3-amino thioacridone, a selective cyclin-dependent kinase 4 inhibitor, attenuates kainic acid-induced apoptosis in neurons

• Published in: Neuroscience 2003-01, Vol.120 (3), p.599-603
• Main Authors: Verdaguer, E, Jordà, E.G, Canudas, A.M, Jiménez, A, Sureda, F.X, Rimbau, V, Pubill, D, Escubedo, E, Camarasa, J, Pallàs, M, Camins, A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ageing, cell death; Aminoacridines - pharmacology; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Apoptosis - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; cell cycle; Cell Death; Cell physiology; Cerebellum - drug effects; Cerebellum - metabolism; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4; cyclin-dependent kinases; Cyclin-Dependent Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; Cyclin-Dependent Kinases - metabolism; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; excitotoxicity; Flow Cytometry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Kainic Acid - toxicity; Molecular and cellular biology; neurodegenerative illness; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• ISSN: 0306-4522; 1873-7544
• DOI: 10.1016/S0306-4522(03)00424-X

The mechanisms underlying selective neuronal cell death in kainic acid-mediated neurodegeneration are not fully understood. We have recently demonstrated that in cerebellar granule neurons, kainic acid induces the expression of proteins associated with cell-cycle progression. In the present study we show that 3-amino thioacridone (3-ATA), a selective cyclin-dependent kinase 4 inhibitor, attenuates kainic acid-induced apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons. When neurons were pre-treated with 3-ATA 10 μM for 24 h, they were less susceptible to damage induced by kainic acid 500 μM, since the number of dead cells decreased significantly. In flow cytometry studies using propidium iodide staining, 3-ATA also reduced the ratio of apoptotic cells induced by kainic acid. Moreover, 3-ATA decreased the proportion of cells with a condensed nucleus from 55% to 22%. Our data suggest that the cell cycle pathway is involved in the mechanism of apoptosis mediated by kainic acid and that cyclin-dependent kinase 4 plays a prominent role in this process. 3-ATA may to prevent the apoptosis associated with neurodegenerative disorders without the over-activation of excitatory amino acid receptors.