Role of saturability of noncovalent interactions in the analysis of the three-dimensional structure—opioid activity relationship

The effect of the saturability of noncovalent interactions on the character of opioid activity of opioid receptor ligands belonging to different structural classes was investigated. A three-dimensional model for an opiate pharmacophore was used to show that the involvement of pharmacophore elements, which are responsible for the agonist ligand binding to opioid receptors, in intramolecular interactions gives rise to antagonistic properties.