Protective effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor against neurotoxicity of 3-nitropropionic acid in rat cortical neurons.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) deficiency has been implicated in pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD). 3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NP), an irreversible mitochondrial complex II inhibitor, has been commonly used as a pharmacological model recapitulating HD phenotypes in rodents and nonhuman primates. Herein we test whether BDNF may exert neuroprotective effects against mitochondrial dysfunction caused by 3-NP in primary culture of fetal rat cortical neurons. Preconditioning of neuronal cells with BDNF (100 ng/ml for 8h) attenuated 3-NP toxicity (2.5 mM for additional 24h) based on Hoechst and propidium iodide (PI) staining. BDNF effects can be inhibited by the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor L-nitroarginine methylester (L-NAME, 100 microM), the cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) inhibitor KT5823 (2 microM), the thioredoxin reductase inhibitor 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB, 5 microM), and a membrane-permeable Bcl-2 inhibitor (12.5 microM). 8-Br-cGMP is a cGMP analogue capable of activating PKG independent of NO. Exogenous application of 8-Br-cGMP (3-30 microM) and purified thioredoxin (3-5 microM) partially mimicked BDNF effects in conferring 3-NP resistance to cortical cells. These results, together with our previous report showing NO donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO)-mediated neuroprotective effects against 3-NP toxicity, suggest that BDNF may protect neurons from mitochondrial dysfunction at least partly via activation of the signaling cascades involving NOS/NO, PKG, thioredoxin and Bcl-2.
Institute of Brain Science and Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
Chia-Lin
CL
Wu
Chi-Shin
CS
Hwang
Ding-I
DI
Yang
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D003292:Convulsants / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D011422:Propionates / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D003292:Convulsants; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011422:Propionates; C015392:3-nitropropionic acid; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester