Hemopressin: a novel therapeutic tool for treating chronic pain

摘要

Hemopressin, an alpha1 -hemoglobin-derived peptide, was originally isolated from rat brain homogenates. Hemopressin function as a CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist and it was previously reported to exert an antinociceptive action in experimental inflammatory hyperalgesia. Herein we demonstrate that hemopressin exerts antinociceptive effect in an experimental chronic pain model.Hemopressin is a 9-residue alpha1-hemoglobin-derived peptide that was first identified as a peptide substrate for ep24.15 and ep24.16 in an experimental approach attempting to identify new natural substrates for those enzymes (Rioli et al., 2003). Of the new ep24.15/ ep24.16 substrates identified, at least seven were hemoglobin fragments. Of the endogenous globin fragments, three (LVVYPWTQRY, VVYPWTQRY and the fragment VYPWT) were related to a family of peptides known as hemor-phins, which are derived from the degradation of the beta-chain of human hemoglobin and show morphine-like activity based on their ability to inhibit the contractions of electrically stimulated guinea pig ileum (Brantl et al., 1986; Moisan et al., 1998 and references therein).