Action of citicoline on rat retinal expression of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2).
Citicoline is an essential endogenous intermediate in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine, which acts as a therapeutic agent in models of central nervous system injury and neurodegenerative diseases. The present study investigated the effects of citicoline on extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) expression in the rat retina after kainic acid (KA) treatment. KA (6 nmol) was injected into the vitreous of the rat eyes. The animals were then injected intraperitoneally with citicoline (500 mg/kg) twice daily after the KA injection. The neuroprotective effects of citicoline were estimated by evaluating temporal changes in ERK1/2 using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL), immunoblotting and immunohistochemical techniques. The expression of phosphorylated ERK1/2 was slightly decreased after 6 h, and significantly reduced after 12 h, in the rats receiving the KA injection plus citicoline treatment. Our results demonstrated that citicoline decreased the activation of ERK1/2 due to the KA treatment, suggesting that it exerts its neuroprotective activity by reducing the concentrations of proteins involved in apoptosis.
Park
Chang Hwan
CH
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, Institute of Health Science, Medical Research Center for Neural Dysfunction, Gyeongsang National University, 92 Chilam-dong, Jinju, Kyungnam 660-751, South Korea.
Kim
Yoon Sook
YS
Cheon
Eun Woo
EW
Noh
Hae Sook
HS
Cho
Chang Hyun
CH
Chung
In Young
IY
Yoo
Ji Myong
JM
Kang
Sang Soo
SS
Choi
Wan Sung
WS
Cho
Gyeong Jae
GJ
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D007608:Kainic Acid