Protection against glutathione depletion-associated oxidative neuronal death by neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine: Protein disulfide isomerase as a mechanistic target for neuroprotection

Oxidative stress is extensively involved in neurodegeneration. Clinical evidence shows that keeping the mind active through mentally-stimulating physical activities can effectively slow down the progression of neurodegeneration. With increased physical activities, more neurotransmitters would be released in the brain. In the present study, we investigated whether some of the released neurotransmitters might have a beneficial effect against oxidative neurodegeneration in vitro. Glutamate-induced, glutathione depletion-associated oxidative cytotoxicity in HT22 mouse hippocampal neuronal cells was used as an experimental model. We showed that norepinephrine (NE, 50 µM) or dopamine (DA, 50 µM) exerted potent protective effect against glutamate-induced cytotoxicity, but this effect was not observed when other neurotransmitters such as histamine, γ-aminobutyric acid, serotonin, glycine and acetylcholine were tested. In glutamate-treated HT22 cells, both NE and DA significantly suppressed glutathione depletion-associated mitochondrial dysfunction including mitochondrial superoxide accumulation, ATP depletion and mitochondrial AIF release. Moreover, both NE and DA inhibited glutathione depletion-associated MAPKs activation, p53 phosphorylation and GADD45α activation. Molecular docking analysis revealed that NE and DA could bind to protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). In biochemical enzymatic assay in vitro, NE and DA dose-dependently inhibited the reductive activity of PDI. We further revealed that the protective effect of NE and DA against glutamate-induced oxidative cytotoxicity was mediated through inhibition of PDI-catalyzed dimerization of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase. Collectively, the results of this study suggest that NE and DA may have a protective effect against oxidative neurodegeneration through inhibition of protein disulfide isomerase and the subsequent activation of the MAPKs‒p53‒GADD45α oxidative cascade.