title: [Functional alterations of astroglia on brain pathologies and their intracellular mechanisms].
abstract: A phenotypic alteration of astroglia, "astroglial activation", is a common phenomenon observed on brain pathologies. The hypertrophy/hyperplasia of activated astroglia causes a glial scar, which prevents synaptic re-generation. In contrast, many neurotrophic substances are produced by the activated astroglia. Thus, the functional alteration of astroglia is important in tissue repair processes of the damaged CNS. Endothelins (ETs) are involved in the pathophysiological responses of the CNS. We found that injection of ETs into rat brain induced activated astroglia. A selective ETB-receptor antagonist attenuated the induction of activated astroglia. In cultured astroglia, ETs reproduce the functional alterations characterizing activated astroglia; i.e., increases in proliferation, morphological changes and stimulation of several gene transcriptions. ETs re-organized astroglial cytoskeletal actin through a small GTP-binding protein, rho, which may underlie the astroglial hypertrophy. Analysis of gene expression showed that transcriptions of neurotrophic factors (GDNF and BDNF) were stimulated by ETs. ETs stimulated astroglial proliferation by both adhesion-dependent and -independent mechanisms, where FAK and ERK plays key roles, respectively. These findings suggest important roles of ETs in the regulation of astroglial functions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medicinal Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Osaka University, Yamada-Oka, Suita 565-0871, Japan. koyama@phs.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koyama
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000378:metabolism; D056743:Cyclin D3; D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism; D016232:Endothelins / Q000502:physiology*; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D006801:Humans; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D044023:Receptor, Endothelin B; D017466:Receptors, Endothelin / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; C534696:CCND3 protein, human; C534698:Ccnd3 protein, rat; D056743:Cyclin D3; D016213:Cyclins; D016232:Endothelins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D044023:Receptor, Endothelin B; D017466:Receptors, Endothelin; D019938:Cyclin D1; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C496050:PTK2 protein, human; C496052:Ptk2 protein, rat; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins