title: Neuroprotective and neurorestorative activities of a novel iron chelator-brain selective monoamine oxidase-A/monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor in animal models of Parkinson's disease and aging.
abstract: Recently, we have designed and synthesized a novel multipotent, brain-permeable iron-chelating drug, VAR10303 (VAR), possessing both propargyl and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitory moieties. The present study was undertaken to determine the multiple pharmacological activities of VAR in neurodegenerative preclinical models. We demonstrate that VAR affords iron chelating/iron-induced lipid-peroxidation inhibitory potency and brain selective MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitory effects, with only limited tyramine-cardiovascular potentiation of blood pressure. The results show that in 6-hydroxydopamine rat (neuroprotection) and in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine mouse (neurorescue) Parkinson's disease models, VAR significantly attenuated the loss of striatal dopamine levels, markedly reduced dopamine turnover, and increased tyrosine-hydroxylase levels. Furthermore, chronic systemic treatment of aged rats with VAR improved cognitive behavior deficits and enhanced the expression levels of neurotrophic factors (e.g., brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor, and nerve growth factor), Bcl-2 family members and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Our study indicates that the multitarget compound VAR exerted neuroprotective and neurorestorative effects in animal models of Parkinson's disease and aging, further suggesting that a drug that can regulate multiple brain targets could be an ideal treatment-strategy for age-associated neurodegenerative disorders.
authors.affiliation: Varinel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, New Southern Industrial Park, Yokneam, Israel.
authors.forename: Orit
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bar-Am
authors.affiliation: Varinel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, New Southern Industrial Park, Yokneam, Israel.
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amit
authors.affiliation: Varinel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, New Southern Industrial Park, Yokneam, Israel.
authors.forename: Lana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kupershmidt
authors.affiliation: Varinel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, New Southern Industrial Park, Yokneam, Israel.
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aluf
authors.affiliation: Varinel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, New Southern Industrial Park, Yokneam, Israel.
authors.forename: Danit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mechlovich
authors.affiliation: Varinel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, New Southern Industrial Park, Yokneam, Israel.
authors.forename: Hoda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kabha
authors.affiliation: Varinel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, New Southern Industrial Park, Yokneam, Israel.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Danovitch
authors.affiliation: Varinel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, New Southern Industrial Park, Yokneam, Israel.
authors.forename: Vincent R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Zurawski
authors.affiliation: Varinel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, New Southern Industrial Park, Yokneam, Israel; Eve Topf Center, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. Electronic address: youdim@tx.technion.ac.il.
authors.forename: Moussa B H
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Youdim
authors.affiliation: Varinel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, New Southern Industrial Park, Yokneam, Israel; Eve Topf Center, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Orly
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Weinreb
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006912:Hydroxyquinolines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: C000602792:5-(2-(methylprop-2-ynylamino)ethyl)quinolin-8-ol; D006912:Hydroxyquinolines; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase; D004298:Dopamine
keywords: Aging; Iron chelation; Monoamine oxidase inhibition; Neurorestoration; Neurotrophic factors; Parkinson's disease