title: Destruction of catecholamine-containing neurons by 6-hydroxydopa, an endogenous amine oxidase cofactor.
abstract: The amino acid, 6-hydroxydopa (6-OHDOPA), found at the active site of amine oxidases, exists as a keto-enol. Exogenously administered 6-OHDOPA is an excitotoxin like beta-N-oxalylamino-L-alanine (BOAA) and beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), acting at the non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (non-NMDA) alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor. BMAA and BOAA are causal factors of neurolathyrism in humans. Much exogenously administered 6-OHDOPA is biotransformed by aminoacid decarboxylase (AADC) to the highly potent and catecholamine-(CA) selective neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). 6-OHDOPA destroys locus coeruleus noradrenergic perikarya and produces associated denervation of brain by norepinephrine-(NE) containing fibers. Opiopeptides and opioids enhance neurotoxic effects of 6-OHDOPA on noradrenergic nerves, by a naloxone-reversible process. An understanding of mechanisms underlying neurotoxic effects of 6-OHDOPA can be helpful in defining actions of known and newfound amino acids and for investigating their potential neurotoxic properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, USA.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kostrzewa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brus
mesh_terms: D006631:Amine Oxidase (Copper-Containing); D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; C001388:6-hydroxydopa; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D006631:Amine Oxidase (Copper-Containing); D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors