The effects of chronic regimens of clorgyline and pargyline on monoamine metabolism in the rat brain

Differential in vivo regulation of TH and DBH mRNA in rat atria by maprotiline and fluoxetine

It is well known that antidepressants affect central monoaminergic neurotransmission and that they also modulate hormone release in peripheral tissues. Repeated maprotiline (a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor) and fluoxetine (a serotonin reuptake inhibitor) treatment on gene expression of the catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes were examined in rat atria and ventricles in vivo. Maprotiline decreased the gene expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine?-hydroxylase (DBH) in the rat atrium. Fluoxetine increased gene expression of TH and DBH, but not of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT). Chronic application of antidepressants did not change the expression of these enzymes in the ventricles. We conclude that repeated administration of fluoxetine enhances gene transcription of TH and DBH and subsequently stimulates noradrenaline synthesis in rat atria in vivo.

Effects of repeated maprotiline and fluoxetine treatment on gene expression of catecholamine synthesizing enzymes in adrenal medulla of unstressed and stressed rats

1 Repeated maprotiline (a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor) and fluoxetine (a serotonin reuptake inhibitor) treatment on gene expression of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes were examined in adrenal medulla of unstressed control and chronic unpredictable mild stressed rats. 2 Maprotiline did not change gene expression of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes in control and stressed rats. 3 Fluoxetine increased gene expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH), but did not phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase in both unstressed and chronic unpredictable mild stressed animals. 4 In conclusion, we have demonstrated that repeated administration of fluoxetine enhanced gene transcription of TH and DBH and subsequently stimulates noradrenaline synthesis in adrenal medulla of control and stressed rats.

Modification of L-DOPA pharmacological activity by MAO inhibitors

Dopamine behaves mainly as a MAO-A substrate in rodent brain, but selective inhibition of MAO-B results in an increased turning activity following L-DOPA administration in hemi-Parkinsonian rodents. Unilateral substantia nigra dopaminergic denervation results in serotonergic hyper-innervation which may increase the contribution of MAO-A in the denervated striatum. Possibly as a result of this, there was no change in striatal MAO-A activity when 95% of dopaminergic innervation was reduced by 6-hydroxydopamine, as assessed by apomorphine-induced turning activity. MAO-B as well as MAO-A may contribute to deamination of dopamine produced from L-DOPA.

Stimulation of catecholamine synthesis via activation of p44/42 MAPK in cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells by milnacipran

Milnacipran is a serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) and is used clinically as an antidepressant. We report here the effect of milnacipran on catecholamine synthesis in cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells. Incubation of adrenal medullary cells with milnacipran (300 ng/ml, 1,065 nM) for 20 min resulted in a significant increase in 14C-catecholamine synthesis from [14C]tyrosine, but not from [14C]DOPA, whereas the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), paroxetine (300 ng/ml, 800 nM) and fluvoxamine (300 ng/ml, 691 nM), had little effect. Milnacipran, but not paroxetine or fluvoxamine, increased the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting step of catecholamine biosynthesis, in a concentration-dependent manner (100-300 ng/ml, 355-1,065 nM). U0126 (1 microM), an inhibitor of p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase, abolished the stimulatory effects of milnacipran on tyrosine hydroxylase activity. Furthermore, incubation of cells with milnacipran (30-100 ng/ml) for 5 min activated p44/42 MAPK, whereas paroxetine and fluvoxamine did not. The present findings suggest that milnacipran activates tyrosine hydroxylase and then stimulates catecholamine synthesis through a p44/42 MAPK-dependent pathway in cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells.

Differential effects of clorgyline on sensitization to quinpirole in rats tested in small and large environments

RATIONALE

Cotreatment with clorgyline shifts the development of sensitization to the D2/D3 dopamine receptor agonist quinpirole from locomotion to mouthing, an effect apparently unrelated to the monoamine oxidase inhibition property of clorgyline. This phenomenon was demonstrated in rats examined in small activity chambers. However, like with other psychostimulant drugs, sensitization to quinpirole is modulated by environmental context. It is not known whether the clorgyline cotreatment effect is likewise influenced by the environment.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the generality of the clorgyline effect on behavioral sensitization by evaluating the effects of clorgyline cotreatment on sensitization to quinpirole in two different environments: a small activity chamber and a large open field.

METHODS

Male rats received eight injections of quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg, twice weekly) in an open field or activity chamber; one group in each environment received a constant infusion of clorgyline (1 mg/kg/day via osmotic minipumps) while the other group served as the sham surgery control. For quinpirole injection 7 or 8, rats were tested in the alternate environment.

RESULTS

In activity chambers, clorgyline cotreatment switched sensitization to quinpirole from locomotion to mouthing. In the open field, clorgyline cotreatment increased mouthing and expanded the explored space without a change in path stereotypy or the amount of locomotion compared to treatment with quinpirole alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Structure of the environment can modulate the clorgyline cotreatment effect on behavioral sensitization to quinpirole. The behavioral profiles produced by clorgyline cotreatment in the two environments resembled the behavioral effects observed with quinpirole and D1 agonist cotreatment. It is suggested that clorgyline cotreatment produces a behavioral profile characteristic of enhanced dopamine D1 and D2 receptor costimulation.

Inhibition of methamphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion in mice by clorgyline, a monoamine oxidase-a inhibitor, through alteration of the 5-hydroxytriptamine turnover in the striatum

The psychomotor stimulant methamphetamine (METH) has been shown to cause specific behaviors such as hyperlocomotion in rodents. Pretreatment of repeated s.c. administration of clorgyline (1 mg/kg, once per day for 5 consecutive days), a monoamine oxidase (MAO)-A inhibitor, blocked hyperlocomotion induced by a single i.p. administration of METH (1 mg/kg) in male ICR mice, without any effect on spontaneous locomotion. The blockade was also observed when mice were pretreated with a single administration of clorgyline (1 mg/kg, s.c.), without potentiating hyperlocomotion and rearing induced by a single challenge of METH at the range of 0.5-2 mg/kg (i.p.). In contrast, single or repeated pretreatment of selegiline (0.3 mg/kg, s.c.), a MAO-B inhibitor, had no effect on METH-induced hyperlocomotion. Clorgyline pretreatment, both single and repeated, altered the effects of single METH challenges on apparent 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) turnover in the region of the striatum and accumbens. These results suggest that clorgyline tends to oppose METH-induced hyperlocomotion through alteration of the serotonergic system in the region of the striatum and accumbens.

Corrigendum to "gender in obsessive-compulsive disorder: clinical and genetic findings" [Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol. 14 (2004) 105-113]

BACKGROUND

There is increasing recognition that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is not a homogeneous entity. It has been suggested that gender may contribute to the clinical and biological heterogeneity of OCD.

METHODS

Two hundred and twenty patients (n=220; 107 male, 113 female) with DSM-IV OCD (age: 36.40 +/- 13.46) underwent structured interviews. A subset of Caucasian subjects (n=178), including subjects from the genetically homogeneous Afrikaner population (n=81), and of matched control subjects (n=161), was genotyped for polymorphisms in genes involved in monoamine function. Clinical and genetic data were statistically analyzed across gender.

RESULTS

Compared with females, males with OCD (1) had an earlier age of onset, and a trend toward having more tics and worse outcome, (2) had somewhat differing patterns of OCD symptomatology and axis I comorbidity, and (3) in the Caucasian group, were more likely to have the high activity T allele of the EcoRV variant of the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) gene compared to controls, and (4) in the Afrikaner subgroup, were more frequently homozygous for the G allele at the G861C variant of the 5HT1Dbeta gene than controls. Females with OCD (1) reported more sexual abuse during childhood than males, (2) often noted changes in obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the premenstrual/menstrual period as well as during/shortly after pregnancy, and with menopause, and (3) in the Caucasian subgroup, were more frequently homozygous for the low activity C allele of the EcoRV variant of the MAO-A gene compared to controls, with this allele also more frequent in female patients than controls.

CONCLUSION

This study supports the hypothesis that gender contributes to the clinical and biological heterogeneity of OCD. A sexually dimorphic pattern of genetic susceptibility to OCD may be present. Further work is, however, needed to delineate the mechanisms that are responsible for mediating the effects of gender.

Gender in obsessive-compulsive disorder: clinical and genetic findings

BACKGROUND

There is increasing recognition that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is not a homogeneous entity. It has been suggested that gender may contribute to the clinical and biological heterogeneity of OCD.

METHODS

Two hundred and twenty patients (n=220; 107 male, 113 female) with DSM-IV OCD (age: 36.40+/-13.46) underwent structured interviews. A subset of Caucasian subjects (n=178), including subjects from the genetically homogeneous Afrikaner population (n=81), and of matched control subjects (n=161), was genotyped for polymorphisms in genes involved in monoamine function. Clinical and genetic data were statistically analyzed across gender.

RESULTS

Compared with females, males with OCD (1) had an earlier age of onset, and a trend toward having more tics and worse outcome, (2) had somewhat differing patterns of OCD symptomatology and axis I comorbidity, and (3) in the Caucasian group, were more likely to have the high activity T allele of the EcoRV variant of the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) gene compared to controls, and (4) in the Afrikaner subgroup, were more frequently homozygous for the C allele at the G861C variant of the 5HT(1D beta) gene than controls. Females with OCD (1) reported more sexual abuse during childhood than males, (2) often noted changes in obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the premenstrual/menstrual period as well as during/shortly after pregnancy, and with menopause, and (3) in the Caucasian subgroup, were more frequently homozygous for the low activity C allele of the EcoRV variant of the MAO-A gene compared to controls, with this allele also more frequent in female patients than controls.

CONCLUSION

This study supports the hypothesis that gender contributes to the clinical and biological heterogeneity of OCD. A sexually dimorphic pattern of genetic susceptibility to OCD may be present. Further work is, however, needed to delineate the mechanisms that are responsible for mediating the effects of gender.

Pharmacological properties of the anti-Parkinson drug rasagiline; modification of endogenous brain amines, reserpine reversal, serotonergic and dopaminergic behaviours

Rasagiline [N-propargyl-1R(+)-aminoindan; TVP1012] is a potent irreversible monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor with selectivity for type B of the enzyme, which is being developed for treatment of Parkinson's disease. In this study we examined effects of rasagiline on CNS monoamine levels, modification of behavioural response to L-tryptophan, fluoxetine and L-DOPA, and reversal of reserpine syndrome. Reserpine-induced ptosis was reversed by rasagiline at doses above 2 mg x kg(-1) i.p., which inhibit MAO-A as well as MAO-B, but not at MAO-B-selective doses. However, combination of rasagiline (10 mg x kg(-1) i.p.) with L-DOPA or L-tryptophan (50 mg x kg(-1) i.p.), or rasagiline (10 mg x kg(-1) p.o.) with fluoxetine (10 mg x kg(-1) p.o.), did not induce the behavioural hyperactivity syndrome which is seen following inhibition of both MAO-A and MAO-B by tranylcypromine together with the monoamine precursors. Following oral administration, levels of noradrenaline (NA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) were unaffected in hippocampus and striatum after single doses of rasagiline up to 2 mg x kg(-1). Following chronic oral administration (21 days, one dose daily), levels of NA, 5-HT and DA in hippocampus and striatum were unaffected by rasagiline at doses up to 1 mg x kg(-1). Rasagiline does not modify CNS monoamine tissue levels or monoamine-induced behavioural syndromes at doses which selectively inhibit MAO-B but not MAO-A.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitor-induced blockade of locomotor sensitization to quinpirole: role of striatal dopamine uptake inhibition

Previous studies have shown that the monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) clorgyline, blocks locomotor sensitization to the D(2)/D(3) dopamine agonist quinpirole and sensitizes self-directed mouthing behavior in rats by a mechanism independent of MAO inhibition. However, clorgyline is also an inhibitor of striatal dopamine uptake, and this mechanism could account for the effect of clorgyline on quinpirole sensitization. To investigate this possibility, the effects of clorgyline and pargyline were examined. Of these two MAOIs, only clorgyline inhibits dopamine uptake in the striatum. Rats received subcutaneous injections of clorgyline (1 mg/kg), pargyline (10 mg/kg) or vehicle 90 min prior to each injection of quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg, s.c., x8, twice weekly) or saline. Clorgyline and pargyline blocked the development of quinpirole-induced locomotor sensitization and sensitized self-directed mouthing behaviors in quinpirole rats. Thus, it is unlikely that clorgyline blocks locomotor sensitization to quinpirole via an inhibition of striatal dopamine uptake. Both MAOIs increased dopamine metabolism in the striatum, showed opposite effects in the prefrontal cortex, and eliminated the correlation between prefrontal dopamine and striatal DOPAC content found in quinpirole sensitized rats. We suggest that clorgyline and pargyline may affect the behavioral and neurochemical response to quinpirole via a previously reported MAOI-displaceable quinpirole binding site, a site which we hypothesize serves as a 'switch' to select what motor output becomes sensitized to repeated injections of quinpirole.

Family-based association studies support a sexually dimorphic effect of COMT and MAOA on genetic susceptibility to obsessive-compulsive disorder

BACKGROUND

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common and severe psychiatric illness that affects 1-3% of the population and presents a well-established co-morbidity with major depressive disorder (MDD). Twin and family studies have suggested a genetic component in the etiology of OCD, although the mode of inheritance is unknown. Pharmacotherapy of the disease implicates both serotonergic and dopaminergic pathways. Previously, guided by the 22q11 microdeletion-related psychiatric phenotype, we provided evidence for a sexually dimorphic association between OCD and the gene for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). In this report, we use 110 nuclear OCD families to analyze the inheritance of variants of COMT and monoamine oxidase-A (MAOA), another gene modulating monoamine metabolism.

METHODS

A sample of 110 nuclear OCD families was collected, and lifetime diagnoses were ascertained using the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS). DNA was genotyped for functional variants of the COMT and MAO genes, and allele inheritance was examined using the Transmission Disequilibrium Test (TDT) and Haplotype-based Haplotype Relative Risk (HHRR) test.

RESULTS

We provide evidence supporting the previously reported sexually dimorphic association between low COMT enzymatic activity and OCD. We also provide evidence for a similar sexually dimorphic association between OCD and an allele of the MAOA gene, previously linked to high MAO-A enzymatic activity. In agreement with the well-established action of MAO-A inhibitors as antidepressants, this association is particularly marked among male OCD probands with co-morbid MDD, who represent more than 50% of our male OCD sample.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis indicates that variants of two genes modulating monoamine metabolism contribute significantly to OCD susceptibility. Most importantly, an unexpected sexually dimorphic pattern of genetic susceptibility to OCD is revealed and suggests the possibility that profound gender differences in genetic predisposition may exist not only for other OCD susceptibility genes, but for an array of other psychiatric disorders as well.

Specific genetic deficiencies of the A and B isoenzymes of monoamine oxidase are characterized by distinct neurochemical and clinical phenotypes

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) exists as two isoenzymes and plays a central role in the metabolism of monoamine neurotransmitters. In this study we compared the neurochemical phenotypes of previously described subjects with genetically determined selective lack of MAO-A or a lack of both MAO-A and MAO-B with those of two subjects with a previously described X chromosome microdeletion in whom we now demonstrate selective MAO-B deficiency. Mapping of the distal deletion breakpoint demonstrates its location in intron 5 of the MAO-B gene, with the deletion extending proximally into the Norrie disease gene. In contrast to the borderline mental retardation and abnormal behavioral phenotype in subjects with selective MAO-A deficiency and the severe mental retardation in patients with combined MAO-A/MAO-B deficiency and Norrie disease, the MAO-B-deficient subjects exhibit neither abnormal behavior nor mental retardation. Distinct neurochemical profiles characterize the three groups of MAO-deficient patients. In MAO-A-deficient subjects, there is a marked decrease in deaminated catecholamine metabolites and a concomitant marked elevation of O-methylated amine metabolites. These neurochemical changes are only slightly exaggerated in patients with combined lack of MAO-A and MAO-B. In contrast, the only biochemical abnormalities detected in subjects with the MAO-B gene deletion are a complete absence of platelet MAO-B activity and an increased urinary excretion of phenylethylamine. The differences in neurochemical profiles indicate that, under normal conditions, MAO-A is considerably more important than MAO-B in the metabolism of biogenic amines, a factor likely to contribute to the different clinical phenotypes.

Biological correlates of deliberate self-harm behaviour: a study of electroencephalographic, biochemical and psychological variables in parasuicide

Clinical, electroencephalographic and biochemical variables were measured in 40 patients who attempted suicide and 27 age-matched controls. Patients had significantly higher scores for depression, hopelessness, neuroticism and psychoticism and lower scores for extraversion than controls. They also had significantly lower contingent negative variation (CNV), higher postimperative negative variation and lower whole blood serotonin values than controls. Within the patient group, vulnerability to parasuicide, as determined by previous or repeated acts of deliberate self-harm, was associated with higher scores for hopelessness and suicide intent, lower scores for extraversion and decreased CNV. Factor analysis revealed significant correlations between psychological variables and auditory evoked potential amplitudes for the vulnerable group. A profile of variables associated with increased risk of self-harm in patients presenting with attempted suicide is proposed from our data.

Effect of chronic tryptophan depletion on the circadian rhythm of wheel-running activity in rats

The effect of chronic treatment with a tryptophan (TRP)-free diet on the free-running circadian wheel-running rhythm and the central serotonergic system was investigated in blinded male rats. The long-term TRP-free diet did not change periods of activity, but disordered their patterns. This seemed to be due to masking, entrainment, enhancement of the morning activity, and obscuring of the activity onset as well as appearance of some periodic activities within the subjective night. A long-term TRP-fre diet decreased the concentration of TRP, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in all brain regions tested: frontal cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, midbrain, and pons. Density of 5-HT1A receptor binding was significantly decreased in the frontal cortex and hypothalamus, whereas no significant change was observed in the density of 5-HT2 receptor binding in all regions. These results suggest that the period of primary circadian pacemaker is not affected, but its oscillation, as well as the coupling strength between the primary and secondary pacemakers, is weakened by the dysfunction of the serotonergic system caused by chronic TRP depletion.

Autonomic and behavioral thermoregulation in the golden hamster during subchronic administration of clorgyline

Chronic administration of clorgyline, a type-A monoamine oxidase inhibitor, leads to a decrease in peritoneal (i.e., core) temperature of golden hamsters. To better understand the mechanisms of clorgyline's thermoregulatory effects, autonomic and behavioral thermoregulatory effectors were measured in Syrian hamsters following chronic infusion of clorgyline via a minipump (2 mg/kg/day). Metabolic rate, evaporative water loss, motor activity, and core temperature were measured after 60 min of exposure to ambient temperatures (Ta) of 5, 20, 30, and 35 degrees C. Behavioral thermoregulatory responses were assessed by measuring selected Ta and motor activity of the same animals in a temperature gradient over the course of 23 h. Metabolic rate and motor activity were significantly elevated in clorgyline-treated hamsters exposed to a Ta of 5 degrees C. There were no effects of clorgyline on evaporative water loss. In the temperature gradient the mean selected Ta of clorgyline-treated hamsters was nearly equal to that of the saline-treated hamsters, 30.7 and 31.2 degrees C, respectively. On the other hand, the mode of selected Ta in the clorgyline group was 2.8 degrees C higher than that of the saline group. Motor activity in the gradient was significantly elevated and food consumption was depressed by clorgyline treatment. Overall, these findings indicate that chronic clorgyline treatment in the golden hamster results in novel autonomic and behavioral modification; it stimulates metabolic thermogenesis during cold exposure, but appears to increase the behavioral zone of thermoneutrality. This latter effect may mean an improvement in heat tolerance, suggesting that this drug might assist in the adaptation to warm temperatures.

The interaction of thyroid state, MAOI drug treatment, and light on the level and circadian pattern of wheel-running in rats

In order to examine the relationship between thyroid status, the circadian system, and antidepressant drug response, the antidepressant drug clorgyline, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), was administered chronically to sham-operated or thyroparathyroidectomized rats. Wheel-running was monitored continuously in a light-dark (LD) cycle, and then in constant dim light. In LD, MAOI treatment increased levels of running. This effect was delayed in hypothyroid rats relative to euthyroid rats. In constant light, the MAOI-induced increase in running was diminished in euthyroid but not hypothyroid animals. Hypothyroid animals were less responsive to the change in lighting than were euthyroid animals, and this was more apparent in hypothyroid rats given MAOI. The daily pattern of running differed with lighting condition as well as with treatment group. MAOI-treatment of hypothyroid animals phase-advanced the pattern of wheel-running. MAOI-treatment of control animals increased the amplitude of wheel-running particularly in the LD cycle. These results indicate that thyroid status, lighting, and MAOI treatment interact to alter the behavioral response to chronic drug treatment.

Diurnal variations of serotonin and dopamine levels in discrete brain regions of Syrian hamsters and their modification by chronic clorgyline treatment

In Syrian hamsters, chronic administration of the type A monoamine oxidase inhibitor, clorgyline (CLG), alters the intrinsic period and daily pattern of the circadian rhythm of wheel running, and changes the intensity-response curve for phase-shifting of the rhythm by light pulses. Chronic treatment with CLG also decreases hypothalamic and peritoneal temperatures, particularly during the rest phase of the activity-rest cycle. To help identify monoamines that may mediate CLG's effects on circadian rhythms, we measured levels of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) at nine time points over a 24-h period in micro-dissected brain regions in chronic CLG-treated or saline-treated hamsters. For 5-HT, a diurnal variation was detected in all regions in saline-treated animals; for DA, no diurnal variation was detected in any region. In all regions, 5-HT levels and, to a lesser extent, DA levels were higher after CLG treatment. The acrophase of the 5-HT rhythm in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) was delayed by CLG-treatment, while the acrophase in the dorsal raphe nucleus was unchanged. The diurnal variation of 5-HT in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, medial preoptic area, and median raphe nuclei was no longer detectable after chronic CLG-treatment. The phase-delay induced by CLG treatment in the daily rhythm of serotonin levels in the SCN, which functions as a circadian pacemaker, may be an important mechanism underlying the drug's capacity to slow the intrinsic rhythm of the pacemaker and to phase-delay behavioral rhythms that are under its control.

The effect of the MAO-A selective inhibitor brofaromine on the plasma and urine concentrations of some biogenic amines and their acidic metabolites in bulimia nervosa

1. Brofaromine or placebo were administered to female bulimia nervosa patients over a period of eight weeks. Plasma and urinary trace amines, their acidic metabolites and the acidic metabolites of the catecholamines and serotonin were assessed prior to treatment and at four and eight weeks after commencement of treatment. 2. The levels of both plasma and urinary homovanillic and vanilmandelic acids declined significantly during the first four weeks of treatment with brofaromine and then partially recovered to pre-drug levels by the eighth week. 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels were not affected by drug treatment at the times assessments were made. Urinary tryptamine increased significantly during the first four weeks of brofaromine treatment then partially recovered towards pre-drug levels by the eighth week. No effect from placebo treatment was observed.

Chronic inhibition of monoamine oxidase type A increases noradrenaline release in rat frontal cortex

Chronic but not acute treatment of rats with MAO inhibitors, as with other antidepressant drugs, has been shown to down-regulate the number of cerebro-cortical beta-adrenoceptors. In order to establish whether this effect is associated with an increase in cortical noradrenaline release, rats were treated for 1, 3 or 21 days with clorgyline (2 mg/kg i.p. single injection; 1 mg/kg i.p. repeated injections), and the frontal cortex was then perfused by microdialysis in the awake animal. Control animals were injected with saline. The concentration of noradrenaline in the microdialysate increased only slightly after 1 or 3 days of clorgyline treatment but increased fourfold over control levels after 21 days treatment. Yohimbine (20 mumol/l) added to the perfusing solution caused a similar degree of enhancement in microdialysate noradrenaline concentration in all groups of rats. Tetrodotoxin (10 mumol/l) reduced noradrenaline concentration to low levels in all groups of animals, but noradrenaline was still detectable in the microdialysate in rats treated with clorgyline for 21 days. Concentrations of the deaminated metabolites dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, dihydroxyphenylglycol and methoxy-hydroxyphenylglycol were lowest after the 21 day clorgyline treatment. Determination of enzyme activity ex vivo showed that MAO-A was inhibited more than 95% by all clorgyline treatments with less than 10% inhibition of MAO-B. The results indicate that cerebrocortical noradrenaline release increases gradually during chronic MAO inhibition. This may be the result of more complete inhibition of the enzyme with time, not detectable by the ex vivo assay, but shown by the progressive reduction in metabolite levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Influence of clorgyline treatment on chronopharmacology of furosemide in rats

Circadian variations in the adrenergic nervous system have been reported to be altered by chronic treatment with clorgyline, a monoamine-oxidase inhibitor. In the present study, the influence of clorgyline on the chronopharmacology of furosemide, a loop diuretic agent, was examined in rats maintained under conditions of light from 7 am to 7 pm and dark from 7 pm to 7 am. Clorgyline (4 mg/kg/day) or its vehicle alone was infused subcutaneously by osmotic minipumps for 14 days. Furosemide (30 mg/kg) was given orally at 12 am [noon (N)] or 12 pm [midnight (M)]. Urine was collected for 8 hours after the agent, and urinary excretions of sodium and furosemide were determined. Urine volume and urinary excretions of sodium and furosemide were significantly greater at 12 N than at 12 M in the vehicle-infused group of rats. However these administration time-dependent changes in the effects of furosemide and its urinary excretion disappeared in the clorgyline-infused animals. These results suggest that the mode of the diurnal variation in the effects of furosemide is altered by chronic treatment with clorgyline. As chronic clorgyline is considered to disturb the adrenergic nervous system, the present findings are compatible with the hypothesis that this system is involved in the mechanism responsible for the time-dependent change in the effects of furosemide.

Effects of clorgyline on the release of noradrenaline from rat vas deferens

Release of endogenous noradrenaline (NA) and functional activity of presynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptors were measured in isolated rat vas deferens following acute (2 mg/kg) or chronic (21 * 1 mg/kg daily, i.p.) treatment with clorgyline. Noradrenaline tissue content was higher in rats treated chronically with clorgyline than in those treated acutely. In vitro experiments done in the presence of 1 microM desipramine and 0.5 microM yohimbine showed that NA release, elicited by electrical field stimulation, was higher in chronic clorgyline rats than in controls, while no significant difference was found between acute clorgyline and control rats. Yohimbine enhanced evoked release of NA in all treatment groups, provided that desipramine was present in the Krebs solution, and the enhancement was non significantly higher in chronic clorgyline than in acute clorgyline and control rats. Efflux of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol was lower in chronic clorgyline rats than in other groups. No difference was found between the treatment groups in a 1 min [3H]NA uptake into the tissue, nor in the ability of desipramine (1 microM) to block the uptake. The results indicate that following chronic treatment with clorgyline, evoked release of NA increased, and there was no reduction in the ability of the presynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptor inhibitory mechanism to reduce nerve stimulation induced release of NA.

The new generation of monoamine oxidase inhibitors

Irreversible and unspecific inhibitors of MAO were the first modern antidepressants, but after an initial success they fell into discredit due to adverse side effects. In the past two decades interest in MAO inhibitors has been renewed because of progress in basic research, a milestone being the finding that there are two subtypes of MAO, MAO-A and MAO-B. These are distinct proteins with high amino acid homology, coded by separate genes both located on the short arm of the human chromosome X. The enzyme subforms show different substrate specificities in vitro and different distributions within the central nervous system and in peripheral organs. In the central nervous system of man MAO-A seems to be mainly involved in the metabolism of 5 HT and noradrenaline, whereas 2-phenylethylamine and probably dopamine are predominantly deaminated by MAO-B. In the intestinal tract tyramine is mainly metabolized by MAO-A. These characteristics indicate distinct physiological functions of the two MAO-subforms. Several irreversible and reversible non-hydrazine inhibitors with relative selectivities for one of the MAO-subforms have been developed. They belong to various chemical classes with different modes of enzyme inhibition. These range from covalent mechanism based interaction (e.g. by propargyl- and allylamine derivatives) to pseudosubstrate inhibition (e.g. by 2-aminoethyl-carboxamides) and non-covalent interaction (e.g. by brofaromine, toloxatone and possibly moclobemide). The most important pharmacological effects of the new types of MAO inhibitors are those observed in neuropsychiatric disorders. The inhibitors of MAO-A show a favorable action in various forms of mental depression. The drugs seem to have about the same activity as other types of antidepressants, including tricyclic and related compounds as well as classical MAO inhibitors. The onset of action of the MAO-A inhibitors is claimed to be relatively fast. Other possible indications of these drugs include disorders with cognitive impairment, e.g. dementia of the Alzheimer type. In subjects with Parkinson's disease the MAO-B inhibitor L-deprenyl exerts a L-dopa-sparing effect, prolongs L-dopa action and seems to have a favorable influence regarding on-off disabilities. The action is in general transitory (months to several years). In addition L-deprenyl has been shown to delay the necessity for L-dopa treatment in patients with early parkinsonism. Whether the drug influence the progression of the disease is still a matter of debate. L-deprenyl also appears to have some antidepressant effect (especially in higher doses) and to exert a beneficial influence in other disorders, e.g. dementia of the Alzheimer type.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Psychoactive drugs and human sexual behavior: the role of serotonergic activity

A wide range of both prescription and nonprescription drugs has been reported to affect human sexual functioning. While the sexual side effects resulting from drug use have often been attributed to adrenergic, anticholinergic or dopaminergic activity, the present review considers the potential role of serotonin. Based on animal studies, serotonin has been shown to either facilitate or inhibit sexual activity depending on which serotonin receptor subtype is activated. However, few studies have been done in the human that assess the effects of drugs that bind selectively to serotonin receptors. Consequently, little is known about the role of serotonin in human sexual functioning. In this review, a wide range of drugs that affect both brain serotonergic systems and human sexual behavior is examined in an effort to determine the possible role of serotonin in human sexual behavior. A review of the literature is consistent with the hypothesis that the 5-HT1A and the 5-HT2 receptor subtypes play a facilitatory role in human sexual behavior. The evidence suggests that drugs that act as agonists on these receptor sites enhance sexual functioning in the human, while those that act as antagonists inhibit sexual functioning.

Clinical and biochemical aspects of depressive disorders: II. Transmitter/receptor theories

The present document is the second of three parts in a review that focuses on recent data from clinical and animal research concerning the biochemical bases of depressive disorders, diagnosis, and treatment. Various receptor/transmitter theories of depressive disorders are discussed in this section. Specifically, data supporting noradrenergic, serotonergic, cholinergic, dopaminergic, GABAergic, and peptidergic theories, as well as interactions between noradrenergic and serotonergic, or cholinergic and catecholaminergic systems are presented. Problems with the data and future directions for research are also discussed. A previous publication, Part I of this review, dealt with the classification of depressive disorders and research techniques for studying the biochemical mechanisms of these disorders. A future publication, Part III of this review, discusses treatments for depression and some of the controversies in this field.

Effect of chronic ritanserin or clorgyline on amine and metabolite levels in rat frontal cortex

As part of an investigation of ritanserin-induced receptor down-regulation, monoamine and metabolite levels in rat frontal cortex were measured following chronic ritanserin (2 mg/kg per day) or clorgyline (10 mg/kg per day) administration. Clorgyline increased 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) by 83%, noradrenaline (NA) by 54%, and dopamine (DA) by 16% and decreased 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) by 28%, homovanillic acid (HVA) by 57% and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) by 67%. All these changes were statistically significant (P less than 0.001) except for the increase in DA. Ritanserin increased 5-HT by 30%, NA by 33% and DA by 26% and decreased 5-HIAA by 22%, HVA by 23% and DOPAC by 40%; however, only the increases in 5-HT and NA reached statistical significance (P less than 0.05). Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in cortical homogenates was also measured following the chronic ritanserin and clorgyline regimens and also following ritanserin administration in vitro. Chronic clorgyline and ritanserin inhibited MAO activity by 60 and 39%, respectively. In vitro, ritanserin administration at concentrations of less than 10(-6) M had no effect on MAO activity but at doses higher than 10(-6) M, MAO activity was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner from 18 +/- 0.5% at 3 x 10(-6) M to 63 +/- 9% at 10(-4) M. Thus, ritanserin appears to act as an MAO inhibitor in addition to being a 5-HT2 antagonist and this may be related to its ability to induce 5-HT2 receptor down-regulation.

The effect of chronic ritanserin and clorgyline administration on 5-HT2 receptor linked inositol phospholipid hydrolysis

We have previously shown that chronic administration of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor antagonist, ritanserin (10 mg/kg/day) or the monoamine oxidase type A inhibitor (MAOI), clorgyline (2 mg/kg/day), results in a reduction in 5-HT2 receptor number in rat cerebral cortex. This study investigates the effects of acute and chronic ritanserin administration, on 5-HT2 receptor linked inositol phospholipid hydrolysis in rat cortical slices and compares it with the effect of a chronic clorgyline regimen. [3H]Myo-inositol (50 microCi) was used to label inositol phospholipids. Their subsequent hydrolysis in the presence or absence of 5-HT was determined by the accumulation of [3H]myoinositol monophosphate ([3H]InsP). Addition of 5 nM ritanserin to slices had no effect on basal or 5-HT stimulated [3H]InsP accumulation whereas 100 nM ritanserin blocked the stimulated response by 65%. Acutely, ritanserin (15 mg/kg i.p.) completely blocked 5-HT stimulated [3H]InsP accumulation. Chronic ritanserin or clorgyline treatment had no effect on basal levels of [3H]InsP accumulation compared to controls (mean value 3125 +/- 298 dpm/mg protein). Ritanserin increased 5-HT stimulated [3H]InsP accumulation at 1 microM, 100 microM and 1 mM 5-HT and this effect was significant at 100 microM 5-HT. Clorgyline had no significant or consistent effect on 5-HT stimulated [3H]InsP accumulation at 1 microM, 100 microM and 1 mM 5-HT. Thus the effects of both chronic clorgyline and ritanserin administration on 5-HT2 linked inositol phospholipid hydrolysis do not correlate with their effects on 5-HT2 receptor number (Bmax). The situation is further complicated since ritanserin significantly increases phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns), phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns4P) and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) labelling whereas clorgyline significantly increases PtdIns and PtdIns4P labelling. The implications of this are discussed.

Relationship of gonadal hormone administration, sex, reproductive status and age to monoamine oxidase activity within the hypothalamus

Abstract Activity of Type A monoamine oxidase (MAO) was measured in microdissected samples from preoptic-hypothalamic and hindbrain areas of young male and female rats, and aged female rats. Administration of estradiol and progesterone, in doses sufficient to facilitate lordosis behavior and induce a luteinizing hormone surge in ovariectomized, but not castrated rats, was associated with sexually dimorphic changes of MAO activity within the hypothalamus. Forty-two h following estradiol benzoate administration, increased MAO activity was measured in the ventromedial nucleus (VML) and midbrain central gray of females, while decreased MAO activity was measured in the VML and arcuate-median eminence (ArME) of males. Progesterone administration to estradiol benzoate-primed rats was associated with decreased MAO activity in the VML and medial preoptic nucleus (mPOA) of females and decreased activity in the dorsal raphe nucleus of males. Activity of MAO on diestrus, proestrus and estrus was assessed in ten preoptic-hypothalamic and hindbrain sites. Differences between days of the cycle were limited to the mPOA, ArME and VML. While activities were generally lowest at estrus, these areas exhibited different patterns of activity across the cycle. Activity was highest at proestrus in the mPOA and highest at diestrus in the VML and ArME. Activity of MAO in some areas of 25-month old, diestrus rats was altered as compared to young, cycling rats; however, ageing was not associated with widespread changes in MAO activity. In the suprachiasmatic nucleus, aged rats showed approximately 30% less activity than young rats. In the mPOA, VML and ArME, activity in aged females was different from some, but not all, days of the estrous cycle. These results show that MAO activity changes within specific hypothalamic sites when the neuroendocrine axis is altered. Since the changes are present in areas where activity of rnonoaminergic systems is critical for initiating gonadotrophin surges and inducing lordosis behavior, these results provide initial evidence that catabolism of monoamines by MAO may contribute to rnonoaminergic regulation of reproductive function.

5HT2 receptor changes in rat cortex and platelets following chronic ritanserin and clorgyline administration

Chronic administration of clorgyline or ritanserin to adult rats for 28 days followed by a 3 day drug-free period results in a significant decrease in 5HT2 receptor number (Bmax) in rat frontal cortex from 315.23 +/- 10.72 fmol/mg protein to 249.63 +/- 13.99 fmol/mg protein and 222.55 +/- 17.17 fmol/mg protein, respectively. On rat blood platelets, ritanserin significantly increases recept number from 26.18 +/- 3.83 fmol/mg protein to 50.94 +/- 7.96 fmol bound/mg protein, whereas clorgyline has no significant effect (21.32 +/- 4.78 fmol/mg protein). Following both drug regimens, the affinity (Kd) of the respective ligands for the receptor is not significantly different from controls: the mean Kd value of the three groups for [3H]ketanserin is 1.57 +/- 0.05 nM in cortex and 0.83 +/- 0.25 nM for [125I]iodolysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on platelets. Clorgyline increases serotonin (5HT) and noradrenaline (NA) levels in cerebellum, and decreases 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA): ritanserin does not change the levels of the amines or their metabolites. The data shows that platelet and brain changes are not comparable after ritanserin administration. The receptor binding data demonstrates that curve fitting to two data points provides information which is comparable to and as statistically robust as that obtained from eight point saturation curves. Thus, if pilot studies show that the data follows a rectangular hyperbola, two point assays (optimal at 0.1 Kd and 3 Kd) can be used to obtain estimates of Bmax and Kd.

Mesencephalic dopamine neurons become less sensitive to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine toxicity during development in vitro

The in vitro development of monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and [3H]dopamine (DA) uptake capacity of dissociated cell cultures from rat embryo mesencephalon were correlated with the potency of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridine (MPP+) neurotoxicity. Specific activities of both MAO-A and MAO-B increased during in vitro development of the cultures, with MAO-B activity increasing 20-fold between the first and fourth week. Similarly, [3H]DA accumulation increased 2.6-fold between the first and third week in vitro, when it reached a plateau. Unexpectedly, the toxicities of MPTP and MPP+ were substantially decreased in the older cultures. Exposure to MPTP reduced [3H]DA accumulation per culture by 77% in 1-week-old cultures and by 36% in 4-week-old cultures. Similarly, damage caused by MPPT was reduced from 84% of control in the first week to 34% of control in the fourth week. The attenuation of neurotoxicity was not due to an increase in storage of MPP+ in the synaptic vesicles of DA neurons, nor to a change in the distribution of MPP+ between dopaminergic and other cellular components of the cultures. The damage to DA neurons caused by the mitochondrial toxin, rotenone, also showed a similar reduction in the older cultures. These observations coupled with an increase in lactate formation and glucose consumption during the in vitro development of the cultures suggest a shift toward increased glycolysis and decreased dependence on aerobic metabolism. This would render the cells more resistant to the inhibition of mitochondrial function by MPP+.

Vesicular accumulation of dopamine following L-DOPA administration

In this study, the accumulations of dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) were measured in the brain tissues and in the synaptic vesicle fractions prepared from whole brain of control rats and rats injected with L-DOPA. In the normal rat brain, a 3-fold increase in DA following L-DOPA administration was followed by a small, but not significant increase in vesicular DA, indicating a restricted vesicular uptake of exogenous DA. At the same time, NE in the vesicular fraction and in the whole brain tissue did not change, suggesting a possible link between DA vesicular uptake of DA and brain NE. However, in rats pretreated with alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, which significantly (P less than 0.05) reduced DA and NE levels in brain tissues and in the synaptic vesicles, L-DOPA administration led to a significant increase in vesicular DA (P less than 0.05), suggesting that catecholamine depletion may result in greater vesicular uptake of cytoplasmic DA. The increase in vesicular DA was accompanied by increases in tissue and vesicular NE, underscoring again the existence of a link between vesicular uptake of DA and brain NE following L-DOPA administration. The results also demonstrated a large increase in 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) following L-DOPA, in the brain tissues but not in the synaptic vesicle, indicating that monoamine oxidase activity is confined to the cytoplasm.

Modification of vesicular dopamine and norepinephrine by monoamine oxidase inhibitors

The possible effects of inhibitors of the two forms of monoamine oxidase (types A and B) on dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) accumulation and metabolism in the cytoplasmic and microsomal (vesicular) fractions of the rat brain have been examined. It was found that, while L-DOPA treatment raised only cytoplasmic DA without affecting vesicular DA and NE, clorgyline and pargyline treatments caused significant increases in DA and NE concentrations in both cytoplasmic and vesicular fractions. The DA increase in the synaptic vesicles (200-600%) was much more pronounced than that (150%) in the cytoplasm. In contrast, deprenyl treatment increased vesicular DA only slightly without any effect on either vesicular or cytoplasmic NE. L-DOPA administration to rats pretreated with clorgyline and pargyline, but not with deprenyl, further increased cytoplasmic and vesicular DA and NE concentrations. However, excessive increases in vesicular DA lowered vesicular NE. Reserpine drastically reduced vesicular and cytoplasmic DA and NE, and L-DOPA administration to the reserpine-treated rats caused a DA increase only in the cytoplasmic fraction without affecting vesicular DA or NE. The effect of reserpine was abolished by pargyline treatment, which suggests that pargyline may interact with the reserpine-sensitive vesicular uptake. There was a significant correlation between vesicular DA and NE increase.

Chronic effects of tranylcypromine and 4-fluorotranylcypromine on regional brain monoamine metabolism in rats: a comparison with clorgyline

A regional analysis of brain amine and acid metabolite levels was conducted after chronic administration of the antidepressant tranylcypromine (0.5 mg/kg/day), of a novel fluorinated analog of this compound, and of clorgyline (1.0 mg/kg/day). These compounds were administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats for 28 days by subcutaneous infusion using osmotic minipumps (Alzet 2002). Levels of noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine, dopamine, and of the acid metabolites 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and homovanillic acid were measured in the frontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. After 28 days of drug administration, sustained increases in amines and decreases in their acid metabolites were observed. Regional differences in these effects were minimal. These results are consistent with reports of sustained increases in brain amine concentrations following prolonged administration of other monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

Chronic effects of clomipramine and clorgyline on regional levels of brain amines and acid metabolites in rats

Chronic effects of the antidepressant drug clomipramine (CMI), a potent 5-HT uptake blocker, on regional brain amine metabolism have not been reported. Regional brain levels of dopamine, noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and selected acid metabolites were measured following chronic administration (28 d via Alzet 2ML4 osmotic minipumps sc) of clorgyline (CLG, a preferential Type A monoamine oxidase inhibitor) (1 mg kg-1 per d) and CMI (5 mg kg-1 per d). Doses are expressed as HC1 salts. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (450-550 g) were used. Control animals received the distilled water vehicle. Following instant guillotine decapitation, the frontal cortex, caudate nucleus, hypothalamus and hippocampus were dissected out and stored at - 70 degrees C until assayed using high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Clorgyline induced expected increases in amine levels and decreased acid metabolite levels in accord with previous studies. Clomipramine induced a decrease in 5-HIAA levels in all regions, although not as pronounced as the decrease observed with CLG. The specificity of effects of CMI for 5-HT was maintained in all brain regions except the hippocampus and frontal cortex. In these two regions CMI also induced a significant decrease in levels of DOPAC and HVA.

Monoamine oxidase deficiency in males with an X chromosome deletion

Mapping of the human MAOA gene to chromosomal region Xp21-p11 prompted our study of two affected males in a family previously reported to have Norrie disease resulting from a submicroscopic deletion in this chromosomal region. In this investigation we demonstrate in these cousins deletion of the MAOA gene, undetectable levels of MAO-A and MAO-B activities in their fibroblasts and platelets, respectively, loss of mRNA for MAO-A in fibroblasts, and substantial alterations in urinary catecholamine metabolites. The present study documents that a marked deficiency of MAO activity is compatible with life and that genes for MAO-A and MAO-B are near each other in this Xp chromosomal region. Some of the clinical features of these MAO deletion patients may help to identify X-linked MAO deficiency diseases in humans.

Chronic clorgyline treatment of Syrian hamsters: an analysis of effects on the circadian pacemaker

Clorgyline, a type A monoamine oxidase inhibitor with antidepressant properties when administered to depressed patients, is often associated with disturbances of the human sleep-wake cycle. In order to assess its effects on the mammalian circadian system, this drug was administered chronically to Syrian hamsters. It was found to affect the hamster circadian system in four specific ways. Clorgyline increased the intrinsic period of wheel-running activity, altered the phase response curve to brief light pulses, altered the reduced waveform of running activity in animals maintained in light-dark cycles or constant darkness, and increased the activity-rest ratio in animals maintained in constant darkness. Our data support the interpretation that clorgyline exhibits direct or indirect input to the circadian pacemaker and alters the processing of photic information to the pacemaker.

Chronic MAO A and MAO B inhibition decreases the 5-HT1A receptor-mediated inhibition of forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase

The effect of chronic administration of various monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors on the ability of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) to inhibit forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was studied. Groups of 12 rats were given either saline, (E)-beta-fluoromethylene-m-tyrosine (MDL 72394 0.25 mg/kg p.o.), clorgyline (1 mg/kg p.o.), selegiline (1 mg/kg p.o.) or tranylcypromine (5 mg/kg p.o.) once a day for 21 days. Biochemical determinations were made 72 h after the final dose. MDL 72394 and tranylcypromine produced a nonselective inhibition of MAO but clorgyline and selegiline selectively inhibited MAO A and MAO B respectively. All treatments that inhibited MAO A also increased tissue levels of 5-HT. Chronic treatment with MDL 72394, clorgyline or tranylcypromine reduced the ability of 8-OH-DPAT to inhibit forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. These data suggest that chronic nonselective and chronic MAO A inhibition causes a down-regulation of the 5-HT1A-mediated inhibition of forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity.

Topographic immunocytochemical mapping of monoamine oxidase-A, monoamine oxidase-B and tyrosine hydroxylase in human post mortem brain stem

Immunocytochemical demonstration of monoamine oxidase-A, monoamine oxidase-B and tyrosine hydroxylase was performed in the human brain stem using monoclonal antibodies to monoamine oxidase-A and monoamine oxidase-B and polyclonal antibodies to tyrosine hydroxylase. In most of the brain areas examined, except the serotonergic dorsal nucleus of raphe, the noradrenergic locus coeruleus and the dorsal efferent nucleus of vagus, tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons were in greater number than monoamine oxidase-A-stained or monoamine oxidase-B-stained neurons. The dorsal nucleus of raphe showed no tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity, but reacted positively to serotonin- and monoamine oxidase-B antibodies, while monoamine oxidase-A staining was moderate. In none of the investigated brain areas did neurons exclusively react with monoamine oxidase-B antibodies without expressing monoamine oxidase-A in a few neurons, while in some areas neurons expressed both monoamine oxidase-A and tyrosine hydroxylase (locus coeruleus; dorsal efferent nucleus of vagus). The oculomotor nucleus stained only with monoamine oxidase-A antibodies, substantia nigra neurons reacted only with tyrosine hydroxylase antibodies. Glial staining in most of the brain areas examined seemed, with slight differences, to have the same intensity with monoamine oxidase-A and monoamine oxidase-B antibodies used. No glial staining was obtained with tyrosine hydroxylase antibodies.

Clorgyline treatment differentially affects m-chlorophenylpiperazine-induced neuroendocrine changes

Intravenous administration of the 5-HT1B agonist, m-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP) to rats produced increases in plasma prolactin (peak effect at 15 min), corticosterone (peak effect at 30 min) and a decrease in plasma growth hormone (peak effect at 15 min) concentrations. Short-term or long-term clorgyline treatment did not affect baseline levels of prolactin, corticosterone or growth hormone. Short-term clorgyline treatment attenuated m-CPP's effect on corticosterone but not on prolactin or growth hormone. On the other hand, long-term clorgyline treatment attenuated m-CPP's effect on prolactin but not on corticosterone or growth hormone. These findings are compatible with development of functional subsensitivity of 5-HT1B receptors mediating prolactin release following long-term clorgyline treatment. Attenuation of m-CPP's effect on corticosterone following short-term clorgyline treatment suggests either early adaptational changes in a 5-HT receptor subtype mediating corticosterone release, or clorgyline-induced increases in other neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine which may be responsible for attenuating m-CPP's effect on corticosterone.

Chronic antidepressant drug regimes and food and water intake in rats

Food and water consumption were measured in rats prior to and during a course of antidepressant drug administration. Desmethylimipramine (DMI, 10 mg/kg/day), clorgyline (1.0 mg/kg/day) or saline were injected IP for 30 days. Food and water intake in the DMI- and clorgyline-treated rats was initially and significantly decreased but progressively returned towards pretreatment levels over the course of the drug administration. The effects of these antidepressant drug treatments on food and water intake appeared to consist of two components: (a) a rapid suppressive effect, possibly associated with an acute central action of these drugs (and perhaps a slight initial stress effect related to the drug administration) and (b) an adaptive effect over the course of the treatment which may involve changes in monoaminergic neurotransmitters or receptor status in those brain regions associated with feeding behavior. The similarities of the results of these treatments and those seen with chronic stress are discussed.

Circadian studies of 5HT2 receptors: effects of clorgyline administration

This paper demonstrates the application of an assay design that is particularly valuable for estimating receptor number (Bmax values) and affinity (Kd values) in many small samples of tissue. It is illustrated by its application to a study of possible circadian rhythms in the numbers of 5HT2 receptors in the rat cerebral cortex. The assay design involves the use of only two radioligand concentrations, the lower one being close to Kd (estimated from pilot studies) and the upper one close to 4 times this concentration. The results show that chronic clorgyline (1 mg/kg/day/28 days) administration to rats results in an 18% decrease in the number of cortical 5HT2 receptors (as measured by specific [3H]ketanserin binding). There is no significant circadian rhythm in receptor number in either the control or the MAOI-treated group. There is however, evidence of co-variation between the pairs of control animals housed in the same cage, and interestingly, that this effect is abolished by treatment with the MAOI.

Neurochemical changes in rat brain amines after short- and long-term inhibition of monoamine oxidase by a low dose of tranylcypromine

The effects of short- and long-term administration of a low dose of tranylcypromine on brain and urine levels of several biogenic amines and on brain activity of monoamine oxidases (MAO) A and B were investigated. MAO-A and MAO-B were inhibited by greater than 85% on day 1, and this inhibition continued to increase over the course of the study (42 days). Levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine in brain continued to increase up to day 21 and did not decline from day 21 to day 42, and levels of tranylcypromine itself continued to increase up to day 42. Dopamine concentrations peaked at day 10 and were not significantly different from that value by day 42. Brain levels of tryptamine and beta-phenylethylamine showed dramatic elevations after the first dose of the drug and remained essentially unchanged from those high values throughout the course of the drug treatment. Brain and urine increases in tryptamine and beta-phenylethylamine showed similar patterns, whereas urinary 5-hydroxytryptamine excretion reached maximal levels earlier than did brain levels.

Effects of antidepressant drug treatments on alpha 2-adrenoceptor control of [3H]noradrenaline release from hypothalamic synaptosomes

KCl (16 mM) stimulated the release of [3H]noradrenaline ([3H]NA) from rat hypothalamic synaptosomes in a Ca2+-dependent manner; this release was attenuated by clonidine (0.01-100 microM). Changes in the release of [3H]NA and the functional status of alpha 2-adrenoceptors in the medial hypothalamus of rats treated acutely and chronically with clorgyline (1 mg/kg/day) or desipramine (DMI, 10 mg/kg/day) were assessed using superfused synaptosomes in which the attenuating effects of clonidine (1 microM) or the potentiating effects of yohimbine (1 microM) on K+-evoked release of [3H]NA were measured. After acute administration of DMI, significantly less [3H]NA was accumulated into synaptosomes. Although total (spontaneous + K+-evoked) [3H]NA release from these synaptosomes was unchanged, a significant reduction was apparent in the K+-evoked release from the DMI-treated tissue. Attenuation of K+-evoked release by clonidine was abolished in both these acute treatment groups. Following the chronic antidepressant drug regimens, [3H]NA uptake into DMI-treated tissue remained significantly reduced although total percent and K+-evoked [3H]NA release were unchanged. The K+-evoked release of [3H]NA in S1 was significantly enhanced (by 22%) in the clorgyline treatment group. Attenuation of K+-evoked [3H]NA release by clonidine in both chronic antidepressant-treated tissues was not significantly changed. It is concluded that the functional sensitivity of alpha 2-adrenoceptors on nerve endings in the medial hypothalamus is unchanged by these chronic antidepressant drug regimens. In synaptosomes from untreated tissue, yohimbine significantly potentiated K+-evoked release of [3H]NA; this effect was unchanged after acute regimens and reduced after chronic administration of both the antidepressants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of different monoamine oxidase inhibitors on the metabolism of L-dopa in the rat brain

The influence of monoamine oxidases A and B on the metabolism of dopamine or the expanded dopamine pool following L-dopa administration remains unclear. This study found that treatment of Sprague-Dawley rats with monoamine oxidase inhibitors strongly affected L-dopa metabolism in the brain, but the influence varied with each individual inhibitor. In animals pretreated with pargyline or clorgyline, L-dopa administration led to huge accumulations of dopamine and significantly raised central norepinephrine concentrations. In contrast, similar L-dopa injections in deprenyl-pretreated rats caused only a moderate rise in dopamine and no change in norepinephrine. There seems to be little relationship between the degree of monoamine oxidase inhibition and the accumulation of catecholamines and their metabolites in the rat brain. The effects of monoamine oxidase inhibitors on dopamine accumulation appeared to occur outside the catecholaminergic neurons since in the animals pretreated with 6-hydroxydopamine, which decreased significantly the content of brain catecholamines, dopamine accumulation following L-dopa administration still remained considerable. On the other hand, the influence of monoamine oxidase inhibitors on brain norepinephrine concentrations seemed to originate in the noradrenergic neurons because norepinephrine increase was greatly reduced in rats treated with 6-hydroxydopamine but was restored when the treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine was accompanied by desimipramine which specifically protects noradrenergic stores.

N-propargylbenzylamine, a major metabolite of pargyline, is a potent inhibitor of monoamine oxidase type B in rats in vivo: a comparison with deprenyl

In an effort to explore the contribution of the metabolites of pargyline towards the in vivo inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO), the effects of pargyline and its major metabolites on the production and metabolism of a number of biogenic amines were studied in rats. The administration of pargyline gave rise to three major ethyl acetate extractable metabolites: benzylamine, N-methylbenzylamine and N-propargylbenzylamine (NPB). Only NPB demonstrated in vivo monoamine oxidase inhibitory properties at an acute dose of 30 mg kg-1. The acute effects of pargyline, NPB, and deprenyl on urine and brain concentrations of a number of biogenic amines (phenylethylamine (PEA), m- and p-tyramine, noradrenaline (NA), dopamine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and their metabolites were evaluated. Increased urine and brain concentrations of PEA were considered to represent in vivo inhibition of type B MAO while decreased concentrations of NA and 5-HT metabolites were regarded as indicators of an in vivo inhibition of MAO type A. NPB, like deprenyl and pargyline, significantly increased urine and brain PEA while only pargyline reduced 5-HT metabolism, suggesting that the metabolism of pargyline to NPB may contribute towards the MAO type B inhibitory effects of pargyline in vivo. Since the therapeutic benefits of MAO inhibitors in clinical practice usually require some period of chronic treatment, the chronic effects of repeated 14 daily doses of the above MAO inhibitors on central and peripheral biogenic amines were evaluated at the following times: during treatment, one day and five days after termination of treatment. The biochemical changes observed during the course of chronic NPB, pargyline and deprenyl treatments generally follow the expected in vitro characteristics of these drugs, but the detailed changes observed suggest clear differences. For example, the in vivo effect of pargyline on urine 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid excretion was considerably weaker than its effect on the excretion of NA and dopamine metabolites. These changes are opposite to the in vitro effects of pargyline on 5-HT, dopamine and NA oxidative deamination. Inhibitions of the metabolism of all the amines studied were clearly observed during chronic MAOI treatments, but these effects were less evident five days after the end of treatment, suggesting an almost normal metabolism of biogenic amines. It is concluded that while MAO inhibitors may be the primary compound responsible for MAO inhibition, the effects of their metabolites in some cases may also play equally important roles in the regulation of monoamines both in the periphery and the brain. Thus, as demonstrated here, NPB was found to be as potent as pargyline and deprenyl with regard to its in vivo MAO type B inhibitory properties.

Conditioned taste aversion induced in rats by intracerebral or systemic administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitors

Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) elicited by systemic or intracerebral application of the monoamine oxidase inhibitors clorgyline (C), pargyline (P) or deprenyl (D) was studied in 402 rats. Water-deprived animals were allowed 15 min access to 0.1% sodium saccharin (CS) followed 10 min later by IP or by intracerebral injection of the drug. In the latter case, the animals were anesthetized 5 min after saccharin drinking with pentobarbital and the drug was stereotaxically injected (1 microliter/min, 1-2 microliters) into the target structure. CTA was assessed in a two-choice retention test performed 2 days later. A geometric progression of three to six dosages applied to groups of rats (n = 10) was employed to establish the effective doses of the drugs which were 4, 20 and 32 mg/kg with IP and 2.5, 10 and 80 micrograms per rat with intracerebral (n. raphé magnus) injections of C, P, and D, respectively. The ratios of intracerebral to systemic dosages eliciting comparable CTA were 1:300 for C, 1:800 for P and 1:100 for D. Injections of 2.5 micrograms C and 10 micrograms P into the mesencephalic reticular formation, medial hypothalamus and cerebral cortex were ineffective, as were injections of 10 micrograms P into the nucleus of the solitary tract and cerebellum. The results indicate that CTA is elicited more efficiently by inhibition of monoamine oxidase A (selectively inhibited by C) than of monoamine oxidase B (selectively inhibited by D).

Pharmacological changes induced by repeated exposure to phenylethylamine

Mice receiving daily injections of phenylethylamine (PEA) exhibited an enhanced PEA-induced motor stimulation, beginning on day 21 of administration. The mice receiving PEA were also more sensitive to the stimulatory effect of amphetamine and PCP. There was no change in brain or hepatic monoamine oxidase activity nor in hepatic mixed function oxidase after this treatment, indicating that altered metabolism was not a factor in the sensitization. Striatal dopamine receptors, labelled by spiroperidol, were increased after the long-term PEA, suggesting that the sensitization may be due to increased dopaminergic receptor activity.

Clorgyline and desipramine alter the sensitivity of [3H]noradrenaline release to calcium but not to clonidine

Synaptosomes (P2) were prepared from cerebral cortices of control rats and from those which had received clorgyline (1 mg/kg/day for 21-28 days) or desipramine (10 mg/kg/day for 21-28 days). Following incubation with [3H]noradrenaline (500 nM/15 min, 37 degrees C), aliquots of the synaptosomes were gently filtered onto Whatman GF/A filters and superfused with Krebs buffer (pH 7.5, 37 degrees C) for a maximum period of 2 h. During this time, the basal efflux of tritiated materials (approximately 75% noradrenaline) together with K+-evoked release of the amine and metabolites, were measured. Chronic antidepressant drug regimens increased the K+-stimulated release, but its attenuation by clonidine was not altered. Thus, chronic antidepressant drug regimens do not apparently alter presynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptors. These results suggest that the reported antidepressant drug induced decreases in [3H]clonidine binding, occur on sites which are postsynaptic to noradrenergic neurones. Following the chronic antidepressant drug regimens, the sensitivity of the [3H]noradrenaline release process to Ca2+ is significantly increased. This change may explain the enhanced K+-evoked release which follows the antidepressant drug regimens. It is proposed that this increased sensitivity of the [3H]noradrenaline release process may be an adaptation to the decrease in neuronal firing which have been reported following antidepressant drug treatments.