title: Role of p38 MAPK and pro-inflammatory cytokines expression in glutamate-induced neuronal death of neonatal rats.
abstract: Pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 rises significantly during neuronal damage and activate the signaling p38 MAPK pathway, which is involved in the apoptotic (AP) neuronal death. Systemic administration of glutamate as monosodium salt (MSG) to newborn animals induces neuronal death, however whether neurons die by AP or necrosis through MAPK p38 pathway activation it is unknown. In this study, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 expression levels, AP neuronal death and cellular type that produces TNF-alpha was also identified in the cerebral cortex (CC) and striatum (St) of rats at 8, 10, and 14 days of age after neonatal exposure to MSG. TNF-alpha production and AP neuronal death was significantly increased in the CC at PD8-10, and in the St in all ages studied by excitotoxicity effect induced with MSG. This effect was completely inhibited by SB203580 (p38 inhibitor) in both regions studied. TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 RNAm increased after MSG administration, whereas SB203580 did not modify their expression. These data indicates that neuronal death induced by excitotoxicity appears to be mediated through p38 signaling pathway activated by TNF-alpha and their inhibition may have an important neuroprotective role as part of anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurobiología Molecular, División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente (CIBO), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Guadalajara, Mexico.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chaparro-Huerta
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Flores-Soto
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gudiño-Cabrera
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rivera-Cervantes
authors.forename: O K
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Bitzer-Quintero
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beas-Zárate
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012970:Sodium Glutamate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007093:Imidazoles; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011725:Pyridines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C093642:SB 203580; D012970:Sodium Glutamate