Aminoindan and hydroxyaminoindan, metabolites of rasagiline and ladostigil, respectively, exert neuroprotective properties in vitro.

The anti-Parkinson, selective irreversible monoamine oxidase B inhibitor drug, rasagiline (Azilect), recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, has been shown to possess neuroprotective-neurorescue activities in in vitro and in vivo models. Recent preliminary studies indicated the potential neuroprotective effect of the major metabolite of rasagiline, 1-(R)-aminoindan. In the current study, the neuroprotective properties of 1-(R)-aminoindan were assessed employing a cytotoxic model of human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells in high-density culture-induced neuronal death. We show that aminoindan (0.1-1 mumol/L) significantly reduced the apoptosis-associated phosphorylated protein, H2A.X (Ser139), decreased the cleavage of caspase 9 and caspase 3, while increasing the anti-apoptotic proteins, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, GF109203X, prevented the neuroprotection, indicating the involvement of PKC in aminoindan-induced cell survival. Aminoindan markedly elevated pPKC(pan) and specifically that of the pro-survival PKC isoform, PKCepsilon. Additionally, hydroxyaminoindan, a metabolite of a novel bifunctional drug, ladostigil [(N-propargyl-(3R) aminoindan-5yl)-ethyl methyl carbamate], combining cholinesterase and monoamine oxidase inhibitor activity, exerted similar neuroprotective properties. Aminoindan and hydroxyaminoindan also protected rat pheochromacytoma PC-12 cells against the neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine. Our findings suggest that both metabolites may contribute to the overall neuroprotective activity of their respective parent compounds, further implicating rasagiline and ladostigil as potentially valuable drugs for treatment of a wide variety of neurodegenerative disorders of aging.