title: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor prevents changes in Bcl-2 family members and caspase-3 activation induced by excitotoxicity in the striatum.
abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) prevents the loss of striatal neurons caused by excitotoxicity. We examined whether these neuroprotective effects are mediated by changes in the regulation of Bcl-2 family members. We first analyzed the involvement of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway in this regulation, showing a reduction in phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) levels after both quinolinate (QUIN, an NMDA receptor agonist) and kainate (KA, a non-NMDA receptor agonist) intrastriatal injection. Our results also show that Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L) and Bax protein levels and heterodimerization are selectively regulated by NMDA and non-NMDA receptor stimulation. Striatal cell death induced by QUIN is mediated by an increase in Bax and a decrease in Bcl-2 protein levels, leading to reduced levels of Bax:Bcl-2 heterodimers. In contrast, changes in Bax protein levels are not required for KA-induced apoptotic cell death, but decreased levels of both Bax:Bcl-2 and Bax:Bcl-x(L) heterodimer levels are necessary. Furthermore, QUIN and KA injection activated caspase-3. Intrastriatal grafting of a BDNF-secreting cell line counter-regulated p-AKT, Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L) and Bax protein levels, prevented changes in the heterodimerization between Bax and pro-survival proteins, and blocked caspase-3 activation induced by excitotoxicity. These results provide a possible mechanism to explain the anti-apoptotic effect of BDNF against to excitotoxicity in the striatum through the regulation of Bcl-2 family members, which is probably mediated by Akt activation.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Biologia Cel-lular i Anatomia Patològica, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomédiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Casanova 143, E-08036 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pérez-Navarro
authors.forename: Núria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gavaldà
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gratacòs
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alberch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019281:Dimerization; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008845:Microinjections; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D017378:Quinolinic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: C494827:Bax protein, mouse; C494828:Bax protein, rat; C494812:Bcl2l1 protein, mouse; C494813:Bcl2l1 protein, rat; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D009498:Neurotoxins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein; C494920:Akt1 protein, rat; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D017378:Quinolinic Acid; D007608:Kainic Acid