Salvinorin A, a diterpene from Salvia divinorum, is a high-affinity and selective full agonist at human kappa-opioid receptors. In human embryonic kidney-293 cells, salvinorin A fully inhibited forskolin-stimulated cAMP production, while derivatives like 2-propionate and 2-heptanoate were partial agonists. Further tests using chimeric G proteins confirmed its potency and efficacy. In Xenopus oocytes with minimal receptor reserve, salvinorin A acted as a full agonist, more efficacious than standard agonists U50488 and U69593, and similar to dynorphin A. The 2-position substituent is critical for receptor binding and activation. Salvinorin A is the first known naturally occurring non-nitrogenous full agonist at kappa-opioid receptors.
A structure-activity relationship study of psilocybin and psilocin derivatives found that 1-methylpsilocin acts as a selective agonist at the human 5-HT(2C) receptor. Its phosphate derivative, 1-methylpsilocybin, and 4-fluoro-N,N-dimethyltryptamine each showed efficacy in an animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder. These findings point to a new avenue for developing novel 5-HT(2C) receptor agonists with potential applications in drug discovery.
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