Modification of dopamine and norepinephrine metabolism in the rat brain by monoamine oxidase inhibitors

The metabotropic glutamate receptor 4-positive allosteric modulator VU0364770 produces efficacy alone and in combination with L-DOPA or an adenosine 2A antagonist in preclinical rodent models of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder associated with severe motor impairments caused by the loss of dopaminergic innervation of the striatum. Previous studies have demonstrated that positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGlu₄), including N-phenyl-7-(hydroxyimino) cyclopropa[b]chromen-1a-carboxamide, can produce antiparkinsonian-like effects in preclinical models of PD. However, these early mGlu₄ PAMsexhibited unsuitable physiochemical properties for systemic dosing, requiring intracerebroventricular administration and limiting their broader utility as in vivo tools to further understand the role of mGlu₄ in the modulation of basal ganglia function relevant to PD. In the present study, we describe the pharmacologic characterization of a systemically active mGlu₄ PAM, N-(3-chlorophenyl)picolinamide (VU0364770), in several rodent PD models. VU0364770 showed efficacy alone or when administered in combination with L-DOPA or an adenosine 2A (A2A) receptor antagonist currently in clinical development (preladenant). When administered alone, VU0364770 exhibited efficacy in reversing haloperidol-induced catalepsy, forelimb asymmetry-induced by unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the median forebrain bundle, and attentional deficits induced by bilateral 6-OHDA nigrostriatal lesions in rats. In addition, VU0364770 enhanced the efficacy of preladenant to reverse haloperidol-induced catalepsy when given in combination. The effects of VU0364770 to reverse forelimb asymmetry were also potentiated when the compound was coadministered with an inactive dose of L-DOPA, suggesting that mGlu₄ PAMs may provide L-DOPA-sparing activity. The present findings provide exciting support for the potential role of selective mGlu₄ PAMs as a novel approach for the symptomatic treatment of PD and a possible augmentation strategy with either L-DOPA or A2A antagonists.

Age influences abnormalities in striatal dopamine metabolism during and after transient forebrain ischemia

Age has been found to be a significant risk factor for brain ischemia and its mortality. After cerebral ischemia, the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system undergoes selective vulnerability with necrosis of striatal neurons. To study the effect of age and transient forebrain ischemia on striatal dopamine metabolism, investigations were performed in 1-year-old (adult) and 2-year-old (aged) male Wistar rats. A 15 min period of bilateral transient incomplete ischemia (ICI) was induced, and the concentrations of dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT), and homovanillic acid (HVA) were measured in the striatum by means of HPLC and electrochemical detection at the end of ischemia without reperfusion, and after 1 h, 24 h, 72 h, 144 h, and 288 h of postischemic cerebral reperfusion. In normal conditions, no 3-MT was detectable in either age group studied, and no other age-related changes could be found in DA or its metabolites. During ICI, an age-related difference became obvious in the 3-MT concentration, which was higher in aged animals. In this group, DOPAC dropped and DA turnover increased. After 1 h of postischemic reperfusion, the concentrations of DOPAC and HVA, as well as the turnover rate, had increased in both age groups, whereas an increase in the DA concentration became apparent in the adult animals only. The enhancement of the concentration of both DOPAC and HVA was more marked in adult animals than in aged ones. At 24 h of postischemic cerebral reperfusion, DA concentration was still elevated in both age groups, and HVA in the 1-year-old animals only. At 72 h of postischemic cerebral reperfusion, no differences were obvious between adult experimental animals and controls, whereas the elevated DA concentration persisted in aged animals, being higher than in the control group and in the 1-year-old rats. DA turnover was reduced. Longer periods of postischemic cerebral reperfusion were not found to be followed by any abnormalities compared with controls except for the DA concentration at 288 h (1-year-old group); nor were there any differences between the two age groups studied. The data obtained in this investigation clearly indicate age-related differences in the striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission after transient cerebral ischemia, in that in the aged brain reactions are markedly delayed after an injurious event such as ischemia.

Vesicular and ganglionic norepinephrine in the rat: progressive increase with age

This study analyzed dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) in the synaptic vesicles and cytoplasm of brains of rats of 2 months and 14 months. The data revealed a clear NE increase in the synaptic vesicles of the 14-month-old rats, contrasting with NE in the cytoplasmic fraction of the rat brain, which remained unchanged with age. Synaptic vesicles from different regions of rat brain, including those from the striatum, consistently exhibited higher NE than DA concentrations, suggesting that they are predominantly noradrenergic. In the brain, DA concentrations in vesicular and cytoplasmic fractions did not vary with age, whereas in the superior cervical ganglia DA and NE concentrations increased in the older rats. L-3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine administration significantly increased DA without affecting NE in the ganglia of rats of all ages. In the brain, such a treatment significantly raised DA only in the synaptic vesicles of the older rats, suggesting an increased facilitation of DA transport into the synaptic vesicles with age, which may account for the higher vesicular NE in the older rats.

Vesicular accumulation of dopamine following L-DOPA administration

In this study, the accumulations of dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) were measured in the brain tissues and in the synaptic vesicle fractions prepared from whole brain of control rats and rats injected with L-DOPA. In the normal rat brain, a 3-fold increase in DA following L-DOPA administration was followed by a small, but not significant increase in vesicular DA, indicating a restricted vesicular uptake of exogenous DA. At the same time, NE in the vesicular fraction and in the whole brain tissue did not change, suggesting a possible link between DA vesicular uptake of DA and brain NE. However, in rats pretreated with alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, which significantly (P less than 0.05) reduced DA and NE levels in brain tissues and in the synaptic vesicles, L-DOPA administration led to a significant increase in vesicular DA (P less than 0.05), suggesting that catecholamine depletion may result in greater vesicular uptake of cytoplasmic DA. The increase in vesicular DA was accompanied by increases in tissue and vesicular NE, underscoring again the existence of a link between vesicular uptake of DA and brain NE following L-DOPA administration. The results also demonstrated a large increase in 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) following L-DOPA, in the brain tissues but not in the synaptic vesicle, indicating that monoamine oxidase activity is confined to the cytoplasm.

Modification of vesicular dopamine and norepinephrine by monoamine oxidase inhibitors

The possible effects of inhibitors of the two forms of monoamine oxidase (types A and B) on dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) accumulation and metabolism in the cytoplasmic and microsomal (vesicular) fractions of the rat brain have been examined. It was found that, while L-DOPA treatment raised only cytoplasmic DA without affecting vesicular DA and NE, clorgyline and pargyline treatments caused significant increases in DA and NE concentrations in both cytoplasmic and vesicular fractions. The DA increase in the synaptic vesicles (200-600%) was much more pronounced than that (150%) in the cytoplasm. In contrast, deprenyl treatment increased vesicular DA only slightly without any effect on either vesicular or cytoplasmic NE. L-DOPA administration to rats pretreated with clorgyline and pargyline, but not with deprenyl, further increased cytoplasmic and vesicular DA and NE concentrations. However, excessive increases in vesicular DA lowered vesicular NE. Reserpine drastically reduced vesicular and cytoplasmic DA and NE, and L-DOPA administration to the reserpine-treated rats caused a DA increase only in the cytoplasmic fraction without affecting vesicular DA or NE. The effect of reserpine was abolished by pargyline treatment, which suggests that pargyline may interact with the reserpine-sensitive vesicular uptake. There was a significant correlation between vesicular DA and NE increase.

Consequences of monoamine oxidase inhibition: increased vesicular accumulation of dopamine and norepinephrine and increased metabolism by catechol-O-methyltransferase and phenolsulfotransferase

1. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with saline, L-Dopa or pargyline. 2. Synaptic vesicles were prepared from whole brain homogenates. Catecholamines and their metabolites in brain tissues and in synaptic vesicles were measured by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. 3. L-Dopa administration raised brain dopamine markedly but did not significantly change dopamine and norepinephrine in the vesicular fraction. 4. The dopamine increase following L-Dopa was not accompanied by any change in normetanephrine, 3-methoxytyramine or dopamine sulfate. 5. In comparison to the control rats and rats injected with L-Dopa, pargyline-treated rats exhibited significantly higher vesicular norepinephrine and dopamine. 6. The dopamine and norepinephrine increases following pargyline treatment were accompanied by significant increases in 3-methoxytyramine, normetanephrine and dopamine sulfate. 7. The increases in vesicular dopamine and norepinephrine may be the origin of their increased metabolism by extraneuronal enzymes, catechol-O-methyltransferase and phenolsulfotransferase.