-called haptens can be used. These molecules alone do not induce the activation of the immune system, this occurs only when they are attached to an immunogenic carrier protein. Hence obtaining a free amino or carboxylic group during the structural transformation is an important part of the synthesis. Namely, these groups can be used to form the requisite peptide bond between the hapten and the carrier protein. Focusing on this basic principle, six nor-morphine compounds were treated with ethyl acrylate and ethyl bromoacetate, while the prepared esters were hydrolyzed to obtain the N-carboxymethyl- and N-carboxyethyl-normorphine derivatives which are considered as potential haptens. The next step was the coupling phase with glycine ethyl ester, but the reactions did not work or the work-up process was not accomplishable. As an alternative route, the normorphine-compounds were N-alkylated with N-(chloroacetyl)glycine ethyl ester. These products were hydrolyzed in alkaline media and after the work-up process all of the derivatives contained the free carboxylic group of the glycine side chain. The acid-base properties of these molecules are characterized in detail. In the N-carboxyalkyl derivatives, the basicity of the amino and phenolate site is within an order of magnitude. In the glycine derivatives the basicity of the amino group is significantly decreased compared to the parent compounds (i.e., morphine, oxymorphone) because of the electron withdrawing amide group. The protonation state of the carboxylate group significantly influences the basicity of the amino group. All of the glycine ester and the glycine carboxylic acid derivatives are currently under biological tests.

Vaccines against Drug Abuse: Morphine-Hapten Design and Synthesis

Drugs of abuse are small molecules that typically do not induce an antibody response following the administration. To induce antibodies against these kind of molecules, structural changes have to be made to obtain so called “haptens”. The hapten must be coupled to immunogenic proteins, called “carriers”. These connected derivatives are typically drug-linker adducts, in which the linker has a terminal functional group (i.e., carboxylic acid or aliphatic amine) that forms a covalent bond with the carrier. The efficacy of these conjugate vaccines depends on several factors including hapten design, coupling strategy, hapten density, carrier protein selection, and vaccine adjuvant. Six nor-normorphine compounds were reacted with ethyl acrylate and ethyl bromoacetate. After the synthesis of the specific esters we hydrolyzed them to receive the N-carboxymethyl- and N-carboxyethyl-normorphine derivatives. The next step was the coupling phase with glycine ethyl ester, but the reactions didn’t work or the work-up process was not accomplishable. As an alternative route the normorphine-compounds were reacted with N-chloroacetyl glycine ethyl ester. These products were hydrolyzed in alkaline media and after the work-up process all of the derivatives contained the free carboxylic group of the glycine sidechain. All of the glycine ester and the glycine carboxylic acid derivatives are under biological tests.

Comparative Analysis of Experimental Pharmacokinetics of New Neurotropic Peptides

Experimental pharmacokinetics of new pharmacologically active peptides, modified analogues of endogenous neuropeptides, has been investigated in rats and rabbits. The study icluded 3 new drugs: (i) the nootropic drug noopept (phenylacetyl-prolyl-glycine ethyl ester); (ii) dilept (N-caproyl-L-prolyl-L-tyrosine methyl ester) – the antipsychotic with positive mnemotropic action; (iii) compound GB-115 – selective anxiolytic (phenylhexanoyl-prolyl-tryptophan amide). Differences in pharmacokinetics and biotransformation of the studied drugs depended on their structural features. The ether derivatives noopept and dilept underwent intensive metabolism by rat gastrointestinal esterases and peptidases with the formation of active metabolites. Being an amide, the compound GB-115 was more resistant to the enzymatic effects of peptidases and was detected for a longer period in the blood of experimental animals. In rabbits the studied compounds were less exposed to the enzymatic action by gastrointestinal peptidases, and were detected plasma of rabbits for a longer period. The higher stability of the compounds studied in rabbits may be attributed not only to the structural features of the studied dipeptides, but also to differences in the activity of the enzymatic systems of the gastrointestinal tract participating in their metabolism, as well as differences in the rate of hepatic and renal blood flow in rats and rabbits.

Ethyl diazoacetate synthesis in flow

Ethyl diazoacetate is a versatile compound in organic chemistry and frequently used on lab scale. Its highly explosive nature, however, severely limits its use in industrial processes. The in-line coupling of microreactor synthesis and separation technology enables the synthesis of this compound in an inherently safe manner, thereby making it available on demand in sufficient quantities. Ethyl diazoacetate was prepared in a biphasic mixture comprising an aqueous solution of glycine ethyl ester, sodium nitrite and dichloromethane. Optimization of the reaction was focused on decreasing the residence time with the smallest amount of sodium nitrite possible. With these boundary conditions, a production yield of 20 g EDA day−1 was achieved using a microreactor with an internal volume of 100 μL. Straightforward scale-up or scale-out of microreactor technology renders this method viable for industrial application.