Nicergoline and its metabolite induce translocation of PKC isoforms in selective rat brain areas

In view of the important role of PKC in synaptic plasticity we have investigated the ability of Nicergoline to affect translocation of PKC isoforms in synaptosomes obtained from distinct brain areas. In isolated synaptosomes obtained from rat hippocampus and striatum, nicergoline was able to induce in a concentration dependent fashion the translocation of the Ca++-dependent PKC isozymes α and β, but not of the Ca++ independent ε. The effect is confined to hippocampus and striatum. MDL, the major nicergoline metabolite, is more potent in modulating PKC activity in all the brain areas evaluated. These data suggest that PKC may represent an pharmacological target at presynaptic level for nicergoline and its derivatives.