Endogenous Amino Acid Release from Cultured Cerebellar Neuronal Cells: Effect of Tetanus Toxin on Glutamate Release

Endogenous amino acid release was measured in developing cerebellar neuronal cells in primary culture. In the presence of 25 mM K+ added to the culture medium, cerebellar cells survived more than 3 weeks and showed a high level of differentiation. These cultures are highly enriched in neurons, and electron-microscopic observation of these cells after 12 days in vitro (DIV) confirmed the presence of a very large proportion of cells with the morphological characteristics of granule cells, making synapses containing many synaptic vesicles. Synaptogenesis was also confirmed by immunostaining the cells with antisera against synapsin I and synaptophysin, two proteins associated with synaptic vesicles. From these cultures, endogenous glutamate release stimulated by 56 mM K+ was already detected after only a few days in culture, the maximal release value (1,579% increase over basal release) being reached after 10 DIV. In addition to that of glutamate, the release of aspartate, asparagine, alanine, and, particularly, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was stimulated by 56 mM K+ after 14 DIV, but to a lesser extent. No increase in serine, glutamine, taurine, or tyrosine release was observed during K+ depolarization. The effect of K+ on amino acid release was strictly Ca2+-dependent. Stimulation of the cells with veratridine resulted in a qualitatively similar effect on endogenous amino acid release. In the absence of Ca2+, 30% of the veratridine effect persisted. The Ca2+-dependent release was quantitatively similar after stimulation by veratridine and K+. Treatment of cerebellar cells with tetanus toxin (5 micrograms/ml) for 24 h resulted in a total inhibition of the Ca2+-dependent component of the glutamate release evoked by K+ or veratridine. It is concluded that glutamate is the main amino acid neurotransmitter of cerebellar cells developed in primary culture under the present conditions and that glutamate is probably mainly released through the exocytosis of synaptic vesicles.     

Modulation of Ion Gradients and Glutamate Release in Cultured Cerebellar Granule Cells by Ouabain

Abstract: Upon addition of the cardiac glycoside ouabain to cultured cerebellar granule cells, an immediate increase in intracellular free sodium is evoked mediated by two pathways, a voltage-sensitive channel blocked by tetrodotoxin and a channel sensitive to flunarizine. Ouabain induces a steady plasma membrane depolarization in low Ca²⁺ medium; whereas in the presence of Ca²⁺, a distinct discontinuity is observed always preceded by a large increase in intracellular free Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]_c). The plateau component of the increase can be inhibited additively by the L-type Ca²⁺ channel antagonist nifedipine, the spider toxin Aga-Gl, and the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801. Single-cell imaging reveals that the [Ca²⁺]_c increase occurs asynchronously in the cell population and is not dependent on a critical level of extracellular glutamate or synaptic transmission between the cells. A prolonged release of glutamate is also observed that is predominantly Ca²⁺ dependent for the first 6–10 min after the evoked increase in [Ca²⁺]_c. This release is four times as large as that observed with 50 m M KCl and is predominantly exocytotic because release was inhibited by tetanus toxin, the V-type ATPase inhibitor bafilomycin, and Aga-Gl. It is proposed, therefore, that ouabain induces a period of membrane excitability culminating in a sustained exocytosis above that observed upon permanent depolarization with KCl.     

Exocytotic and Nonexocytotic Modes of Glutamate Release from Cultured Cerebellar Granule Cells During Chemical Ischaemia

Abstract: The mechanism of glutamate release from cultured cerebellar granule neurones in response to a chemical model of ischaemia (10 m M 2-deoxyglucose plus 1 m M sodium cyanide) was investigated. In the first 2 min of ischaemia, release of preloaded d -[³H]aspartate could be extensively attenuated by tetanus toxin and bafilomycin A₁ and was dependent on the activation of Ca²⁺ channels sensitive to the Q type Ca²⁺ channel antagonist, ω-conotoxin-MVIIC. During this period, ATP/ADP ratios fell rapidly. The extent of release in the first 2 min was comparable to that evoked by 2-min depolarization by 50 m M KCl. Free Ca²⁺ concentrations, determined in neurites and somata, did not increase until after 2 min. The neurite increase in cellular Ca²⁺ precedes that of the cell somata. Release of d -[³H]aspartate was partially inhibited by the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801, which also delayed the increase in free Ca²⁺ concentration. Prolonging the period of ischaemia to 6 and 10 min produced no further increase in the apparently exocytotic component of release, but initiated an extensive nonexocytotic release of the amino acid. Studies with the synaptic vesicle membrane probe FM1-43 in which released amino acid was removed by superfusion indicated that Ca²⁺-dependent exocytosis was delayed in this system. It is concluded that chemical ischaemia initiates an initial exocytotic followed by nonexocytotic release and that the former is facilitated by NMDA receptor activation. These events occur in cells that are still able to exclude propidium iodide, indicating that cell death has not yet occurred.     

Mitochondria, Calcium Regulation, and Acute Glutamate Excitotoxicity in Cultured Cerebellar Granule Cells

Abstract: Exposure of cultured cerebellar granule cells to 100 µ M glutamate plus glycine in the absence of Mg²⁺ causes calcium loading of the in situ mitochondria and is excitotoxic, as demonstrated by a collapse of the cellular ATP/ADP ratio, cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ deregulation (the failure of the cell to maintain a stable cytoplasmic free Ca²⁺ concentration), and extensive cell death. Glutamate-evoked Ca²⁺ deregulation is exacerbated by the mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibitor rotenone. Cells maintained by glycolytic ATP, i.e., in the presence of the mitochondrial ATP synthase inhibitor oligomycin, remain viable for several hours but are still susceptible to glutamate; thus, disruption of mitochondrial ATP synthesis is not a necessary step in glutamate excitotoxicity. In contrast, the combination of rotenone (or antimycin A) plus oligomycin, which collapses the mitochondrial membrane potential, therefore preventing mitochondrial Ca²⁺ transport, allows glutamate-exposed cells to maintain a high ATP/ADP ratio while accumulating little ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ and maintaining a low bulk cytoplasmic free Ca²⁺ concentration determined by fura-2. It is concluded that mitochondrial Ca²⁺ accumulation is a necessary intermediate in glutamate excitotoxicity, whereas the decreased Ca²⁺ flux into cells with depolarized mitochondria may reflect a feedback inhibition of the NMDA receptor mediated by localized Ca²⁺ accumulation in a microdomain accessible to the mitochondria.     

GABA Induces Functionally Active Low-Affinity GABA Receptors on Cultured Cerebellar Granule Cells

The effect of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and its agonists muscimol and 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5-4-c]pyridin-3-ol (THIP) on the development of GABA receptors on cerebellar granule cells was studied by cultivation of the cells in media containing these substances. It was found that the presence of 50 μM GABA in the culture media led to the induction of low-affinity GABA receptors (K_D 546 ± 117 nM) in addition to the high-affinity receptors (K_D 7 ± 0.5 nM) which were present regardless of the presence of GABA in the culture media. The functional activity of the GABA receptors was tested by investigating the ability of GABA to modulate evoked glutamate release from the cells. It was found that GABA could inhibit evoked glutamate release (ED₅₀ 10 ± 3 (μM) only when the cells had been cultured in the presence of 50 νM GABA, 50 μM muscimol, or 150 μM THIP, i.e., under conditions where low-affinity GABA receptors were present on the cells. This inhibitory effect of GABA could be blocked by 120 μM bicuculline and mimicked by 50 μM muscimol or 150 μM THIP whereas 150 μM (-)-baclofen had no effect. It is concluded that GABA acting extracellularly induces formation of low-affinity receptors on cerebellar granule cells and that these receptors are necessary for mediating an inhibitory effect of GABA on evoked glutamate release. The pharmacological properties of these GABA receptors indicate that they belong to the so-called GABA_A receptors.     

Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Cultured Cerebellar Granule Cells: Developmental Profile

Abstract: Excitatory amino acid (EAA)-induced polyphosphoinositide (PPI) hydrolysis was studied during the development in culture of cerebellar granule cells. The developmental pattern was similar using metabotropic glutamate (Glu) receptor (mGluR) agonists, including L-Glu, quisqualate, and trans -(±)-1-amino-1,3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid: The stimulation of [³H]inositol monophosphate ([³H]-InsP) formation was low at 2 days in vitro (DIV), but the response increased steeply, reaching a peak at 4 DIV, followed by a progressive decline. In contrast, carbamylcholine-induced PPI hydrolysis exhibited a plateau after a pronounced increase during the first week in vitro. At 6 DIV, but not at 4 DIV, when the activity peaked, PPI hydrolysis elicited by Glu was reduced by the N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK-801, indicating that in cultured granule cells, NMDA receptors contribute to [³H]-InsP formation and that this component of the response develops relatively late. Accordingly, NMDA-induced [³H]-InsP formation, estimated under Mg²⁺-free conditions, increased markedly from very low values at 2 DIV to a plateau at 8–10 DIV. The developmental pattern of EAA-induced PPI hydrolysis was paralleled by changes in the level of an mRNA for a specific mGluR subtype ( mGluR1 mRNA). RNA blot analysis performed with the pmGR1 cDNA probe revealed that the hybridization signal in RNA extracts from cultures at 1 DIV was very weak, but mGluR mRNA levels increased dramatically between 1 and 3 DIV, followed by a progressive decrease, so that by 15 DIV the mRNA levels were only ∼10% of the values at 3 DIV. These observations indicate that the functional expression of the mGluR is subject to developmental regulation, which critically involves receptor mRNA levels.     

Production of Platelet-Activating Factor from Rat Cerebellar Granule Cells in Culture

Abstract: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent lipid mediator implicated in various pathological conditions, including CNS neuronal injury. However, the production of PAF by mammalian CNS neurons has not as yet been demonstrated. In the present study, we demonstrate that PAF is produced by cultured rat cerebellar granule cells. PAF was identified on the basis of chemical and enzymatic characteristics, biological activities with washed rabbit platelets, and behavior on TLC and HPLC. PAF was detected both in the cells and in the incubation medium, a result indicating the release of PAF from cultured neurons. The amount of PAF produced during a 30-min incubation was as follows: 1.02 ± 0.10 and 0.93 ± 0.09 pmol/ 4 × 10⁷ cells in incubation buffer and cells, respectively (n = 10). The calcium ionophore A23187 (2.5 μ M ) had only a mild stimulatory effect on PAF production, a finding indicating that the neuron-generated PAF might be synthesized mainly by the de novo pathway of PAF production.     

Stimulation of Cultured Cerebellar Granule Cells via Glutamate Receptors Induces TRE- and CRE-Binding Activities Mediated by Common DNA-Binding Complexes

By use of nuclear mini-extracts prepared from cultured cerebellar granule cells in a gel-mobility assay, exogenous N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) or kainate was shown to increase both 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate-responsive element (TRE)- and cyclic AMP-responsive element (CRE)-binding activity. These increases were specifically prevented by the NMDA receptor antagonist D,L-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate and the non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, respectively. The increase of TRE-binding activity was dependent on de novo protein synthesis, and its inductions by both NMDA and kainate required extracellular Ca2+. TRE-binding activity was competitively inhibited by the CRE, and vice versa, showing higher DNA-binding affinity to the CRE than to the TRE. A proteolytic clipping bandshift assay demonstrated that the increase in CRE-binding activity could be mediated by the TRE-binding activity. Thus, the TRE-binding activity cross-binding to the CRE could be activated by NMDA or kainate stimulation. The involvement of c-Fos or Fos-related proteins in the TRE- and CRE-binding complexes was shown by a supershift gel-mobility assay using anti-c-Fos antiserum.     

Sphingosine-1-Phosphate and Calcium Signaling in Cerebellar Astrocytes and Differentiated Granule Cells

S1P is involved in the regulation of multiple biological processes (cell survival, growth, migration and differentiation) both in neurons and glial cells. The study was aimed at investigating the possible effects of S1P on calcium signaling in cerebellar astrocytes and differentiated granule cells. In cerebellar astrocytes S1P is able to mediate calcium signaling mainly through G_i protein coupled receptors, whereas in differentiated neurons it failed to evoke any calcium signaling, despite acting both extracellularly and intracellularly. The data indicate strict cell specificity in S1P-evoked calcium response, which could be relevant to communication between neurons and glial cells in the cerebellum.     

Dihydropyridine Binding Sites Regulate Calcium Influx Through Specific Voltage-Sensitive Calcium Channels in Cerebellar Granule Cells

In primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells, [3H]nitrendipine binds with high affinity to a single site (KD 1 nM and Bmax 20 fmol/mg protein). The 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) class of compounds such as nitrendipine, nifedipine, and BAY K 8644 displace [3H]nitrendipine binding at nanomolar concentrations. Verapamil partially inhibits whereas diltiazem slightly increases the [3H]nitrendipine binding. In these cells, the calcium influx that is induced by depolarization is very rapid and is blocked by micromolar concentrations of inorganic calcium blockers such as cadmium, cobalt, and manganese. The calcium influx resulting from cell depolarization is potentiated by BAY K 8644 and partially inhibited (approximately 40%) by nitrendipine and nifedipine. Other non-DHP voltage-sensitive calcium channel (VSCC) antagonists, such as verapamil and diltiazem, completely blocked the depolarization-induced calcium influx. This suggested that nitrendipine and nifedipine block only a certain population of VSCCs. In contrast, verapamil and diltiazem do not appear to be selective and block all of VSCCs. Perhaps some VSCCs can be allosterically modulated by the binding site for the DHPs, whereas verapamil and diltiazem may block completely the function of all VSCCs by occupying a site that differs from the DHP binding site.     

A Prototypic Intracellular Calcium Antagonist, TMB-8, Protects Cultured Cerebellar Granule Cells Against the Delayed, Calcium-Dependent Component of Glutamate Neurotoxicity

Abstract: The effect(s) of a prototypic intracellular Ca²⁺ antagonist, 8-(N,N-diethylamino)octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate (TMB-8), on glutamate-induced neurotoxicity was investigated in primary cultures of mouse cerebellar granule cells. Glutamate evoked an increase in cytosolic free-Ca²⁺ levels ([Ca²⁺]_i) that was dependent on the extracellular concentration of Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]_o). In addition, this increase in [Ca²⁺]_i correlated with a decrease in cell viability that was also dependent on [Ca²⁺]_o. Glutamate-induced toxicity, quantified by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) staining, was shown to comprise two distinct components, an “early” Na⁺/Cl^?-dependent component observed within minutes of glutamate exposure, and a “delayed” Ca²⁺-dependent component (ED₅₀～50 µM) that coincided with progressive degeneration of granule cells 4–24 h after a brief (5–15 min) exposure to 100 µM glutamate. Quantitative analysis of cell viability and morphological observations identify a “window” in which TMB-8 (at >100 µM) protects granule cells from the Ca²⁺-dependent, but not the Na⁺/Cl^?-dependent, component of glutamate-induced neurotoxic damage, and furthermore, where TMB-8 inhibits glutamate-evoked increases in [Ca²⁺]_i. These findings suggest that Ca²⁺ release from a TMB-8-sensitive intracellular store may be a necessary step in the onset of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in granule cells. However, these conclusions are compromised by additional observations that show that TMB-8 (1) exhibits intrinsic toxicity and (2) is able to reverse its initial inhibitory action on glutamate-evoked increases in [Ca²⁺]_i and subsequently effect a pronounced time-dependent potentiation of glutamate responses. Dantrolene, another putative intracellular Ca²⁺ antagonist, was completely without effect in this system with regard to both glutamate-evoked increases in [Ca²⁺]_i and glutamate-induced neurotoxicity.     

Identification of Kainate Receptor-Mediated Intracellular Calcium Increases in Cultured Rat Cerebellar Granule Cells

Abstract: The functional expression of the kainate subtype of glutamate receptor (GluR) has been investigated in cultured rat cerebellar granule cells using single cell intracellular calcium ([Ca²⁺]_i) measurements. Both AMPA- and kainate-induced [Ca²⁺]_i increases could be blocked completely by the AMPA receptor-selective antagonist LY300168 (50 µ M ). However, following treatment with concanavalin A, an inhibitor of kainate receptor desensitisation, 30% of cells showed a kainate-induced [Ca²⁺]_i rise of >100 n M in the presence of LY300168. Responses to 30 µ M kainate in the presence of LY300168 were virtually abolished by the AMPA and GluR5 kainate receptor competitive antagonist LY293558 (100 µ M ). These results demonstrate the presence of functional kainate receptors on cultured cerebellar granule cells, and suggest that the GluR5 subtype of kainate receptor plays a significant role in kainate receptor-mediated [Ca²⁺]_i increases.     

Glutamate Neurotoxicity in Rat Cerebellar Granule Cells Involves Cytochrome c Release from Mitochondria and Mitochondrial Shuttle Impairment

To gain some insight into the mechanism by which glutamate neurotoxicity takes place in cerebellar granule cells, two steps of glucose oxidation were investigated: the electron flow via respiratory chain from certain substrates to oxygen and the transfer of extramitochondrial reducing equivalents via the mitochondrial shuttles. However, cytochrome c release from intact mitochondria was found to occur in glutamate-treated cells as detected photometrically in the supernatant of the cell homogenate suspension. As a result of cytochrome c release, an increase of the oxidation of externally added NADH was found, probably occurring via the NADH-b5 oxidoreductase of the outer mitochondrial membrane. When the two mitochondrial shuttles glycerol 3-phosphate/dihydroxyacetone phosphate and malate/oxaloacetate, devoted to oxidizing externally added NADH, were reconstructed, both were found to be impaired under glutamate neurotoxicity. Consistent early activation in two NADH oxidizing mechanisms, i.e., lactate production and plasma membrane NADH oxidoreductase activity, was found in glutamate-treated cells. In spite of this, the increase in the cell NADH fluorescence was found to be time-dependent, an index of the progressive damage of the cell.     

Regulation of Intracellular Calcium in Cerebellar Granule Neurons: Effects of Depolarization and of Glutamatergic and Cholinergic Stimulation

The regulation of the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was investigated by microfluorimetry in single cerebellar granule neurons exposed to various treatments (high K+, glutamate, or acetylcholine) and drugs. The responses to the treatments developed asynchronously during cell culture, with high K+ and glutamate reaching their maxima at 6 and 7 days in vitro and acetylcholine at 9 days in vitro. The biphasic [Ca2+]i transients induced by high K+ (an initial peak, followed by a plateau 30-40% of the peak, both sustained by dihydropyridine-sensitive voltage-gated Ca2+ channels) were dissipated by washing with fresh medium or, more rapidly, by addition of excess EGTA (t1/2 = 11 +/- 2 and 3 +/- 0.6 s, respectively). Compared to those induced by high K+, the [Ca2+]i transients induced by glutamate administered in Mg2(+)-free medium were much more variable. An initial peak, sustained by voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, was visible in only approximately 50% of the cells and disappeared when multiple glutamate pulses were administered. In the rest of the population, the transients were monophasic, with persistent plateaus sustained only in part (30-40%) by voltage-gated Ca2+ channels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of Dehydroevodiamine Exposure on Glutamate Release and Uptake in the Cultured Cerebellar Cells

Dehydroevodiamine has been reported to have neuroprotective and antiamnesic effects. This study examined the effects of dehydroevodiamine on glutamate release and uptake in cultured cerebellar cells. Chronic dehydroevodiamine exposure decreased the viability of granule cells. The basal and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced release of glutamate from granule cells were decreased (26 and 14%) by dehydroevodiamine. The NMDA-induced release of glutamate was concentration-dependently inhibited in the granule cells. The basal and NMDA-induced releases of glutamate in chronically dehydroevodiamine-preexposed granule cells were unaffected by dehydroevodiamine. Glutamate uptake in the glial cells incubated without and with cAMP was inhibited (31% and 8%, respectively) by dehydroevodiamine. In the chronically dehydroevodiamine-preexposed glial cells, glutamate uptake was increased (8%) in the cAMP-coexposed glial cells by dehydroevodiamine but was unaffected in the naive cells. In addition, dehydroevodiamine potentiated (from 20% to 34%) the inhibition of L-pyrollidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid (PDC) on glutamate uptake in naive glial cells, but this inhibition was reduced (from 41% to 26%) in cAMP-coexposed glial cells. These results suggest that dehydroevodiamine inhibits glutamate uptake and release. Furthermore, the results suggest that the characteristics of glutamate release and uptake in granule and glial cells may be altered by chronic exposure to dehydroevodiamine.     

Complexity of Depolarization-mediated ERK Phosphorylation in Cerebellar Granule Cells in Primary Cultures

We previously showed that cultured mouse cerebellar granule cells during incubation in glutamine-replete medium respond to 45 mM [K⁺]_e after 20 and 60 min incubation with extracellular-signal regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK_1/2) phosphorylation which is mainly, but probably not exclusively, secondary to glutamate release and transactivation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors. In the present study the response after 20 min was shown to be abolished by protein kinase C (PKC) inhibition, whereas that at 60 min was PKC-independent. Addition of 50 μM glutamate to the cells caused ERK_1/2 phosphorylation already after 5 min most of which was sensitive to PKC inhibition although a minor part was PKC inhibition-resistant. Exposure to [K⁺]_e during incubation in glutamine-depleted medium caused no stimulated release of glutamate but a transactivation-independent ERK_1/2 phosphorylation at 20 and 60 min. The response at 20 min was insensitive to PKC inhibition. The potential importance of these complex responses for synaptic plasticity is discussed. Special issue article in honor of Dr. Frode Fonnum.     

Involvement of Calcium Influx in Muscarinic Cholinergic Regulation of Phospholipase C in Cerebellar Granule Cells

Abstract: Inositol phosphate accumulation on carbachol stimulation of rat cerebellar granule cells shows a marked dependence on factors affecting cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_c). After 5 min, potassium depolarisation caused a modest accumulation of inositol phosphates but augmented the response to carbachol by a factor of 2–3. These effects of potassium were dependent on an extracellular source of calcium and could be partially blocked by specific (nifedipine) and nonspecific (verapamil) calcium channel blockers. Measurements of [Ca²⁺]_c under a range of stimulatory conditions demonstrated a close correlation between the elevation of [Ca²⁺]_c and agonist-stimulated phospholipase C (PLC) activity. The maximal potentiation of carbachol-stimulated inositol phosphate accumulation was achieved using 20 m M KCl, which increased [Ca²⁺]_c from ∼20 to ∼75 n M , indicating the involvement of relatively low threshold Ca²⁺ channels and the high sensitivity of the relevant PLC to small changes in [Ca²⁺]_c. By contrast, increases in [Ca²⁺]_c induced by the Ca²⁺ ionophore ionomycin were associated with more modest and less potent effects on agonist-stimulated PLC. These results demonstrate a cooperative interaction between a receptor/G protein-regulated PLC and voltage-stimulated elevations of [Ca²⁺]_c, which may function to integrate ionotropic and metabotropic signalling mechanisms in cerebellar granule cells.     

Glutamate Receptor Subtypes in Cultured Cerebellar Neurons: Modulation of Glutamate and γ-Aminobutyric Acid Release

Using cerebellar, neuron-enriched primary cultures, we have studied the glutamate receptor subtypes coupled to neurotransmitter amino acid release. Acute exposure of the cultures to micromolar concentrations of kainate and quisqualate stimulated D-[3H]aspartate release, whereas N-methyl-D-aspartate, as well as dihydrokainic acid, were ineffective. The effect of kainic acid was concentration dependent in the concentration range of 20-100 microM. Quisqualic acid was effective at lower concentrations, with maximal releasing activity at about 50 microM. Kainate and dihydrokainate (20-100 microM) inhibited the initial rate of D-[3H]aspartate uptake into cultured granule cells, whereas quisqualate and N-methyl-DL-aspartate were ineffective. D-[3H]Aspartate uptake into confluent cerebellar astrocyte cultures was not affected by kainic acid. The stimulatory effect of kainic acid on D-[3H]aspartate release was Na+ independent, and partly Ca2+ dependent; the effect of quisqualate was Na+ and Ca2+ independent. Kynurenic acid (50-200 microM) and, to a lesser extent, 2,3-cis-piperidine dicarboxylic acid (100-200 microM) antagonized the stimulatory effect of kainate but not that of quisqualate. Kainic and quisqualic acid (20-100 microM) also stimulated gamma-[3H]-aminobutyric acid release from cerebellar cultures, and kynurenic acid antagonized the effect of kainate but not that of quisqualate. In conclusion, kainic acid and quisqualic acid appear to activate two different excitatory amino acid receptor subtypes, both coupled to neurotransmitter amino acid release. Moreover, kainate inhibits D-[3H]aspartate neuronal uptake by interfering with the acidic amino acid high-affinity transport system.     

Kainate-Induced Apoptosis in Cultured Murine Cerebellar Granule Cells Elevates Expression of the Cell Cycle Gene Cyclin D1

Abstract: Recent evidence suggests that neuronal apoptosis is the consequence of an inappropriate reentry into the cell cycle. Expression of the cell cycle gene cyclin D1, a G1-phase cell cycle regulator, was examined in primary cultures of murine cerebellar granule cells (CGCs) during kainate (KA)-mediated apoptosis. Using cultures of CGCs, we found that a 24-h exposure to KA (1–3,000 µ M ) induced a concentration-dependent cell death with neurons exhibiting characteristic apoptotic morphology and extensive labeling using the terminal transferase-mediated nick end-DNA labeling (TUNEL) method. KA induced a time- and concentration-dependent increase in expression of cyclin D1 as determined by immunocytochemistry and western blot analysis. KA-induced apoptosis and cyclin D1 expression exhibited a similar concentration dependence and were significantly attenuated by the non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (50 µ M ), indicating a KA receptor-mediated effect. Here we present evidence for the first time that KA-induced apoptosis in cultured CGCs involves the induction of cyclin D1, suggesting its involvement in excitotoxic receptor-mediated apoptosis.     

Release of Endogenous and Accumulated Exogenous Amino Acids from Slices of Normal and Climbing Fibre-Deprived Rat Cerebellar Slices

Efflux of various amino acids from slices of rat cerebellar hemispheres was determined under resting or depolarizing conditions. It was increased under high K+(50 mM) as compared to low K+ (5 mM) conditions by 1258 pmol/mg protein for aspartate, 478 for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), 44,693 for glutamate, and 615 for glycine. These were significantly higher than the corresponding values obtained under low-Ca2+ (0.1 mM), high-Mg2+ (12 mM) conditions, whereas for 11 other amino acids the K+-induced efflux was similar under normal and low-Ca2+ concentrations. The K+-induced efflux of exogenously accumulated L-[3H]aspartate, D-[3H]aspartate, and L-[3H]glutamate was higher by factors of 2, 5.8, and 6.3, respectively, under normal Ca2+ conditions, as compared with low-Ca2+, high-Mg2+ conditions. After climbing fibre degeneration induced by destruction of the inferior olive with 3-acetylpyridine, release of endogenous aspartate and exogenous L-[3H]glutamate and D-[3H]aspartate was significantly reduced, by 26%, 38%, and 27%, respectively. These results support the hypothesis that climbing fibres may use aspartate or a related compound as a neurotransmitter. In rat cerebellar tissue, L-[3H]glutamate and L-[3H]aspartate differ in several aspects: (1) L-[3H]glutamate uptake was 4 times higher than that of L-[3H]aspartate; (2) fractional rate constant of K+- evoked release of L-[3H]aspartate was 7% X 2.5 min-1, and of L-[3H]glutamate 36% X 2.5 min-1; and (3) specific activity of L-[3H]glutamate in the eluate collected during K+ stimulation was 3.5 times the value in the tissue, whereas for L-[3H]aspartate, specific activities in the eluate and tissue were similar.