Selective enhancement by serum factors of cyclic AMP accumulation in rat microglial cultures

Novel Paradigms Governing β1-Adrenergic Receptor Trafficking in Primary Adult Rat Cardiac Myocytes

The β₁-adrenergic receptor (β₁-AR) is a major cardiac G protein-coupled receptor, which mediates cardiac actions of catecholamines and is involved in genesis and treatment of numerous cardiovascular disorders. In mammalian cells, catecholamines induce the internalization of the β₁-AR into endosomes and their removal promotes the recycling of the endosomal β₁-AR back to the plasma membrane; however, whether these redistributive processes occur in terminally differentiated cells is unknown. Compartmentalization of the β₁-AR in response to β-agonists and antagonists was determined by confocal microscopy in primary adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVMs), which are terminally differentiated myocytes with unique structures such as transverse tubules (T-tubules) and contractile sarcomeres. In unstimulated ARVMs, the fluorescently labeled β₁-AR was expressed on the external membrane (the sarcolemma) of cardiomyocytes. Exposing ARVMs to isoproterenol redistributed surface β₁-ARs into small (∼225-250 nm) regularly spaced internal punctate structures that overlapped with puncta stained by Di-8 ANEPPS, a membrane-impermeant T-tubule-specific dye. Replacing the β-agonist with the β-blocker alprenolol, induced the translocation of the wild-type β₁-AR from these punctate structures back to the plasma membrane. This step was dependent on two barcodes, namely, the type-1 PDZ binding motif and serine at position 312 of the β₁-AR, which is phosphorylated by a pool of cAMP-dependent protein kinases anchored at the type-1 PDZ of the β₁-AR. These data show that redistribution of the β₁-AR in ARVMs from internal structures back to the plasma membrane was mediated by a novel sorting mechanism, which might explain unique aspects of cardiac β₁-AR signaling under normal or pathologic conditions.

Migration and ramification of microglia in quail embryo retina organotypic cultures

Organotypic cultures of retina explants preserve the complex cellular microenvironment of the retina and have been used as a tool to assess the biological functions of some cell types. However, studies to date have shown that microglial cells activate quickly in response to the retina explantation. In this study, microglial cells migrated and ramified in quail embryo retina organotypic cultures (QEROCs) according to chronological patterns bearing a resemblance to those in the retina in situ, despite some differences in cell density and ramification degree. Retinal explants from quail embryos at 9 days of incubation (E9) proved to be the best in vitro system for reproducing a physiological-like behavior of microglial cells when cultured in Eagle's basal medium supplemented with horse serum. During the first week in vitro, microglial cells migrated tangentially in the vitreal part of QEROCs, and some began to migrate radially from 3 days in vitro (div) onward, ramifying in the inner and outer plexiform layers, thus mimicking microglia development in the retina in situ, although reaching a lower degree of ramification after 7 div. From 8 div onward, microglial cells rounded throughout the explant thickness simultaneously with the nonphysiological appearance of dead photoreceptors and round microglia in the outernuclear layer. Therefore, E9 QEROCs can be used during the first week in vitro as a model system for experimental studies of molecules putatively involved in microglial migration and ramification.

Tumor necrosis factor reduces cAMP production in rat microglia

cAMP has been reported to exert a neuroprotective role in several in vivo and in vitro models of brain pathologies, mainly by regulating microglial activation and orienting these cells toward a neuroprotective phenotype. In order to elucidate the intracellular pathways regulated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in glial cells, I have studied the modulation of cAMP accumulation by TNF in microglia and astrocyte cultures obtained from the neonatal rat brain. Pre-treatment of microglia with TNF reduced in a dose- and time-dependent manner cAMP accumulation induced by forskolin (FSK), in the presence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine (IBMX). The TNF inhibitory action was 90% reverted by a neutralizing polyclonal anti-TNF antibody and was not prevented by a 16 h pre-treatment of microglial cultures with the Gi protein inhibitor pertussis toxin (PTx). These results suggest that TNF acts at a step of the cAMP transduction pathway other than receptors, G proteins, and phosphodiesterases. The target of TNF appeared to be adenylyl cyclase, whose ability to synthesize cAMP was markedly reduced (up to 50%) in membranes prepared from TNF-treated microglial cells, both in basal conditions and after stimulation with FSK. TNF induced a time-dependent degradation of IkappaB-alpha in microglial cells that was reverted by two inhibitors of nuclear factor kappaB activation, N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) and N-CBZ-Leu-Leu-Leu-al (MG132). The same inhibitors also markedly prevented the reduction of FSK-evoked cAMP accumulation by TNF, suggesting the involvement of NFkappaB in the regulation of adenylyl cyclase by TNF in microglia. Conversely, cAMP accumulation in astrocytes was not affected by TNF. Based on these findings, it is proposed that the ability of TNF to inhibit cAMP synthesis in microglia may exacerbate its response and contribute to cell damage in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, possibly through enhanced release of proinflammatory and/or cytotoxic factors.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat protein decreases cyclic AMP synthesis in rat microglia cultures

We have studied the modulation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV 1) protein Tat in microglia and astrocyte cultures obtained from neonatal rat brain. Pretreatment of microglia with recombinant Tat resulted in a dose- and time-dependent decrease of cAMP accumulation induced by subsequent exposure to isoproterenol (1 microM). The inhibitory action of 100 ng/mL Tat approached 50% after 4 h of preincubation and reached a maximum of 70% after 24 h. The Tat-induced time- and dose-dependent decrease of cAMP accumulation was observed also when microglial cultures were stimulated with the adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin (100 microM). In both cases, Tat inhibitory action was 70% reverted by a specific monoclonal anti-Tat antibody, but was not prevented either by the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xantine (100 microM) or by a 16-h pretreatment of microglial cultures with the Gi protein inhibitor pertussis toxin (10 ng/mL). All these results suggested that the viral protein acts at a step of the cAMP transduction pathway other than receptors, G proteins and phosphodiesterases. The target of Tat appeared to be adenylyl cyclase, whose activity was markedly reduced (up to 60%) in membranes prepared from Tat-treated microglial cells, both in basal conditions and after stimulation with isoproterenol and forskolin. The inability of the competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase N(G)-monometyl- L-arginine (20 and 200 microM) to revert Tat action on forskolin-induced cAMP accumulation, and of two potent nitric oxide donors, PAPA and DETA (0.1-2 m M), to alter forskolin-induced cAMP accumulation, excluded an involvement of nitric oxide in Tat-induced adenylyl cyclase inhibition. On the contrary, two inhibitors of nuclear factor kappaB activation, N-tosyl-( L)-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (10 microM) and SN50 (25 microM), markedly prevented the reduction of forskolin-evoked cAMP accumulation by Tat, suggesting a possible role for this nuclear transcriptional factor in the regulation of adenylyl cyclase by Tat in microglia. This assumption was strengthened by the ability of lipopolysaccharide (100 ng/mL, 4 h) to mimic the inhibitory effect of the viral protein. Conversely, astrocyte cAMP accumulation was unaffected by the viral protein, as tested at various concentrations and time points. Finally, Tat inhibition of microglial adenylyl cyclase was not due to non-specific cytotoxicity. As cAMP has been reported to exert a neuroprotective role in several in vivo and in vitro models of brain pathologies, and microglia is believed to mediate Tat-induced neurotoxicity, these results suggest that the ability of Tat to inhibit cAMP synthesis in microglia may contribute to neuronal degeneration and cell death associated with HIV infection.

Protein kinase C activation reduces microglial cyclic AMP response to prostaglandin E2 by interfering with EP2 receptors

We studied the modulation by protein kinase C (PKC) of the cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation induced by prostaglandin (PG) E2 in rat neonatal microglial cultures. Short pretreatment of microglia with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or 4beta-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate, which activate PKC, but not with the inactive 4alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate, substantially reduced cAMP accumulation induced by 1 microM PGE2. The action of PMA was dose and time dependent, and the maximal inhibition (approximately 85%) was obtained after 10-min preincubation with 100 nM PMA. The inhibitory effect of PMA was mimicked by diacylglycerol and was prevented by the PKC inhibitor calphostin C. As PMA did not affect isoproterenol- or forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation, we investigated whether activation of PKC decreased cAMP production by acting directly at PGE2 EP receptors. Neither sulprostone (10(-9)-10(-5) M), a potent agonist at EP3 receptors (coupled to adenylyl cyclase inhibition), nor 17-phenyl-PGE2 (10(-6)-10(-5) M), an agonist of EP1 receptors, modified cAMP accumulation induced by forskolin. On the contrary, 11-deoxy-16,16-dimethyl PGE2, which does not discriminate between EP2 and EP4 receptors, both coupled to the activation of adenylyl cyclase, and butaprost, a selective EP2 agonist, induced a dose-dependent elevation of cAMP that was largely reduced by PMA pretreatment, as in the case of PGE2. These results indicated EP2 receptors as a possible target of PKC and suggest that PKC-activating agents present in the pathological brain may prevent the cAMP-mediated microglia-deactivating function of PGE2.

Up-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 expression in cultured microglia by prostaglandin E2, cyclic AMP and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Cyclooxygenase-2, the inducible isoform of cyclooxygenase, is highly expressed in microglial cells activated by bacterial lipopolysaccharide and is a major regulatory factor in the synthesis of prostanoids, such as prostaglandins, prostacyclin and thromboxanes. Since prostanoids are potent modulators of inflammation, immune responses and neurotoxicity, the regulation of their synthesis may be crucial for balancing microglial neuroprotective and neurotoxic activities. The present study shows that expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and prostanoid production in cultured rat microglia activated by lipopolysaccharide is up-regulated by cyclic AMP (cAMP), as indicated by experiments performed in the presence of adenylyl cyclase activators, cAMP analogues and protein kinase A-specific inhibitors. Exogenous prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which elevates the cAMP level in microglial cells, also increased the lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and production of thromboxane in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The observations that the lipopolysaccharide-induced prostanoid production was specifically increased by 11-deoxy-16,16-dm PGE2, a selective agonist at the PGE2 receptor EP2 coupled to the activation of adenylyl cyclase, and that the enhancing effect of PGE2 was partially prevented by specific inhibitors of adenylyl cyclase and protein kinase A, suggest that the up-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 expression by PGE2 is mediated by cAMP, through a putative microglial EP2 receptor. Unexpectedly, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as indomethacin and 6-methoxy naphthalene acetic acidic, which inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymatic activity and abrogate prostanoid synthesis, caused a moderate but consistent up-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 expression. In conclusion, while the strong up-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 expression by exogenous PGE2 appears to be mediated by EP2 receptors and cAMP, the limited down-regulation caused by anti-inflammatory drug treatments may be either due to arachidonic acid metabolites other than PGE2, or to PGE2 itself, acting through a distinct cAMP-independent signalling pathway.

Analysis of B7-1 and B7-2 costimulatory ligands in cultured mouse microglia: upregulation by interferon-gamma and lipopolysaccharide and downregulation by interleukin-10, prostaglandin E2 and cyclic AMP-elevating agents

Recent evidence indicates that membrane-bound costimulatory molecules of the B7 family are important for T-cell activation and are upregulated in IFN gamma-stimulated human microglia and in multiple sclerosis active lesions. In this study we have performed a detailed analysis of B7-1 and B7-2 expression and regulation in cultured mouse glial cells using immunocytochemical and semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction techniques. In an immortalized mouse microglial cell line (BV-2), expression of B7-1 and B7-2 was enhanced by interferon-gamma (IFN gamma). IFN gamma was a weak inducer of B7-2 mRNA and immunoreactivity in microglia primary cultures obtained from the neonatal mouse brain, whereas lipopolysaccharide, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, colony-stimulating factors and interleukin-1 beta did not affect microglial B7-2 expression. Combined IFN gamma and lipopolysaccharide treatment very effectively upregulated the B7-2 gene expression and immunoreactivity in microglia, but not in astrocytes. In both glial cell types, expression of B7-1 was not induced by any of the above agents. Among known microglia/macrophage deactivators, interleukin-10, prostaglandin E2 and cAMP-elevating agents, but not transforming growth factor-beta 1 and interleukin-4, inhibited B7-2 transcripts and immunoreactivity in IFN gamma/LPS-stimulated microglia, thus suggesting possible paracrine and autocrine mechanisms for regulating the expression of this important T-cell costimulatory signal in the brain.