Apomorphine up-regulates NGF and GDNF synthesis in cultured mouse astrocytes.
Apomorphine, a D1/D2 dopamine agonist, is an anti-parkinsonian drug. We examined the effects of apomorphine on synthesis of neurotrophic factors in cultured mouse astrocytes. After 24 h incubation with apomorphine, NGF and GDNF contents in the culture medium increased to 122-fold and 1.8-fold of the control, respectively; whereas the BDNF content did not change significantly. In Northern blot analysis, expression of NGF mRNA in astrocytes reached the maximum level at 6 h after addition of the drug. By semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis, the GDNF transcript level was found to reach 2.9-fold of the control level at 15 h. These results suggest that apomorphine may exert neuroprotective effects by stimulation of NGF and GDNF synthesis in astrocytes.
Ohta
M
M
Clinical Research Center, Utano National Hospital, Kyoto, Japan. m_ohta@utano.hosp.jp
Mizuta
I
I
Ohta
K
K
Nishimura
M
M
Mizuta
E
E
Hayashi
K
K
Kuno
S
S
D000818:Animals; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D017931:DNA Primers; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; C495039:GDNF protein, human; C495040:Gdnf protein, mouse; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D001058:Apomorphine