Neurosci Lett. 1999 Nov 19;275(3):215-8.
A stereological study on the neuroprotective actions of acute modafinil treatment on 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced nigral lesions of the male black mouse.
Aguirre JA, Cintra A, Hillion J, Narvaez JA, Jansson A, Antonelli T, Ferraro L, Rambert FA, Fuxe K.
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Malaga, Spain.
The effect of an acute administration of the vigilance-promoting drug modafinil ((+/-)(diphenyl-methyl)-sulfinyl-2 acetamide; Modiodal) on the nigrostriatal dopamine system was studied after damage induced by MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) by means of immunohistochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and a stereological method. MPTP (40 mg/kg) reduced from 24,380 +/- 902 to 13,501 +/- 522 and from 37,868 +/- 3300 to 20,568 +/- 1270, respectively, the number of TH immunoreactive (IR) and non-TH IR nigral neurons. Co-administration of Modafinil restored to normal the number of these neuronal populations. MPTP treatment induced also a reduction in the volume of TH IR neurons, which was counteracted by Modafinil administration. The data provide morphological evidence, based on unbiased stereological analysis, for a potential neuroprotective role of Modafinil, not only in dopaminergic neurons, but also with a similar magnitude in the non-DA nerve cell population of the substantia nigra after MPTP lesion.These results suggest that Modafinil has a neuroprotective role in the substantia nigra via a still undefined mechanism in which a crucial role of DA uptake blockade should be excluded. Modafinil may therefore have a therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative processes such as those occurring in Parkinson's disease.
PMID: 10580713 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2006 May;7(7):837-48.
Neuroprotective agents in schizophrenia and affective disorders.
Krebs M, Leopold K, Hinzpeter A, Schaefer M.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charite Mitte, Schumannstr. 20/21, D-10117 Berlin, Germany. Michael.Krebs@charite.de
With the exception of dementia, the use of neuroprotective agents in psychiatric disorders is not yet well established. However, recent data from brain imaging studies and clinical trials support the view that neurodegenerative mechanisms may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and affective disorders. Further evidence for the use of neuroprotective agents can be drawn from the findings that second-generation antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and antidepressants have been shown to have neuroprotective effects in vitro and in vivo. Neuroprotective agents as add-on therapies (e.g., modafinil, erythropoietin, glycine, D-serine, memantine and celecoxib) are currently being evaluated in schizophrenia and related disorders. This paper reviews the current options for neuroprotective treatment approaches focusing on schizophrenia and affective disorders.
PMID: 16634707 [PubMed - in process]
Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2004 Mar;25(3):301-5.
Neuroprotective mechanism of modafinil on Parkinson disease induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine.
Xiao YL, Fu JM, Dong Z, Yang JQ, Zeng FX, Zhu LX, He BC.
Department of Pharmacology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. fjmin@21cn.com
AIM: To observe the neuroprotective mechanism of modafinil on Parkinson disease (PD) models induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). METHODS: The model of PD was induced by intraperitoneally injecting MPTP into C57BL/6J mice for 4 d. Modafinil (i.p., 50 or 100 mg/kg(-1)/d(-1)) was administered at 30 min following MPTP for 4 d and for another 10 d continuously. The contents of dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamine (Glu) in the striatum, and the contents of GABA, Glu, malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) in the substantia nigra (SN) of model mice were determined. RESULTS: Modafinil (50 and 100 mg/kg) prevented against the decrease of the contents of DA, 5-HT, and NA in the striatum and GSH, GABA in the SN induced by MPTP, but reduced the increase of MDA in the SN and GABA in the striatum induced by MPTP. Modafinil preferentially inhibited striatal GABA release, but it did not change the increase of nigrostriatal Glu release induced by MPTP. CONCLUSION: The anti-oxidation and the modulation of nigrostriatal GABA and striatal NA and 5-HT release contributed to the neuroprotective effects of modafinil on PD induced by MPTP.
PMID: 15000882 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]