Cyclophosphamide promotes cell survival via activation of intracellular signaling in cultured cortical neurons.
Cyclophosphamide (CP) has been used as an antitumour agent or immunosuppressant clinically, though the potential biological role of CP in the central nervous system (CNS) has not been clarified. In the present study, we found that pretreatment with CP prevented neuronal cell death caused by serum deprivation in cultured cortical neurons. Interestingly, CP stimulated activation of PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase) and MAPK/ERK (mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase) pathways, which are known as survival-promoting intracellular signalings. Furthermore, CP increased the expression of Bcl2, an anti-apoptotic factor. In the presence of inhibitors for PI3K or MAPK/ERK pathways, the CP-dependent neuronal survival and Bcl-2 up-regulation were both abolished. Importantly, significant increase in BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) expression was induced by CP application, implying that BDNF up-regulation is involved in the CP effect. We propose that CP has a protective effect on CNS neurons via the activation of intracellular signalings, and up-regulation of Bcl2 and BDNF.
Kitazawa
Hiromi
H
Department of Pathology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo 160-8401, Japan.
Numakawa
Tadahiro
T
Adachi
Naoki
N
Kumamaru
Emi
E
Tuerxun
Tuerhong
T
Kudo
Motoshige
M
Kunugi
Hiroshi
H
D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2