Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0030567 (Parkinson's disease)
 63,064 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Retinoic acid is synthesized from retinaldehyde by several different dehydrogenases, which are arranged in conserved spatial and developmentally regulated patterns. Here we show for the mouse that a class-1 aldehyde dehydrogenase, characterized by oxidation and disulfiram sensitivity, is found in the brain at high levels only in the basal forebrain. It is present in axons and terminals of a subpopulation of dopaminergic neurons of the mesostriatal and mesolimbic system, forming a retinoic acid-generating projection from the ventral tegmentum to the corpus striatum and the shell of the nucleus accumbens. In the striatum the projection is heaviest to dorsal and rostral regions, declining gradually toward ventral. The enzyme is expressed early in development, shortly after appearance of tyrosine hydroxylase. Other dopaminergic neurons in the brain, as well as the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla, do not contain this dehydrogenase. The presence of this enzyme may be a factor in the long-term success of transplants of dopaminergic cells to the corpus striatum in Parkinson disease, and it may play a role in parkinsonism and catatonia due to disulfiram (Antabuse) neurotoxicity.
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PMID:High levels of a retinoic acid-generating dehydrogenase in the meso-telencephalic dopamine system. 805 59

The retinoic acid-generating enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase (AHD), is expressed in a subpopulation of dopaminergic neurons found in the substantia nigra. Using AHD and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) as immunohistochemical markers, we determined whether differential dissection of the embryonic (E16) ventral mesencephalon (VM) into its lateral and medial portions contributed equally to the number of TH cells surviving transplantation, if grafted AHD/TH neurons reinnervate the host striatum according to their normal projection patterns, and examined the functional recovery caused by the implanted cells as assessed by amphetamine-induced rotation in a 6-OHDA-lesioned model of Parkinson's disease. The embryonic tissue was transplanted as solid pieces injected via a 20-gauge lumbar puncture needle into the center of the deafferented striatum. Groups received either one complete ventral mesencephalic piece (VM), two medial pieces of ventral mesencephalic tissue (MVM), or two lateral pieces of ventral mesencephalic tissue (LVM). Both VM and MVM groups showed a significant decrease in amphetamine-induced rotation over time and, there was no difference in the degree of reduction observed between the two groups. Histological evaluation of the transplants revealed a much larger total number of surviving TH cells in grafts from the VM and MVM groups compared to the LVM group. Surviving AHD/TH neurons were found in all groups. Whereas TH staining of the transplanted striatum displayed a halo of graft-derived fibers all around the transplant and integration of these fibers into the host neuropil, AHD staining showed a preferential reinnervation of the dorsolateral striatum corresponding to the normal projection pattern of AHD/TH neurons. In summary, selective dissection of the embryonic ventral mesencephalon is possible, functional recovery as assessed by amphetamine-induced rotation in animals transplanted with MVM is similar to that seen in animals grafted with VM, and AHD/TH neurons have a selective reinnervation pattern in the PD transplantation paradigm. These findings may have implications for the grafting of fetal mesencephalic tissue in PD patients.
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PMID:Differential dissection of the rat E16 ventral mesencephalon and survival and reinnervation of the 6-OHDA-lesioned striatum by a subset of aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive TH neurons. 917 Nov 57

Currently, fetal tissue transplantation into patients with Parkinson's disease utilizes the entire ventral mesencephalon (VM) as donor tissue. However, the resulting mixture of cell types contains a relatively low proportion of therapeutically relevant dopamine (DA) neurons. We show that differential dissection of a medial region of embryonic day 14 rat VM yields a significantly higher proportion of DA neurons (8-10%) than is found in lateral VM (2%) or whole VM (4-5%). Medial VM also contained a larger number of the specific subpopulation of DA neurons (aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive; AHD) that project to dorsolateral motor region of the striatum. Selective dissection of fetal medial VM selectively enriches DA neurons in cell preparations useful for transplantation in Parkinson's disease.
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PMID:Medial fetal ventral mesencephalon: a preferred source for dopamine neuron grafts. 924 21

Genetic differences in biotransformation enzymes and in target proteins can affect the individual susceptibility to drugs and environmental chemicals. The field of ecogenetics has emerged from the older area of pharmacogenetics, and investigates how genetic polymorphisms may represent risk factors for a number of diseases associated with exposure to toxic chemicals. Here, two polymorphisms, aldehyde dehydrogenase and delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, are briefly discussed in relationship to alcohol and lead toxicity, respectively. The role of genetic polymorphisms in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, is also discussed. Furthermore, issues related to the functional significance of genetic polymorphisms, their interaction/combination, and ethical and societal considerations, are briefly addressed.
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PMID:The emerging field of ecogenetics. 1079 88

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL) has been reported to be a toxic metabolite formed by the oxidative-deamination of dopamine (DA) catalyzed by monoamine oxidase. This aldehyde is either oxidized to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) by aldehyde dehydrogenase, an NAD-dependent enzyme or reduced to 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylethanol (DOPET) by aldehyde or aldose reductase. In the present study we examined whether levels of DOPAL are elevated by inhibition of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Using inhibitors of mitochondrial complexes I, II, III and IV we found that inhibition of complex I and III increased levels of DOPAL and DOPET. Nerve growth factor-induced differentiation of PC12 cells markedly potentiated DOPAL and DOPET accumulation in response to metabolic stress. DOPAL was toxic to differentiated PC12 as well as to SK-N-SH cell lines. Because complex I dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, the accumulation of DOPAL may explain the vulnerability of the dopaminergic system to complex I inhibition. The rapid appearance of DOPAL and DOPET after inhibition of complex I may be a useful early index of oxidative stress in DA-forming neurons.
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PMID:Metabolic stress in PC12 cells induces the formation of the endogenous dopaminergic neurotoxin, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde. 1079 58

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL) is a toxic metabolite formed by the oxidative deamination of dopamine. This aldehyde is mainly oxidized to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), but is also partly reduced to 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylethanol (DOPET) by aldehyde or aldose reductase (ARs). In a previous study, we found that rotenone, a complex I inhibitor, induced a rapid accumulation of DOPAL and DOPET in the medium of cultured PC12 cells. Here, we examined the potential role of DOPAL in the toxicity induced by complex I inhibition in PC12 cells and compared the effects of rotenone on concentrations of DOPAL and DOPET to those of MPP(+). DOPAL and DOPET levels were increased by rotenone but decreased by MPP(+). Inhibition of ALDH by daidzein reduced the formation of DOPAC and increased the accumulation of DOPAL. Inhibition of ARs (with AL1576) diminished DOPET formation and elevated DOPAL concentrations. Combined inhibition of ALDH and ARs markedly elevated DOPAL concentrations while diminishing DOPET and DOPAC levels. The elevation of DOPAL levels induced by combined inhibition of ALDH and ARs had no effect on cell viability. However, combined inhibition of ALDH and ARs potentiated rotenone-induced toxicity. Both the potentiation of toxicity and the increase in DOPAL levels were blocked by inhibition of monoamine oxidase with clorgyline indicating that accumulation of DOPAL was responsible for the potentiated rotenone-induced toxicity following combined inhibition of ALDH and ARs. Since complex I dysfunction is reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, DOPAL potentiation of the deleterious effects of complex I inhibition may contribute to the specific vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons to injury.
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PMID:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde potentiates the toxic effects of metabolic stress in PC12 cells. 1085 71

Parkinson's disease occurs in 1% of people over the age of 65 when about 60% of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain are lost. Dopaminergic neurons appear to die by a process of apoptosis that is induced by oxidative stress. Oxygen radicals abstract hydrogen from DNA forming DNA radicals that lead to DNA fragmentation, activation of DNA protective mechanisms, NAD depletion and apoptosis. Oxygen radicals can be formed in dopaminergic neurons by redox cycling of MPP+, the active metabolite of MPTP. This redox cycling mechanism involves the reduction of MPP+ by a number of enzymes, especially flavin containing enzymes, some of which are found in mitochondria. Tyrosine hydroxylase is present in all dopaminergic neurons and is responsible for the synthesis of dopamine. However, tyrosine hydroxylase can form oxygen radicals in a redox mechanism involving its cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin. Dopamine may be oxidized by monoamine oxidase to form oxygen radicals and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde. This aldehyde may be oxidized by aldehyde dehydrogenase with the formation of oxygen radicals and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. The redox mechanisms of oxygen radical formation by MPTP, tyrosine hydroxylase, monoamine oxidase and aldehyde dehydrogenase will be discussed. Possible clinical applications of these mechanisms will be briefly presented.
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PMID:Parkinson's disease--redox mechanisms. 1137 51

The use of neural stem cells as grafts is a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease, but the potential of stem cells to differentiate into dopaminergic neurones requires investigation. The present study examined the in vitro differentiation of the temperature-sensitive immortalized mesencephalic progenitor cell line CSM14.1 under defined conditions. Cells were derived from the mesencephalic region of a 14-day-old rat embryo, retrovirally immortalized with the Large T antigen and cultured at 33 degrees C in DMEM containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). For differentiation, the temperature was elevated at 39 degrees C and FCS was reduced (1%). Using histology, immunocytochemical detection of the stem cell marker Nestin and the neuronal marker MAP5 and, in addition, Western blotting to determine the presence of neurone-specific enolase and the neurone nuclei antigen we demonstrated a differentiation of these cells into neuronal cells accompanied by a decrease in Nestin production. In Western blots, we detected the orphan nuclear receptor Nurr1 in these cells. This was followed by a time-dependent up-regulation of the enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 characteristic of mature dopaminergic neurones. Our in vitro model of dopaminergic cell differentiation corroborates recent in vivo observations in the developing rodent brain.
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PMID:Dopaminergic differentiation of the Nurr1-expressing immortalized mesencephalic cell line CSM14.1 in vitro. 1217 77

The simplest explanation for the selective loss of substantia nigra (SN) dopamine (DA) neurons in Parkinson's disease (PD) is that DA or a metabolite is neurotoxic. Recently, a series of investigations implicate the MAO metabolite of DA, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL), as the critical endogenous toxin which triggers DA neuron loss in PD: 1. Hereditary PD contains mutations in the gene for alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn). Investigations implicate a DA metabolite as mediator of alpha-syn neurotoxicity, and DOPAL is 1000-fold more toxic than DA in vivo. 2. A deficit in mitochondrial complex I is found in PD SN. Inhibition of complex I causes increases in DOPAL levels and death of DA neurons in vitro and in vivo. 3. L-DOPA, the precursor of DA, which is used to treat PD, is toxic and contributes to the progression of PD. L-DOPA-treated rats have an 18-fold increase in striatal DOPAL. 4. Free hydroxyl radicals (.OH) trigger aggregation of alpha-syn to its toxic form. DOPAL with H(2)O(2) generates.OH radicals. These investigations provide several therapeutic strategies to limit DOPAL toxicity and progression of PD: 1. Delaying the start of L-DOPA therapy by early use of DA receptor agonists, which may also be free radical scavengers, limits the amount of DOPAL formed from L-DOPA. 2. Nonspecific MAO inhibitors may more effectively decrease production of DOPAL from DA than MAO-B inhibitors. 3. Newer more potent and targeted free radical scavengers could block DOPAL toxicity. 4. Coenzyme Q(10) increases complex I activity and nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NAD) synthesis, and thereby could enhance DOPAL catabolism by aldehyde dehydrogenase, which uses NAD as a cofactor. 5. DA uptake blockers could be used to limit intraneuronal DOPAL production. 6. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid, an inhibitor of apoptosis shown to be effective in models of Huntington's disease, may also prove effective in blocking DOPAL toxicity in PD. 7. Agents which block aggregation of alpha-syn should limit DOPAL toxicity.
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PMID:3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde: a potential target for neuroprotective therapy in Parkinson's disease. 1276 6

Dopamine (DA) neurons degenerate in Parkinson's disease and dopamine neurotransmission may be affected in psychotic states seen in schizophrenia. Understanding the regulation of enzymes involved in DA metabolism may therefore lead to new treatment strategies for these severe conditions. We investigated mRNA expression of the cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH1), presumably involved in DA degradation, by in situ hybridization in DA neurons of human postmortem material. Parallel labeling for GAPDH, neuron-specific enolase, tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine transporter, and dopamine beta-hydroxylase was used to ensure suitability of tissue specimen and to identify all dopamine neurons. ALDH1 was found to be expressed highly and specifically in DA cells of both substantia nigra (SN) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of controls. A marked reduction of ALDH1 expression was seen in surviving neurons of SN pars compacta but not of those in the VTA in Parkinson's disease. In patients suffering from schizophrenia we found ALDH1 expression at normal levels in DA cells of SN but at significantly reduced levels in those of the VTA. We conclude that ALDH1 is strongly and specifically expressed in human mesencephalic dopamine neurons and that low levels of ALDH1 expression correlate with DA neuron dysfunction in the two investigated human conditions.
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PMID:ALDH1 mRNA: presence in human dopamine neurons and decreases in substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease and in the ventral tegmental area in schizophrenia. 1467 78


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