title: Effect of phenylalanine and p-chlorophenylalanine on Na+, K+-ATPase activity in the synaptic plasma membrane from the cerebral cortex of rats.
abstract: Na+, K+-ATPase activity was measured in synaptic plasma membrane from cerebral cortex of Wistar rats subjected to experimental phenylketonuria, i.e., chemical hyperphenylalaninemia induced by subcutaneous administration of 5.2 micromol phenylalanine / g body weight (twice a day) plus 0.9 micromol p-chlorophenylalanine / g body weight (once a day). The treatment was performed from the 6th to the 14th postpartum day and rats were killed 12 h after the last injection. Synaptic plasma membrane from cerebral cortex was prepared by a discontinuous density sucrose gradient for Na+, K+-ATPase activity determination. The results showed that the enzyme activity was decreased by 30% in animals subjected to experimental phenylketonuria when compared to control. The in vitro effects of the drugs on Na+, K+-ATPase activity were also investigated. Phenylalanine and p-chlorophenylalanine inhibited the enzyme activity and this inhibition was reversed by alanine. In addition, competition between phenylalanine and p-chlorophenylalanine for binding to the enzyme was observed, suggesting a common binding site for these substances. Our results suggest that reduction of Na+, K+-ATPase activity may be one of the mechanisms related to the brain dysfunction observed in human PKU.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Streck
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Edom
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Noriler
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Z L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Pontes
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parolo
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Dutra-Filho
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wannmacher
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Wyse
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D017301:Ca(2+) Mg(2+)-ATPase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010134:Fenclonine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010661:Phenylketonurias / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013570:Synaptic Membranes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010649:Phenylalanine; D017301:Ca(2+) Mg(2+)-ATPase; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D010134:Fenclonine