Acetylcholinesterase molecular forms from rat and human erythrocyte membrane

An in vitro study on the interaction of the anti-Alzheimer drug rivastigmine with human erythrocytes

The inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a frequently used therapeutic option to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). By decreasing the levels of acetylcholine degradation in the synaptic space, some cognitive functions of patients suffering from this disease are significantly improved. Rivastigmine is one of the most widely used AChE inhibitors. The objective of this work was to determine the effects of this drug on human erythrocytes, which have a type of AChE in the cell membrane. To that end, human erythrocytes and molecular models of its membrane constituted by dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) were used. They correspond to classes of phospholipids present in the outer and inner monolayers of the human erythrocyte membrane, respectively. The experimental results obtained by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated that rivastigmine molecules were able to interact with both phospholipids. Fluorescence spectroscopy results showed that rivastigmine produce a slight change in the acyl chain packing order and a weak displacement of the water molecules of the hydrophobic-hydrophilic membrane interface. On the other hand, observations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the drug changed the normal biconcave shape of erythrocytes in stomatocytes (cup-shaped cells) and echinocytes (speculated shaped).

The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor and anti-Alzheimer drug donepezil interacts with human erythrocytes

Donepezil is used to treat symptomatically the Alzheimer's disease (AD). This drug is a specific inhibitor of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), whose main physiological function is to hydrolyze the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The main objective of this work was to study the effect of donepezil on human erythrocytes as AChE is present in its membrane. For this purpose, human erythrocytes and molecular model of its membrane built-up of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) were used. The latter correspond to classes of phospholipids present in the outer and inner monolayers of the human erythrocyte membrane, respectively. Our experimental evidences obtained from X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis indicated that donepezil was capable of interacting with both phospholipids. Fluorescence spectroscopy results showed a moderate increase in the fluidity of the hydrophobic tails of DMPC and isolated unsealed human erythrocyte membranes (IUM). On the other hand, results by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical defocusing microscopy (DM) showed that the drug changed the normal biconcave shape of the erythrocytes inducing the formation of stomatocytes (cup-shaped cells). This effect was explained by the incorporation of donepezil molecules into the erythrocyte membrane and interactions with AChE.

Alternative acetylcholinesterase molecular forms exhibit similar ability to induce neurite outgrowth

Several groups have reported that acetylcholinesterase (AChE), through a mechanism not involving its catalytic activity, may have a role in fiber elongation. These observations were performed on experimental systems in which acetylcholine synthesis was active. Because neurite outgrowth can be modulated by neurotransmitters, we used the N18TG2 neuroblastoma line, which is defective for neurotransmitter production, to evaluate whether AChE may modulate neurite sprouting in nonenzymatic ways. To avoid the possibility that differences between transfected and mock-transfected clones may be due to the selection procedure, N18TG2 cells were previously subcloned, and the FB5 subclone was used for transfections. We performed transfections of FB5 cells with three distinct constructs encoding for the glycosylphosphoinositol-anchored AChE form, the tetrameric AChE form, and a soluble monomeric AChE form truncated in its C-terminus. A morphometric analysis of retinoic acid-differentiated clones was also undertaken. The results revealed that higher AChE expression following transfection brings about a greater ability of the clones to grow fibers with respect to nontransfected or mock-transfected cells irrespective of the used construct. Having observed no differences between the morphology of the transfected clones, we tested the possibility that the culture substrate can affect the capability of the clones to extend fibers. Also in this case we revealed no differences between the clones cultured on uncoated or collagen-pretreated dishes. These data indicate that alternative AChE molecular forms that differ in their C-teminal region exhibit similar ability to induce fiber outgrowth and suggest that the protein region responsible for this role is located in the invariant portion of the AChE molecule.

The preparation and kinetic analysis of multiple forms of human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase

A method for preparing various forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from human erythrocyte has been established and they have been characterized in terms of kinetic parameters such as K(m), rate constant (k), turnover number (kcat), specificity constant (ksp), Vmax, half-life (t1/2), IC50 and Ki for tetrabutylammonium hydroxide, procaine and physostigmine in the present study. The solubility experiments show that, there is one major form of AChE i.e. membrane bound AChE (MBAChE) and one minor form i.e. water soluble form (WSAChE). The MBAChE shows several subforms, and on the basis of percentage activity only three MBAChE forms have been selected for complete characterization by various kinetic parameters and found that these three forms of MBAChE demonstrate significant differences in their kinetic properties except IC50. This study supports the recommendation of the use of these kinetic parameters as a tool for the analysis of the multiple forms of the various enzymes in the biological systems.

In vitro influences of alcohols on mouse synaptosomes, and structure-activity relationships

Little information is available on the structure-central nervous system membrane toxicity relationship of alcohols. The purpose of the present study was to study in vitro influence of alcohols (n = 20) on the activity of the toxic indicator Na+/K(+)-adenosine triphosphatase (Na+/K(+)-ATPase) and acetylcholinesterase (AchE), and membrane fluidity in mouse brain synaptosomes, in terms of the structure-activity relationship. The potency of inhibition for the enzymes (IC50) and the potency of increasing membrane fluidity (IC12.5) were determined experimentally, and n-octanol/water partition coefficient (P) and the steric constant Taft Es are cited from the literature. Regression analysis revealed that log 1/IC50 for Na+/K(+)-ATPase is a function of log P and Taft Es. The situation was true for AchE activity. The results indicate that the hydrophobicity expressed as log P and the steric effect of the alcohols play an important role in inhibiting both enzyme activities. A linear relationship between log 1/IC12.5 for membrane fluidity and log P is shown, indicating a significant effect of the alcohols on membrane fluidity. Based on these results, it is suggested that the alcohols inhibit the Na+/K(+)-ATPase and AchE activity through a direct action on the enzymes and/or through changing the membrane fluidity.

Erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase in psychiatric disorders and controls

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from erythrocytes was solubilized by Triton X-100. Size and charge heterogeneity of AChE was investigated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and isoelectric focusing (IEF) in polyacrylamide gels in the presence of 0.5% (v/v) Triton X-100. There were no interindividual differences in these parameters in 46 psychiatric patients (schizophrenia, major affective disorder, personality disorder, dependency, dementia) and controls. The specific activity of solubilized AChE did not discriminate between controls and patients or between the diagnostic subgroups.

Changes in the levels and forms of rat plasma cholinesterases during chronic diisopropylphosphorofluoridate intoxication

The effect of chronic administration of diisopropylphosphorofluoridate (DFP) on the levels and forms of plasma cholinesterase (ChE), were studied in male Wistar albino rats sacrificed at different time intervals after various schedules of treatment. In particular the inhibition and recovery rate of the enzymatic activity was evaluated for butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), determined using butyrylthiocholine (BuThCh) as substrate and for acetylcholinesterase (AChE), measured using acetylthiocholine (AcThCh) in the presence of iso-OMPA 0.1 mM. At 1 1/2 and 24 hr after the DFP treatments, BuChE was considerably more depressed than was the case for AChE. Moreover, the recovery of BuChE proceeded more slowly, its activity being restored only seven days after the last treatment, while the recovery of AChE was completed 72 hr after the end of the treatments. Plasma molecular forms were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and were revealed by enzymatic reaction with BuThCh or AcThCh as substrates. By using selective inhibitors, five main molecular forms of BuChE and two of AChE were found to exist in control plasma samples. A differential inhibition and recovery rate was observed among these forms after DFP intoxication. At 1 1/2 hr after the treatments, the BuChE activity was too low to be detected on the gels, but 24 hr thereafter, the quantitative determination of the different forms, performed by scanning densitometry, showed a significant increase of the two faster migrating ones. At the following time intervals, the electrophoretic pattern returned progressively towards normality. The faster migrating forms are therefore probably the first synthesized in the process of recovery of BuChE activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)