Effects of the antidepressant/antipanic drug phenelzine on alanine and alanine transaminase in rat brain

1. Phenelzine (PLZ) is an antidepressant with anxiolytic properties. Acute and chronic PLZ administration increase brain GABA levels, an effect due, at least in part, to an inhibition of the activity of the GABA metabolizing enzyme, GABA transaminase (GABA-T). 2. Previous preliminary reports have indicated that acute PLZ treatment also elevates brain alanine levels. As with GABA, the metabolism of alanine involves a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent transaminase. 3. In the study reported here, the effects of acute PLZ treatment on the levels of various amino acids, some of which are also metabolized by pyridoxal phosphate-dependent transaminases were compared in rat whole brain. Of the 6 amino acids investigated, only GABA and alanine levels were elevated (in a time- and dose-dependent manner). 4. The elevation in brain alanine levels could be explained, at least in part, by a time-and dose-dependent inhibitory effect of PLZ on alanine transaminase (ALA-T), although as with GABA the increases are higher than expected from the degree of enzyme inhibition produced. In addition, we also showed that the elevation in alanine levels and the inhibition of alanine transaminase in the brain are retained after 14 days of PLZ treatment, and that PLZ produces a marked increase in extracellular levels of alanine. 5. These results are discussed in terms of their relevance to synaptic function and to the pharmacological profile of PLZ.