Interaction of SM-3997 with serotonin receptors in rat brain.

The propensity of SM-3997 to displace 3H-ligands was tested in vitro in a number of receptor-binding assays. SM-3997 possessed a high affinity towards 5-HT1A receptors, low affinity towards dopamine (D2) and 5-HT2 receptors, and no affinity towards benzodiazepine (BZ), GABA, 5-HT1B and adrenergic receptors. Moreover, SM-3997 facilitated neither 3H-flunitrazepam binding nor 3H-muscimol binding. These results suggest that the action of SM-3997 may be mediated via central 5-HT1A receptors but not the BZ-GABA receptor complex.

Studies on the activity of L-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine (L-DOPS) as a catecholamine precursor in the brain. Comparison with that of L-dopa.

L-Threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine (L-DOPS) was compared with L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) with respect to their activities as central amine precursors. The apparent Km value (the substrate affinity) of L-DOPS for aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase was nearly equal to that of L-DOPA, whereas the vmax value (the rate of decarboxylation) of L-DOPS was much smaller than that of L-DOPA, the penetration of L-DOPS into the brain through the blood-brain barrier was found to be smaller (about one-fourth) than that of L-DOPA but, for an amine precursor, it was still substantial. Unlike L-DOPA, L-DOPS did not cause a marked accumulation of norepinephrine (NE), the corresponding catecholamine in the brain, but nialamide, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor significantly enhanced the L-DOPS-induced rise of NE. Moreover, the brain concentration of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylethyleneglycol (MHPG), the principal end metabolite of NE, was increased markedly by L-DOPS. These results suggest that L-DOPS may act as an NE precursor in the brain and activate NE neurons by increasing the turnover rate of NE.

Effect of L-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine(L-threo-DOPS) on brain and serum MHPG levels in mice: evidence for NE formation in CNS.

Effects of L-threo-DOPS on brain and serum concentrations of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (MHPG), a major metabolite of 1-norepinephrine(NE) were studied in mice. An intraperitoneal(i.p.) injection of L-threo-DOPS markedly increased both serum and brain MHPG levels in mice. This increase in the brain was dose-dependent at doses up to 800 mg/kg, and lasted for 4 h or more. Though the increase in serum total-MHPG was 3-4 times greater than that in brain MHPG, the decline was rapid as compared with the case of brain MHPG. The L-threo-DOPS-induced increase in MHPG was inhibited by i.p. pretreatment with benserazide, a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor, in both serum and brain. This inhibition in the brain, however, was observed at about 20 times higher doses of benserazide than that in serum. On the contrary, an intracerebroventricular(i.c.v.) injection of benserazide inhibited the increase in brain MHPG to about the same degree as that in serum MHPG. These results suggest that the L-threo-DOPS-induced increase in brain MHPG is not likely to originate in peripheral organs including the brain capillary, and that L-threo-DOPS can be converted to NE by aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase(AADC) in the brain parenchyma.

Studies on the central action of L-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-serine (L-threo-DOPS) in FLA-63-treated mice.

In order to clarify the central action of L-threo-DOPS, the effect of benserazide on behavioral and biochemical changes by L-threo-DOPS in FLA-63-treated mice was studied. L-threo-DOPS in combination with nialamide markedly increased both the locomotor activity and the concentrations of the brain, heart and kidney norepinephrine (NE) in the FLA-63-treated mice. Benserazide at low doses did not alter either the rise of the brain NE level or the increase in locomotor activity, whereas it significantly inhibited the rise of the heart and kidney NE levels. Benserazide at a high dose significantly inhibited all of them. These results suggested that the increase in locomotor activity might be mediated via activation of the central noradrenergic neurons system by L-threo-DOPS.

Reversal by L-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine (L-threo-DOPS), a L-norepinephrine precursor of reserpine- or tetrabenazine-induced hypothermia.

The effects of L-threo-DOPS on the hypothermia and the decrease of brain norepinephrine (NE) concentration in the mouse pretreated with reserpine or tetrabenazine were studied. Reserpine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or tetrabenazine (40 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a significant decrease in body temperature. The i.p. injection of L-threo-DOPS (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) reversed these hypothermia in a dose-dependent manner. These hypothermia were also antagonized by the i.c. injection of NE (5 micrograms/mouse). Both reserpine and tetrabenazine markedly decreased the brain content of NE, and L-threo-DOPS (400 mg/kg, i.p.) recovered it. These results suggested that L-threo-DOPS would reverse the reserpine- or tetrabenazine-induced hypothermia at least in part by the formation of NE in the central nervous system.

Reversal of the reserpine-induced ptosis by L-threo-3,4-dihydroxy-phenylserine (L-threo-DOPS), a (-)-norepinephrine precursor, and its potentiation by imipramine or nialamide.

The effect of L-threo-DOPS on the reserpine-induced ptosis in mice and its modification by imipramine, a norepinephrine (NE) uptake inhibitor, or nialamide, a monoamineoxidase inhibitor, were studied. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of L-threo-DOPS (800 mg/kg) significantly reduced the severity of the ptosis. This reversal of the ptosis by L-threo-DOPS was markedly potentiated by i.p. injection of either imipramine (2.5 mg/kg) or nialamide (30 mg/kg). Response to L-threo-DOPS was also significantly potentiated by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of imipramine (10 micrograms). On the other hand, this treatment with imipramine (10 micrograms, i.c.v.) also significantly potentiated the reversal of the ptosis by NE (20 micrograms, i.c.v.), but the reversal by the subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of NE (1 and 3 mg/kg) was not affected. Reserpine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) markedly decreased the brain content of NE in mice, whereas L-threo-DOPS (400 mg/kg, i.p.) slightly restored it. Moreover, by the pretreatment with nialamide (30 mg/kg, i.p.), L-threo-DOPS produced a significant increase in the brain content of NE in reserpine-treated mice. These results suggested that L-threo-DOPS was capable of reversing the reserpine-induced ptosis due to the formation, at least in part of (-)-NE at the synaptic sites of central noradrenergic neurons.

Mechanism of reactions catalyzed by selenocysteine beta-lyase.

The reaction mechanism of selenocystine beta-lyase has been studied and it was found that elemental selenium is released enzymatically from selenocysteine, and reduced to H2Se nonenzymatically with dithiothreitol or some other reductants that are added to prepare selenocysteine from selenocystine in the anaerobic reaction system. 1H and 13C NMR spectra of L-alanine formed in 2H2O have shown that an equimolar amount of [beta-2H1]- and [beta-2H2]alanines are produced. The deuterium isotope effect at the alpha position was observed; kH/kD = 2.4. These results indicated that the alpha hydrogen of selenocysteine was removed by a base at the active site, and was incorporated into the alpha position of alanine, a product, without exchange of a solvent deuterium. When the enzyme was incubated with L-selenocysteine in the absence of added pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, the activity decreased with prolonged incubation time. However, the activity was recovered by addition of 5'-phosphate. The spectrophotometric study showed that the inactivated enzyme was the apo form. The apoenzyme was activated by a combination of pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate and various alpha-keto acids such as alpha-ketoglutarate and pyruvate. Thus, the enzyme is inactivated through transamination between selenocysteine and the bound pyridoxal 5'-phosphate to produce pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate and a keto acid derived from selenocysteine. The pyridoxal enzyme, an active form, is regenerated by addition of alpha-keto acids. This regulatory mechanism is analogous to those of aspartate beta-decarboxylase [EC 4.1.1.12], arginine racemase [EC 5.1.1.9], and kynureninase [EC 3.7.1.3] [K. Soda and K. Tanizawa (1979) Adv. Enzymol. 49, 1].