CA1108122A - Protected coupled hentriakontapeptide intermediates - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A protected coupled hentriakontapeptide is disclosed of the sequence:

Description

81~Z

The present invention relates to certain protected coupled hentriakonta-peptides useful as intermediates in forming the equivalent hentriakontapeptides.
This application is a divisional of Serial No. 274024, filed March 15, 1977J w~ich relates to hentriakontapeptides having the sequence H-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-Thr-Ser-Glu-Lys-Ser-Gln-Thr-Pro-Leu-Val-Thr-Leu-Phe-Lys-Asn-Ala-Ile-R -Lys-Asn-Ala-R -Lys-Lys-Gly-R -OH
~ I~
wherein R is Ile or ~al; R is His or Tyr and R is Gln or Glu, especially to a hentriakontapeptide of the sequence H-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-Thr-Ser-Glu-Lys-Ser-Gln-Thr-Pro-Leu-~al-Thr-Leu-Phe-Lys-Asn-Ala-Ile-Ile-Lys-Asn-Ala-His-Lys-Lys-Gly-Gln-OH
(Ia) and to a process for the preparation thereof. For purposes of convenience the hentriak~ntapeptideoX sequence Ia shall hereafter be referred to as ~-endorphin.
The process for the preparation of the hentriakontapeptides of sequence I is characterized by synthesizing such a compound using conventional solid phase peptide synthesis.
According to the present invention, there is provided a compound of the formula:
2a Boc-Tyr(oBr-Z)-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-Thr~Ser(Bzl)-Glu~OBzl)-Lys(oBr-Z~-Ser(Bzl)-Gln-Thr-Pro-Leu-Val-Thr-Leu-Phe-Lys(oBr-Z)-Asn-Ala-Ile-Ile- IIa Lys(oBr-Z)-Asn-Ala-His(Boc)-Lys(oBr-Z)-Lys(oBr-Z)-Gly-Gln- ~
wherein oBr-Z is o-bromobenzyloxycarbonyl;
Bzl is benzyl; Boc is t-butyloxycarbonyl and is a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer resin.

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~.

1~812Z

The isolation of ~-endorphin from natural sources can be carried out utilizing procedures well known in the art. Preferred natural sources for this material include ovine pituitary glands, preferably camel pituitarles. Thus, for example, whole camel pituitaries are subjected to acid acetone extraction to yield fraction D which in turn is chromatographed on a carboxy-methyl-cellulose column to provide component N as described by Li et al, Biochemistry 14, 947 (1975). Purification of component N is accomplished by utilizing gel filtration and electrophoresis procedures known per se to yield the desired ~-endorphine.

Identification of the amino acid content and sequence of ~-endorphin from natural sources can be obtained by enzymatic digestion of the ~-endorphin derived from purified component N
using trypsin and subtilsin digestion in a conventional manner.
The digests are then mapped by paper chromatography followed by high voltage electrophoresis. After developing o~ the spots with ninhydrin and elution, lt is found that the trypsin ; digestion produces eleven spots while the subtilsin digestion yields ten spots. The spots are eluted and the amino acid content is determined by an automatic analyzer while the amino acid sequence is determined by the dansyl-Edman procedure. Utili-zation of such procedures resulted in the determination that ~-endorphin is a hentriakontapeptide having an amino acid s 25 content and sequence as set forth above.
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.;

.~ ,., ~'', 8~;2Z

Synthesis of ~-endorphin can be carried out employing solid phase techniques now well known in the art. In a preferred procedure amino protected glutamine, representing the -COOH
terminal group of ~-endorphin, is coupled to a conventional solid phase peptide synthesis resin such as benzhydrylamine polystyrene cross-linked with 1 to 2~ divinyl benzene. The amino protecting group is then selectively removed utilizing a suitable reagent whose nature will depend on the protecting group used. In a preferred embodiment the t-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) group is utilized for amino group protection and 50%
trifluoroacetic acid in methylene chloride is the selective deprotecting agent.

After deprotection, the glutamine-resin is treated with amino protected glycine, preferably N-Boc-glycine, most preferably as the preformed symmetrical anhydride of N-Boc-glycine in a manner known per se so as to form a peptide bond between the free amino group of the glutamine residue and the carboxyl group of glycine.

The cycle of deprotection and coupling with the preformed symmetrical anhydrides of protected amino acids is then repeatad with the remaining amino acids in the sequence order of ~-endorphin. Some of the amino acids required side-chain blocking groups besides the a-amino protection. Such amino acids and the blocking groups employed are as follows:
,~

l8~2Z

Glu(OBzl), Ser(Bzl), Lys(oBr-Z), Tyr(oBr-Z) and His(Boc) wherein oBr-Z is o-bromobenzyloxycarbonyl, Bzl is benzyl and Boc is as above.

` 5 Completion of the synthesis provided the following protected hentriakontapeptide coupled to the styrene-dlvinyl-benzene copolymer resin:

Boc-Tyr(oBr-Z)-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-Thr-Ser(Bzl)-- Glu(OBzl)-Lys(oBr-Z)-Ser(Bzl)-Gln-Thr-Pro-Leu-Val-Thr-Leu-Phe-Lys(oBr-Z)-Asn-Ala-Ile-Ile-Lys(oBr-Z)-Asn-Ala-His(Boc)-Lys(oBr-Z)-Lys(oBr-Z)-Gly-Gln- O

wherein oBr-Z, Bzl and Boc are as above and ~ is the styrene - 1% divinylbenzene copolymer.

Decoupling of the peptide from the resin is accomplished by treatment with liquid hydrogen fluoride with concomittant cleavage of all protecting groups to produce the desired ~-endorphin.
, ,.
In spite of the fact that ~-endorphin has the amino acids sequence of residue 61-91 of ~-lipotropin hormone the lipolytic activity of ~-endorphin is very low in comparison to the complete hormone. However, ~-endorphin has significant opiate 11`(~812Z

agonist activity an~ thus is useful as a potent, non-addictive analgesic agent. Synthetic and natural ~-endorphin have identical physical and biological properties.

The analogs of ~-endorphin which are defined by sequence I
correspond to the amino acid sequence found in corresponding ~-lipotropin from porcine and human hormone. They are conveniently prepared by conventional solid phase peptide synthesis in analogy to that described for ~-endorphin by substitution of the appropriate alternate amino acid in this synthesis.

.
The compounds of $ormu'1a and Ia c~n ~ used as~
medicaments in the form of pharmaceutical preparations having direct or delayed liberation of the active ingredient which contain them in association with a compatible pharmaceutical carrier material. This carrier material can be an organic or inorganic inert carrier materlal suitable for enteral, percutaneous or parenteral application such as water, gelatin, gum arabic, lactose, starch, magnesium stearate, talc, vegetable oils, polyalkyleneglycols, petroleum jelly, etc. The pharma-ceutical preparations can be made up in a solid form (e.g.,as tablets, dragées, suppositories or capsules), in a semi-solid from (e.g., as salves) or in a liquid form te.g., as solutions, suspensions or emulsions). If necessary the pharma-- ceutical preparations can be sterilized and/or can contain adjuvant substances such as preserving, stabilizing, wetting or emulsifying agents, salts for the variation of the osmotic ~.

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pressure or substances acting as buffers.

In the case of pharmaceutical preparations for systemic administration, about 5 to 750 mg/kg of a compound of the invention can be provided per administration.

The pharmaceutical preparations can be prepared in a manner known per se by mixing a compound of -~or~ula I-or Ia with non-toxic solid and/or liquid carrier materials which are customary in pharmaceutical preparations and which are suitable for therapeutic administration le.g., those carrier materials mentioned earler) and, if desired, transforming the mixture into the desired pharmaceutical dosage form.

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Example 1 Isolation of natural ~-Endorphin A total of 500 whole camel pituitary glands was extracted with acid acetone according to the procedure of Li et al., Biochemistry 14, 947 (1975), to provide fraction D. Chromato-graphy of fraction D on a carboxymethyl-cellulose column yielded 66 mg of component N which amount was subject to gel filtration *

on a Sephadex G-25 (fine) column in 0.1 N acetic acid. Six fractions were obtained with the following yields after 10 lyophilization:
A'10 mg; B-7 mg; C.ll mg; D~.13 mg; E~.2 mg and F.7 mg.

Fraction C was further purified by preparative electro-phoresis on Whatman No. 3 MM paper in pyridine-acetic acid buffer of pH 3.7 [pyridine-HOAc-H20=4/40/1150 (v/v)] for 15 2 hours at 400 V. The major band was eluted with 0.1 N acetic acid and lyophilized to yield 7.5 mg, of pure product. NH2-~; terminal analysis of this material gave only tyrosine as the end group.
,~ , Amino acid analysis was carried out on a sample of the 20 pure product according to Spackman et al., Anal. Chem. 30, 1190 (1958), utilizing an automatic analyszer. The resulting amino acid composition of this product is set forth in Table 1.

The absence of tryptophan was ascertained by color test on paper according to the procedure of Smith, Nature 171, 43 25 (1953).
Trademarks , 8~Z2 Table 1 Amino Acid Compositlon of Pep~lde Component N-Fraction C

Amino From Acid a From the Acid Hydrolysates Sequence - . . .
Lysine 5.1 5 Histidine 0.9 1 Aspartic acid 2.0 2b Threonine 3.2 3 Serine 1.6 2 -Glutamic acid 2.7 3c Proline 0.7 1 Glycine 3.2 3 Alanine 1.7 2 Valine 0.9 Methionine 0.6 1 Isoleucine l~od 2 Leucine 2.0 2 Tyrosine 0.9 1 Phenylalanine 1.9 2 Acid hydrolyses were carried out for 24 hr. at 110 with 6 M HCl.
Two asparagine.
Sum of one glutamic acid and two glutamine.
d72 hr. hydrolysis revealed the presence of two residues.

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Ex~mple 2 Structure Determination_of,natural ~-Endorphin Enzyme digestions of the product of Example 1 were performed with 1 mg of peptide and 0.02 mg trypsin or 0.05 mg subtilsin in pH 8.0 buffer (0.2 M ammonium acetate) at 37 C
for 8 hours in the case of trypsin and 1 hour for subtilsin.
The digests were mapped by paper chromatography [butanol~acetic acid/water = 4/1~5 (v~v)] and subsequent high voltage electro-phoresis at pH 2.0 [formic acid (88%)/acetic acid/water =
218/63/719 (v/v)] for 1.5 hr at 200 V. Maps were sprayed with 1% ninhydrin in ethanol solution and allowed to develop in the dark for 20 hours. The spots were cut out and eluted with 0.1 N
ammonium hydroxide solution. The eluates were dried in the dissicator for amino acid and sequence analyses. Amino acid analysis was carried out according to Spackman et al., supra.
The amino aci.d sequence of the peptides was determined by the Edman procedure as described by Li et al., Arch. Biochem.
Biophys. 141, 705 (1970). The determlnation of Asp/Asn and Glu/Gln was deduced from the mobility on paper electrophoresis at p~ 6.7 according to Offord, Nature 211, 591 (1966). The results are s D arized in Tables 2 and 3 below.

' `` 11()8122 Table 2 Amino Acid Composition and Amino-terminal Residue , of Tryptic and Subtilisin Peptides from Component N-Fraction C

Amino Tryptic Peptides Subtilisin Peptides AcidTl T3 T5 T6T7 T8 T9 S7 S9 Lys2.2 1.1 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.0 ; His0.9 1.0 Asp 1.0 0.6 0.8 1.0 Thr 1.1 2.1 1.0 Ser 1.0 0.8 1.1 Glu 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.2 1.8 Pro 0.8 1.1 Gly 1.0 0.5 2.0 Ala 1.0 0.8 1.1 0.8 Val 1.0 Met 0.8 Ile 2.0 2.0 Leu 2.2 1.0 Tyr 0.6 Phe1.0 0.9 NH2-Asn Asn Lys Gly Asn Tyr Ser Lys Glu (term.) Results from 6 N HCl hydrolysates at 110 C for 24 hr. except for T7 and S7 which were hydrolyzed for 72 hr.
,: ' , ` ` ' ' : ,, ~ ' ' :

1~J8122 Table 3 Sequence Analysis on Tryptic Peptide Derivatives from Component N-Fraction C

-Peptidesa Sequenceb ~ . _ T8 Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-Thr-Ser-Glu-Lys T9 Ser-Gln-Thr-Pro-Leu-Val-Thr-Leu-Phe-Lys T7 Asn-Ala-Ile-Ile-Lys T3 Asn-Ala-His-Lys T5 Lys-Gly-Gln T6 Gly-Gln aSee Table 2 for amino acid analysis.

b ~ , dansyl-Edman procedure.

The sequence of ~-endorphin is derived from the data set forth in Table 1 of Example 1 and Tables 2 and 3 of this Example. As shown in Table 1, arginine, cystine and tryptophan are absent from component N-Fraction C. In addition, this material has only one residue each of histidine, glutamic acid, valine, methionine and tyrosine. Since the NH2-terminal residue is tyrosine, tryptic peptide T8 must be located at the NH2-- terminus. From the amino acid and NH2-terminal data of subtilisin peptide S9 (Table 2) it is apparent that T8 is linked - : ' ~ ` ' - . :

11~)8122 to T9. Similarly, S7 can provide the overlap for T9 and T7.

Peptide T6 has COOH-terminal glutamine and no lysine, it may be assumed to be located at the COOH-terminus. Peptide T5 indicates the probability of a Lys-Lys linkage and this is confirmed by Tl and T3 (Tables 2 and 3). Peptide Tl als~ serves to link T3 and T5. Thus it may be concluded that the arrangement of tryptic peptides is as follows; T8--~ T9 --- T7 --- T3 ~ T5 and the complete amino acid sequence of Component N-Fraction C
(~-endorphin) is as set forth previously in the specification for the hentriakontapeptide.

Example 3 Solid Phase Synthesis of ~-Endorphin '' Na-Boc--Benzyl-~-Glu amy~ Benzhydrylamine Resin Attachment of a-benzyl Na-t-butyloxycarbonyl glutamate to benzhydrylamine resin was performed by means of its symmetrical anhydride. A sample (2.5 g) of benzhydrylamine hydrochloride resin containing 0.38 mmol free amine per g was neutralized with 5% diisopropylethylamine (DIEA) in CH2C12 and then treated with 3 equivalents of the symmetrical anhydride in CH2Cl2 for 45 min. Five ml of 5%DIEA in CH2C12 were then added followed by an additional 10 min. reaction time. The reaction was terminated by filtration and washings with three 30 ml portions of CH2Cl2 and three 30 ml portions of absolute ethanol. After retreatment of the resin with the same amount of symmetrical anhydride, it was dried in vacuo . , .

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-` ~1SJ 8~22 over P205 for 1 hour. Completeness of the reaction was verified by the Gisln test. After hydrolysis of a sample in propionic acidJ12 N HCl, amino acid analysis gave one peak corresponding to 0.23 mmol of Gln per ~ (68% cleavage). The identification of the H~'-cleaved product as glutamine was confirmed by thin layer chromatography in l-butanol/acetic acid/water (4/1/1, v/v) and l-butanol/pyridine/acetic acid/water (6/6/1.2/4.6, v/v).

Symmetrical Anhydrides of Boc-Amino Acids The reaction of Boc-amino acids with N,N'-dicyclohexyl-carbodiimide (DCCI) was performed as follows: 1.9 mmol of Boc-amino acid in 6 ml of methylene chloride were cooled to 0C
and mixed with 1.6 ml of 0.6 M DCCI in methylene chloride.
After stirring for 20 minutes at 0 C, the precipitate of dicyclohexylurea was removed by filtration at 25C and washed with 2.4 ml of methylene chloride. The filtrate was used immediately for the coupling reaction.

Protected ~-Endorphin ~enzhydr~lamine Resin The resin just described was submitted to tXe following synthesis schedule:
(1) Wash with three 15 ml portions of methylene chloride

(2) removal of the Boc group with 50% trifluoroacetic acid in methylene chloride for 15 min; (3) wash with two 15 ml portions of methylene chloride; (4) wash with two 15 ml portions of 50% dioxane in methylene chloride; (5) wash with two 15 ml .
portions of methylene chloride; (6) five minutes of . . .

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neutralization with 15 ml of 5% diisopropylethylamine in methylene chloride; (7~ wash with six 15 ml portions of methylene chloride; (8) add the solution of preformed symmetrical anhydride of Boc-amino acid and shake for 30 min;
(9) add 0.20 equivalents of 5% diisopropylethylamine in methylene chloride and shake for another 20 min; (10) wash with three 15 ml portions of methylene chloride; and (11) wash with three 15 ml portions of absolute ethanol. The above cycle was repeated for the following N-protected amino acids:
Boc-Gly, Boc-Lys(oBr-Z), Boc-Lys(oBr-Z), Boc-His(Boc), Boc-Ala, Boc-Asn, Boc-Lys(oBr-Z), Boc-Ile, Boc-Ile, Boc-Ala, Boc-Asn*, Boc-Lys(oBr-Z), Boc-Phe, Boc-Leu, Boc-Thr, Boc-Val, Boc-Leu, Boc-Pro, Boc-Thr, Boc-Gln, Boc-Ser(Bzl), Boc-Lys(oBr-Z), Boc-Glu(OBzl), Boc-Ser(Bzl), Boc-Thr, Boc-Met, Boc-Phe, Boc-Gly, Boc-Gly, and Boc-Tyr(oBr-Z).
* After introduction of Asn, the peptide resin was dried (yield 4.7 g~ and an aliquot (400 mg) was removed. The remainder of the peptide resin was then carried throuyh the same schedule for incorporation of the remaining residues with two exceptions. Two treatments with 5% DIEA in methylene chloride were used for neutralization and for the second stage of anhydride couplings, trifluoroethanol was added to a con-centration of 20%.
-~-Endorphin A sample (0.6 g) of protected ~-endorphin resin was submitted to deprotection and neutralization steps in order to remove the Boc-group. The dried resin was then stirred in the Z

presence of 1.8 ml of anisole and 15 ml of liquid HF at 0C
for 1 hour. The HF was removed with a stream of nitrogen and the oily residue was washed with two 15 ml portions of ethyl acetate. The peptide was extracted from the resin with three 15 ml portions of 50% acetic acid and the combined filtrates were evaporated in vacuo to a small volume ~3 to 5 ml) and submitted to gel filtration on Sephadex G-10 (2 x 25 cm column) in 0.5 N acetic acid. One peak (280 nm detection) was detected and lyophilization gave 110 mg. This material was then sub-mitted to chromatography on carboxymethyl-cellulose. Isolation of the main peak (280 nm detection) gave 66 mg of material.
Further purification of this material was effected by partition chromatography on Sephadex G-50. Isolation of the material represented by the main peak [Folin-Lowry detection] ~Rf = 0.21) gave 52 mg of highly purified ~-endorphin (19.6% yield based on the starting resin).

. .
On thin layer chromatography ln n-butanol/pyrldine/
glacial acetic acld/water (15/10/3/12, v/v), the purlfied material (50 ~g) gave one spot (ninhydrin detection) with an Rf value of 0.35. On paper electrophoresis, synthetic ~-endorphin (50 ~g samples) gave a single spot at both pH 3.7 nd 6.9 with respective RF values (relative to Lys) of 0.65 and 0.42. Gel electrophoresis of the purified material (100 ~g) `
also gave a single band at pH 4.5 for 1 hour. A sample (1 mg) was also submitted to electrofocusing in 5% polyacrylamide gel. Only one band (detection by precipitation with 12%
trichloroacetic acid) was observed with an approximate pI of ' ; ~ . .

'',, : . , :
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~iO8122 10Ø Amino acid analysis after acid hyrolysis gave:

5.2 0-9' P2.2, Thr3.0, Ser2 1~ GlU2 1' Prl

3.0 2.1' 1 1~ MetO g, Ilel 5, Leu2 2~ Tyr and Phe2 2 Amino acid analysis after complete enzymic digestion tfirst with trypsin and chymotrypsin, and then leucine amino peptidase) gave: Lys3 O, Hisl 0, Thr3 2' ~Ser, Asn, Gln)3 2' Glu ProO 9~ Gly3 O~ Ala2.1, Vall.O, 1.2 2.0 Leu2 1~ Tyrl l and Phel.8 ; Example 4 Biological ActivitY of ~-Endorphin The opiate agonist activity of natural ~-endorphine was determined by the method of Simon et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci.
70, 1947 (1973), using guinea pig brain membranes. The results obtained are summarized below in Table 4:

.
Table 4 opiate Agonist Activity of ~s-LPH-(61-91) by Receptic Binding Assay Preparation Dose Responsea Normorphine 0.7 0.019 28 + 0.8 7.0 0.190 70 + 0.9 -LPH-(61-9l) 1.0 0.343 60 + 0.7 10.0 3.438 83 + 0.2 .

.

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aPercentage of inhlbition of stereospecific binding.
Mean + standard error from 4 determinations.
Relative potency to normorphine, 342% with a 95~ confldence limit of 300-392 and ~ = 0.044.

It is seen from the above Table that ~-endorphln has a potent opiate agonist activity; its potency belng 3.42 times that for normorphine one a molar basis.

The lypolytic actlvity of natural ~-endorphin was compared to the activity of ovine ~-lipotropln hormone in rabbit fat cells using the procedure of Li et al., Arch.
Biochem. Biophys. 169, 669 (1975). The results obtained are ` summarized in Table 5.

Table 5 Lipolytic Activity of ~-lipotropin hormone and natural B-endorphin .. . . _ _ . .
Preparation Dose Responsea _ ~-lipotropin hormone0.37 3.24 + 0 1.1 5.71 + 19 natural ~-endorphine i 1.1 0.66 + 0.28 10.0 1.42 + 0.37 control 0 0.74 + 0.06 .' ' .
aMicromole of glycerol production per gram of cells per hour.
Determinations in triplicate. Values in mean + standard error.
.

Example 5 Analog of ~-endorphin analogous to sequence of porcine ~-lipotropin The procedure of Example 3 is repeated with the exception that the second Boc-Ile amino acid is substituted with Boc-Val so : as to there~y produce an analog of ~-endorphin having an amino acid sequence of the corresponding section of porcine ~-lipotropin j H-Tyr~Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-Thr-Ser-Glu-Lys-Ser-Gln-Thr-Pro-Leu-Val-Thr-Leu-Phe-Lys-Asn-Ala-Ile-Val-Lys-Asn-Ala-His-Lys-Lys-Gly-Gln-OH
Example 6 Analog of ~-endorphin analogous to sequence of human ~-lipotropin The procedure of Example 3 is repeated with the exception that the carboxyl terminal group utilized is Boc-Glu(Bzl~ and Boc-His(Bocl is replaced By Boc-Tyr~oBr-z) and a conventional co-polystyrene-divinylbenzene resin is selected, e.g. chloromethylated copolystyrene-divinylbenzene to thereby produce an analog of ~-~"
endorphin having an amino acid sequence as follows:

H-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-Thr-Ser-Glu-Lys-Ser-Gln-Thr-Pro-Leu-Val-Thr-Leu-Phe-Lys-Asn-Ala-Ile-Ile-Lys-Asn-Ala-Tyr-Lys-Lys-Gly-Glu-OH

which corresponds to that portion of the human ~-lipotropin.

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. .

11~38~22 l9a Example 7 Parcnteral Formulation A stabilized solution of ~-endorphin in distilled ~vater is subdivided into sterile ampules or vials in an amount to provide 50 mg. of peptide per vial. The containers are thell subjected to Iyophilization so as to provide the product as a dr~ sterile solid. The ~B -endorphin can be reconstituted for injection by addition of isotonic saline.

.

Claims (2)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A process for the preparation of a coupled protected hentriakonta-peptide of the formula:
wherein oBr-Z is o-bromobenzyloxycarbonyl, Bzl is benzyl, Boc is t-butyloxy-carbonyl and ? is a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer resin, which process is characterized by synthesizing such a compound using conventional solid phase peptide synthesis.

2. A protected coupled hentriakontapeptide of the formula:
IIa wherein oBr-Z is o-bromobenzyloxycarbonyl; Bzl is benzyl; Boc is t-butyloxy-carbonyl and ? is a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer resin, whenever prepared by the process claimed in claim 1, or by an obvious chemical equivalent thereof.