title: Region-specific regulation of preproenkephalin mRNA in cultured astrocytes.
abstract: Regulation of preproenkephalin (PPE) mRNA was examined in astrocytes cultured from several regions of the neonatal rat brain. Astrocytes from these regions expressed differing levels of PPE mRNA, with higher levels in astrocytes from the hypothalamus followed by frontal cortex and striatum. Further, PPE mRNA was regulated differently in hypothalamic than in striatal glia. Treatment of striatal astrocytes with the beta-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol, or with agents which directly increased intracellular cAMP (forskolin or 8-bromo-cAMP) elevated levels of PPE mRNA. By contrast, none of these treatments altered levels of PPE mRNA in hypothalamic astrocytes despite increasing cAMP levels 60-fold. These observations indicate that there is striking regional heterogeneity in the expression and regulation of PPE mRNA by astrocytes, suggesting that proenkephalin or its derived peptides help to mediate region-specific brain functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461.
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Batter
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kessler
mesh_terms: D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000235:genetics*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D012313:RNA / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005576:Colforsin; D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate; D012313:RNA; C033660:preproenkephalin; D007545:Isoproterenol