Morphine class

The preparative scale oxidation of laudano-sine (71) at +1.1 V led to the isolation of a 52% yield of O-methylflavinantine (74) [42, 43]. The mechanism for this exceptionally useful means of synthesizing the morphine class of alkaloids is illustrated in Scheme 18. 

Papaverine is an alkaloid of umipe poppies however, it is not related to compounds in the morphine class and does not possess analgesic properties. It is a peripheral vasodilator and has a direct effect on vessels. It causes dilation of coronary, cerebral, and pulmonary... 

Overall, however, the immensity of temperate land corresponds to a most various secondary metabolic production, different from that of tropical land. The most renowned alkaloids belong to the morphine class (Chart 6.2.A1), and, in combination with isoprenoids, to the ergot and triterpene classes (Chart 6.2. A2). Prominent in the peptides are the cyclosporins (the first of which was isolated from a fiingus collected in Norway), streptogramins, and P-lactams (Chart 6.2.P). The isoprenoids are represented by pyrethrin monoterpenes, cedrane sesquiterpenes, ginkgolide and taxane diterpenes, ophiobolane sesterterpenes, and arborane and amyrin-like triterpenes (Chart 6.2.1). In the polyketides, epothilones, recently discovered from Myxobacteria, and the long known rapamycin, are two prominent classes of macrolides (Chart 6.2.FA/PO/C). 

In spite of the SAR discrepancies between the fentanyl and pethidine groups so far noted, the agonist (albeit weak) rather than antagonist activities of N-allyl and 3,3-dimethylallyl analogs (MHP potencies fentanyl, 470 N-allyl, 0.4 N-dimethylallyl, 0.5 pethidine l)(18)poiht to a closer relationship of the anilide group with the 4-phenylpiperidine than the morphine class of analgesic. 

There are four broad classes of alkaloids whose general economic aspects are important (/) the opiates such as morphine and codeine (2, R = H and R = CH3, respectively) (2) cocaine (11) (both Hcit and iUicit) (2) caffeine (16) and related bases in coffee and tea, and (4) the tobacco alkaloids such as nicotine (21). 

Opiates iateract with three principal classes of opioid GPCRs )J.-selective for the endorphiQS,5-selective for enkephalins, and K-selective for dynorphias (51). AU. three receptors have been cloned. Each inhibits adenylate cyclase, can activate potassium channels, and inhibit A/-type calcium channels. The classical opiates, morphine and its antagonists naloxone (144) and naltrexone (145), have moderate selectivity for the. -receptor. Pharmacological evidence suggests that there are two subtypes of the. -receptor and three subtypes each of the 5- and K-receptor. An s-opiate receptor may also exist. 

Opium is the dried, powdered sap of the unripe seed pod of Papaver somniferum, a poppy plant indigenous to Asia minor. Theophrastus described its medical properties in the third century BC, but the Sumerians, ca BC 4000, probably perceived its utility. Arab physicians knew of the dmg, and Arab traders carried it to the Orient where it was used as a treatment for dysentery. Paracelsus is credited with repopularizing the dmg in western Europe in the early sixteenth century by formulating opium into "laudanum", which is still in use. More than 20 different alkaloids (qv) of two different classes comprise 25% of the weight of dry opium. The benzylisoquinolines, characterized by papaverine [58-74-2] (1.0%), a smooth muscle relaxant, and noscapine [128-62-1] (6.0%), an antitussive agent, do not have any analgesic effects. The phenanthrenes, the second group, are the more common and include 10% morphine (1, = R = H), 0.5% codeine [76-57-3], C gH2 N03, (1, R = H, R = CH3), and 0.2 thebaine [115-37-7], C 2H2 N03, (2). 

Morphine has certain undesirable side effects. Among these are respiratory depression, nausea, and vomiting, depression of the cough reflex, cardiovascular depression and hypotension, smooth muscle contraction (constipation), and histamine release (93). Morphine s onset of action, duration, and low therapeutic indices have prompted a search for a more effective opiate iv anesthetic. Extreme simplification of the complex morphine molecule has resulted in anilido —piperidines, the fentanyl class of extremely potent opiate iv anesthetics (118,119). 

Included in the noimarcotic class of antitussives are many compounds that do not possess a morphine skeleton and which vary widely from each other with respect to stmctural features and pharmacologic profiles. 

The need for simple names to describe complex structures has been met in several ways, the most straightforward of which is to use a trivial name giving little or no structural information e.g. morphine, opuntiol). Such names are.often based on the Latin name of the species from which the compound was isolated e.g. opuntiol from Opuntia eliator). While this is acceptable for a newly isolated compound of unknown structure, it is less satisfactory once the structure is established. What is needed is some means of establishing the relationship of the compound to others in the same class, without going into too much detail with regard to structure and stereochemistry. This can be achieved by defining, for a particular group of structures, a parent structure. 

Dezocine (30) represents a class of bridged aminotetralins possessing morphine-like analgesic properties. It appears to be roughly equivalent in potency and addiction potential to morphine. The molecule combines molecular features of precedent aminotetralins and benzomor-phans and its structure fits the classical Morphine Rule. The 1-enantiomer is the more active and the p-epimer (equatorial NHj) is the active diastereomer. 

The term opioid refers to any exogenous substance that acts as an agonist at any of several receptors. Opioid antagonists are drugs that bind to a receptor but produce no actions. The poppy plant, Papaver somniferum, from which opium is obtained, is grown in many areas of the world. Morphine constitutes 10% of opium, and codeine can be obtained direcdy from opium. Semisynthetic opioids such as heroin and oxycodone are obtained directly or indirectly from morphine. There are other distinct chemical classes of drugs with opioid actions, including the methadones. 

Class A cocaine, heroin, LSD, methadone, mescaline, morphine, opium. Ecstasy plus... 

True narcotic allergies are rare and should not be confused with pruritus associated with opiate use. Cross-sensitivity between morphine-like, meperidine-like, and methadone-like agents is unlikely. Therefore, when an individual is allergic to one drug in a chemical class of opioids, it is reasonable to select... 

The word opioid is used to refer to the overall class including the semi- and fully-synthetic agents, but the word opiate only refers to the naturally occurring opioids such as heroin, opium, and morphine. 

The history of this class of analgesics might have stopped there were it not for the manifold ancillary activities shown by that molecule. Although still one of the most widely used agents for treatment of severe pain, morphine is a drug that must be used with caution. Side effects include respiratory depression, induction of constipation, and sometimes marked sedation. The one property that most severely limits use of this drug is its propensity to induce physical dependence in patients subjected to more than casual exposure. 

When allergies occur with one opioid, a drug from a different structural class of opioids may be tried with caution. For these purposes, the mixed agonist/antagonist class behaves most like the morphine-like agonists. 

This class produces analgesia and has a ceiling effect on respiratory depression and lower abuse potential than morphine. However, psychotomimetic responses (e.g., hallucinations and dysphoria with pentazocine), a ceiling analgesic effect, and the propensity to initiate withdrawal in opioid-dependent patients have limited their widespread use. 

Per-O-acylated glycosyl iodides are stable at room temperature and can be purified on a silica gel column and stored at 0 °C. Stachulski and coworkers [202] synthesized methyl 2,3,4-tri-O-pivaloyl-glucopyranuroate iodide, which is a stable solid at 20 °C and can be stored for months at room temperature or for more than a year at 0 °C. The X-ray crystal structure of this compound, the first one of this class, shows a typical chair structure. Importantly, such a disarmed and stable iodide can be coupled with primary and secondary steroidal alcohols using I2 as a promoter, as demonstrated by the synthesis of morphine-6-glucuronide, an analgesic [202], The glycosyl donor ability... 

Morphine and other opioids work by activating a family of opioid receptors in the brain. These fall into three classes and morphine activates all of them. It has proved possible to design and synthesize opioids that are more-or-less specihc for snbsets of the opioid receptors. However, none of these has proved to have the right set of activities to retain the potent analgesic power of morphine withont the addiction potential and respiratory depression potential. Finding such a molecule remains on ongoing challenge. 

Opioid one of a class of potent analgesics morphine provides a prominent example. 

---