title: Neurochemical and psychomotor interactions of new selective COMT inhibitors with clorgyline and nomifensine in levodopa-treated rats and mice.
abstract: The effects of three new catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors (nitecapone, entacapone and Ro 41-0960) were assessed on brain neurochemistry and psychomotor tests in levodopa/carbidopa-treated rats and mice. In neurochemical studies in rats, neither nitecapone (3 mg/kg) nor Ro 41-0960 (3 mg/kg) enhanced the levodopa/carbidopa (15/30 mg/kg)-induced dopamine levels in the hypothalamus and striatum, whereas 3-O-methyldopa (3-OMD) levels were suppressed. Adding clorgyline (8 mg/kg) elevated dopamine in the hypothalamus and striatum. 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid levels were suppressed in the striatum and, to a lesser extent, also in the hypothalamus. Adding nomifensine (10 mg/kg) reversed the action of Ro 41-0960 on the 3-OMD levels and raised the homovanillic acid levels in the striatum. All COMT inhibitors (30 mg/kg) slightly enhanced levodopa/carbidopa (15/30 mg/kg)-induced hypoactivity in rats. Ro 41-0960 also augmented the effects of clorgyline and nomifensine on the locomotor activity. Levodopa/carbidopa (10/10, 25/25, 50/50, 100/100 mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased rectal temperature, rotarod time and spontaneous motility in mice. Additional COMT inhibition (30 mg/kg) had only minor effects on behavior. Ro 41-0960 (30 mg/kg) potentiated several behavioral effects of clorgyline (4 mg/kg) in the levodopa/carbidopa (10/10 mg/kg)-treated mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Törnwall
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tuomainen
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Männistö
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001577:Benzophenones / Q000494:pharmacology; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D002230:Carbidopa / Q000494:pharmacology; D065098:Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors; D002396:Catechols / Q000494:pharmacology; D003010:Clorgyline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004347:Drug Interactions; D007980:Levodopa / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009570:Nitriles; D009627:Nomifensine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010422:Pentanones / Q000494:pharmacology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D001577:Benzophenones; D065098:Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors; D002396:Catechols; D009570:Nitriles; D010422:Pentanones; C071721:Ro 41-0960; D009627:Nomifensine; D007980:Levodopa; C071192:entacapone; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; C057364:nitecapone; D003010:Clorgyline; D002230:Carbidopa; D004298:Dopamine