title: Modulation of extracellular signal-related kinase, cyclin D1, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and vimentin expression in estradiol-pretreated astrocyte cultures treated with competence and progression growth factors.
abstract: The present study seeks to elucidate the interactions between the "competence" growth factor basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and/or estrogen 17β-estradiol and the "progression" growth factors epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and insulin (INS) on DNA labeling and also cyclin D1, extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and vimentin expression in astroglial cultures under different experimental conditions. Pretreatment for 24 hr with bFGF and subsequent exposure for 36 hr to estradiol (E2 ) and EGF, IGF-I, or INS stimulated DNA labeling in the last 12 hr, especially when the cultures were treated with progression growth factors. bFGF pretreatment and subsequent treatment with E2 for 36 hr stimulated DNA labeling. The 36-hr E2 treatment alone did not significantly decrease DNA labeling, but contemporary addition of E2 with two or three growth factors stimulated DNA labeling remarkably. When E2 was coadded with growth factors, a significantly increased DNA labeling was observed, demonstrating an astroglial synergistic mitogenic effect evoked by contemporary treatment with growth factors in the presence of estrogens. Cyclin D1 expression was markedly increased when astrocyte cultures were pretreated for 36 hr with E2 and subsequently treated with two or three competence and progression growth factors. A highly significant increase of ERK1/2 expression was observed after all the treatments (EGF, bFGF, INS, IGF-I alone or in combination with two or three growth factors). GFAP and vimentin expression was markedly increased when the cultures were treated with two or three growth factors. In conclusion, our data demonstrate estradiol-growth factor cross-talk during astroglial cell proliferation and differentiation in culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bramanti
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grasso
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, Ferrarotto Hospital, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tibullo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.|Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, Ferrarotto Hospital, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Cesarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giallongo
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Science, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raciti
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viola
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Avola
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014316:Tritium / Q000378:metabolism; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007328:Insulin; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D014746:Vimentin; D014316:Tritium; D004958:Estradiol; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D013936:Thymidine
keywords: Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs); astrocyte cultures; differentiation; estradiol; growth factor; proliferation