title: Astrocytes are more vulnerable than neurons to cellular Ca2+ overload induced by a mitochondrial toxin, 3-nitropropionic acid.
abstract: The differential effects of 3-nitropropionic acid on cultured neurons and astrocytes (of cortical and striatal origin) were examined by studying intracellular Ca2+ changes using imaging techniques with fura-2. The neurons and astrocytes whose intracellular Ca2+ concentration was recorded were identified later by immunocytochemical staining for microtubule-associated protein 2 and glial fibrillary acidic protein, respectively. 3-Nitropropionic acid (1.7 mM) irreversibly increased intracellular Ca2+ in astrocytes (27%) and, to a significantly smaller extent, in neurons (10%). The latency to onset of the intracellular Ca2+ increase was longer in neurons (45 min) than in astrocytes (29 min). Thus, a differential susceptibility of astrocytes and neurons was observed. The 3-nitropropionic acid-induced astrocytic and neuronal Ca2+ accumulations were both due to influx of Ca2+, as the increases were absent in Ca2+-free medium. An inhibitor of the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (2',4'-dichlorobenzamil), greatly reduced the intracellular Ca2+ increase in astrocytes, but not in neurons. This indicates that the intracellular Ca2+ increase in astrocytes is primarily mediated by a reverse operation of the Na+-Ca2+ exchange system, whereas in neurons it is mediated by a different mechanism. In addition, we noted that astrocytic cell death occurred in 9% of cells at 60 min or more after the start of a 40 min perfusion with 3-nitropropionic acid, while only 4% of neurons died. In astrocytes, cell death was preceded by blebbing of the cell membrane, and by a sustained increase in intracellular Ca2+ followed by an abrupt further elevation occurring just before cellular collapse. The present results indicate that astrocytes are more vulnerable than neurons to 3-nitropropionic acid-induced cellular Ca2+ overload and toxicity, and hence support the hypothesis that, in part, 3-nitropropionic acid-induced neurotoxicity could be secondary to astrocytic cell death caused by Ca2+ overload.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Nagoya City University Medical School, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Deshpande
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimano
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishino
mesh_terms: D000584:Amiloride / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011247:Pregnancy; D011422:Propionates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009498:Neurotoxins; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011422:Propionates; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger; C041470:3',4'-dichlorobenzamil; D000584:Amiloride; C015392:3-nitropropionic acid; D002118:Calcium