• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.106-112
• /
• 2008

The effects of harman and norharman on dopamine content and L-DOPA-induced cytotoxicity were investigated in PC12 cells. Harman and norharman decreased the intracellular dopamine content for 24 h. The $IC_{50}$ values of harman and norharman were 20.4 ${\mu}M$ and 95.8 ${\mu}M$, respectively. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity and TH mRNA levels were also decreased by 20 ${\mu}M$ harman and 100 ${\mu}M$ norharman. Under the same conditions, the intracellular cyclic AMP levels were decreased by harman and norharman. In addition, harman and norharman at concentrations higher than 80 ${\mu}M$ and 150 ${\mu}M$ caused cytotoxicity at 24 h in PC12 cells. Non-cytotoxic ranges of 10-30 ${\mu}M$ harman and 50-150 ${\mu}M$ norharman inhibited L-DOPA (20-50 ${\mu}M$)-induced increases of dopamine content at 24 h. Harman at 20-150 ${\mu}M$ and norharman at 100-300 ${\mu}M$ also enhanced LDOPA (20-100 ${\mu}M$)-induced cytotoxicity at 24 h. These results suggest that harman and norharman decrease dopamine content by reducing TH activity and aggravate L-DOPA-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.50 no.2
• /
• pp.105-110
• /
• 2006

The effects of tributyltin acetate (TBTA), one of the endocrine-disrupting organotin compounds, on dopamine biosynthesis in PC12 cells were investigated. Treatment of PC12 cells with TBTA at $0.05\sim0.25{\mu}M$ significantly decreased the intracellular dopamine content in a concentration-dependent manner ($IC_{50}$ value, $0.17{\mu}M$). Under these conditions, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity and TH mRNA level were also decreased by $0.1{\mu}M$ TBTA at 24 h, and recovered there-after. In addition, treatment with L-DOPA at 20 and $50 {\mu}M$ increased the intracellular dopamine content in PC12 cells and the increase in dopamine content by L-DOPA was significantly abolished by TBTA at $0.1\sim0.2{\mu}M$. These results indicate that TBTA at $0.1\sim0.2{\mu}M$ causes the decrease in the basal dopamine content and abolishes the increase in dopamine content in L-DOPA-treated cells in part by the inhibition of TH gene expression and activity.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2014

Tyrosinases catalyze the hydroxylation of monophenolic compounds and the conversion of o-diphenols to oquinones. The enzymes are mainly involved in the modification of tyrosine into L-3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-alanine (L-DOPA) and DOPA/DOPAquinone-drived intermolecular cross-linking, which play the key roles of pigmentation to the cells. It is ubiquitously distributed in microorganisms, plants, and animals all around the nature world. They are classified as copper- containing dioxygen activating enzymes; two copper ions are coordinated with six histidine residues in their active sites and they are distinguished as met-, deoxy-, and oxy-form depending on their oxidative states. Natural extraction and recombinant protein approaches have been tried to obtain practical amounts of the enzymes for industrial application. Tyrosinases have been widely applied to industrial and biomedical usages such as detoxification of waste water containing phenolic compounds, L-DOPA as a drug of Parkinson's disease, biomaterials preparation based on the cross-linking ability and biosensors for the detection of phenolic compounds. Therefore, this review reports the mechanism of tyrosinase, biochemical and structural features and potential applications in industrial field.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.221-226
• /
• 2010

The effects of sesamin on dopamine biosynthesis in PC12 cells were investigated. Sesamin at concentration ranges of 20-75 ${\mu}M$ significantly increased intracellular dopamine levels and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activities at 24 h: 50 ${\mu}M$ sesamin increased dopamine levels to 132% and TH activities to 128% of control levels. Sesamin (50 ${\mu}M$) induced the phosphorylation of TH, cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and cyclic AMP-response element binding protein (CREB) for 0.5-24 h. Sesamin (50 ${\mu}M$) also increased the mRNA levels of TH and CREB for 3-24 h. In addition, sesamin (50 ${\mu}M$) associated with L-DOPA (50 and 100 ${\mu}M$) further increased the intracellular levels of dopamine for 24 h compared to L-DOPA alone. These results suggest that sesamin enhances dopamine biosynthesis and L-DOPA-induced increase in dopamine levels by inducing TH activity and TH gene expression, which is mediated by PKA-CREB systems in PC12 cells. Therefore, sesamin could serve as an adjuvant phytonutrient for neurodegenerative diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.167-171
• /
• 2010

The present study aims to evaluate Cordyceps militaris water extract (CMWE) with a view to develop melanogenesis inhibitors. Inhibitory activities of CMWE against tyrosinase, L-DOPA(L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) oxidation, and melanin biosynthesis in B16 mouse melanoma cells were investigated. CMWE, at $5000\;{\mu}g/ml$, inhibited tyrosinase activity of 71% and DOPA oxidation of 40% as reacting with L-DOPA. Furthermore, B16 mouse melanoma cell survived over 50% from low to high dose on MTT assay, and CMWE markedly inhibited (> 50%) melanin synthesis at $5000\;{\mu}g/ml$. The inhibitory effect of CMWE on melanogenesis was attributed to enhancement of tyrosinase degradation. Key enzyme of melanin biosynthesis is tyrosinase which catalyses a beginning step from tyrosine to DOPA quinine and melanin formation step, respectively. These results indicated that CMWE may be a potential source of novel whitening agents for cosmetic or therapeutic application.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.57 no.2
• /
• pp.77-86
• /
• 2013

The neuroprotective effects of herbal ethanol extract (GP-EX) from Gynostemma pentaphyllum on dopamine neurons in animal model of Parkinson's disease (PD) were investigated. Rats and mice were administered with rotenone (2.5 mg/kg) for 28 days and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP, 30 mg/kg) for 5 days for the PD models, respectively and the animals were simultaneously treated with GP-EX (30 mg/kg, daily). After preparing the PD models, the animals were also administered with L-DOPA (10 mg/kg) for 14 days with or without GP-EX treatment. Treatment with GP-EX (30 mg/kg) inhibited the rotenone- and MPTP-induced neurotoxic effects in dopamine neurons of rats or mice, which was determined by the numbers of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunohistochemical staining survival cells, as well as the levels of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid. GP-EX (30 mg/kg) also showed the protective effects on neurotoxicity which was induced by long-term administration of L-DOPA (10 mg/kg) in rotenone- and MPTP-induced animal model of PD. The used doses of GP-EX (30 mg/kg) did not produce any signs of toxicity, such as weight loss, diarrhea, or vomiting, in rats and mice during the treatment periods. These results suggest that GP-EX has the protective functions against chronic L-DOPA-induced neurotoxic reactions in dopamine neurons of rotenone- and MPTP-induced animal model of PD. Therefore, the natural GP-EX may be beneficial in the prevention of PD progress and L-DOPA-induced neurotoxicity in PD patients.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.169-174
• /
• 1986

Bilateral lesion of nucleus accumbens septi (N, AB), one of the mesolimbic nuclei, resulted in hyperirritability and muricide including mouse eating behavior in rats. The effects of various drugs on hyperirritability and muricide induced by NAB lesion were investigated in rats. Hyperirritability in NAB rats were significantly reduced by L-DOPA L-5-HTP major and minor tranquilizers but not reduced by MA, ATP and imipriamine-like antidepressants. On the other hand, muricide in NAB rats was significantly suppressed by L-DOPA, L-5-HTP, major and minor tranquilizers, furthermore, selectively suppressed by MA, ATP and antidepressants. These results suggested that the neural mechanism for inducing muricide is distinct from for hyperirritability in NAB rats, and that muricide in NAB rats is resulted from the increasing of cholinergic activity and reduction of dopaminergic and serotonergic activity.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.44-49
• /
• 1996

By using the ${\beta}$-tyrosinase of Citrobacter freundii KCT2006, which was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli, 3,4-dihydroxy phenyl-L-alanine (L-DOPA) was synthesized efficiently from pyrocatechol, sodium pyruvate, and ammonium acetate. Optimal temperature and pH for the reaction were determined to be about 18$^{\circ}C$ and 8.5, respectively. The effects of substrate concentrations were also examined at different concentrations of ammonium acetate, sodium pyruvate, and pyrocatechol. Ammoniumacetate and sodium pyruvate increased the reaction rate until the concentrations reached to 300mM and 50mM, respectively. Although pyrocatechol showed the optimal concentration at 20mM, it was controlled between 20mM and 50mM to avoid the depletion of substrate during the enzymatic synthesis. Meanwhile the synthetic rate was improved about 20% when ethanol was included in the reaction solution. Based on above results, a reaction medium for the productin of L-DOPA was prepared and incubated with 1 unit/ml of ${\beta}$-tyrosinase. Pyrocatechol and sodium pyruvate was added to the reaction solutin intermittently to avoid the substrate depletion during the enzymatic reaction. After 24 hour of reaction, 31.6g/l of L-DOPA was accumulated in the reaction solution as soluble and precipitated ones and the conversion yield was about 85.2%.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.36-46
• /
• 1996

An endogenous phenoloxidase (EPO) from earthworm, Lumbricus rubellus, has been purified and characterized. The purified EPO using ammonium sulfate fractionation, Blue-2, Phenyl-, and Q-sepharose chromatography steps was revealed in SDS-PAGE as a single protein banri with Mr. of 59 kl)a. A native strudure of the enzyme was examined with an in situ staining of a nondenatudng-PAGE using DL-dopa as a substrate. The result showed that a single band due to the EPO activity was located siighdy above a standard polypeptide with Mr. of 210 kl)a. These fads indicate that the EPO is an oligomeric enzyme. The presence of a monophenolase activity of the purified EPO, which hydroxylates tyrosine to dopa, was confirmed by observing dopachrome accumulation at 475 nm at PH 8.0 with a typical lag phase during 60 mm. of meausrement. A series of inhibition study has been performed for the enzyme with several divalent cation chelators such as phenyithiourea (Flu), 1, lO-phenanthroline, EDTA, and EGTA. Among them, only V'flj inhibited the enzyme with 1C0.5 of 65 MM, which indicated that copper was critical for the catalysis of EPO. The enzyme was maximally active at 35'C and pH 8.0 when L-dopa to dopachrome conversion was spectrophotometricaily monitored at 475 nm. The apparent Km values of P0 for L-opa were obtained as 1.86 mM and 13.8 mM at pH 6.5 and 8.0, respectively. The catalytic efficiencies at both pH were almost identical [(kat/Km)pH8.0/(kcat/Km)pH6.5 = O.92] while the Vmax at p11 8.0 was 6.6-fold higher than that at pH 6.5. This fact may indicate that pH affeds the catalysis at substrate and/or enzyme-substrate complex level rather than the enzyme itself. Taken together, the EPO was an oligomeric enzyme which did not require proteolysis for its activation. These results also indicated that the enzyme can exist, at least, in part as a latent form In vivo, which might be distinct from the prophenoloxidase activating system. Therefore, it is pertinent to consider that there must be certain regulatory molecules or phenomena in L. rubellus which make the 1,0 in a latent form in vivo before the foreign invasions.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.95-100
• /
• 1987

The effects of various drugs on muricide and hyperirritability induced by bilateral lesions of the nucleus accumbens septi (NAB) were investigated in comparison with those on aggression induced by midbrain raphe nuclei-lesioned rats (raphe) and olfactory bulbectomized rats (OB). Muricide in NAB, raphe and OB rats were markedly suppressed by atropine. Muricide in NAB and raphe rats were significantly suppressed by L-DOPA, L-5-HTP, but muricide in OB rats was scarcely suppressed by L-DOPA and L-5-HTP. Hyperirritability in NAB, raphe and OB rats were significantly reduced by L-DOPA and haloperidol but not suppressed by atropine. On the other hand, muricide in NAB rats was markedly suppressed by antidepressants, particularily, nomifensine, clomipramine and desipramine. Muricide in raphe rats was markedly inhibited by nomifensine and clomipramine but only slightly inhibited by desipramine. Muricide in OB rats was markedly suppressed by imipramine. Hyperirritability in NAB, raphe and OB rats were slightly suppressed by antidepressants. These results suggested that the pharmacological characteristics of aggression induced by NAB rats resembles that induced by raphe rats, but differs from that induced by OB rats. It is also suggested that employment of different types of experimentally induced muricide in rats can be useful for the evaluation of antidepressants.