Monoamine oxidase inhibitors and other drugs as inhibitors of diamine oxidase from human placenta and pig kidney

An overview of phenylcyclopropylamine derivatives: biochemical and biological significance and recent developments

trans-2-Phencylcyclopropylamine (2-PCPA), a potent, clinically used antidepressant, affects monoamine neurotransmitter levels by inhibiting the main metabolizing enzymes, monoamine oxidases (MAOs). However, the antidepressant action of this compound was not fully explained by its effects on MAOs due to its wide variety of biological effects. 2-PCPA also affects depression-associated pathophysiological pathways, and linked with increased levels of trace amines in brain, upregulation of GABAB receptors (where GABA is gamma amino butyric acid), modulation of phospholipid metabolism, and interference with various cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. Consequently, despite its adverse effects and limited clinical applicability, 2-PCPA has attracted interest as a structural scaffold for the development of mechanism-based inhibitors of various enzymes, including lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), which is a possible target for cancer chemotherapy. In the recent years, many reports have appeared in the literature based on 2-PCPA scaffold and their potential medicinal implications. This review mainly focuses on the medicinal chemistry aspects including drug design, structure-activity relationships (SAR), biological and biochemical properties, and mechanism of actions of 2-PCPA and its derivatives. Furthermore, we also highlight recent advance in this area and discuss their future applications for beneficial therapeutic effects.

Aldose reductase: a window to the treatment of diabetic complications?

Kinetic studies on the aldose reductase protein (AR2) have shown that it does not behave as a classical enzyme in relation to ring aldose sugars. These results have been confirmed by X-ray crystallography studies, which have pinpointed binding sites for pharmacological "aklose reductase inhibitors" (ARIs). As with non-enzymic glycation reactions, there is probably a free-radical element involved derived from monosaccharide autoxidation. In the case of AR2, there is free radical oxidation of NADPH by autoxidising monosaccharides, enhanced in the presence of the NADPH-binding protein. Whatever the behaviour of AR2, many studies have showed that sorbitol production is not an initiating aetiological factor in the development of diabetic complications in humans. Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), other antioxidants and high fat diets can delay or prevent cataract in diabetic animals even though sorbitol and fructose levels are not modified; vitamin C acts as an AR1 in humans. Protein post-translational modification by glyc-oxidation or other events is probably the key factor in the aetiology of diabetic complications. There is now no need to invoke AR2 in xylitol biosynthesis. Xylitol can be produced in the lens from glucose, via a pathway involving the enzymes myo-inositol-oxygen oxidoreductase, D-glucuronate reductase. L-gulonate NAD(+)-3-oxidoreductase and L-iditol-NAD(+)-5-oxidoreductase, all of which have recently been found in bovine and rat lens. This chapter investigates the molecular events underlying AR2 and its binding and kinetics. Induction of the protein by osmotic response elements is discussed, with detailed analysis of recent in vitro and in vivo experiments on numerous ARIs. These have a number of actions in the cell which are not specific, and which do not involve them binding to AR2. These include peroxy-radical scavenging and recently discovered effects of metal ion chelation. In controlled experiments, it has been found that incubation of rat lens homogenate with glucose and the copper chelator o-phenanthroline abolishes production of sorbitol. Taken together, these results suggest AR2 is a vestigial NADPH-binding protein, perhaps similar in function to a number of non-mammalian crystallins which have been recruited into the lens. There is mounting evidence for the binding of reactive aldehyde moieties to the protein, and the involvement of AR2 either as a 'housekeeping' protein, or in a free-radial-mediated 'catalytic' role. Interfering with the NADPH binding and flux levels--possibly involving free radicals and metal ions--has a deleterious effect. We have yet to determine whether aldose reductase is the black sheep of the aldehyde reductase family, or whether it is a skeleton in the cupboard, waiting to be clothed in the flesh of new revelations in the interactions between proteins, metal ions and redox metabolites.

Inhibition of pig kidney diamine oxidase by nazlinin and nazlinin derivatives

Nazlinin (1-(4-butylamino)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline) (1), an alkaloid recently isolated from Nitraria schoberi, and its two derivatives, 1-(4-butylamino)-3,4-dihydro-beta-carboline (2) and 1-(4-butylamino)-beta-carboline (3), were synthesized and their interaction with pig kidney diamine oxidase (PKDO) was studied. Nazlinin appeared to be a very poor substrate while 3 was a good substrate with an apparent Km of 9.3-10(-5) M. The enzyme was inhibited by 1 and 2. With both compounds the mode of inhibition found was non-competitive and inhibition constants calculated from the slopes and intercepts of double-reciprocal plots show that 2 is a much more potent inhibitor than the natural product. The relationship between the structure of these compounds and the results found is discussed.

Histamine food poisoning: toxicology and clinical aspects

Histamine poisoning can result from the ingestion of food containing unusually high levels of histamine. Fish are most commonly involved in incidents of histamine poisoning, although cheese has also been implicated on occasion. The historic involvement of tuna and mackerel in histamine poisoning led to the longtime usage of the term, scombroid fish poisoning, to describe this food-borne illness. Histamine poisoning is characterized by a short incubation period, a short duration, and symptoms resembling those associated with allergic reactions. The evidence supporting the role of histamine as the causative agent is compelling. The efficacy of antihistamine therapy, the allergic-like symptomology, and the finding of high levels of histamine in the implicated food suggest strongly that histamine is the causative agent. However, histamine ingested with spoiled fish appears to be much more toxic than histamine ingested in an aqueous solution. The presence of potentiators of histamine toxicity in the spoiled fish may account for this difference in toxicity. Several potentiators including other putrefactive amines such as putrescine and cadaverine have been identified. Pharmacologic potentiators may also exist; aminoguanidine and isoniazid are examples. The mechanism of action of these potentiators appears to be the inhibition of intestinal histamine-metabolizing enzymes. This enzyme inhibition causes a decrease in histamine detoxification in the intestinal mucosa and results in increased intestinal uptake and urinary excretion of unmetabolized histamine.

Inhibitory actions of hydralazine upon monoamine oxidizing enzymes in the rat

The inhibition by hydralazine of the clorgyline-resistant amine oxidase (CRAO) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) activities in various rat tissues has been studied. Hydralazine was a potent, time-dependent inhibitor of rat heart CRAO activity in vitro. The inhibition was not reversed by dialysis for 18 hr at 4 degrees, and only partially reversed by dialysis at 37 degrees. Dialysis at 4 degrees in the presence of pyridoxal phosphate (10(-4) M) also did not reverse the inhibition. Ex vivo inhibition of CRAO was found in heart and aorta homogenates in a dose-dependent manner after administration of hydralazine (1-40 mg/kg i.p.) to rats. In contrast, MAO-A activity was unaffected or, in some cases, significantly increased in these tissue homogenates from drug-treated animals. However, in vitro inhibition by hydralazine of both MAO-A and B activities of rat liver mitochondrial fractions was found, and these effects were fully reversible by dialysis for 18 hr at 4 degrees. Inhibition of MAO-A was competitive (Ki of 2.5 X 10(-6) M), while inhibition of MAO-B showed complex mixed non-competitive kinetics. These results indicate that hydralazine possesses different inhibitory properties towards the various amine oxidases in rat tissues, and these actions are discussed in relation to the clinical use of the drug as an anti-hypertensive agent.

Levamisole and other diamine oxidase inhibitors as inhibitors of sperm motility

Levamisole, an anthelmintic drug and inhibitor of sperm motility, is a potent inhibitor of seminal diamine oxidase. Many other diamine oxidase inhibitors also inhibit sperm motility. The most active class of these sperm motility inhibitors is the group for isothiuronium compounds, some of which are much more potent than many other metabolic inhibitors tested. They also possess the property of inducing sperm to be motile in closed circles becoming immotile with a characteristically curled shape, and are active against mouse epididymal, rabbit, and human spermatozoa.

Inhibition of diamine oxidase by antihistaminic agents and related drugs

Various drugs were tested as inhibitors of diamine oxidase on the basis of chemical relationships to the enzyme substrates. It was found that serotonine tryptamine and phenformin are good competitive inhibitors while cimetidine and pheniprazine are non-competitive inhibitors. Other antihistaminic drugs like promethazine are less powerful inhibitors.

Purification and properties of human amniotic fluid diamine oxidase

Diamine oxidase (DAO) was purified from amniotic fluid. The activity was separated in two DAO fractions with pI values of 5.8 and 4.0. Molecular weight were found to be 245,000 and 485,000, respectively, with subunit molecular weight of 110,000. This indicated that they probably are dimer and tetramer of the same DAO subunit. The enzyme was active against putrescine and histamine and was strongly inhibited by carbonyl group reagents. A Ping Pong Bi Ter enzyme reaction mechanism is probable. The diamine, with one amino group protonized, is suggested to be responsible for interaction with the enzyme.

Time-dependent inhibition of diamine oxidase by carbonyl-group reagents and urea

1. The behaviour of several carbonyl group reagents and urea as time-dependent inhibitors of both pig kidney and human placental diamine oxidase is described. 2. Plots of log (vt/vo) against time were not linear with these reagents as the usual theories predict. 3. This was particularly the case with aminoguanidine and phenylhydrazine and a thorough study of the effects of these compounds on the human placental diamine oxidase is described. 4. By applying a new theory for time-dependent inhibition, the inhibition of diamine oxidase by aminoguanidine and phenylhydrazine is adequately accounted for. 5. The time-dependent recovery of activity on addition of sodium pyruvate suggested that the compounds used are acting solely as carbonyl group reagents, inhibiting by Schiff-base formation at the active-site carbonyl group.

4-aminobutyrate in mammalian putrescine catabolism

The effects of inhibitors of diamine oxidase (EC 1.4.3.6), monoamine oxidase (EC 1.4.3.4) and 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.19) on the catabolism of putrescine in mice in vivo were studied. Diamine oxidase inhibitors and carboxymethoxylamine (amino-oxyacetate) markedly inhibit the metabolism of [(14)C]putrescine to (14)CO(2), but affect different enzymes. Aminoguanidine specifically inhibits the mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial diamine oxidases, whereas carboxymethoxylamine specifically inhibits 4-aminobutyrate transamination by the mitochondrial pathway. Hydrazine inhibits at both sites, and results in increased concentrations of 4-aminobutyrate in brain and liver. Pretreatment of mice with carboxymethoxylamine and [(14)C]putrescine leads to the urinary excretion of amino[(14)C]butyrate. Carboxymethoxylamine does not affect the non-mitochondrial pathway of putrescine catabolism, as the product of oxidative deamination of putrescine in the extramitochondrial compartment is not further oxidized but is excreted in the urine as derivatives of 4-aminobutyraldehyde. Another catabolic pathway of putrescine involves monoamine oxidase, and the monoamine oxidase inhibitor, pargyline, decreases the metabolism of [(14)C]putrescine to (14)CO(2)in vivo. Catabolism of putrescine to CO(2)in vivo occurs along different pathways, both of which have 4-aminobutyrate as a common intermediate, in contrast with the non-mitochondrial catabolism of putrescine, which terminates in the excretion of 4-aminobutyraldehyde derivatives. The significance of the different pathways is discussed.