title: Participation of protease-activated receptor-1 in thrombin-induced microglial activation.
abstract: Activation of microglia, the resident macrophages in the CNS, plays a significant role in neuronal death or degeneration in a broad spectrum of CNS disorders. Recent studies indicate that nanomolar concentrations of the serine protease, thrombin, can activate microglia in culture. However, in contrast to other neural cells responsive to thrombin, the participation of novel protease-activated receptors (PARs), such as the prototypic thrombin receptor PAR1, in thrombin-induced microglial activation was cast in doubt. In this report, by utilizing primary microglial cultures from PAR1 knockout (PAR1-/-) mice, application of the PAR1 active peptide TRAP-6 (SFLLRN) in comparison to a scrambled peptide (LFLNR), we have unambiguously demonstrated that murine microglia constitutively express PAR1 mRNA that is translated into fully functional protein. Activation of the microglial PAR1 induces a rapid cytosolic free [Ca2+]i increase and transient activation of both p38 and p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinases. Moreover, although in part, this PAR1 activation directly contributes to thrombin-induced microglial proliferation. Furthermore, although not directly inducing tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) release, PAR1 activation up-regulates microglial CD40 expression and potentiates CD40 ligand-induced TNF-alpha production, thus indirectly contributing to microglial activation. Taken together, these results demonstrate an essential role of PAR1 in thrombin-induced microglial activation. In addition, strategies aimed at blocking thrombin signaling through PAR1 may be therapeutically valuable for diseases associated with cerebral vascular damage and significant inflammation with microglial activation.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Research Laboratory, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri 64128, USA. zsuo@kumc.edu
authors.forename: Zhiming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Suo
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Syed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ameenuddin
authors.forename: Heidi E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Jamie E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Zoloty
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Citron
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andrade-Gordon
authors.forename: Barry W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Festoff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D017628:Microglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D044463:Receptor, PAR-1; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013917:Thrombin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D019013:CD40 Antigens; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D044463:Receptor, PAR-1; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C082835:thrombin receptor peptide (42-47); D023201:CD40 Ligand; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D013917:Thrombin; D002118:Calcium