Correlation between structure, behavioral activity and rate of biotransformation of some ACTH4-9 analogs

The effect of substitutions in adrenocorticotropin (ACTH4-9) on extinction of pole-jumping avoidance behavior in intact rats was investigated systemically at two-dose levels. Simultaneous introduction of 4-methionine sulfoxide and 5-D-lysine, in combination with 9-phenylalanine, led to a 1000-fold increase in behavioral potency. The same substitutions induced a 1000-fold decrease in melanocyte-stimulating hormone activity. Incubations of 14-C-labeled ACTH4-9 analogs, prepared by reductive methylation, were carried out with plasma and brain extracts. The resulting metabolites were separated by paper electrophoresis and paper chromatography. The concentrations of nonmetabolized hexapeptides, which appeared to be almost entirely responsible for behavioral activity, were determined as a function of incubation time. The in vitro half-life of intact hexapeptides correlated with their behavioral activity. Therefore, the increase in behavioral potency as a result of amino acid substitutions can be explained, at least partly, by increased resistance against biotransformation.