title: VX-induced cell death involves activation of caspase-3 in cultured rat cortical neurons.
abstract: Exposure of cell cultures to organophosphorous compounds such as VX can result in cell death. However, it is not clear whether VX-induced cell death is necrotic or involves programmed cell death mechanisms. Activation of caspases, a family of cysteine proteases, is often involved in cell death, and in particular, caspase-3 activation appears to be a key event in programmed cell death processes including apoptosis. In this study, we investigated VX-induced neuronal cell death, as well as the underlying mechanism in terms of its effect on caspase-3 activity. Primary cortical neuronal cultures were prepared from gestational days 17 to 19 Sprague Dawley rat fetuses. At maturation, the cells were treated with varying concentrations of VX and cell death was evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. VX induced an increase in LDH release in a concentration-dependent manner. Morphological VX-induced cell death was also characterized by using nuclear staining with propidium iodide and Hoechst 33342. VX induced a concentration- and time-dependent increase in caspase-3 activation. Caspase-3 activation was also confirmed by the proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP), an endogenous caspase-3 substrate. These data suggested that in rat cortical neurons, VX-induced cell death via a programmed cell death pathway that involves changes in caspase-3 protease.
authors: Medical Therapy Group, DRDC Suffield, P.O. Box 4000, Station Main, Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 8K6, Canada. catherine.tenn@ddrdc-rddc.gc.ca
authors: Catherine C
authors: CC
authors: Tenn
authors: Yushan
authors: Y
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D009946:Organothiophosphorus Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D000071137:Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D053148:Caspase 3; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D009946:Organothiophosphorus Compounds; D000071137:Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; C009680:VX-agent; C499322:Parp1 protein, rat