Pre- and post-treatment with pirlindole and dehydropirlindole protects cultured brain cells against nitric oxide-induced death.

We have previously shown that pirlindole and dehydropirlindole, two monoamine oxidase type-A inhibitors, protect cultured brain cells against iron-induced toxicity through a mechanism unrelated to monoamine oxidase type-A inhibition. The current study was performed to test whether the protective effect of pirlindole and dehydropirlindole could be extended to a nitric oxide (NO)-induced insult. A comparison with other monoamine oxidase inhibitors (brofaromine, moclobemide and deprenyl) and with trolox was made.

Comparative effects of dehydropirlindole and other compounds on rat brain monoamine oxidase type A.

Dehydropirlindole (DHP) is the dehydroderivative of pirlindole, a short-acting inhibitor of monoamine oxidase type A (MAO-A). DHP would be formed in vivo from oxidation of pirlindole by MAO-A. The aim of this work is to compare the inhibitory potency of DHP with three reference compounds: harmaline, befloxatone and clorgyline; the two former are reversible inhibitors and the later is an irreversible inhibitor of MAO-A.