title: Signaling cascades involved in neuroprotection by subpicomolar pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide 38.
abstract: In neuronal/glial cocultures, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide 38 (PACAP38) prevented neuronal death induced by gp120, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or other toxic agents, but the dose response of the neuroprotective effect is bimodal, with a peak at a subpicomolar concentration and another peak at a subnanomolar to nanomolar concentration. Although the signaling cascade involved in neuroprotection by nanomolar concentration of the peptide has been shown to be mediated by activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and subsequent activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), the mechanism for neuroprotection by a subpicomolar level of PACAP38 remains elusive. In the present study, the signaling involved in neuroprotection by subpicomolar PACAP38 was studied in rat neuronal/glial cocultures. Addition of PACAP38 stimulated expression and activation of extracellular signal-related kinase-type MAPK with a peak response at 10-13 M; greater concentrations of the peptide induced lesser response. cAMP production also increased at subpicomolar levels of PACAP38, but the level remained unchanged at a level four to five times higher than the base level at concentrations below 10-11 M. cAMP then started increasing again dose-dependently in a range >10-11 M PACAP38. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuronal death, indicated by increased release of neuron-specific enolase, was suppressed by PACAP38 in a bimodal fashion. Neuroprotection by 10-12 M PACAP38 was completely abolished by a MAPK kinase-1 inhibitor, PD98059, and also partially suppressed by Rp-cAMP, a cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor. Moreover, neuroprotection by a nanomolar level of PACAP38 was completely suppressed by Rp-cAMP but not affected by PD98059. We conclude that neuroprotection by subpicomolar PACAP38 is mainly mediated by the signaling pathway involving MAPK activation and partially regulated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase activation. Furthermore, PACAP38 stimulated expression of activity- dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP), with a peak at 10-13 M. Greater doses of the peptide induced lesser response. However, 10-13 M PACAP38-stimulated expression of ADNP was not affected by PD98059. This suggests that neuroprotection by subpicomolar PACAP38 might be mediated partially by expression of ADNP, but the major events for neuroprotection by subpicomolar PACAP38 remain to be identified.
authors.affiliation: U.S.-Japan Biomedical Research Laboratories, Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: Toshiteru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikuta
authors.forename: Aniko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Somogyvari-Vigh
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arimura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D020827:rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C495403:Adcyap1 protein, rat; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D020827:rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase