title: Vasoactive intestinal peptide suppresses neuronal cell death induced by nerve growth factor deprivation in rat sympathetic ganglion cells in vitro.
abstract: Neuropeptides were examined for their effects on the survival of cultured rat superior cervical ganglion cells after acute deprivation of nerve growth factor (NGF). Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP, 3 microM) delayed the neuronal death about 6 h alone. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (0.2 mM) greatly potentiated its effect, reducing EC50 from 2.5 microM to 8 nM. The neuronal death was completely suppressed under this condition. On the other hand, substance P (1-100 microM) or enkephalin (1-100 microM) alone did not modify the death, whereas the latter (100 microM) enhanced the survival-promoting effect of membrane depolarization with elevated K+. These results suggest strongly that neuropeptides regulate the NGF-independent survival of sympathetic neurons through a cAMP-dependent mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Science, Saga Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koike
mesh_terms: D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000494:pharmacology; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000502:physiology*; D016501:Neurites / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium; D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine