title: Methylmercury causes neuronal cell death through the suppression of the TrkA pathway: in vitro and in vivo effects of TrkA pathway activators.
abstract: Methylmercury (MeHg) is an environmental toxin which induces cell death specific for the nervous systems. Here we show that MeHg causes neuronal cell death through the suppression of the tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) pathway, and that compounds activating the TrkA pathway prevent MeHg-induced nerve damage in vitro and in vivo. We first investigated the mechanism of MeHg-induced neurotoxicity in differentiating neurons using PC12 cells. Exposure to 100nM MeHg for 1day induced apoptosis in differentiating PC12 cells. Further, MeHg-induced apoptosis was preceded by inhibition of neurite extension, as determined by ELISA analyses of the neurite-specific protein neurofilament triplet H protein (NF-H). To determine the mechanism of MeHg-induced apoptosis, we evaluated the effects of MeHg on the TrkA pathway, which is known to regulate neuronal differentiation and viability. Western blot analysis demonstrated that, like the TrkA phosphorylation inhibitor K252a, MeHg inhibited phosphorylation of TrkA and its downstream effectors. Furthermore, GM1 ganglioside and its analog MCC-257, which enhance TrkA phosphorylation, overcame the effect of MeHg in neurons, supporting the involvement of the TrkA pathway in MeHg-induced nerve damage. Finally, we demonstrated that MCC-257 rescued the clinical sign and pathological changes in MeHg-exposed rats. These findings indicate that MeHg-induced apoptosis in neuron is triggered by inhibition of the TrkA pathway, and that GM1 ganglioside and MCC-257 effectively prevent MeHg-induced nerve damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, National Institute for Minamata Disease, Kumamoto, Japan. Electronic address: fujimura@nimd.go.jp.
authors.forename: Masatake
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, National Institute for Minamata Disease, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Fusako
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Usuki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002227:Carbazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D026121:Indole Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020917:Receptor, trkA / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002227:Carbazoles; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D026121:Indole Alkaloids; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside; C049985:staurosporine aglycone; D020917:Receptor, trkA; C004925:methylmercuric chloride
keywords: Apoptosis; GM1 ganglioside; Methylmercury; Neurite extension; TrkA pathway