6β-Naltrexol, or 6β-hydroxynaltrexone (developmental code name AIKO-150), is a peripherally-selective opioid receptor antagonist related to

naltrexone Naltrexone, sold under the brand name Revia among others, is a medication primarily used to manage alcohol or opioid use disorder by reducing cravings and feelings of euphoria associated with substance use disorder. It has also been found to ...

. It is a major

active metabolite An active metabolite is an active form of a drug after it has been processed by the body. Metabolites of drugs An active metabolite results when a drug is metabolized by the body into a modified form which continues to produce effects in the body ...

of naltrexone formed by

hepatic The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it ...

dihydrodiol dehydrogenase

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecule ...

s. With naltrexone therapy, 6β-naltrexol is present at approximately 10- to 30-fold higher concentrations than naltrexone at

steady state In systems theory, a system or a process is in a steady state if the variables (called state variables) which define the behavior of the system or the process are unchanging in time. In continuous time, this means that for those properties ' ...

due to extensive

first-pass metabolism The first pass effect (also known as first-pass metabolism or presystemic metabolism) is a phenomenon of drug metabolism whereby the concentration of a drug, specifically when administered orally, is greatly reduced before it reaches the systemi ...

of naltrexone into 6β-naltrexol. In addition to being an active metabolite of naltrexone, 6β-naltrexol was itself studied for the treatment of

opioid-induced constipation Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical uses include suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid use ...

. It was found to be effective and well-tolerated, and did not precipitate

opioid withdrawal Opioid withdrawal is a set of symptoms (a syndrome) arising from the sudden withdrawal or reduction of opioids where previous usage has been heavy and prolonged. Signs and symptoms of withdrawal can include drug craving, anxiety, restless legs, n ...

symptoms or interfere with

opioid Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical uses include suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioi ...

pain relief Pain management is an aspect of medicine and health care involving relief of pain (pain relief, analgesia, pain control) in various dimensions, from acute and simple to chronic and challenging. Most physicians and other health professionals ...

, but development was not further pursued. 6β-Naltrexol binds to the

opioid receptor Opioid receptors are a group of inhibitory G protein-coupled receptors with opioids as ligands. The endogenous opioids are dynorphins, enkephalins, endorphins, endomorphins and nociceptin. The opioid receptors are ~40% identical to somatosta ...

s with affinity (K_i) values of 2.12 nM for the

μ-opioid receptor The μ-opioid receptors (MOR) are a class of opioid receptors with a high affinity for enkephalins and beta-endorphin, but a low affinity for dynorphins. They are also referred to as μ(''mu'')-opioid peptide (MOP) receptors. The prototypical ...

(MOR), 7.24 nM for the

κ-opioid receptor The κ-opioid receptor or kappa opioid receptor, abbreviated KOR or KOP, is a G protein-coupled receptor that in humans is encoded by the ''OPRK1'' gene. The KOR is coupled to the G protein Gi/G0 and is one of four related receptors that bind o ...

(KOR), and 213 nM for the

δ-opioid receptor The δ-opioid receptor, also known as delta opioid receptor or simply delta receptor, abbreviated DOR or DOP, is an inhibitory 7-transmembrane G-protein coupled receptor coupled to the G protein Gi/G0 and has enkephalins as its endogenous lig ...

(DOR). Hence, 6β-naltrexol shows 3.5-fold selectivity for the MOR over the KOR and 100-fold selectivity for the MOR over the DOR. Relative to naltrexone, 6β-naltrexol has about half the affinity for the MOR. In contrast to naltrexone, 6β-naltrexol is a

neutral antagonist A receptor antagonist is a type of receptor ligand or drug that blocks or dampens a biological response by binding to and blocking a receptor rather than activating it like an agonist. Antagonist drugs interfere in the natural operation of rec ...

of the MOR (as opposed to an

inverse agonist In pharmacology, an inverse agonist is a drug that binds to the same receptor as an agonist but induces a pharmacological response opposite to that of the agonist. A neutral antagonist has no activity in the absence of an agonist or inverse ag ...

) and can antagonize the actions of both

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the ago ...

s and inverse agonists at the receptor. 6β-Naltrexol is said to have very limited capacity to cross the blood–brain barrier. However, 6β-naltrexol is still able to cross into the brain and produce central opioid receptor antagonism at sufficient levels. In animal studies, 6β-naltrexol showed about 10-fold separation in potency between peripheral and central opioid antagonism, whereas naltrexone showed no separation. Because it is a MOR neutral antagonist and hence does not reduce basal MOR signaling, 6β-naltrexol shows much lower potential for producing

symptoms than naltrexone at doses achieving similar central opioid blockade in animal studies. Due to the very high levels of 6β-naltrexol that occur during naltrexone therapy, 6β-naltrexol may contribute to the central opioid receptor antagonism of naltrexone.

References

Abandoned drugs Cyclohexanols Cyclopropyl compounds 4,5-Epoxymorphinans Human drug metabolites Kappa-opioid receptor antagonists Mu-opioid receptor antagonists Peripherally selective drugs Phenols Semisynthetic opioids Tertiary alcohols {{Gastrointestinal-drug-stub

See also

References