title: Effect of free radicals on adenosine A(2A) and dopamine D2 receptors in the striatum of young adult and aged rats.
abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent age-related motor dysfunction resulting from the hyperactivity of the indirect striatal pathway, which is controlled in an antagonistic manner by inhibitory dopamine D2 and facilitatory adenosine A(2A) receptors. Thus, dopamine precursors like l-DOPA are the standard therapy and A(2A) antagonists are now tested as anti-parkinsonians. Increased free radicals levels occur on aging and are proposed to be a contributing factor for PD. We now tested if free radicals affected A(2A) and D2 receptors in striatal membranes of young adult (2 months) and old (24 months) rats. The A(2A) receptor antagonist [3H]SCH 58261 bound to striatal membranes with a KD of 0.9 nM and a Bmax of 953 fmol/mg protein in young rats and with a KD of 0.8 nM and a Bmax of 725 fmol/mg protein in aged rats (24% decrease). The D2 receptor antagonist [3H]raclopride bound to striatal membranes with a KD of 4.0 nM and a Bmax of 598 fmol/mg protein in young rats and with a KD of 4.3 nM and a Bmax of 368 fmol/mg protein in aged rats (38% decrease). Exposure of striatal membranes to a free radical generation system (2 mM FeSO4 and 4 mM ascorbate) caused a similar decrease of [3H]SCH 58261 (35%) and [3H]raclopride (37%) binding in young adult rats but caused a greater decrease of [3H]SCH 58261 (49%) than of [3H]raclopride (20%) binding in aged rats. Thus, in aged rats, there is an unbalance of A(2A)/D2 receptor density favouring A(2A) receptors, which is restored on exposure to free radicals. This supports the hypothesis that the effectiveness of A(2A) receptor antagonists as anti-parkinsonians, demonstrated in young adult animals, may not be affected by a modified A(2A)/D2 receptor density in aged individuals suffering from exposure to increased free radical levels, as occurs in PD.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurosciences of Coimbra, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Tiago M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Alfaro
authors.forename: Emanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vigia
authors.forename: Catarina R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Rodrigo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cunha
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000633:toxicity*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008566:Membranes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D020891:Raclopride / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D043705:Receptor, Adenosine A2A / Q000187:drug effects*; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000187:drug effects*; D014230:Triazoles / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C098657:5-amino-7-(2-phenylethyl)-2-(2-furyl)pyrazolo(4,3-e)-1,2,4-triazolo(1,5-c)pyrimidine; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D005609:Free Radicals; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011743:Pyrimidines; D043705:Receptor, Adenosine A2A; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D014230:Triazoles; D020891:Raclopride