Cyclooxygenase-2 is an obligatory factor in methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity

Methamphetamine causes persistent damage to dopamine nerve endings of the striatum. The mechanisms underlying its neurotoxicity are not fully understood, but considerable evidence points to oxidative stress as a probable mechanism. A recent microarray analysis of gene expression changes caused by methamphetamine revealed that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was induced along with its transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (Thomas DM, Francescutti-Verbeem DM, Liu X, and Kuhn DM, 2004). We report presently that methamphetamine increases striatal expression of COX-2 protein. Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) expression was not changed. Mice bearing a null mutation of the gene for COX-2 were resistant to methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity. COX-1 knockouts, like wild-type mice, showed extensive dopamine nerve terminal damage. Selective inhibitors of COX-1 [5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-trifluoromethyl pyrazole (SC-560)], COX-2 [N-[2-(cyclohexyloxy)-4-nitrophenyl] methanesulfonamide (NS-398), rofecoxib], or COX-3 (antipyrine) or a nonselective inhibitor of the COX-1/2 isoforms (ketoprofen) did not protect mice from neurotoxicity. Finally, methamphetamine did not change striatal prostaglandin E(2) content. Taken together, these data suggest that COX-2 is an obligatory factor in methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity. The functional aspect of COX-2 that contributes to drug-induced neurotoxicity does not appear to be its prostaglandin synthetic capacity. Instead, the peroxidase activity associated with COX-2, which can lead to the formation of reactive oxygen species and dopamine quinones, can account for its role.