Anandamide induces apoptosis of PC‐12 cells: involvement of superoxide and caspase‐3

FEBS Letters

Nakata, Masanori¹  Kitajima, Isao¹  Sarker, Krishna Pada¹  Obara, Soichi²  Maruyama, Ikuro¹ 

[1] Department of Laboratory and Molecular Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima-890, Japan;Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima-890, Japan

关键词: PC-12 cell;    Anandamide;    Superoxide;    CPP32-like protease;    Apoptosis;   

DOI  :  10.1016/S0014-5793(00)01425-3

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

Anandamide (arachidonoylethanolamide), an endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand has been suggested to have physiological role in mammalian nervous system. However, little is known about the role of anandamide on neuronal cells. Here, we demonstrate that anandamide causes death of PC-12 cells, showing marked DNA condensation and fragmentation, appearance of cells at sub-G₀/G₁ and redistribution of phosphatidyl serine, the hallmark features of apoptosis. Anandamide raised intracellular superoxide level and CPP32-like protease activity in PC-12 cells markedly. Furthermore, antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine prevented anandamide-induced superoxide anion formation and cell death, implying that intracellular superoxide is a novel mediator of anandamide-induced apoptosis of PC-12 cells.

【 授权许可】

Unknown