title: Role of nitric oxide synthase against MPTP neurotoxicity in mice.
abstract: 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) causes nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway injury similar to that observed in Parkinson's disease. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the mechanisms underlying MPTP neurotoxicity. Previous work showed that the inhibitor of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) might produce protection against MPTP-induced dopaminergic toxicity. To exactly test the role of NO in MPTP neurotoxicity, we examined the effect of nNOS inhibitor 7-nitroindazole, in comparison with that of nonselective NOS inhibitor (L-NAME), immunosuppressant (FK-506), monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (clorgyline and pargyline), N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist (MK-801) and Ca2+ antagonist (amlodipine). Among seven compounds, 7-nitroindazole produced dose-dependent protection against MPTP-induced depletion of striatal dopamine and its metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid (DOPAC) in mice. Clorgyline and pargyline also showed a significant effect on MPTP-induced dopamine depletion in the mouse striatum. However, both compounds did not protect against MPTP-induced depletion of striatal DOPAC Our immunohistological study with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and microtuble-associated protein 2 (MAP 2) showed that 7-nitroindazole or pargyline can protect against MPTP-induced depletion of TH and MAP 2 immunostained neurons in the substantia nigra. Furthermore, these compounds reduced a marked increase in GFAP-positive astrocytes of the mouse striatum after MPTP treatments. The present study demonstrates that nNOS inhibitor 7-nitroindazole as well as MAO inhibitors clorgyline and pargyline can produce dose-dependent neuroprotection against the dopaminergic neurotoxicity of MPTP. However, nonselective NOS inhibitor L-NAME, immunosuppressant FK-506, NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 and Ca2+ antagonist amlodipine did not show a beneficial effect on MPTP neurotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science and Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurosaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michimata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Araki
mesh_terms: D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase