title: The influence of acute and chronic administration of 1,2-dimethyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline on the function of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in rats.
abstract: The contribution of (R)-enantiomer of N-methyl-salsolinol (1,2-dimethyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline; NMSal) to the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the course of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been predominantly suggested by in vitro experiments in cell culture and by an in vivo study in which this compound has been directly injected into the rat striatum. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of racemic NMSal (50 and 100 mg/kg) administered systemically, acutely and chronically for 21 days to rats, on the neurochemical and behavioral markers of PD. Our results showed that racemic NMSal easily penetrated the blood-brain barrier. Its brain level was relatively high 2-6 h after a single injection than gradually decreased. NMSal was quickly eliminated from the rat brain, its concentration 24 h after withdrawal from chronic treatment was very low. NMSal at both examined doses did not affect striatal and nigral levels of dopamine (DA) 2 h after the first and last chronic injections, however, it markedly changed DA catabolism. In the striatum both its doses evoked a significant acceleration of the total and oxidative, monoamine oxidase (MAO)-dependent DA catabolism without affecting the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT)-dependent O-methylation. In the substantia nigra (SN), only the higher dose of NMSal produced such effect. DA catabolism in either structure was the same as in control 24 h after cessation of chronic treatment. The second characteristic marker of PD, the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir) neurons in the SN, was not affected by chronic NMSal treatment as revealed by the stereological counting. In the behavioral study, it was found that racemic NMSal significantly suppressed spontaneous locomotor activity and effectively prevented that stimulated by apomorphine. Our results suggest that NMSal may play an important role in the regulation of dopaminergic activity rather than in inducing changes of parkinsonian type.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuro-Psychopharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland. lorenc@if-pan.krakow.pl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lorenc-Koci
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Antkiewicz-Michaluk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamińska
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lenda
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zieba
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wierońska
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smiałowska
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rommelspacher
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004576:Electromyography; D008297:Male; D008931:Mitochondria, Muscle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; C069193:1,2-dimethyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline; D000661:Amphetamine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine