title: Novel neuronal targets for the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil.
abstract: The effects of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil on cell viability and proliferation events have been analysed in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Short- (48 h) or long-term (7 days) exposure of SH-SY5Y cells to donepezil (100 nM-10 microM) induced a concentration-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation that was not modified by muscarinic and nicotinic receptor antagonists, or mimicked by galantamine, and was not related to induction of apoptosis. By analysing the distribution profile of cell populations within the cell cycle following treatment with 10 microM donepezil, a reduction of cells in the S-G2/M phases of the cycle and a parallel increase of the G0/G1 population were observed. In addition, the expression of two cyclins of the G1/S and G2/M transitions, cyclin E and cyclin B, was significantly reduced in donepezil-treated cells. In contrast, the expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p21 rapidly (6 h) increased following exposure to the drug. Finally, donepezil increased the expression of the neuronal marker MAP-2 in selected subpopulations of SH-SY5Y cells, suggesting that the effect on cell proliferation by donepezil may correlate to a trend to neuronal differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy. msortino@unict.it
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sortino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frasca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chisari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Platania
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chiechio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vancheri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Copani
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Canonico
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000077265:Donepezil; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D010880:Piperidines / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil