title: Genipin exhibits neurotrophic effects through a common signaling pathway in nitric oxide synthase-expressing cells.
abstract: We have reported previously that genipin, a natural iridoid compound, induces neuritogenesis through a nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic GMP (cGMP)-cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) signaling pathway in PC12h cells and that neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) is one of the target molecules of genipin in vitro. Recently, it has been suggested that the neurotrophic effects of NO are due to its direct activation of receptor-tyrosine kinase, especially TrkA. In this study, we investigated whether mouse neuroblastoma Neuro2a cells, which express nNOS but not TrkA, respond to genipin with neurite outgrowth through the mechanism observed in PC12h cells, to assess the involvement of TrkA in the mechanism. Neuro2a cells expressed all three types of NO synthase (NOS), and nNOS was detectable as the main component in Western blot analysis. Genipin significantly induced neurite outgrowth and activation of NADPH-diaphorase, which were significantly blocked by a non-selective NOS inhibitor. Both a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor and a PKG inhibitor also inhibited the genipin-induced neuritogenesis. Genipin induced sustained phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). In fact, the genipin-induced neurite outgrowth was completely inhibited by a specific MAPK kinase inhibitor. Moreover, a NOS inhibitor abolished MAPK phosphorylation as well as neurite outgrowth in genipin-treated cells. These results suggest that genipin induces neurite outgrowth through an NO-cGMP-PKG signaling pathway followed by MAPK phosphorylation without TrkA activation in Neuro2a cells and that PKG downstream to NOSs, which may be mainly nNOS, is very important for the signaling molecule to induce neuritogenesis by genipin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokuriku University, Ho-3 Kanagawa-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1181, Japan. m-yamazaki@hokuriku-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Matsumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Kenzo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chiba
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D017869:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D057889:Iridoid Glycosides; D039823:Iridoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics; D057889:Iridoid Glycosides; D039823:Iridoids; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C007834:genipin; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase; D017869:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D006152:Cyclic GMP