[1-(4-chloro-3-nitrobenzenesulfonyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]-methanol, an indole-3-carbinol derivative, inhibits glutamate release in rat cerebrocortical nerve terminals by suppressing the P/Q-type Ca2+ channels and Ca2+/calmodulin/protein kinase A pathway

Abstract Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), found in cruciferous vegetables, has been proposed to exhibit neuroprotective effects. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the I3C derivative [1(4-chloro-3-nitrobenzenesulfonyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]-methanol (CIM), which has superior pharmacokinetic properties to I3C, on glutamate release in rat cerebrocortical nerve terminals (synaptosomes). We observed that CIM dose-dependently inhibited glutamate release evoked by the potassium channel blocker 4-aminopyridine (4-AP). CIM-mediated inhibition of glutamate release was attributed to reduced exocytosis, as it correlated with the removal of extracellular calcium and blocking of the vesicular glutamate transporter but not the glutamate transporter. In addition, CIM decreased 4-AP-evoked intrasynaptosomal Ca2+ elevation; however, it did not alter the synaptosomal membrane potential. The inhibition of P/Q-typeCa2+ channels abolished the effect of CIM on 4-AP-evoked glutamate release, and the effect was not prevented by intracellular Ca2+ release inhibitors. Moreover, the molecular docking study showed that CIM exhibited the highest binding affinity with the P/Q-type Ca2+channels. Finally, the CIM-mediated inhibition of glutamate release was sensitive to calmodulin, adenylate cyclase (AC), and protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitors. Based on these results, we propose that CIM, through the direct suppression of P/Q-type Ca2+ channels, decreases Ca2+ influx and the activation of Ca2+/calmodulin/AC/PKA signaling, thereby inhibiting glutamate release. This finding is crucial for understanding the role of CIM in the central nervous system and for exploiting its potential in therapeutic interventions.