title: The survival of sympathetic neurons promoted by potassium depolarization, but not by cyclic AMP, requires phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Akt.
abstract: Phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase and Akt protein kinase mediate trophic factor-dependent survival in certain neurons. However, a role for these enzymes in neuronal survival promoted by other agents is unclear. We have tested PI 3-kinase and Akt for their role in survival promoted by membrane-depolarizing concentrations of extracellular potassium and the cell-permeable cyclic AMP analogue 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)cyclic AMP (cpt-cAMP). Depolarization of sympathetic neurons resulted in an increase in the activities of both PI 3-kinase and Akt. In addition, the PI 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 was a potent inducer of cell death in depolarized neurons. Stimulation with cpt-cAMP resulted in relatively small increases in PI 3-kinase and Akt activities, and neurons maintained with cpt-cAMP were more resistant to LY294002-induced death than were depolarized neurons. Expression of either dominant-negative PI 3-kinase or dominant-negative Akt blocked survival promoted by depolarization but not by cpt-cAMP. These results indicate that a PI 3-kinase/Akt pathway is required for survival of sympathetic neurons mediated by depolarization but not by cpt-cAMP. Thus, the survival of sympathetic neurons can be maintained through PI 3-kinase/Akt-dependent and -independent pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, New York 14642, USA.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Crowder
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Freeman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051381:Rats; D017783:Superior Cervical Ganglion / Q000166:cytology; D013873:Thionucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002867:Chromones; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009025:Morpholines; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D011188:Potassium; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D013873:Thionucleotides; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; C015929:8-((4-chlorophenyl)thio)cyclic-3',5'-AMP; C494920:Akt1 protein, rat