title: Stimulation of nerve growth factor synthesis/secretion by 1,4-benzoquinone and its derivatives in cultured mouse astroglial cells.
abstract: Previously we reported that astroglial cells cultured from mouse brain synthesize and secrete nerve growth factor (NGF) and that, in quiescent cells, catecholamines markedly increase the NGF content in the conditioned medium (CM). We wished to further assess the structural properties required for exhibition of such effect of compounds containing a ring structure analogous to that of catechol on astroglial NGF synthesis. During our study, we found that hydroquinone, which was confirmed not to stimulate NGF synthesis in mouse fibroblast cells in another of our investigations, is a potent stimulator of NGF synthesis in astroglial cells and that 1,4-benzoquinone, an oxidized form of hydroquinone, is a more effective stimulator than hydroquinone itself. In addition, the results of experiments with 1,2-benzoquinone derivatives indicated that the presence of a long aliphatic side chain in the molecule eliminates the stimulatory effect of 1,4-benzoquinone on NGF synthesis in astroglial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murase
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016227:Benzoquinones; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D002396:Catechols / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006873:Hydroquinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011809:Quinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012118:Resorcinols / Q000494:pharmacology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D016227:Benzoquinones; D002396:Catechols; D006873:Hydroquinones; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011809:Quinones; D012118:Resorcinols; D014451:Ubiquinone; C004532:quinone; C036619:idebenone; C034221:catechol; C031927:hydroquinone; C031389:resorcinol