Neuroprotective effects of some monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors against DSP-4-induced noradrenaline depletion in the mouse hippocampus.

DSP-4 [N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine], a selective noradrenaline (NA) uptake blocker, is capable of inducing long-lasting depletion of NA in some noradrenergic axon terminals and of subsequently causing cell death to NA neuronal cell bodies in rodents. R(-)-Deprenyl, a selective monoamine oxidase (MAO)-B inhibitor, has been shown to be capable of protecting animals against this DSP-4-induced neuronal degeneration. Its action, however, has been claimed to be unrelated to the inhibition of MAO-B activity but rather due to competition for the NA uptake sites. The effects of several types of MAO inhibitors against DSP-4 toxicity, MAO-B activity both in vivo and in vitro, and NA uptake into the hippocampus have been assessed. N-(2-Hexyl)-N-methylpropargylamine (2-HxMP), a potent MAO-B inhibitor, for example, exerts no appreciable effect on NA uptake but is quite potent in counteracting the NA-depleting effect of DSP-4. Such results rule out the possibility that the neuroprotective effect of the MAO-B inhibitors is due mainly to their effect on NA uptake. The in vitro inhibition of MAO-B activity seems to correlate positively with their neuroprotective effects against DSP-4. In comparison to the MAO-B inhibitors, NA uptake blockers, such as desipramine and S(+)-deprenyl, exhibit relatively low efficacy in protecting the NA axon terminals from the effects of DSP-4-induced damage. The restoration of hippocampal NA levels is significantly enhanced with repeated treatments of R(-)-deprenyl or 2-HxMP even at very low doses following the DSP-4 insult.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)