Abstract
The convulsant properties of methyl β-carboline-3-carboxylate (β-CCM) were evaluated in the TaT-fm/GncTa+/+Tfm strain carrying the tabby coat color (Ta) and/or the testicular feminization (Tfm) gene. When injected intraperitoneally within a 5–60 mg/kg dose range, β-CCM-induced convulsions in less than 25% of the mice, thus providing evidence for a high resistance of this strain, as compared to classical strains of mice. However, this strain responds normally to the convulsant pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), suggesting a specific resistance to β-CCM. Both the Ta gene and the TaTfm/Gnc genetic background were involved in the high resistance to β-CCM. In addition, concentrations of neurosteroids and benzodiazepine binding, both modulating GABAA receptor efficacy, have been measured in order to elucidate the biological mechanisms of drug resistance.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bäckström T, Andersson A, Baird DT, Selstam G (1986) The human corpus luteum secretes 5α-pregnane-3,20-dione. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh) 111:116–121
Bradford MM (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantification of microgram quantities of protein untilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Ann Biochem 72:248–254
Braestrup C, Nielsen M, Olsen C (1980) Urinary and brain β-carboline-3-carboxylate as potent inhibitors of brain benzodiazepine receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77:2288–2292
Braestrup C, Schmiechen R, Neef G, Nielsen M, Petersen EN (1982) Interaction of convulsive ligands with benzodiazepine receptors. Science 216:1241–1243
Calkin PA, Barnes EM Jr (1994) Gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) agonists downregulate GABAA/benzodiazepine receptor polypeptides from the surface of chick cortical neurons. J Biol Chem 269:1548–1553
Chapouthier G, Bondoux D, Martin B, Desforges C, Launay JM (1991) Genetic difference in sensitivity to β-carboline: evidence for the involvement of brain benzodiazepine receptors. Brain Res 553:342–346
Corpéchot C, Young J, Calvel M, Wehrey C, Veltz JN, Touyer G, Mouren M, Prasad VVK, Banner C, Sjövall J, Baulieu EE, Robel P (1993) Neurosteroids: 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20one and its precursors in the brain, plasma, and steroidogenic glands of male and female rats. Endocrinology 133:1003–1009
Daabees TT, Mohy El-Din MM, Zeitoun R, Makar A (1981) Injectable and oral contraceptive steroids in relation to some neurotransmitters in the rat brain. Biochem Pharmacol 30:1581–1585
Desforges C, Venault P, Dodd RH, Chapouthier G, Roubertoux P (1989) β-Carboline-induced seizures in mice: genetic analysis. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 34:733–737
Earley CJ, Leonard BE (1978) GABA and gonadal hormones. Brain Res 155:27–34
Grecksch G, Prado de Carvalho L, Venault P, Chapouthier G, Rossier J (1983) Convulsions induced by submaximal dose of pentylenetetrazol in mice are antagonized by the benzodiazepine antagonist Ro 15–1788. Life Sci 32:2579–2584
Green MC (1989) Catalog of mutant genes and polymorphic loci. In: Lyon M, Searle A (eds) Genetic variants and strains of the laboratory mouse. Fischer, Stuttgart, pp 12–404
Haefely WE (1990) The GABAA benzodiazepine receptor: biology and pharmacology. Neurobiol Anx 3:165–188
Jo DH, Aït Abdallah M, Young J, Baulieu EE, Robel P (1989) Pregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and their sulfate and fatty acid esters in the rat brain. Steroids 54:287–297
Kosobud AE, Crabbe JC (1990) Genetic correlations among inbred strain sensitivities to convulsions induced by nine convulsant drugs. Brain Res 342:8–16
Kosobud AE, Crabbe JC (1993) Sensitivity to N-methyl-d-aspartic acid-induced convulsions is genetically associated with resistance to ethanol withdrawal seizures. Brain Res 610:176–179
Kosobud AE, Cross SJ, Crabbe JC (1992) Neural sensitivity to pentylenetetrazol convulsions in inbred and selectively bred mice. Brain Res 592:122–128
Lyon MF, Hawkes SG (1970) X-linked gene for testicular feminization in the mouse. Nature 227:1217–1219
MacPherson GA (1985) Analysis of radioligand binding experiments: a collection of computer programs for the IBM PC. J Pharmacol Method 14:213–228.
Majewska MD (1990) Steroid regulation of the GABAA receptor ligand binding, chloride transport and behaviour. Steroids Neuron Act 153:83–106
Majewska MD, Harrisson LN, Schwartz RD, Barker JL, Paul SM. (1986) Steroid hormone metabolites are barbiturate-like modulators of the GABA receptor. Science 232:1004–1007
Marley RJ, Wehner JM (1987) Correlation between the enhancement of flunitrazepam binding by GABA and seizure susceptibility in mice. Life Sci 40:2215–2224
Marley RJ, Stincomb A, Wehner JM (1988) Further characterization of benzodiazepine receptor differences in long-sleep and short-sleep mice. Life Sci 43:1223–1231
Martin B, Desforges C, Chapouthier G (1991) Comparisons between patterns of convulsions induced by two β-carbolines in ten inbred strains of mice. Neurosci Lett 133:73–76
Martin B, Marchaland C, Chapouthier G, Motta R (1994) Evidence for a multigenic system controlling β-CCM-induced seizures. Behav Genet 24:285–297
Morfin R, Young J, Corpéchot C, Börje I, Sjövall J, Beaulieu EE (1992) Neurosteroids: pregnenolone in human sciatic nerves. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89:6790–6793
Myslobodsky MS (1993) Proconvulsant and anticonvulsant effects of stress the role of neuroactive steroids. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 17:129–139
Nutt DJ, Lister RG (1988) Strain differences in response to a benzodiazepine receptor inverse agonist (FG 7142) in mice. Psychopharmacology 94:435–436
Olsen RW, Tobin AJ (1990) Molecular biology of GABAA receptors. FASEB J 4:1469–1480
Prado de Carvalho L, Grecksch G, Cavalheiro EA, Dodd RH, Chapouthier G, Rossier J (1984) Characterization of convulsions induced by methyl β-carboline-3-carboxylate in mice. Eur J Pharmacol 103:287–293
SAS/STAT (1989) Guide for personal computers: SAS/STAT users guide, version 6. SAS Institute, Cary, NC
Seale TW, Abla KA, Roderick TH, Rennert OM, Carney JM (1987) Different genes specify hyporesponsiveness to seizures induced by caffeine and the benzodiazepine inverse agonist, DMCM. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 27:451–456
Sieghart W (1992) GABAA receptors: ligand-gated Cl(-) ion channels modulated by multiple drug-binding sites. TIPS 13:446–450
Starzl TE, Niemer WT, Dell M, Forgave PR (1953) Cortical and subcortical electric activity in experimental seizures induced by metrazol. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 12:262–276
Tehrani MHJ, Barnes EM Jr (1991) Agonist dependant internal ization of γ-aminobutyric acidA/benzodiazepine receptors in chick cortical neurons. J Neurochem 57:1307–1312
Tehrani MHJ, Barnes EM Jr (1993) Identification of GABAA/benzodiazepine receptors on clathrin-coated vesicles from rat brain. J Neurochem 60:1755–1761
Tenen SS, Hirsch JD (1980) β-Carboline-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester antagonizes diazepam activity. Nature 288:609–610
Turski L, Niemann W, Stephens DN (1990) Differential effects of antiepileptic drugs and β-carbolines on seizures induced by excitatory amino acids. Neuroscience 39:799–807
Wieland S, Lan NC, Mirasedeghi S, Gee KW (1991) Anxiolytic activity of the progesterone metabolite 5-alpha-pregnan-3-alpha-ol-20-one. Brain Res 565:263–268
Woodward RM, Polenzani L, Miledi R (1991) Effects of steroids on γ-aminobutyric acid receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes by Poly(A)+ RNA from mammalian brain and retina. Mol Pharmacol 41:89–103
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Clément, Y., Launay, JM., Bondoux, D. et al. A mouse mutant strain highly resistant to methyl β-carboline-3-carboxylate-induced seizures. Exp Brain Res 110, 28–35 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00241371
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00241371