Regulation of MCP-1 production in brain by stress and noradrenaline-modulating drugs.
While it is accepted that noradrenaline (NA) reduction in brain contributes to the progression of certain neurodegenerative diseases, the mechanisms through which NA exerts its protective actions are not well known. We previously reported that NA induced production of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1/CCL2) in cultured astrocytes mediated some of the neuroprotective actions of NA. We have now examined the regulation of MCP-1 production in vivo. Treatment of mice with the NA precursor l-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine induced the production of MCP-1 in astrocytes. In contrast, exposure to stress (a process known to elevate brain NA levels) produced only a moderate increase of MCP-1 because of the inhibitory activity of glucocorticoids released during the stress response. Similarly, corticosterone treatment of astrocytes caused a reduction of constitutive as well as the NA-induced MCP-1 production. When stressed rats had the production of glucocorticoids blocked by the selective inhibitor metyrapone, a large increase of MCP-1 concentration was observed in cortex, whereas propranolol (a beta adrenergic receptor blocker) avoided modifications of MCP-1 after stress. Desipramine (an inhibitor of NA reuptake) also caused an increase of MCP-1 in cortex. These data suggest that some phenomena caused by the alteration of NA or glucocorticoids could be mediated by MCP-1.
Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain. jlmmadrigal@med.ucm.es
Jose L M
JL
Madrigal
Borja
B
Garcia-Bueno
Ara E
AE
Hinojosa
Paul
P
Polak
Douglas L
DL
Feinstein
Juan C
JC
Leza
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000446:Aldehyde-Lyases / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001545:Benserazide / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003891:Desipramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008797:Metyrapone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000379:methods; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D001545:Benserazide; D011433:Propranolol; C051902:3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine aldolase; D000446:Aldehyde-Lyases; D003891:Desipramine; D003345:Corticosterone; D009638:Norepinephrine; D008797:Metyrapone