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  • The blood-brain barrier-permeable catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor dinitrocatechol suppresses experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

The blood-brain barrier-permeable catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor dinitrocatechol suppresses experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Journal of neuroimmunology (2014-09-23)
Paul E Polak, Shao Xia Lin, Dale Pelligrino, Douglas L Feinstein
ABSTRACT

Reduced levels of noradrenaline (NA) in CNS of multiple sclerosis patients could be due to metabolism by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). In mice immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide, the BBB-permeable COMT inhibitor dinitrocatechol (DNC) reduced clinical signs, while entacapone, a non-BBB-permeable inhibitor, had no effect. Spinal cord NA levels were slightly increased by DNC, and there was an inverse correlation between NA levels and average clinical signs. Spinal cord COMT mRNA levels were not increased during EAE, but were found increased in the frontal cortex of MS patients. These results suggest that COMT inhibitors could provide benefit to MS patients.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Entacapone, European Pharmacopoeia (EP) Reference Standard
Sigma-Aldrich
Entacapone, ≥98% (HPLC)