title: Kainic acid-induced neuronal cell death in cerebellar granule cells is not prevented by caspase inhibitors.
abstract: 1. We examined the role of non-NMDA receptors in kainic acid (KA)-induced apoptosis in cultures of rat cerebellar granule cells (CGCs). KA (1 - 500 microM) induced cell death in a concentration-dependent manner, which was prevented by NBQX and GYKI 52466, non-NMDA receptor antagonists. Moreover, AMPA blocked KA-induced excitotoxicity, through desensitization of AMPA receptors. 2. Similarly, KA raised the intracellular calcium concentration of CGCs, which was inhibited by NBQX and GYKI 52466. Again, AMPA (100 microM) abolished the KA (100 microM)-induced increase in intracellular calcium concentration. 3. KA-induced cell death in CGCs had apoptotic features, which were determined morphologically, by DNA fragmentation, and by expression of the prostate apoptosis response-4 protein (Par-4). 5. KA (500 microM) slightly (18%) increased caspase-3 activity, which was strongly enhanced by colchicine (1 microM), an apoptotic stimulus. However, neither Z-VAD.fmk, a pan-caspase inhibitor, nor the more specific caspase-3 inhibitor, Ac-DEVD-CHO, prevented KA-induced cell death or apoptosis. In contrast, both drugs inhibited colchicine-induced apoptosis. 5. The calpain inhibitor ALLN had no effect on KA or colchicine-induced neurotoxicity. 6. Our findings indicate that colchicine-induced apoptosis in CGCs is mediated by caspase-3 activation, unlike KA-induced apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Farmacologia i Farmacognòsia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Nucli Universitari de Pedralbes, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verdaguer
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García-Jordà
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stranges
authors.forename: Francesc X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Sureda
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Canudas
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Escubedo
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Camarasa
authors.forename: Mercè
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pallàs
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D053148:Caspase 3; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000633:toxicity*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; C101296:prostate apoptosis response-4 protein; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D007608:Kainic Acid