Corticosterone Induces HMGB1 Release in Primary Cultured Rat Cortical Astrocytes: Involvement of Pannexin-1 and P2X7 Receptor-Dependent Mechanisms.

A major risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD) is stress. Stress leads to the release of high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), which in turn leads to neuroinflammation, a potential pathophysiological basis of MDD. The mechanism underlying stress-induced HMGB1 release is not known, but stress-associated glucocorticoids could be involved. To test this, rat primary cultured cortical astrocytes, the most abundant cell type in the central nervous system (CNS), were treated with corticosterone and HMGB1 release was assessed by Western blotting and ELISA. Significant HMGB1 was released with treatment with either corticosterone or dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid. HMGB1 translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm following corticosterone treatment. HMGB1 release was significantly attenuated with glucocorticoid receptor blocking. In addition, inhibition of pannexin-1, and P2X7 receptors led to a significant decrease in corticosterone-induced HMGB1 release. Taken together, corticosterone stimulates astrocytic glucocorticoid receptors and triggers cytoplasmic translocation and extracellular release of nuclear HMGB1 through a mechanism involving pannexin-1 and P2X7 receptors. Thus, under conditions of stress, glucocorticoids induce astrocytic HMGB1 release, leading to a neuroinflammatory state that could mediate neurological disorders such as MDD.

Pharmacological Activation Gi/o Protein Increases Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Production through Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Pathway in Primary Cultured Rat Cortical Astrocytes.

A significant reduction of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been identified in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Thus, clarification of the mechanism of GDNF production, and modulating brain GDNF levels could be a novel therapeutic approach. A previous study demonstrated that antidepressant amitriptyline-induced GDNF production was significantly inhibited by pertussis toxin (PTX), a Gi/o protein inhibitor in astrocytes, the main source of GDNF in the brain. However, it is not known whether direct activation of Gi/o protein might induce GDNF expression, and what mechanisms might be involved after Gi/o protein activation. The current study investigated Gi/o protein-initiated GDNF production in rat cortical astrocytes using activators that directly activate Gi/o protein, mastoparan and compound48/80. Treatment of astrocytes with either mastoparan or compound48/80 increased GDNF mRNA expression at 3 and 6 h, and GDNF protein release at 24 h. Treatment of astrocyte with either mastoparan or compound48/80 increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression as well as GDNF. Mastoparan and compound48/80-induced GDNF mRNA expression were significantly inhibited by not only PTX, but also fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitors, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase (MEK) inhibitor. In fact, both FGFR substrate2α (FRS2α) and ERK phosphorylation were increased by treatment with either mastoparan or compound48/80, and these were significantly blocked by PTX. Thus, direct, receptor-independent Gi/o protein activation increases GDNF production through FGFR/ERK signaling pathway. The current results indicate a critical role of Gi/o signaling in the regulation of GDNF expression in astrocytes.

Amitriptyline induces brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression through ERK-dependent modulation of multiple BDNF mRNA variants in primary cultured rat cortical astrocytes and microglia.

A significant role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been previously implicated in the therapeutic effect of antidepressants. To ascertain the contribution of specific cell types in the brain that produce BDNF following antidepressant treatment, the effects of the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline on rat primary neuronal, astrocytic and microglial cortical cultures were examined. Amitriptyline increased the expression of BDNF mRNA in astrocytic and microglial cultures but not neuronal cultures. Antidepressants with distinct mechanisms of action, such as clomipramine, duloxetine and fluvoxamine, also increased BDNF mRNA expression in astrocytic and microglial cultures. There are multiple BDNF mRNA variants (exon I, IIA, IV and VI) expressed in astrocytes and microglia and the variant induced by antidepressants has yet to be elaborated. Treatment with antidepressants increased the expression of exon I, IV and VI in astrocyte and microglia. Clomipramine alone significantly upregulated expression of exon IIA. The amitriptyline-induced expression of both total and individual BDNF mRNA variants (exon I, IV and VI) were blocked by MEK inhibitor U0126, indicating MEK/ERK signaling is required in the expression of BDNF. These findings indicate that non-neural cells are a significant target of antidepressants and further support the contention that glial production of BDNF is crucial role in the therapeutic effect of antidepressants. The current data suggest that targeting of glial function could lead to the development of antidepressants with a truly novel mechanism of action.