title: Carnitine prevents NMDA receptor-mediated activation of MAP-kinase and phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein 2 in cerebellar neurons in culture.
abstract: Activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors leads to increased phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein MAP-2 by a mechanism that involves activation of nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP-kinase). We have assessed the effects of carnitine on this signal transduction pathway in primary cultures of rat cerebellar neurons. We show that carnitine inhibits NMDA-induced phosphorylation of MAP-2 and that this is due to decreased activation of MAP-kinase. This effect is not due to inhibition by carnitine of NMDA-induced activation of nitric oxide synthase or to quenching of the nitric oxide formed, which are not affected by carnitine. Carnitine also inhibits the increase in phosphorylation of MAP-2 induced by the nitric oxide-generating agent S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine, but not nitric oxide-induced activation of soluble guanylate cyclase. These results indicate that carnitine interferes with NMDA-induced, nitric oxide mediated activation of MAP-kinase at a step subsequent to nitric oxide formation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobiology, Instituto de Investigaciones Citológicas, Fundación Valenciana de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Amadeo de Saboya, 4, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Llansola
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Felipo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002331:Carnitine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D002331:Carnitine