title: Corticotropin-releasing hormone induces proliferation and TNF-alpha release in cultured rat microglia via MAP kinase signalling pathways.
abstract: We have previously demonstrated that corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptor 1 (CRH-R1) is functionally expressed in rat microglia. In the present study, we show that CRH, acting on CRH-R1, promoted cell proliferation and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) release in cultured rat microglia. Exogenous CRH resulted in an increase in BrdU incorporation compared with control cells, which was observed in a range of concentrations of CRH between 10 and 500 nm, with a maximal response at 50 nm. The effect of CRH on BrdU incorporation was inhibited by a CRH antagonist astressin but not by a cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor H89. Exposure of microglial cells to CRH resulted in a transient and rapid increase in TNF-alpha release in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of astressin, the effects of CRH on TNF-alpha release were attenuated. CRH effects on TNF-alpha release were also inhibited by specific inhibitors of MEK, the upstream kinase of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) (PD98059) or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (SB203580), but not by H89. Furthermore, CRH induced rapid phosphorylation of ERK and p38 kinases. Astressin, PD98059, and SB230580 were able to inhibit CRH-induced kinase phosphorylation. These results suggest that CRH induces cell proliferation and TNF-alpha release in cultured microglia via MAP kinase signalling pathways, thereby providing insight into the interactions between CRH and inflammatory mediators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Kimberly E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Dow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology*; D017628:Microglia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases