title: Valerenic acid potentiates and inhibits GABA(A) receptors: molecular mechanism and subunit specificity.
abstract: Valerian is a commonly used herbal medicinal product for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia. Here we report the stimulation of chloride currents through GABA(A) receptors (I(GABA)) by valerenic acid (VA), a constituent of Valerian. To analyse the molecular basis of VA action, we expressed GABA(A) receptors with 13 different subunit compositions in Xenopus oocytes and measured I(GABA) using the two-microelectrode voltage-clamp technique. We report a subtype-dependent stimulation of I(GABA) by VA. Only channels incorporating beta(2) or beta(3) subunits were stimulated by VA. Replacing beta(2/3) by beta(1) drastically reduced the sensitivity of the resulting GABA(A) channels. The stimulatory effect of VA on alpha(1)beta(2) receptors was substantially reduced by the point mutation beta(2N265S) (known to inhibit loreclezole action). Mutating the corresponding residue of beta(1) (beta(1S290N)) induced VA sensitivity in alpha(1)beta(1S290N) comparable to alpha(1)beta(2) receptors. Modulation of I(GABA) was not significantly dependent on incorporation of alpha(1), alpha(2), alpha(3) or alpha(5) subunits. VA displayed a significantly lower efficiency on channels incorporating alpha(4) subunits. I(GABA) modulation by VA was not gamma subunit dependent and not inhibited by flumazenil (1 microM). VA shifted the GABA concentration-effect curve towards lower GABA concentrations and elicited substantial currents through GABA(A) channels at > or = 30 microM. At higher concentrations (> or = 100 microM), VA and acetoxy-VA inhibit I(GABA). A possible open channel block mechanism is discussed. In summary, VA was identified as a subunit specific allosteric modulator of GABA(A) receptors that is likely to interact with the loreclezole binding pocket.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khom
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baburin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Timin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hohaus
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trauner
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hering
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000494:pharmacology; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018757:GABA Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D007192:Indenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D009154:Mutation / Q000502:physiology; D009865:Oocytes; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018118:Chloride Channels; D018755:GABA Agonists; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D018757:GABA Modulators; D007192:Indenes; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C037133:valerenic acid; D005442:Flumazenil; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid