title: Sustained extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation by 6-hydroxydopamine: implications for Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Although the toxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) is utilized extensively in animal models of Parkinson's disease, the underlying mechanism of its toxic effects on dopaminergic neurons is not completely understood. We examined the effects of 6-OHDA on the CNS-derived tyrosine hydroxylase expressing B65 cell line, with particular attention to the regulation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERK). 6-OHDA elicited a dose-dependent cytotoxicity in B65 cells. Toxic doses of 6-OHDA also elicited a biphasic pattern of ERK phosphorylation with a prominent sustained phase, a pattern that differed from that observed with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) treatment. 6-OHDA-elicited ERK phosphorylation was blocked by PD98059, an inhibitor of the upstream mitogen activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) that phosphorylates and activates ERK. PD98059 also conferred protection against 6-OHDA cytotoxicity, but did not affect H(2)O(2) toxicity in B65 cells. These results suggest that ERK activation plays a direct mechanistic role in 6-OHDA toxicity, rather than representing a protective compensatory response, and raise the possibility that abnormal patterns of ERK activation may contribute to dopaminergic neuronal cell death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kulich
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000633:toxicity*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D009498:Neurotoxins; D016627:Oxidopamine; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one