Pharmacological validation of TDO as a target for Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease patients suffer from both motor and nonmotor impairments. There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, and the most commonly used treatment, levodopa, only functions as a temporary relief of motor symptoms. Inhibition of the expression of the L‐tryptophan‐catabolizing enzy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The FEBS journal 2021-07, Vol.288 (14), p.4311-4331
Main Authors: Perez‐Pardo, Paula, Grobben, Yvonne, Willemsen‐Seegers, Nicole, Hartog, Mitch, Tutone, Michaela, Muller, Michelle, Adolfs, Youri, Pasterkamp, Ronald Jeroen, Vu‐Pham, Diep, Doornmalen, Antoon M., Cauter, Freek, Wit, Joeri, Gerard Sterrenburg, Jan, Uitdehaag, Joost C.M., Man, Jos, Buijsman, Rogier C., Zaman, Guido J.R., Kraneveld, Aletta D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
Biocompatibility
blood–brain barrier
Brain
Cognitive ability
Colon
Dioxygenase
Dopamine receptors
enzyme inhibitors
Enzymes
Gastrointestinal symptoms
Glial cells
Glial fibrillary acidic protein
Inflammation
Inhibition (psychology)
Inhibitors
Intestine
Levodopa
L‐tryptophan
Movement disorders
Neurodegenerative diseases
Neurotoxicity
Oral administration
Original
Parkinson's disease
Rotenone
Substantia nigra
Synuclein
Toxicity
Tryptophan
tryptophan 2,3‐dioxygenase
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Summary:Parkinson’s disease patients suffer from both motor and nonmotor impairments. There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, and the most commonly used treatment, levodopa, only functions as a temporary relief of motor symptoms. Inhibition of the expression of the L‐tryptophan‐catabolizing enzyme tryptophan 2,3‐dioxygenase (TDO) has been shown to inhibit aging‐related α‐synuclein toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans. To evaluate TDO inhibition as a potential therapeutic strategy for Parkinson’s disease, a brain‐penetrable, small molecule TDO inhibitor was developed, referred to as NTRC 3531‐0. This compound potently inhibits human and mouse TDO in biochemical and cell‐based assays and is selective over IDO1, an evolutionary unrelated enzyme that catalyzes the same reaction. In mice, NTRC 3531‐0 increased plasma and brain L‐tryptophan levels after oral administration, demonstrating inhibition of TDO activity in vivo. The effect on Parkinson’s disease symptoms was evaluated in a rotenone‐induced Parkinson’s disease mouse model. A structurally dissimilar TDO inhibitor, LM10, was evaluated in parallel. Both inhibitors had beneficial effects on rotenone‐induced motor and cognitive dysfunction as well as rotenone‐induced dopaminergic cell loss and neuroinflammation in the substantia nigra. Moreover, both inhibitors improved intestinal transit and enhanced colon length, which indicates a reduction of the rotenone‐induced intestinal dysfunction. Consistent with this, mice treated with TDO inhibitor showed decreased expression of rotenone‐induced glial fibrillary acidic protein, which is a marker of enteric glial cells, and decreased α‐synuclein accumulation in the enteric plexus. Our data support TDO inhibition as a potential therapeutic strategy to decrease motor, cognitive, and gastrointestinal symptoms in Parkinson’s disease. Using two selective small molecule inhibitors, the inhibition of tryptophan 2,3‐dioxygenase (TDO) was validated as a potential new therapeutic approach for Parkinson's disease. In a rotenone‐induced mouse model of Parkinson's disease, TDO inhibitor treatment induced positive effects on central nervous system function. Moreover, in contrast to standard therapy, the TDO inhibitors acted peripherally on the intestinal phenotype by reducing the rotenone‐induced intestinal inflammatory response.
ISSN:1742-464X
1742-4658
DOI:10.1111/febs.15721