Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0036341 (schizophrenia)
 60,220 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

2-Phenylethylamine (PEA)-induced stereotypy in rodents is suggested to model psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia. It is reported that PEA induces dopamine release in the striatum in vivo and in vitro. The present study analyzed the PEA-induced stereotypy and possible associated brain dopamine metabolism in mice. Using male ICR mice treated with a combination of PEA (100 mg/kg, i.p.) and increasing doses of l-deprenyl (0-10 mg/kg, s.c.), we examined (1) the behavioral profile of stereotypy (rating the scores), and (2) the tissue levels of dopamine and its metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography. The stereotypic scores reached a plateau level at 10 min which lasted until 30 min after a single administration of 100 mg/kg PEA. The stereotyped behavior completely disappeared 45 min after PEA administration. Pretreatment with l-deprenyl (0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg, s.c.) dose-dependently prolonged the duration of PEA-induced stereotypy. Notably, pretreatment with l-deprenyl dose-dependently increased the continuous sniffing. Treatment with PEA in combination of l-deprenyl (1 and 10 mg/kg) significantly reduced the level of dopamine in the region of the striatum and nucleus accumbens, compared with control animals. These results suggest that PEA in combination with l-deprenyl prolonged the duration of the stereotypy (particularly, continuous sniffing) while reducing the striatal level of dopamine.
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PMID:2-Phenylethylamine in combination with l-deprenyl lowers the striatal level of dopamine and prolongs the duration of the stereotypy in mice. 1629 23

Mining of the human genome has revealed approximately 7000 novel proteins, which could serve as potential targets for the development of novel therapeutics. Of these, approximately 2000 are predicted to be G-protein coupled receptors. Within this group of proteins, a family of 18 mammalian receptors has recently been identified that appear to exhibit selectivity toward the so-called trace amines. The trace amines are a family of endogenous compounds with strong structural similarity to classical monoamine neurotransmitters, consisting primarily of 2-phenylethylamine, m- and p-tyramine, tryptamine, m- and p-octopamine and the synephrines. The endogenous levels of these compounds are at least two orders of magnitude below those of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, noradrenaline and 5-HT. The effects of these low physiological concentrations have been difficult to demonstrate but it has been suggested that they may serve to maintain the neuronal activity of monoamine neurotransmitters within defined physiological limits. Such an effect of trace amines would make them ideal candidates for the development of novel therapeutics for a wide range of human disorders. Although the demonstration of a trace amine family of receptors has seen a resurgence of interest in these endogenous compounds, with recent articles reviewing trace amine pharmacological and physiological responses, the potential clinical utility of the trace amine receptors has not been specifically addressed. Historically, trace amines have been implicated in a diverse array of human pathologies ranging from schizophrenia to affective disorders to migraine. Recent studies have strengthened some of this historical data by linking trace amine receptor polymorphisms and mutations to distinct clinical conditions. The aim of the current article is to review the previous studies linking trace amines to human pathology in the context of the recently discovered trace amine receptors and evidence of the existence of trace amine receptor polymorphisms and mutations associated with such disorders. In addition, recent evidence linking trace amines to the development of drug dependence will be discussed.
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PMID:The potential of trace amines and their receptors for treating neurological and psychiatric diseases. 1847 83

beta-Phenylethylamine (beta-PEA), an endogenous amine synthesized in the brain, serves as a neuromodulator and is involved in the pathophysiology of various neurological disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. beta-PEA fully exerts the physiological effects within the nanomolar concentration range via the trace amine receptors, but beta-PEA also causes convulsions at much higher concentrations via an as yet unknown mechanism. To investigate the electrophysiological mechanism by which beta-PEA induces convulsions, we examined the effect of beta-PEA on ionic currents passing through the cell membrane of dissociated rat cerebral cortical neurons, using a patch-clamp technique. The external application of beta-PEA suppressed ionic currents which continuously flowed when the membrane potential was held at -25 mV. The suppression was in a concentration-dependent manner and a half-maximal effective concentration was 540 muM. These currents suppressed by beta-PEA consisted of two K(+) currents: a time- and voltage-dependent K(+) current (M-current) and a leakage K(+) current. The suppression of the M-current reduces the efficacy of the current in limiting excessive neuronal firing, and the suppression of the leakage K(+) current can cause membrane depolarization and thus promote neuronal excitation. Reducing both of these currents in concert may produce neuronal seizing activity, which could conceivably underlie the convulsions induced by high-dose beta-PEA.
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PMID:Beta-phenylethylamine inhibits K+ currents in neocortical neurons of the rat: a possible mechanism of beta-phenylethylamine-induced seizures. 1867 7


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