title: Enhanced activation of axonally transported stress-activated protein kinases in peripheral nerve in diabetic neuropathy is prevented by neurotrophin-3.
abstract: The objective was to determine whether stress-activated protein kinases (SAPKs) mediated the transfer of diabetes-induced stress signals from the periphery to somata of sensory neurons. Thus, we characterized axonal transport of SAPKs in peripheral nerve, studied any alteration in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats and examined effects of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) on diabetes-induced events. We demonstrate that c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 are bidirectionally axonally transported at fast rates in sciatic nerve. In STZ-diabetic rats the relative levels of retrograde axonal transport of phosphorylated (activated) JNK and p38 were raised compared with age-matched controls (all data are in arbitrary units and expressed as fold increase over control: JNK 54-56 kDa isoforms, control 1.0 +/- 0.19, diabetic 2.5 +/- 0.26; p38, control 1.0 +/- 0.09, diabetic 2.9 +/- 0.52; both P < 0.05). Transport of total enzyme levels of JNK and p38 and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was not significantly altered and anterograde axonal transport of phosphorylated JNK and p38 was unaffected by diabetes. The transcription factor ATF-2, which is phosphorylated and activated by JNK and p38, also exhibited elevated retrograde axonal transport in STZ-diabetic animals (control 1.0 +/- 0.07, diabetic 3.0 +/- 0.41; P < 0.05). Treatment of STZ-diabetic animals with 5 mg/kg human recombinant NT-3 prevented activation of JNK and p38 in sciatic nerve (phosphorylated JNK, control 1.0 +/- 0.09, diabetic 1.95 +/- 0.35, diabetic + NT-3 1.09 +/- 0.12; P < 0.05 diabetic versus others; phosphorylated p38, control 1.0 +/- 0.16, diabetic 4.7 +/- 0.9, diabetic + NT-3 1.19 +/- 0.18; P < 0.05 diabetic versus others). The results show that JNK and p38 are transported axonally and may mediate the transfer of diabetes-related stress signals, possibly triggered by loss of neurotrophic support, from the periphery to the neuronal soma.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Middlemas
authors.forename: J-D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Delcroix
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Sayers
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Tomlinson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernyhough
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport / Q000187:drug effects*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D008297:Male; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020933:Neurotrophin 3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000201:enzymology; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D020933:Neurotrophin 3; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases