Oral versus transdermal selegiline: antidepressant-like activity in rats.

These studies compared the dose-response effects of oral vs. transdermal selegiline on antidepressant-like activity and brain monoamine oxidase (MAO) activities in rats. Rats received selegiline by gavage (0-100 mg/kg) or via transdermal patches (0-4.8 cm2, 0-8.7 mg/kg) daily for 7 days; antidepressant-like activity was determined using the forced-swim test. Following behavioral testing, cerebral cortices were assayed for MAO-A and MAO-B activities. Doses of selegiline that selectively inhibited MAO-B (3 and 10 mg/kg/day by gavage and 0.4 mg/kg/day via patch) did not alter either immobility or latency time. However, the oral administration of 30 or 100 mg/kg/day or the transdermal administration of 8.7 mg/kg/day, doses that led to greater than 70% inhibition of MAO-A, decreased immobility time significantly. The IC50s for inhibition of MAO-A following oral and transdermal administration for 7 days were 19.8 and 1.1 mg/kg, respectively. Results indicate that both oral and transdermal selegiline have antidepressant-like activity as assessed by the forced-swim test, and that transdermal administration, which bypasses first-pass metabolism, allows for using lower doses than oral administration.

Corticotropin-releasing factor and defensive withdrawal: inhibition of monoamine oxidase prevents habituation to chronic stress.

There is growing evidence for a role of extrahypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the pathogenesis of anxiety. A modified form of the defensive withdrawal test was used to test the anxiogenic effects of acute administration of intracerebroventricular (1 microg, i.c.v.) CRF in adult male rats. Habituation to the mild stress of daily handling and subcutaneous (s.c.) saline injection over 2-6 weeks abolished the anxiogenic effects of exogenous CRF. At 6 weeks this habituation also resulted in attenuation of baseline withdrawal behavior. CRF receptor binding was significantly decreased in the amygdala of chronically handled animals and may have been responsible for this habituation phenomenon. Comparison of rats treated with the monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor, phenelzine [3 mg/kg, s.c., daily for 2-6 weeks] to the saline-treated groups revealed a failure to habituate to the chronic handling, as the baseline withdrawal (after injection of artificial CSF) by the phenelzine-treated animals was not different from the baseline withdrawal by unhandled rats. In comparison to rats treated chronically with saline, phenelzine treatment enhanced the anxiogenic effect of CRF. In summary, habituation to a mild chronic stress decreased baseline defensive withdrawal. Intraventricular administration of CRF produced an anxiogenic response as measured in the defensive withdrawal test, which was lost through exposure to mild chronic stress. Two or 6 weeks of daily handling and SC saline injection caused a downregulation of CRF receptors in the amygdala, which could account for the behavioral habituation and the loss of CRF-induced defensive withdrawal. Phenelzine treatment concurrent with mild chronic stress prevented habituation and maintained the anxiogenic effect of CRF in spite of the downregulation of CRF receptors in the amygdala.

Pressor response to tyramine after single 24-hour application of a selegiline transdermal system in healthy males.

Orally administered selegiline hydrochloride is a selective monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor at the recommended regimen of 10 mg/day, but it loses selectivity at higher doses. In bypassing first-pass metabolism, a 24-hour application of transdermally administered selegiline (7.8 mg/24 hr) yields fifty times greater systemic exposure than is provided by single oral doses. The current study was designed to demonstrate that, similar to the oral regimen, transdermally administered selegiline is devoid of the pressor effects associated with tyramine and classic monoamine oxidase type A inhibitors. A single-blind, staggered, parallel-group study of pressor response to tyramine during a single 24-hour application of one-quarter, one-half, or one selegiline transdermal system relative to baseline (drug-free) response to tyramine was conducted in three groups, each with five healthy male volunteers. The end point of pressor response was declared if a participant's systolic blood pressure rose by > 30 mmHg, heart rate decreased by > 25 bpm with an associated > 20-mmHg rise in systolic blood pressure, or a clinically significant change was observed in the electrocardiogram. Doses up to 600 mg were administered during the baseline phase and up to 200 mg during the active-treatment phase. Participants received escalating tyramine doses every 4 hours until the maximum or threshold dose was achieved. Doses up to 200 mg were tolerated without apparent increase in sensitivity in participants receiving one-quarter, one-half, or one selegiline transdermal system. All participants completed the trial, and no significant adverse events were reported. Monoamine oxidase type B inhibition was complete (100%) by 12 hours after initial application in all treatment groups while plasma levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) after 24-hour application were unaffected relative to baseline. These results suggest that systemic selegiline levels may not predict the propensity for a hypertensive crisis associated with presumed nonselective doses and that the avoidance of peripheral monoamine oxidase type A inhibition in the gut via the selegiline transdermal system may provide a safe vehicle for administering selegiline at plasma levels beyond that which can be safely obtained after oral administration. These findings will need to be confirmed in a long-term dose setting.

The anxiolytic serotonin 5-HT1A receptor agonists buspirone, ipsapirone and gepirone are inhibitors of tyrosine hydroxylation in rat striatum.

The anxiolytics buspirone (BUS), ipsapirone (IPSAP) and gepirone (GEP) were investigated as 5-HT1A receptor-mediated inhibitors of tyrosine hydroxylation (TH) in a synaptosome-rich preparation of rat striatum. BUS, IPSAP and GEP were moderately potent inhibitors of TH with EC50 values of 48.4 microM, 50 microM and 836 microM, respectively. By comparison, 8-OH-DPAT, a 5-HT1A receptor selective agonist, has been previously shown to be more potent with an EC50 value of 7.0 microM. Each of these agents demonstrated full agonist activity at the striatal 5-HT1A receptors regulating TH. The inhibitory effects of each agent were attenuated by prior exposure to the 5-HT1A antagonist NAN-190, (10 microM) (P < 0.05), but not by the dopamine D2 antagonist (-)-sulpiride (10 microM). The potencies of 8-OH-DPAT, BUS, IPSAP and GEP were correlated with their reported affinities for the 5-HT1A receptor (P < 0.01) but not the dopamine D2 receptor. These results support the hypothesis that BUS, IPSAP and GEP inhibit TH through activation of a striatal 5-HT1A heteroreceptor on dopamine nerve terminals.

Stimulation of the amygdala by glutamate facilitates corticotropin-releasing factor release from the median eminence and activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in stressed rats.

The role of the amygdala in the regulation of hypothalamic release of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) was investigated. Microinjection of glutamate (50 nmol) into the amygdala resulted in increased plasma corticosterone in male rats previously subjected to a 14-day unpredictable stressor paradigm (p < or = 0.05 vs. saline-injected controls). A long-lived increase in corticosterone levels was also observed in rats which were urethane-anesthetized (1.35 g/kg) 3 h prior to glutamate microinjection (p < or = 0.01 vs. saline-injected controls). These effects on plasma corticosterone were observed despite the presence of high basal levels of corticosterone. Furthermore, microperfusion of glutamate (3-300 microM) into the amygdala of urethane-anesthetized rats resulted in a dose-dependent increase in CRF release from the median eminence, as assessed by in vivo microdialysis (p < or = 0.025 vs. basal). These results indicate a facilitating role for the amygdala in stress-induced increases in CRF release and subsequent adrenocortical activation.

Prenatal stress increases corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) content and release in rat amygdala minces.

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a neuropeptide found throughout the central nervous system that has a proposed role in modulating emotional and behavioral states, including stress and anxiety. The amygdala, which is important in the control of emotional and autonomic responses to stress, contains CRF nerve terminals, CRF cell bodies, and CRF receptors. In rats, exposure to prenatal stress results in offspring that display a hyperemotional state and increased anxiety. In this study the effects of prenatal stress on CRF release was measured in amygdala minces (1 mm3) obtained from adult (8-16 weeks of age) male offspring of dams subjected to daily saline injection (0.1 ml, s.c.) from gestational day 14 to 21. CRF release from amygdala was time- and calcium-dependent, and stimulated by KCl-induced depolarization. Depolarization-induced CRF release was significantly increased by 42% from the amygdala of prenatally stressed offspring versus controls. Prenatally stressed offspring also showed a 49% increase in CRF levels in the amygdala. The increased amounts of CRF released in response to depolarization were likely the consequence of increased tissue content of CRF, as fractional release under basal or KCl-stimulated conditions was not different in the prenatal stress group versus control. This suggests that a long-lasting up-regulation of the CRFergic neurotransmission may occur in the amygdala, which may be important in the generation of hyperemotional offspring after exposure to prenatal stress.

In vivo microdialysis of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF): calcium dependence of depolarization-induced neurosecretion of CRF.

Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is a large neuropeptide which functions as a major neurotransmitter in physiological stress responses. We have developed a microdialysis method for detecting CRF release from the median eminence of anesthetized rats. Depolarizing concentrations of KCl increased release of CRF into the perfusion media; this effect was inhibited by 100 microM verapamil. Our characterization of the physiologic conditions of KCl-induced release of neuronal CRF using the microdialysis technique provides evidence that the CRF release system is Ca(2+)-dependent and maintains its integrity over many hours in anesthetized rats.

Serotonin 5-HT1A receptors mediate inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylation in rat striatum.

The role of serotonin (5-HT)1A heteroreceptors as modulators of dopamine synthesis was investigated by using in vitro and in vivo methods. In vitro studies were conducted utilizing either synaptosome-rich preparations of rat striatal tyrosine hydroxylase or soluble preparations of rat striatal tyrosine hydroxylase enzyme. 5-HT1A receptor modulation of tyrosine hydroxylation in vitro was estimated by using a radiometric, coupled enzyme assay. For in vivo investigations of the modulation of tyrosine hydroxylation, striatal dopa accumulation was measured (high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection) after administration of the aromatic amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor NSD-1015 (3-hydroxybenzylhydrazine). Both serotonin and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), a selective 5-HT1A receptor agonist, were moderately potent, receptor-mediated inhibitors of tyrosine hydroxylation in synaptosomes, with EC50 values of 8.4 and 7.0 microM, respectively. The inhibitory activity of 8-OH-DPAT was attenuated by 5-HT1A-selective antagonists [10 microM propranolol, 10 microM (-)-alprenolol, 10 microM NAN-190 (1-(2-methoxyphenyl)-4-[4-(2-pthalimido)butyl] piperazine hydrobromide) and 10 microM pindolol] but not by a beta adrenoceptor antagonist devoid of activity at the 5-HT1A receptor (10 microM atenolol) or by a D2-dopamine-selective receptor antagonist [10 microM (-)-sulpiride]. In vivo 8-OH-DPAT exhibited a biphasic dose-response curve for inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylation, significant inhibition (30%, P < .05) occurred at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg s.c. In vivo, the 5-HT1A-selective antagonist NAN-190 (1 or 3 mg/kg s.c.) caused dramatic 2- to 2.5-fold elevations of dopa accumulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Abnormal fatty acid composition in sarcolemma and sarcoplasmic reticulum from myotonic ADR mouse muscle.

The fatty acid composition of membrane lipids from sarcolemma and sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from biceps and gastrocnemius muscle has been compared in normal (wildtype, +/adrmto or +/+) and affected (adrmto/adrmto) myotonic mice. The adrmto mouse exhibits an arrested development of the righting response, and arose spontaneously from the SWR/J strain. These mice exhibit classical myotonia similar to the human disease, Becker's myotonia [1]. Significant alterations, characterized by a decrease in the saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid (16:0), and the polyunsaturated fatty acid, arachidonic acid (20:4), and an increase in stearic (18:0) and linoleic (18:2) acids, were observed between sarcolemma and sarcoplasmic reticulum from normal and affected mice. These changes in fatty acid composition of muscle membrane from ADR mice may be adequate to cause an alteration in membrane fluidity and affect the function of ion channels. The fatty acid composition of erythrocytes ghosts was also examined, as a potential marker for alterations in muscle membranes. In erythrocyte ghosts isolated from affected mice, the only alteration observed was a decrease in the proportion of oleic acid (18:1), an effect completely different from those observed in muscle membranes. Therefore, erythrocyte ghosts do not serve as an adequate indicator of changes in fatty acid composition of muscle membranes in this model of myotonia.

Chronic selegiline administration transiently decreases tyrosine hydroxylase activity and mRNA in the rat nigrostriatal pathway.

Selegiline, a selective monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor, is beneficial in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. However, this beneficial effect is only transient, and patients must ultimately resort to treatment with standard levodopa therapy. We studied the effects of chronic selegiline treatment on the rat nigrostriatal pathway, to elucidate a neurochemical correlate for this adaptive clinical response. Selegiline treatment for 3, 7, 14, or 21 days decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (the enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in catecholamine biosynthesis) activity in the cell body regions (substantia nigra) of the nigrostriatal pathway. However, tyrosine hydroxylase activity measurements in the major terminal field region (corpus striatum) of the pathway did not correspond to those in the substantia nigra; in the corpus striatum, tyrosine hydroxylase activity was decreased at 3 and 7 days of treatment and recovered by 14 days. We tested whether the decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase activity was mediated by a decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA. Northern blot and RNA dot blot analyses (using a tyrosine hydroxylase-specific cDNA probe) of substantia nigra homogenates revealed a significant decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA at 3, 7, and 14 days of selegiline treatment, compared with controls. Conversely, after 21 days of selegiline, tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA levels were significantly higher (3-fold) than controls; this finding was not reflected in substantia nigra tyrosine hydroxylase activity. The 21-day increase in mRNA may be associated with the rebound in tyrosine hydroxylase activity observed in the corpus striatum. Thus, it is possible that the recovery in tyrosine hydroxylase activity in the corpus striatum is mediated through an increase in tyrosine hydroxylase protein transport from the substantia nigra to the corpus striatum and/or that the tyrosine hydroxylase enzyme exists in a more stabilized state during this period of time. These results demonstrate that monoamine oxidase type B-selective inhibitory doses of selegiline are capable of inducing transient decreases in tyrosine hydroxylase activity and tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA levels. Furthermore, these reversible effects may represent adaptive responses associated with pharmacological tolerance and the transient beneficial actions of this drug in Parkinson's disease.

Dopamine D2 synthesis-modulating receptors are present in the striatum of the guinea pig.

Dopamine and selective agonists of D1 [(1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-(1H)-3-benzazepine-7,8-diol hydrochloride, SKF 38393] and D2 [(3-[2-[N-(3-hydroxyphenylethyl)-N-propylamino]ethyl] phenol, RU 24926] receptors were examined as inhibitors of the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase in the striatum of the guinea pig. In soluble enzyme preparations, the agonists were weak inhibitors of the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase. However, the catechol-containing agonists dopamine (EC50 = 44.7 microM) and SKF 38393 (EC50 = 35.5 microM) were more potent than the non-catechol agonist RU 24926 (EC50 = 447 microM). All of the agonists were much more potent in synaptosome-rich preparations of guinea pig striatum, where stimulation of autoreceptors mediated inhibition of the enzyme (SKF 38393, D1, EC50 = 27 nM; RU 24926, D2, EC50 = 30 nM; dopamine, non-selective, EC50 = 1.5 microM). The D1 antagonist, SCH 23390 [(R(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-(1H)-3- benzazepine hydrochloride], did not significantly reduce the action of SKF 38393 or dopamine. Furthermore, the D2 antagonist, (-)-sulpiride, significantly antagonized the inhibitory activity of both RU 24926 and dopamine. Studies in synaptosome-rich preparations from the striatum of the rat showed that both SKF 38393 (EC50 = 398 nM) and RU 24926 (EC50 = 58 nM) were also effective autoreceptor-mediated inhibitors of the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase in the rat. However, in the rat, SCH 23390 and (-)-sulpiride were equally effective in attenuating the inhibitory actions of dopamine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effect of selective type A or type B monoamine oxidase inhibition on the intrasynaptosomal deamination of (3H)serotonin in rat spinal cord tissue.

The degree to which the type A and type B forms of monoamine oxidase participate in the intraneuronal deamination of (3H)serotonin (5-HT) was examined in synaptosomal-rich fractions of rat spinal cord tissue. Synaptosomes were labeled with (3H)5-HT and superfused with physiological buffers containing selective concentrations of a type A (clorgyline) or a type B (deprenyl) MAO inhibitor. The efflux of (3H)5-HT and newly-formed (3H)5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) was determined and compared to controls over time. In control samples, a slight decline in (3H)5-HT efflux occurred over the experimental superfusion period. However, a stable formation and efflux of (3H)5-HIAA was seen during this same period of time. When clorgyline was added to the superfusion buffer, a rapid decline in superfusate levels of (3H)5-HIAA was observed. Similar experiments in the presence of deprenyl were without effect. In order to elevate cytoplasmic concentrations of (3H)5-HT and therefore increase its chances for interaction with nerve terminal MAO, reserpine was added to the superfusion buffer. Reserpine caused a greater than 3-fold increase in (3H)5-HIAA formation with no change in (3H)5-HT efflux. Clorgyline inhibited this increase in (3H)5-HIAA formation but deprenyl was again without effect. In the presence of clorgyline, reserpine also caused an increase in (3H)5-HT efflux. These results strongly support the notion that 5-HT deamination within rat spinal cord nerve terminals occurs primarily, if not exclusively, through an interaction with type A MAO.

Different roles for type A and type B monoamine oxidase in regulating synaptic dopamine at D-1 and D-2 receptors associated with adenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) formation.

The roles of multiple forms of monoamine oxidase (MAO) in regulating the synaptic concentration of dopamine, in the vicinity of dopamine receptors associated with cyclic AMP formation, was examined in striatal slices of the rat. d-Amphetamine (0.1 mumol/l to 20 mumol/l) caused a concentration-related increase in cyclic AMP formation, which correlated (in superfusion experiments) with the release of endogenously-formed dopamine. In the presence of (-)sulpiride (50 mumol/l), cyclic AMP formation was significantly increased at every concentration of d-amphetamine tested. At the same time, this concentration of (-)sulpiride had no effect on DA release. Inhibition of type A MAO with clorgyline (0.1 mumol/l) significantly enhanced the increase in cyclic AMP formation seen after d-amphetamine. By contrast, inhibition of type B MAO with deprenyl (0.1 mumol/l) was without effect on this action of d-amphetamine. At high concentrations of d-amphetamine (20 mumol/l), however, deprenyl + clorgyline treatment enhanced cyclic AMP formation to a greater extent than with clorgyline alone. Similar results could be obtained at lower concentrations of d-amphetamine (5 mumol/l), but only after inhibition of the dopamine neuronal reuptake system with nomifensine (30 mumol/l). Furthermore, in the presence of nomifensine, deprenyl alone was also able to significantly increase the cyclic AMP formation seen after d-amphetamine (5 mumol/l). In the presence of (-)sulpiride, relatively similar results were obtained following all MAO inhibitor treatments. These findings support the notion that type A MAO plays the primary role in regulating dopamine concentrations at D-1 and D-2 receptors within synapses of rat striatal tissue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Opposing actions of D-1 and D-2 dopamine receptor-mediated alterations of adenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) formation during the amphetamine-induced release of endogenous dopamine in vitro.

Changes in the formation of cyclic AMP following d-amphetamine (0.1 to 20 mumol/l) were examined in vitro in striatal slices of the rat. d-Amphetamine caused a dose-related increase in cyclic AMP content. This action of d-amphetamine was abolished by tissue pretreatment with reserpine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) and 3-iodotyrosine (1 mmol/l). By contrast, both clorgyline (0.1 mumol/l) and nomifensine (30 mumol/l) enhanced the d-amphetamine-induced increase in cyclic AMP formation. In superfusion experiments, a strong correlation between endogenous dopamine and cyclic AMP release was observed before, during and after d-amphetamine exposure. Finally, Sch 23390 (10 mumol/l) abolished while (-)sulpiride (10 mumol/l) enhanced the amphetamine-induced increase in cyclic AMP content. These results suggest that d-amphetamine enhances the formation of cyclic AMP through the release of endogenous dopamine into the synapse where it can interact with both D-1 and D-2 dopamine receptors. These results provide direct evidence that the antagonistic properties of D-1 and D-2 receptors on cyclic AMP formation are apparent at striatal synapses during release of endogenous neuronal dopamine.

Inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase in rabbit mesenteric artery and vas deferens by catechol oestrogens.

In the present study we have investigated the effects of oestrogens, catechol oestrogens, and catecholamines on tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity derived from rabbit mesenteric artery and vas deferens. Both catechol oestrogens, 2-hydroxyoestradiol (2OHE2) and 2-hydroxyoesterone (2OHE1), inhibited TH activity in mesenteric artery and vas deferens in a concentration-dependent manner with potencies that were higher than those for noradrenaline but lower than that for dopamine. When added to the reaction medium along with increasing concentrations of a pterin cofactor (200 to 1,500 mumol/l DMPH4), the catechol oestrogens (200 mumol/l) increased the apparent Km for DMPH4 without altering the maximum velocity (Vmax) of the reaction. Similar results were obtained with the addition of noradrenaline (200 mumol/l) and dopamine (120 mu/mol). Apparent Ki values obtained for the catecholamines and catechol oestrogens were within the same order of magnitude and varied from 30 mumol/l for dopamine and 2OHE2 to 183 mumol/l for 2OHE1. Oestradiol (E2) and 2-methoxyoestradiol (2MeOE2), i.e., oestrogens that do not possess a catechol moiety, exhibited only weak inhibitory effects on TH activity. At the highest concentration tested (1 mmol/l), they did not reduce enzyme activity below 58% of control values. Kinetic analysis revealed that these two oestrogens did not consistently affect either the Vmax of hydroxylation or the Km for DMPH4. It is concluded that catechol oestrogens inhibit TH activity with a potency comparable to noradrenaline and dopamine. This inhibition is by competition with the pterin cofactor. Oestrogens that to not possess a catechol moiety are not effective inhibitors of TH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of repeated amiflamine administration on serotonergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission: electrophysiological studies in the rat CNS.

Amiflamine is a selective and reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase (MAO) type A which exerts a preferential effect on serotonin (5-HT) catabolism. The present studies were undertaken to compare the effects of repeated administration of amiflamine (2 mg/kg, twice daily) on several aspects of the functioning of the 5-HT and norepinephrine (NE) systems in the rat CNS. The activity of MAO-A and B was assessed in forebrain slices and the whole brain contents of the neurotransmitters and their metabolites were determined by HPLC after 2-, 7- and 21-day treatments. MAO-A was inhibited by about 50% 2 h after the last dose and its activity was back to normal in rats sacrificed 12 h after the last dose. The activity of MAO-B was unaffected two or 12 h after the last dose. Whole brain concentration of 5-HT was increased to a greater degree than that of NE following repeated administration of amiflamine. These increases in 5-HT and NE were accompanied by decreased levels of their respective metabolites 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol. The firing activity of dorsal raphe 5-HT neurons, but not that of NE neurons, was markedly decreased 2-6 h after the last dose of a 2-day treatment. However, 2-6 h after a 21-day treatment, the firing activity of 5-HT neurons was back to normal, whereas that of NE neurons was decreased by 30%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Modification of serotonergic and noradrenergic neurotransmissions by repeated administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitors: electrophysiological studies in the rat central nervous system.

The net effect of repeated administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) on central serotonergic (5-HT) and noradrenergic (NE) neurotransmissions was studied by assessing the responsiveness of hippocampal pyramidal neurons to microiontophoretically applied 5-HT and NE and the response of these neurons to the electrical activation of the 5-HT and NE ascending pathways. Brain monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity as well as the levels of 5-HT, NE and their metabolites were determined in order to verify the biochemical effects of the drugs administered. Twenty-one-day treatments with clorgyline and deprenyl inhibited very selectively MAO-A and MAO-B, respectively, whereas a treatment with phenelzine inhibited both forms of the enzyme. Whole brain concentrations of 5-HT and NE were increased by the antidepressant drugs clorgyline and phenelzine whereas deprenyl, an MAOI type B ineffective in endogenous depression, increased only NE levels after a 21-day treatment. The responsiveness of hippocampal pyramidal neurons to 5-HT was decreased by the long-term clorgyline treatment, but not by deprenyl and phenelzine, whereas that to NE was not altered by any of the treatments. The suppression of firing of these same neurons induced by the stimulation of the 5-HT pathway was increased by clorgyline and phenelzine, but not by deprenyl. The effect of the stimulation of the dorsal NE bundle was not modified by any of the treatments. These data show that prolonged inhibition of MAO-A, but not that of MAO-B, results in an enhanced 5-HT neurotransmission.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Guinea pig striatum as a model of human dopamine deamination: the role of monoamine oxidase isozyme ratio, localization, and affinity for substrate in synaptic dopamine metabolism.

The kinetic properties of type A and type B monoamine oxidase (MAO) were examined in guinea pig striatum, rat striatum, and autopsied human caudate nucleus using 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine (dopamine, DA) as the substrate. MAO isozyme ratio in guinea pig striatum (28% type A/72% type B) was similar to that in human caudate nucleus (25% type A/75% type B) but different from that in rat striatum (76% type A/24% type B). Additional similarities between guinea pig striatum and human caudate nucleus were demonstrated for the affinity constants (Km) of each MAO) isozyme toward DA. Endogenous concentrations of DA, 3-methoxytyramine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and homovanillic acid were also measured in guinea pig and rat striatum following selective type A (clorgyline-treated) and type B (deprenyl-treated) MAO inhibition. In guinea pig, DA metabolism was equally but only partially affected by clorgyline or deprenyl alone. Combined treatment with clorgyline and deprenyl was required for maximal alterations in DA metabolism. By contrast, DA metabolism in rat striatum was extensively altered by clorgyline but unaffected by deprenyl alone. Finally, the deamination of DA in synaptosomes from guinea pig striatum was examined following selective MAO isozyme inhibition. Neither clorgyline nor deprenyl alone reduced synaptosomal DA deamination. However, clorgyline and deprenyl together reduced DA deamination by 94%. These results suggest that the isozyme localization and/or isozyme affinity for DA, rather than the absolute isozyme content, determines the relative importance of type A and type B MAO in synaptic DA deamination. Moreover, based on the enzyme kinetic properties of each MAO isozyme, guinea pig striatum may serve as a suitable model of human DA deamination.

Further studies on the nature of postsynaptic dopamine uptake and metabolism in rat striatum: sodium dependency and investigation of a possible role for carrier-mediated uptake into serotonin neurons.

The nature of postsynaptic sites involved in the uptake and metabolism of striatal 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine (dopamine, DA) was investigated. The accumulation of [3H]DA (10(-7) M) into slices of rat striatum was found to be greatly dependent (greater than 99%) on the presence of sodium ion in the incubation medium. However, the formation of the [3H]dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and [3H]homovanillic acid (HVA) was only partially reduced in the absence of sodium (DOPAC, 27% of control; HVA, 47% of control). Inhibition of carrier-mediated DA neuronal uptake with nomifensine (10(-5) M) significantly decreased DA accumulation (18% of control) and [3H]DOPAC formation (62% of control), but enhanced [3H]HVA production (143% of control). Inhibition of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin) neuronal uptake system with fluoxetine (10(-6) M) or selective 5-HT neuronal lesions with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) had no effect on [3H]DOPAC or [3H]HVA formed from [3H]DA in the presence or absence of nomifensine. These results demonstrate that the uptake and subsequent metabolism of striatal DA to DOPAC and HVA is only partially dependent on carrier-mediated uptake mechanism(s) requiring sodium ion. These data support our previous findings suggesting a significant role for synaptic glial cell deamination and O-methylation of striatal DA. Further, experiments with fluoxetine or 5,7-DHT suggest that 5-HT neurons do not significantly contribute in the synaptic uptake and metabolism of striatal DA.