title: Neuroprotective sigma ligands attenuate NMDA and trans-ACPD-induced calcium signaling in rat primary neurons.
abstract: The effect of neuroprotective sigma ligands possessing a range of relative selectivity for sigma and phencyclidine (PCP) binding sites on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and (+/-)-1-aminocyclopentane-trans-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (trans-ACPD)-stimulated calcium flux was studied in 12-15-day-old primary cultures of rat cortical neurons. In approximately 80% of the neurons tested, NMDA (80 microM) caused a sustained increase in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i). With the exception of R-(+)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-propylpiperidine hydrochloride ((+)-3-PPP) (previously shown not to be neuroprotective) all of the sigma ligands studied significantly altered NMDA-induced calcium dynamics. The primary effect of dextromethorphan, (+)-pentazocine, (+)-cyclazocine, (+)-SKF10047, carbetapentane, 1,3-di(2-tolyl) guanidine (DTG), and haloperidol was to shift the NMDA response from a sustained, to either a biphasic or a transient, calcium event. In contrast to NMDA, the primary response observed in 62% of the neurons treated with trans-ACPD (100 microM) was a transient elevation in [Ca2+]i. Here, however, only the highly selective neuroprotective sigma ligands (i.e., those lacking substantial PCP binding affinity) significantly decreased the number of transient responses elicited by trans-ACPD whereas the PCP-related sigma ligands such as dextromethorphan, (+)-SKF10047 and (+)-cyclazocine were ineffective. Unexpectedly, (+)-3-PPP potentiated trans-ACPD activity. These results demonstrating attenuating effects of sigma ligands on NMDA-stimulated neuronal calcium responses agree with earlier studies using glutamate and KCl and identify a sigma receptor modulation of functional NMDA responsiveness. Furthermore, the ability of sigma ligands to attenuate NMDA-, trans-ACPD- and KCl-evoked neuronal calcium dynamics indicates that the receptor mechanisms mediating sigma neuroprotection comprise complex interactions involving ionotropic, metabotropic, and even voltage-gated calcium signaling processes.
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Division of Forensic Toxicology, Washington, DC 20307, USA.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Klette
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Clapp
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: DeCoster
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Moreton
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Tortella
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003515:Cycloleucine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008024:Ligands; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats / Q000196:embryology; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017480:Receptors, sigma / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D017480:Receptors, sigma; D003515:Cycloleucine; C036361:1-amino-1,3-dicarboxycyclopentane; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D002118:Calcium