title: Novel neurotrophic effects of sphingosylphosphorylcholine in cerebellar granule neurons and in PC12 cells.
abstract: Sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) is a choline-containing naturally occurring derivative of sphingolipid involved in various biological processes. Here we show that SPC displays neurotrophic effects in cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) and in PC12 cells. When CGNs were cultured under non-depolarizing condition, they exhibited condensed and fragmented nuclei typical of apoptotic phenotype. SPC added to the culture medium rescued cells from undergoing apoptosis. The anti-apoptotic effect of SPC was dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+, suggesting that Ca2+ influx occurs upon SPC treatment. In PC12 cells, SPC displayed nerve growth factor-like neuritogenic effect which was sensitive to the presence of Ca2+ channel blocker and Ca2+ withdrawal from the medium. These results suggest that SPC plays novel neurotrophic effects in the nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Konno
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikeno
authors.forename: So-hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamoto
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arioka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; C005356:sphingosine phosphorylcholine; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; D013110:Sphingosine; D002118:Calcium