新霉素抑制PC12细胞烟碱受体介导的反应

新霉素是一种氨基甙类抗生素,在细胞水平可以抑制磷脂酶C介质的信号转导系统,本研究采用全细胞膜片钳技术,以大鼠肾上腺嗜铬细胞瘤细胞（PC12)为标本,观察了新霉素参考书国酰胆碱诱发电流（IACh)的影响,药理学鉴定表明,PC12细胞上的IACh是通过ACh激动烟碱受体引起的,钳制电压为－80mV时,ACh(30umol/L)诱发一内向电流;细胞外同时给予新霉素（0．01－1mmol/L)和ACh(30μmol/L)可显著抑制IACh峰值,此抑制作用迅速,可逆,呈浓度依赖性,用新霉素预处理细胞3－8min不影响其对IACh的抑制作用,用外源性蛋白激酶C（PKC）激剂激活PKC,同样可抑制IACh,而细胞内透析PKC抑制剂（PKCI19-31,0.1-5μmol/L）不影响新霉素对IACh的抑制作用,以上结果提示,新霉对PC12细胞的IACh的有抑制作用,这是一种与磷脂酶C阻断无关的药理学效应。     

ACh受体在皮质酮引起的大鼠延髓腹外侧区前交感神经元反应中的作用

目的：研究乙酰胆碱（ACh)受体在皮质酮（CORT）对大鼠头端延髓腹外侧区（RVLM）前交感神经元快速效应中的作用,探讨糖皮质激素在交感心血管活动调节中的非基因组机制。方法：本研究采用细胞外记录和微电泳等方法观察CORT对氨基甲酸乙酯麻醉大鼠RVLM前交感神经元的作用,观察分别给予ACh受体拮抗剂阿托品（ATR）、筒箭毒（d-TC)或六烃季铵（C6）后CORT对RVLM前交感神经元的影响。结果：在RVLM共记录到33个前交感神经元,CORT能导致25（76％）个前交感神经元快速兴奋,且具有剂量依赖性,余8个前交感神经元没有反应;其中被CORT兴奋的10个单位微电泳ART后神经元的放电明显下降,但对CORT导致的兴奋作用没有明显的影响。分别向7和6个被CORT兴奋的前交感神经元微电泳d-TC和C6后,单位放电没有变化,同时对CORT导致的兴奋作用无影响。结论：CORT对RVLM前交感神经元具有快速的兴奋作用,这种作用可能并不通过ACh受体介导。     

NGF诱导PC12细胞分化的研究

动物实验表明,生理浓度的乙醇在脑发育过程中,不但可以影响神经细胞的数量,还可协同增强NGF诱导PC12细胞形态和功能上的分化,分化的PC12细胞具有与交感神经元相似的性状特征。用100mmol/L乙醇和50ng/mlNGF联合诱导可建立PC12细胞分化模型,为以神经细胞为研究对象的实验提供一种获得神经细胞的方法。     

美加明和六烃季铵在交感神经元烟碱受体上作用位点的差异

为比较美加明（mecamylamine,MEC)和六烃季铵（hexamethonium,HEX)在交感神经元烟碱受体上作用位点的差异,实验用膜片钳全细胞记录技术研究了MEC和HEX对交感神经元烟碱诱发电流的抑制作用,在培养的颈上神经节细胞上,MEC和HEX拮抗烟碱作用的IC50分别为0.0012和0.0095mmol/L,并且都加速烟碱受体脱敏,在-30,-70和-110mV钳制电压下,MEC和HEX抑制烟碱诱发电流的作用有电压依赖性,但在每隔3min连续给药的情况下,MEC的作用有使用依赖性而HEX没有,表明MEC和HEX在交感神经元烟碱受体上的作用位点不同。     

neuronatin shRNA真核表达载体的构建及其生物学功能

目的:获得能持续干扰neuronatin（nnat）基因表达的细胞,观察nnat基因沉默对神经细胞发育与分化的影响,为研究基因功能奠定基础。方法:构建含nnat基因短发夹RNA(shRNA)表达质粒,将质粒转染大鼠肾上腺嗜铬细胞瘤细胞PC12,RT-PCR方法筛选出最有效干扰质粒,稳定转染PC12细胞后观察细胞表型变化,免疫荧光检测nnat蛋白表达,NGF诱导观察nnat表达下调对细胞分化的影响。结果:成功构建并筛选出有效的靶向nnat基因的shRNA真核表达载体;载体稳定转染PC12细胞之后能特异性沉默nnat基因的表达,PC12细胞长出突起,向神经元方向分化,加入诱导因子NGF后能促进突起生长。结论:nnat可能是作为神经分化抑制因子在神经发育与成熟过程中发挥作用。     

广西眼镜蛇毒神经生长因子分离纯化方法

为了得到更高纯度和活性的广西眼镜蛇毒神经生长因子(never growth factor,NGF),我们对原有的分离纯化方法进行改进。采用DEAE CL-6B离子交换柱、Sephadex G-50凝胶层析柱、Macro-prep High S离子交换柱结合的方法进行分离。在分离纯化过程中,采用PC12细胞检验每一步所得结果中的NGF活性,并测定NGF诱导PC12细胞分化的最小浓度。经DEAE CL-6B离子交换柱、Sephadex G-50凝胶层析柱、Macro-prep High S离子交换柱分离纯化后,得到的第二峰具有NGF活性,并且已达到电泳纯。经PC12细胞验证后,确定NGF诱导PC12细胞分化的最小浓度为0.1μg/m L。     

神经生长因子对PC12细胞脂多糖损伤的保护作用及其机制

目的：细胞水平研究神经生长因子（NGF）对大鼠嗜铬细胞瘤细胞株（PC12细胞）脂多糖（LPS）损伤后的保护作用以及核转录因子（NF-κB）的活性影响,探讨药物作用机制。方法：PC12细胞常规培养后,建立LPS损伤模型,随后MTT观察不同浓度的LPS对PC12细胞损伤及NGF对LPS损伤的保护作用,同时用倒置显微镜和荧光显微镜下观察细胞状态,最后RT-PCR检测NF-κB的含量。结果：①PC12细胞LPS损伤有浓度梯度,随着LPS浓度的增加,PC12细胞的存活率不断下降;LPS损伤的同时加入不同浓度NGF,LPS损伤均有明显的改善。②显微镜观察显示PC12细胞形态学上的改变,表明NGF对LPS损伤有保护作用。③RT-PCR结果显示,LPS损伤细胞的NF-κB的相对表达量明显高于正常对照细胞,而药物治疗组的NF-κB表达量则接近于正常细胞。结论：目前,神经生长因子在脑内炎症后的细胞修复作用报道甚少,而本实验研究神经生长因子对PC12细胞LPS损伤起到保护作用,尤其是损伤后再修复作用,且其作用机制可能与NF-κB信号通路的调控有关。     

神经生长因子的研究

神经生长因子(NGF)是最早发现的细胞生长调节因子,其作用广泛,效应细胞多达十余种。它促进发育中的交感和感觉神经元的分化和成熟,维持成年交感神经元的正常功能。近年的研究表明,成年感觉神经元也需要NGF的营养支持;中枢神经系统的基底     

低频脉冲电场对PC12细胞突起生长和NGF受体分布的影响

以PC12细胞为实验材料,研究低频脉冲电场(f=50Hz,τ=20ms,Epp=1V／m)对神经细胞突起生长及膜受体聚簇的影响。结果显示,该电场能促进NGF受体的聚簇。电场处理15min使PC12细胞表面的NGF受体发生明显的聚簇,30min组次之,5min组聚簇效果较弱。这表明细胞膜受体可能是电磁场与细胞相互作用的位点之一。运用细胞突起图形处理软件,追踪测定经电场处理后PC12细胞的突起数量和长度,发现该电场能显著促进细胞突起的生长,但对突起数量没有明显的影响。     

神经生长因子的研究

神经生长因子在雄性小鼠的颌下腺中含量最多,现已了解其分子结构。它对感觉神经与交感神经的生存、发育是必要的;在中枢神经系统(如海马等部位)也有较多的 NGF 和 NGFmRNA 存在,与胆碱能神经的功能关系密切。NGF 可抑制某些肿瘤细胞(如 PC12细胞)的有丝分裂;它还可能与促进脑的某些部位损伤、脊髓神经细胞损伤后的修复有关,并有促进创口愈合的作用。     

Cardiac Fibroblasts Regulate Sympathetic Nerve Sprouting and Neurocardiac Synapse Stability

Sympathetic nervous system (SNS) plays a key role in cardiac homeostasis and its deregulations always associate with bad clinical outcomes. To date, little is known about molecular mechanisms regulating cardiac sympathetic innervation. The aim of the study was to determine the role of fibroblasts in heart sympathetic innervation. RT-qPCR and western-blots analysis performed in cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts isolated from healthy adult rat hearts revealed that Pro-Nerve growth factor (NGF) and pro-differentiating mature NGF were the most abundant neurotrophins expressed in cardiac fibroblasts while barely detectable in cardiomyocytes. When cultured with cardiac fibroblasts or fibroblast-conditioned medium, PC12 cells differentiated into/sympathetic-like neurons expressing axonal marker Tau-1 at neurites in contact with cardiomyocytes. This was prevented by anti-NGF blocking antibodies suggesting a paracrine action of NGF secreted by fibroblasts. When co-cultured with cardiomyocytes to mimic neurocardiac synapse, differentiated PC12 cells exhibited enhanced norepinephrine secretion as quantified by HPLC compared to PC12 cultured alone while co-culture with fibroblasts had no effect. However, when supplemented to PC12-cardiomyocytes co-culture, fibroblasts allowed long-term survival of the neurocardiac synapse. Activated fibroblasts (myofibroblasts) isolated from myocardial infarction rat hearts exhibited significantly higher mature NGF expression than normal fibroblasts and also promoted PC12 cells differentiation. Within the ischemic area lacking cardiomyocytes and neurocardiac synapses, tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity was increased and associated with local anarchical and immature sympathetic hyperinnervation but tissue norepinephrine content was similar to that of normal cardiac tissue, suggesting depressed sympathetic function. Collectively, these findings demonstrate for the first time that fibroblasts are essential for the setting of cardiac sympathetic innervation and neurocardiac synapse stability. They also suggest that neurocardiac synapse functionality relies on a triptych with tight interaction between sympathetic nerve endings, cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts. Deregulations of this triptych may be involved in pathophysiology of cardiac diseases.     

Regulatory mechanisms of nerve growth factor synthesis in vitro

Astroglial cells and various types of non-neuronal cells in the peripheral nervous system, such as epithelial, Schwann and fibroblast cells synthesize and secrete nerve growth factor (NGF) in culture. NGFmRNA contents are well-correlated with the density of axonal projection from NGF-sensitive neurons, suggesting that NGF synthesis in vivo tissues is regulated by neuronal environments. We investigated neuronal regulations of NGF synthesis using cultured mouse astroglial cells and rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. It was found that astroglial NGF synthesis was enhanced by the addition of catecholamine into the cultured medium or the co-culture with differentiated PC12 cells. These results suggest that NGF synthesis in the in vivo tissues is increased by the release of catecholamine as neurotransmitters and/or the contact of NGF-producing cells with differentiated cell bodies and neurites of NGF-sensitive neurons.     

Presence of DNase γ-Like Endonuclease in Nuclei of Neuronal Differentiated PC12 Cells

DNase , which cleaves chromosomal DNA into nucleosomal units (DNA ladder formation), has been suggested to be the critical component of apoptotic machinery. Using rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, which are differentiated to sympathetic neurons by nerve growth factor (NGF), we investigated whether DNase -like enzyme is present in neuronal cells and is involved in neuronal cell death. The nuclear auto-digestion assay for DNase catalyzing internucleosomal DNA cleavage revealed that nuclei from neuronal differentiated PC12 cells contain acidic and neutral endonucleases, while nuclei from undifferentiated PC12 cells have only acidic endonuclease. The DNA ladder formation observed in isolated nuclei from neuronal differentiated PC12 cells at neutral pH requires both Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, and is sensitive to Zn²⁺. The molecular mass of the neutral endonuclease present in neuronal differentiated PC12 cell nuclei is 32000 as determined by activity gel analysis (zymography). The properties of the neuronal endonuclease present in neuronal differentiated PC12 cell nuclei were similar to those of purified DNase from rat thymocytes and splenocytes. Interestingly, in neuronal differentiated PC12 cells, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation is observed following NGF deprivation, whereas undifferentiated PC12 cells fail to exhibit DNA ladder formation during cell death by serum starvation. These results suggest that the DNase -like endonuclease present in neuronal differentiated PC12 cell nuclei is involved in internucleosomal DNA fragmentation during apoptosis, induced by NGF deprivation.     

Role of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase in regulation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway and apoptosis in sympathetic neurons

We have previously shown that nerve growth factor (NGF) withdrawal-induced death requires the activity of the small GTP-binding protein Cdc42 and that overexpression of an active form of Cdc42 is sufficient to mediate neuronal apoptosis via activation of the c-Jun pathway. Recently, a new mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase kinase, apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) which activates both the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAP kinase pathways and plays pivotal roles in tumor necrosis factor- and Fas-induced apoptosis, has been identified. Therefore, we investigated the role of ASK1 in neuronal apoptosis by using rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) neuronal cells and primary rat sympathetic neurons (SCGs). Overexpression of ASK1-DeltaN, a constitutively active mutant of ASK1, activated JNK and induced apoptosis in differentiated PC12 cells and SCG neurons. Moreover, in differentiated PC12 cells, NGF withdrawal induced a four- to fivefold increase in the activity of endogenous ASK1. Finally, expression of a kinase-inactive ASK1 significantly blocked both NGF withdrawal- and Cdc42-induced death and activation of c-jun. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ASK1 is a crucial element of NGF withdrawal-induced activation of the Cdc42-c-Jun pathway and neuronal apoptosis.     

Role of nerve growth factor in the development of rat sympathetic neurons in vitro. III. Effect on acetylcholine production

The effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the development of cholinergic sympathetic neurons was studied in cultures grown either on monolayers of dissociated rat heart cells or in medium conditioned by them. In the presence of rat heart cells the absolute requirement of neurons for exogenous NGF was partially spared. The ability of heart cells to support neuronal survival was due at least in part to production of a diffusable NGF-like substance into the medium. Although some neurons survived on the heart cell monolayer without added NGF, increased levels of exogenous NGF increased neuronal survival until saturation was achieved at 0.5 microgram/ml 7S NGF. The ability of neurons to produce acetylcholine (ACh) from choline was also dependent on the level of exogenous NGF. In mixed neuron-heart cell cultures, NGF increased both ACh and catecholamine (CA) production per neuron to the same extent; saturation occurred at 1 microgram/ml 7S NGF. As cholinergic neurons developed in culture, they became less dependent on NGF for survival and ACh production, but even in older cultures approximately 40% of the neurons died when NGF was withdrawn. Thus, NGF is as necessary for survival, growth, and differentiation of sympathetic neurons when the neurons express cholinergic functions as when the neurons express adrenergic functions (4, 5).     

Aurintricarboxylic acid rescues PC12 cells and sympathetic neurons from cell death caused by nerve growth factor deprivation: correlation with suppression of endonuclease activity

Past studies have shown that serum-free cultures of PC12 cells are a useful model system for studying the neuronal cell death which occurs after neurotrophic factor deprivation. In this experimental paradigm, nerve growth factor (NGF) rescues the cells from death. It is reported here that serum-deprived PC12 cells manifest an endonuclease activity that leads to internucleosomal cleavage of their cellular DNA. This activity is detected within 3 h of serum withdrawal and several hours before any morphological sign of cell degeneration or death. NGF and serum, which promote survival of the cells, inhibit the DNA fragmentation. Aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA), a general inhibitor of nucleases in vitro, suppresses the endonuclease activity and promotes long-term survival of PC12 cells in serum-free cultures. This effect appears to be independent of macromolecular synthesis. In addition, ATA promotes long-term survival of cultured sympathetic neurons after NGF withdrawal. ATA neither promotes nor maintains neurite outgrowth. It is hypothesized that the activation of an endogenous endonuclease could be responsible for neuronal cell death after neurotrophic factor deprivation and that growth factors could promote survival by leading to inhibition of constitutively present endonucleases.     

Phosphorylation of nerve growth factor receptor proteins in sympathetic neurons and PC12 cells. In vitro phosphorylation by the cAMP-independent protein kinase FA/GSK-3

We have examined phosphorylation of nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor in cultured sympathetic neurons and PC12 cells. Dissociated rat superior cervical ganglion neurons or PC12 cells were incubated with 32Pi to label cellular phosphoproteins. Membrane proteins were solubilized, and NGF receptor proteins were immunoprecipitated with the monoclonal antibody 192-IgG. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography showed that NGF receptor components of Mr = 80,000 and Mr = 210,000 were phosphorylated. Phosphorylation of neither species was affected by treating the cells with NGF or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. When the 80,000-Da protein was subjected to complete trypsin proteolysis and then analyzed by reverse phase liquid chromatography, two 32P-labeled peptides were resolved. The more hydrophobic peptide accounted for most of the 32P and contained only phosphoserine; the other peptide contained phosphoserine and phosphothreonine. No phosphotyrosine was detected in the receptor proteins. When receptor molecules from nonlabeled PC12 cells were immunoprecipitated and then incubated in vitro with [gamma-32P]ATP and the cAMP-independent protein kinase FA/GSK-3, phosphorylation occurred predominantly on serine and to a lesser extent on threonine. However, the immunoprecipitated receptor proteins neither autophosphorylated nor were they detectably phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase, casein kinase II, or protein kinase C (the Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent enzyme). We conclude that binding units of the NGF receptor are phosphorylated constitutively in at least two sites in intact cells and that they can be phosphorylated by FA/GSK-3 in vitro.     

Proliferative inhibition by dominant-negative Ras rescues naive and neuronally differentiated PC12 cells from apoptotic death.

We have used the nerve growth factor (NGF)-responsive PC12 cell line as a model to examine the role of cell cycle progression in apoptotic neuronal cell death triggered by withdrawal of trophic support. Because p21 Ras plays a key role in mitogenic signaling, we tested whether interference with the activity of this protein would affect cell cycle progression and thereby apoptotic death after trophic factor deprivation. For this purpose, we exploited PC12 cells transfected with an inducible form of dominant-inhibitory Ras. In contrast to non-transfected and uninduced cells, which continue to synthesize DNA when deprived of trophic support, PC12 cells induced to express dominant-inhibitory Ras showed little thymidine incorporation. When non-transfected and uninduced cells were deprived of trophic support, these underwent rapid apoptotic death that could be prevented by NGF. However, cells in which dominant-inhibitory Ras was induced and which were consequently quiescent did not die upon withdrawal of trophic support and showed long-term survival in the absence of NGF or other trophic factors. Moreover, induction of dominant-inhibitory Ras also rescued non-dividing, neuronally differentiated PC12 cells from death caused by NGF withdrawal. These findings suggest a relationship between proliferative capacity and neuronal apoptosis and raise the hypothesis that following withdrawal of trophic support, neurons undergo an unsuccessful and fatal attempt to re-enter the cell cycle.