title: The effect of activin A on signal transduction pathways in PC12 cells subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation.
abstract: The processes and mechanisms underlying brain injuries due to ischemia and anoxia have yet to be determined. Additionally, few clinical treatements are currently available. Activins have a protective role in the restoration, differentiation, and survival of injured cells, including Activin A (ActA), which acts as a neuroprotectant. However, its exact mechanism of action remains to be determined. ActA has been shown to protect neurons following ischemic brain injury. In this study, PC12 cells were differentiated into neuron-like cells after stimulation with nerve growth factor to prepare an oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD) model in neurons. The differentiated PC12 cells, subjected to the OGD model, were exposed to ActA. Results showed that the PC12 survival rate decreased after OGD, leading to an increase in caspase-3 expression in these cells. Pretreatment with ActA was able to partially prevent OGD-induced apoptosis, likely through the downregulation of caspase-3. Futhermore, ActA pretreatment increased the expression of key proteins in the ActA/Smads signal transduction pathway, which may promote neuroprotection after OGD. Therefore, exogenous ActA may function as a neuroprotectant and provide a novel therapeutic treatment for ischemic brain injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hongliang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xiaoran
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Youdi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Wenli
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D007511:Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C422405:activin A; D028341:Activins; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D005947:Glucose; D010100:Oxygen