GABAergic drugs become neurotoxic in cortical neurons pre-exposed to brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
A 24-h pretreatment with BNDF enhanced excitotoxic neuronal death in cultured mouse cortical cells challenged with NMDA in the presence of extracellular Mg(2+). The GABA(A) receptor antagonist, bicuculline, enhanced NMDA toxicity in control cultures but, unexpectedly, became neuroprotective in cultures pretreated with BDNF. In contrast, drugs that activate GABA(A) receptors (e.g. muscimol, benzodiazepines, or phenobarbital) or drugs that indirectly enhance GABAergic transmission were protective in control cultures but amplified NMDA toxicity after pretreatment with BDNF. The atypical behaviour of GABAergic drugs in cultures pretreated with BDNF depended on changes in the anion reversal potential because (i) increases in extracellular Cl(-) concentrations abolished the neurotoxic action of muscimol; (ii) muscimol stimulated (36)Cl(-) efflux after pretreatment with BDNF; and (iii) exposure to BDNF reduced the expression of the neuronal K(+)/Cl(-) co-transporter, KCC2. Our data raise the concern that GABAergic drugs may become neurotoxic under conditions associated with increases in brain BDNF levels.
Molinaro
Gemma
G
Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy.
Battaglia
Giuseppe
G
Riozzi
Barbara
B
Storto
Marianna
M
Fucile
Sergio
S
Eusebi
Fabrizio
F
Nicoletti
Ferdinando
F
Bruno
Valeria
V
D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004347:Drug Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000633:toxicity*; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism; D050994:Voltage-Dependent Anion Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D002712:Chlorides; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018755:GABA Agonists; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009498:Neurotoxins; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D050994:Voltage-Dependent Anion Channels