title: [Delayed apoptosis and its regulation in astrocytes].
abstract: Astrocytes, the most abundant glial cell type in the brain, are considered to have physiological and pathological roles in neuronal activities. We found that reperfusion of cultured astrocytes after Ca2+ depletion causes Ca2+ overload followed by delayed cell death and the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger in the reverse mode is responsible for this Ca(2+)-mediated cell injury (Ca2+ paradox injury). The Ca2+ paradox injury of cultured astrocytes is considered to be an in vitro model of ischemia/reperfusion injury, since a similar paradoxical change in extracellular Ca2+ concentration is reported in ischemic brain tissue. This review summarizes the mechanisms underlying the Ca(2+)-mediated injury of astrocytes and the protective effects of drugs against Ca2+ reperfusion injury. This study shows that Ca2+ reperfusion injury of astrocytes is accompanied by apoptosis as evidenced by DNA fragmentation and nuclear condensation. Calpain, reactive oxygen species, calcineurin, caspase-3, and NF-kappa B are involved in Ca2+ reperfusion-induced delayed apoptosis of astrocytes. Several drugs including CV-2619, T-588 and ibudilast protect astrocytes against the delayed apoptosis. CV-2619 prevents astrocytes from the delayed apoptosis by production of nerve growth factor, resulting in an activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol-3 (PI3) kinase signal pathways. The protective effect of T-588 is mainly mediated by an activation of MAP/ERK signal cascade. Moreover, ibudilast prevents the Ca2+ reperfusion-induced delayed apoptosis of astrocytes via cyclic GMP signaling pathway. Further studies in this system will contribute to the development of new drugs that attenuate ischemia/reperfusion injury via modulation of astrocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kobe Gakuin University, 518 Arise, Ikawadani-cho, Nishi-ku, Kobe 651-2180, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takuma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004048:Diethylamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger / Q000502:physiology; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D016227:Benzoquinones; D004048:Diethylamines; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger; D013876:Thiophenes; D014451:Ubiquinone; C082372:T 588; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; C036619:idebenone; D002118:Calcium