title: Role of cAMP, PKA and Rap1A in thyroid follicular cell survival.
abstract: Cyclic AMP (cAMP) rescues cells from apoptosis stimulated by diverse insults. We examined the role of cAMP as a survival factor, and the signaling pathways through which cAMP affords protection. Rat thyroid cells were selected for these studies given the predominant role of cAMP in thyrotropin (TSH)-stimulated proliferation and as an oncogene in thyroid cells. Wistar rat thyroid (WRT) cells perished via apoptosis following sodium nitroprusside (SNP) treatment. Elevations in cAMP following treatment with forskolin, 8BrcAMP or IBMX rescued cells from SNP-induced cell death. Notably, TSH prevented apoptosis, implicating an important role for this hormone as a survival factor. Cyclic AMP activates multiple signaling pathways including those mediated through PKA, PI3K, p70S6k and the Ras-related small G protein, Rap1. Intriguingly, multiple pathways modulate thyroid cell survival. Interference with cAMP-stimulated p70S6k, but not PI3K, activity abrogated cell survival. Treatment with PKA inhibitors was sufficient to stimulate apoptosis in hormone-deprived cells and markedly enhanced cell death in response to SNP. Cells expressing an activated Rap1A mutant exhibited an enhanced sensitivity to SNP-induced apoptosis, while those expressing dominant negative Rap1A were resistant to SNP-initiated cell death. Together, these findings establish an important role for PKA and Rap1 in the control of thyroid cell survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Arturo P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Saavedra
authors.forename: Oxana M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Tsygankova
authors.forename: Gregory V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Prendergast
authors.forename: Jessica H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Dworet
authors.forename: Guanjun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Judy L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Meinkoth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology*; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009154:Mutation; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019893:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000494:pharmacology; D020827:rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D009599:Nitroprusside; D013972:Thyrotropin; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D019893:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D020827:rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins