title: Protective effects of neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor in mouse brain against MPTP neurotoxicity: an immunohistological study.
abstract: We recently reported that neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole, can protect against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) neurotoxicity in mice. It protected against both dopamine depletions and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive neuron decreases in the mouse brain. In the present study, we further examined whether 7-nitroindazole can also protect against the alterations of TH-, microtubule-associated protein 2a,b (MAP2)-, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-, parvalbumin (PV)-, dopamine transporter (DAT)-, nNOS- or endothelial NOS (eNOS)-positive cells, in comparison with pargyline as a relatively selective inhibitor of the monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B). The present study showed that nNOS inhibitor as well as MAO-B inhibitor has a dose-dependent protective effect against MPTP-induced striatal dopamine and DOPAC depletion in mice. Furthermore, the present study revealed that 7-nitroindazole and pargyline can protect the alterations of immunohistochemical changes in the striatum and substantia nigra after MPTP treatment. These protective effects may be, at least in part, produced by the reduction of neuronally derived NO and peroxynitrite caused by MPTP. Our results also demonstrate that MPTP can cause functional damage of interneurons in the substantia nigra. These results suggest the possibility that nNOS inhibitors as well as MAO-B inhibitors may be therapeutically useful in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. Thus our present results provide valuable information for the pathogenesis of degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuronal pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science and Medicine, Aoba-yama, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
authors.forename: Hijiri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.forename: Rumiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurosaki
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michimata
authors.forename: Mitsunobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Araki
mesh_terms: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000172:deficiency; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007191:Indazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020267:MPTP Poisoning / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D010293:Pargyline / Q000494:pharmacology; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000378:metabolism; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007191:Indazoles; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010320:Parvalbumins; D020011:Protective Agents; C493215:Slc6a3 protein, mouse; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D010293:Pargyline; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496321:Nos1 protein, mouse; C496315:Nos3 protein, mouse; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; C080122:7-nitroindazole; D004298:Dopamine