A novel role for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and monoamine oxidase B cascade in ethanol-induced cellular damage

BACKGROUND

Alcoholism is a major psychiatric condition at least partly associated with ethanol (EtOH)-induced cell damage. Although brain cell loss has been reported in subjects with alcoholism, the molecular mechanism is unclear. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) reportedly play a role in cellular dysfunction under stressful conditions and might contribute to EtOH-induced cell damage.

METHODS

Expression of GAPDH and MAO B protein was studied in human glioblastoma and neuroblastoma cell lines exposed to physiological concentrations of EtOH. Expression of these proteins was also examined in the prefrontal cortex from human subjects with alcohol dependence and in rats fed with an EtOH diet. Coimmunoprecipitation, subcellular fractionation, and luciferase assay were used to address nuclear GAPDH-mediated MAO B activation. To test the effects of inactivation, RNA interference and pharmacological intervention were used, and cell damage was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) and hydrogen peroxide measurements.

RESULTS

Ethanol significantly increases levels of GAPDH, especially nuclear GAPDH, and MAO B in neuronal cells as well as in human and rat brains. Nuclear GAPDH interacts with the transcriptional activator, transforming growth factor-beta-inducible early gene 2 (TIEG2), and augments TIEG2-mediated MAO B transactivation, which results in cell damage in neuronal cells exposed to EtOH. Knockdown expression of GAPDH or treatment with MAO B inhibitors selegiline (deprenyl) and rasagiline (Azilect) can block this cascade.

CONCLUSIONS

Ethanol-elicited nuclear GAPDH augments TIEG2-mediated MAO B, which might play a role in brain damage in subjects with alcoholism. Compounds that block this cascade are potential candidates for therapeutic strategies.

Behavioral disinhibition and reduced anxiety-like behaviors in monoamine oxidase B-deficient mice

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) B catalyzes the degradation of beta-phenylethylamine (PEA), a trace amine neurotransmitter implicated in mood regulation. Although several studies have shown an association between low MAO B activity in platelets and behavioral disinhibition in humans, the nature of this relation remains undefined. To investigate the impact of MAO B deficiency on the emotional responses elicited by environmental cues, we tested MAO B knockout (KO) mice in a set of behavioral assays capturing different aspects of anxiety-related manifestations, such as the elevated plus maze, defensive withdrawal, marble burying, and hole board. Furthermore, MAO B KO mice were evaluated for their exploratory patterns in response to unfamiliar objects and risk-taking behaviors. In comparison with their wild-type (WT) littermates, MAO B KO mice exhibited significantly lower anxiety-like responses and shorter latency to engage in risk-taking behaviors and exploration of unfamiliar objects. To determine the neurobiological bases of the behavioral differences between WT and MAO B KO mice, we measured the brain-regional levels of PEA in both genotypes. Although PEA levels were significantly higher in all brain regions of MAO B KO in comparison with WT mice, the most remarkable increments were observed in the striatum and prefrontal cortex, two key regions for the regulation of behavioral disinhibition. However, no significant differences in transcript levels of PEA's selective receptor, trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1), were detected in either region. Taken together, these results suggest that MAO B deficiency may lead to behavioral disinhibition and decreased anxiety-like responses partially through regional increases of PEA levels.

Dual-target-directed drugs that block monoamine oxidase B and adenosine A(2A) receptors for Parkinson's disease

Inadequacies of the current pharmacotherapies to treat Parkinson's disease (PD) have prompted efforts to identify novel drug targets. The adenosine A(2A) receptor is one such target. Antagonists of this receptor (A(2A) antagonists) are considered promising agents for the symptomatic treatment of PD. Evidence suggests that A(2A) antagonists may also have neuroprotective properties that may prevent the development of the dyskinesia that often complicates levodopa treatment. Because the therapeutic benefits of A(2A) antagonists are additive to that of dopamine replacement therapy, it may be possible to reduce the dose of the dopaminergic drugs and therefore the occurrence of side effects. Inhibitors of monoamine oxidase (MAO)-B also are considered useful tools for the treatment of PD. When used in combination with levodopa, inhibitors of MAO-B may enhance the elevation of dopamine levels after levodopa treatment, particularly when used in early stages of the disease when dopamine production may not be so severely compromised. Furthermore, MAO-B inhibitors may also possess neuroprotective properties in part by reducing the damaging effect of dopamine turnover in the brain. These effects of MAO-B inhibitors are especially relevant when considering that the brain shows an age-related increase in MAO-B activity. Based on these observations, dual-target-directed drugs, compounds that inhibit MAO-B and antagonize A(2A) receptors, may have value in the management of PD. This review summarizes recent efforts to develop such dual-acting drugs using caffeine as the lead compound.

The Neuroprotective Effect of Antidepressant Drug via Inhibition of TIEG2-MAO B Mediated Cell Death

Alcohol use disorders are common in the world. However, the development of novel drugs to prevent alcohol-induced brain damage is based upon an improved neurobiological understanding on the cellular changes that take place in the brain. We previously reported that ethanol exposure lowered cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis in all cell types, but affects brain cell lines the most, while ethanol and the anti-depressant drug deprenyl, an monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) inhibitor, exposure in unison increases cell viability. Here we investigated the molecular mechanism of the neuroprotective effect of deprenyl (0.25 nM) on ethanol (75 mM)-induced harmful effect. Transforming growth factor-beta-inducible early gene 2 (TIEG2) is an activator for MAO B. MAO B levels increase has been shown to contribute to neuronal cell death. This study uses the neuronal cell line to address whether ethanol induced cell death is through the activation of TIEG2-MAO B apoptotic pathway, and whether deprenyl protects cells from the effects of alcohol through the inhibition of this pathway. We have found that ethanol exposure increases the levels of mRNA and protein/catalytic activity for both TIEG2 and MAO B, while ethanol and deprenyl exposure in unison reduce the expression of both TIEG2 and MAO B, however it increases cell viability. Additionally, TIEG2-overexpressed cells display more cellular death-induced by ethanol than control cells. In summary, this study demonstrates the role of TIEG2 in ethanol induced cell death. The inhibition of the TIEG2-MAO B pathway may be one of the mechanisms for the neuroprotective effect of deprenyl.