Endomorphins, endogenous l-opioid receptor ligands, have been shown to exert antinociceptive, antidepressant, anxiolytic, and neuromodulatory effects, as well as to influence cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems. In the present study, we designed and synthesized a series of tetrapeptides and tripeptides (amides and peptide acids) of similar to endomorphins structure, but with low l-opioid receptor affinity, and tested them as possible inhibitors of endomorphin-degrading enzymes. The obtained results indicate that the tripeptides Tyr-Pro-Ala-NH 2 and Tyr-Pro-Ala-OH, which do not bind to the l-opioid receptors, are potent inhibitors of endomorphin-degrading enzymes in the rat brain. We suggest that the in vivo administration of these novel analogs may enhance physiological effects of endogenous endomorphins by decreasing the rate of their enzymatic cleavage.

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