title: Vasoactive intestinal peptide and pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating polypeptide inhibit tumor necrosis factor-alpha production in injured spinal cord and in activated microglia via a cAMP-dependent pathway.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production accompanies CNS insults of all kinds. Because the neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and the structurally related peptide pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) have potent anti-inflammatory effects in the periphery, we investigated whether these effects extend to the CNS. TNF-alpha mRNA was induced within 2 hr after rat spinal cord transection, and its upregulation was suppressed by a synthetic VIP receptor agonist. Cultured rat microglia were used to examine the mechanisms underlying this inhibition because microglia are the likely source of TNF-alpha in injured CNS. In culture, increases in TNF-alpha mRNA resulting from lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation were reduced significantly by 10(-7) m VIP and completely eliminated by PACAP at the same concentration. TNF-alpha protein levels were reduced 90% by VIP or PACAP at 10(-7) m. An antagonist of VPAC(1) receptors blocked the action of VIP and PACAP, and a PAC(1) antagonist blocked the action of PACAP. A direct demonstration of VIP binding on microglia and the existence of mRNAs for VPAC(1) and PAC(1) (but not VPAC(2)) receptors argue for a receptor-mediated effect. The action of VIP is cAMP-mediated because (1) activation of cAMP by forskolin mimics the action; (2) PKA inhibition by H89 reverses the neuropeptide-induced inhibition; and (3) the lipophilic neuropeptide mimic, stearyl-norleucine(17) VIP (SNV), which does not use a cAMP-mediated pathway, fails to duplicate the inhibition. We conclude that VIP and PACAP inhibit the production of TNF-alpha from activated microglia by a cAMP-dependent pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102, USA.
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ganea
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gozes
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Jonakait
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D017628:Microglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051236:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D011979:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone / Q000235:genetics; D018005:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics; D051238:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide, Type I; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013449:Sulfonamides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: C495403:Adcyap1 protein, rat; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007546:Isoquinolines; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009479:Neuropeptides; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051236:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D011979:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone; D018005:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D051238:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide, Type I; D013449:Sulfonamides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D005576:Colforsin; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; C063509:N-(2-(4-bromocinnamylamino)ethyl)-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide