Studies on the neurotoxicity of 6,7-dihydroxy-1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (salsolinol) in SH-SY5Y cells.

We have studied the hypothesis that 6,7-dihydroxy-1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (salsolinol) is neurotoxic. Salsolinol induced a significant time and dose related inhibition of 3[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; thiazoyl blue (MTT) reduction, and increased lactate dehydrogenase release (LDH) release from human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, at concentrations within the range of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) cytotoxicity, in vitro. Cytotoxicity was not inhibited by the addition of antioxidants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors or imipramine. In confluent monolayers, salsolinol stimulated catecholamine uptake with EC50 values of 17 muM and 11 muM, for noradrenaline and dopamine, respectively. Conversely, at concentrations above 100 muM, salsolinol inhibited the uptake of noradrenaline and dopamine, with IC50 values of 411 muM and 379 muM, respectively. The inhibition of catecholamine uptake corresponded to the increase displacement of [3H]nisoxetine from the uptake 1 site by salsolinol, as the Ki (353 muM) for displacement was similar to the IC50 (411 and 379 muM) for uptake. Salsolinol stimulated catecholamine uptake does not involve the uptake recognition site, or elevation of cAMP, cGMP, or inhibition of protein kinase C. Salsolinol also inhibited both carbachol (1 mM) and K+ (100 mM, Na+ adjusted) evoked released of noradrenaline from SH-SY5Y cells, with IC50 values of 500 muM and 120 muM, respectively. In conclusion, salsolinol appears to be cytotoxic to SH-SY5Y cells, via a mechanism that does not require uptake 1, bioactivation by monoamine oxidase, or membrane based free radical damage. The effects of salsolinol on catecholamine uptake, and the mechanism of toxicity require further investigation.

Agonist selectivity for three species of natriuretic peptide receptor-A.

We determined the nucleotide sequence of mouse natriuretic peptide receptor-A (NPR-A) cDNA and compared the revised deduced amino acid sequence with those of rat and human NPR-A. The ligand selectivity of these three receptor/guanylyl cyclases was examined by whole-cell stimulation of cGMP production. The 28-amino acid atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) has only one difference among these three species, i.e., human Met-12 versus rat and mouse Ile-12. However, despite the nearly invariant ANP sequence among these species, ANP analogs have marked differences in ED50 values and maximal cGMP responses among the three receptors. With the natriuretic peptide analogs we tested, human NPR-A is less sensitive than rat or mouse NPR-A to changes in the 17-amino acid, disulfide-bonded ring of ANP and to the species differences in brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) but is more sensitive to deletions in the carboxyl tail of ANP. The ANP determinants of agonist potency have therefore changed for different species of NPR-A. This is reflected in the amino acid sequence divergence in the receptor extracellular domains and in the divergence and specificity of BNP among species. Our results suggest that the coevolution of NPR-A and BNP has thus been constrained within the context of the conserved ANP sequence.