title: Mechanism of estrogen-mediated neuroprotection: regulation of mitochondrial calcium and Bcl-2 expression.
abstract: Estrogens are neuroprotective against glutamate excitotoxicity caused by an excessive rise in intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)](i)). In this study, we demonstrate that 17 beta-estradiol (E(2)) treatment of hippocampal neurons attenuated the excitotoxic glutamate-induced rise in bulk-free [Ca(2+)](i) despite potentiating the influx of Ca(2+) induced by glutamate. E(2)-induced attenuation of bulk-free [Ca(2+)](i) depends on mitochondrial sequestration of Ca(2+), which is blocked in the presence of the combination of rotenone and oligomycin or in the presence of antimycin, which collapse the mitochondrial membrane potential, thereby preventing mitochondrial Ca(2+) transport. Release of mitochondrial Ca(2+) by carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP) after excitotoxic glutamate treatment resulted in a greater [Ca(2+)](i) in E(2)-treated cells, indicating an E(2)-induced increase in the mitochondrial calcium ([Ca(2+)](m)) load. The increased [Ca(2+)](m) load was accompanied by increased expression of Bcl-2, which can promote mitochondrial Ca(2+) load tolerance. These findings provide a mechanism of E(2)-induced neuronal survival by attenuation of excitotoxic glutamate [Ca(2+)](i) rise via increased mitochondrial sequestration of cytosolic Ca(2+) coupled with an increase in Bcl-2 expression to sustain mitochondrial Ca(2+) load tolerance and function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology and Program in Neuroscience, Pharmaceutical Sciences Center, 1985 Zonal Avenue, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. jnilsen@hsc.usc.edu
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nilsen
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Diaz Brinton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000968:Antimycin A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002259:Carbonyl Cyanide p-Trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism*; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009840:Oligomycins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010641:Phenotype; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D012402:Rotenone / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014475:Uncoupling Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D005971:Glutamates; D007476:Ionophores; D009840:Oligomycins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014475:Uncoupling Agents; D012402:Rotenone; C032456:antimycin; D002259:Carbonyl Cyanide p-Trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D000968:Antimycin A; D002118:Calcium