title: Divergent effects of prostaglandin receptor signaling on neuronal survival.
abstract: Induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) with production of prostaglandins occurs in a wide spectrum of acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases and is associated with neuronal death. Inhibition of the COX-2 pathway and downstream production of prostaglandins protect neurons in rodent models of cerebral ischemia and neurodegeneration. Recent studies investigating the functions of selected prostaglandin receptor pathways in mediating COX-2 neurotoxicity have demonstrated both toxic and paradoxically neuroprotective effects of several receptors in models of excitotoxicity. In this study, we investigate the functions of additional prostaglandin receptors not previously characterized in organotypic models of glutamate excitotoxicity. We find that PGD(2), PGI(2), and PGF(2alpha) receptors protect motor neurons in an organotypic spinal cord model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition, PGI(2) and TXA(2) receptors rescue CA1 neurons in an organotypic hippocampal model of N-methyl-d-aspartate excitotoxicity. However, in a model of inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide, prostaglandin receptors previously found to be protective in excitotoxicity now cause CA1 neuronal death. Taken together, these studies identify novel eicosanoid receptor signaling pathways that mediate neuronal protection in excitotoxic paradigms; these data also support the emerging hypothesis that the toxic/protective effects of eicosanoid signaling on neuronal viability diverge significantly depending on whether excitotoxicity or inflammation predominates as the underlying toxic stimulus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.
authors.forename: Liejun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xibin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Andreasson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D006827:Hydantoins / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D015230:Prostaglandin D2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011982:Receptors, Prostaglandin / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology; D013619:Tacrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D006827:Hydantoins; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D011982:Receptors, Prostaglandin; D013619:Tacrine; C030669:BW 245C; D015230:Prostaglandin D2