Metabolic consequences of inhibition of cerebral adenosylmethionine decarboxylase by methylglyoxal bis(Guanylhydrazone).

Abstract

Abstract: Effects of intracerebroventricularly injected methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) on polyamine metabolism in mouse brain were recorded during 180 h after a single dose of 3.4 μmol/kg body weight. Cerebral concentrations of 31 other amino compounds were also asayed during the experiment. The drug caused a significant inhibition of adenosylmethionine decarboxylase that lasted for 50 h, with the maximal decrease, about 70%, occurring between 5 and 10 h after injection. Significant decreases of brain spermidine and spermine concentrations were observed in three phases. Two transient decreases occurred at 10 and at 35 h, and a longer‐lasting one between 60 and 100 h. Ornithine decarboxylase was stimulated within 5 h after the injection, reaching a maximal level about 30‐fold above normal at 60 h, and returned to control level at 140 h. This stimulation was accompanied by significant accumulation of the reaction product, putrescine, in the brain. It was maximally > 10‐fold above normal at 160 h, and was still significantly above control at the end of the observation period. The time course of changes in the parameters of polyamine metabolism was regarded as support of a previously presented hypothesis that limiting putrescine concentration may play a role in the regulation of cerebral polyamine metabolism. In addition, the present results emphasize the possibility that changes in the activities of catabolic reactions may also contribute to the regulation of cerebral polyamine concentrations. Of the 31 amino compounds analyzed, only the concentrations of ornithine, urea, glutamine, and glutamate showed significant changes from normal. Ornithine concentration first was significantly increased at 25 h, whereafter it decreased and was somewhat below normal for most of the period between 60 and 180 h. The urea concentration showed a tendency to increase throughout the experiment, being significantly elevated at the end. These changes were regarded as suggesting that the increased need for ornithine in putrescine synthesis is satisfied mainly by increased arginine uptake and degradation. The magnitude of urea accumulation suggested that metabolism of ornithine to glutamate was also accelerated. An unexpected shift toward glutamine in the glutamine/glutamate relationship was observed during the first 100 h. However, the total concentration of these two compounds was quite constant throughout the experiment. Inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase by intraventricular injection of 2‐difluoromethylornithine was tried during the study, but sufficient doses could not be used without induction of acute side effects.