Effects of prolyl endopeptidase inhibitors and neuropeptides on delayed neuronal death in rats

We investigated the effects of the prolyl endopeptidase inhibitors 1-[1-(Benzyloxycarbonyl)-l-prolyl]prolinal (Z-Pro-Prolinal) and N-benzyloxycarbonyl-thioprolyl-thioprolinal-dimethylacetal (ZTTA) on delayed neuronal death induced by four-vessel-occlusion transient ischemia in rats. We also examined the effects of [pGlu⁴, Cyt⁶, Arg⁸]vasopressin (vasopressin-(4-9)) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) on the delayed neuronal death. Furthermore, we investigated the role of vasopressin receptors in the effects of vasopressin and prolyl endopeptidase inhibitors. Z-Pro-Prolinal, vasopressin-(4-9) and TRH protected pyramidal cells in the CA1 subfield of the rat hippocampus from delayed neuronal death after 10-min ischemia. The effect of vasopressin-(4-9) was abolished by vasopressin receptor antagonists. The effect of Z-Pro-Prolinal was also abrogated by the antagonists. These results suggest that the neuroprotective effect of prolyl endopeptidase inhibitors is mediated by neuropeptides such as [Arg⁸]vasopressin and TRH, and indicate the involvement of vasopressin receptors in the neuroprotective effect of vasopressin-(4-9) and prolyl endopeptidase inhibitors. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.