Inhibition by ethanol of forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase in a murine neuroblastoma clone (N1E-115)

Differential modulation of AP-1- and CRE-driven transcription by cannabinoid agonists emphasizes functional selectivity at the CB1 receptor

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Long-term adaptations to pharmacological stimuli frequently originate from modulation of complex intracellular signalling pathways. We previously reported that HU210 and CP55940, two CB1 cannabinoid receptor agonists, induced opposite effects on TH expression. Herein, we characterized their influence on cAMP response element (CRE) and activator protein 1 (AP-1)-mediated regulation of gene transcription.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

The activity of the agonists was examined on transfected N1E-115 cells in which expression of the luciferase reporter gene was controlled by transcription promoters consisting of repeats of either CRE or AP-1 elements. In addition, the implication of classical signalling pathways was investigated using a variety of kinase inhibitors.

KEY RESULTS

Consistent with the CB1-mediated reduction of cAMP accumulation, both ligands decreased CRE-driven luciferase expression with similar potencies. HU210 also exhibited a concentration-dependent reduction of luciferase activity in cells engineered to examine AP-1-controlled transcription, whereas such response was not obtained with CP55940. Responses were all inhibited by SR141716A and were modified in Pertussis toxin-treated cells, suggesting agonist-selective regulations of distinct Gi/o-dependent mechanisms through CB1 receptor activation. Finally, PKC inhibitors efficiently inhibited the paradoxical effect of HU210 on AP-1-mediated transcription, indicating selective regulation of PKC-dependent responses.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Together, our results demonstrate that two cannabinoid ligands, commonly used as reference agonists acting on the same receptor with similar affinities, differentially modulate gene transcription through distinct controls of AP-1. This could reflect activation of distinct subsets of Gi/o-proteins, supporting the concept of functional selectivity at CB1 receptors.

The effect of in vivo ethanol consumption on cyclic AMP and delta-opioid receptors in mouse striatum

In this study the effect of in vivo ethanol consumption on cyclic AMP (cAMP) and [D-Ala2,D-Leu5]enkephalin (DADLE) inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cAMP production was examined in mouse striatum. Effects of ethanol on striatal delta-opioid receptor (DOR) density and mRNA were also examined. Mice had unlimited access to 7% (v/v) ethanol alone or water for 1 or 7 days and were then sacrificed and striatum removed for analysis. There was no difference in basal cAMP formation between water and ethanol-treated mouse striatum following 7 day treatment, and a small, but statistically significant increase in basal cAMP in the ethanol group following 1 day treatment. Both 1 day and 7 day ethanol treatment did not significantly alter the percentage increase in cAMP following treatment with 10 microM forskolin. There was a significant effect of ethanol treatment on the maximum inhibitory effect of DADLE on forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation following both 1 and 7 day ethanol treatment. The DADLE IC50 was unaffected by ethanol treatment. Saturation binding studies ([3H]Deltorphin II) indicated no effect of ethanol on Bmax or Kd in striatum. Similarly, no difference between water and ethanol-treated was observed for DOR mRNA in striatum. These data indicate that ethanol consumption can alter opioid regulation of cAMP formation. However, this effect is not related to changes in any delta-opioid receptor parameters that were examined.

Effects of acute and chronic ethanol on cyclic AMP accumulation in NG108-15 cells: differential dependence of changes on extracellular adenosine

1. This study investigated the effects of acute and chronic ethanol on basal, agonist- and forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP formation in NG108-15 mouse neuroblastoma x rat glioma hybrid cells, and examined the role of changes in extracellular adenosine concentrations on the effects observed. 2. NG108-15 cells incubated acutely with ethanol (1-200 mM) displayed concentration-dependent increases in basal and iloprost-stimulated (300 nM; a prostanoid IP receptor agonist) cyclic AMP accumulation but a concentration-dependent decrease in forskolin-stimulated (10 microM) accumulation. 3. Cells treated chronically with ethanol (200 mM) for 48 h displayed increases over control in basal, iloprost- (0.001-10 microM) and forskolin (0.01-100 microM)-stimulated cyclic AMP formation. However, chronic ethanol did not affect [3H]-iloprost binding to cell membranes. 4. Inclusion of adenosine deaminase (ADA; 1 unit ml-1) during the incubation period to measure cyclic AMP accumulation completely abolished the increase in basal accumulation following chronic ethanol, but did not affect the increase in iloprost stimulation. On the other hand ADA partially reversed the increase in forskolin stimulation following chronic ethanol, but even in the presence of high concentrations of ADA (5 units ml-1) the forskolin stimulation remained elevated above control. 5. Cells treated chronically with the adenosine receptor agonist 5'-(N-ethylcarboxamido)-adenosine (NECA; 10 microM for 48 h) displayed a reduction in subsequent NECA- and forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation, but iloprost stimulation was not affected. ADA included acutely during the incubation period to measure cyclic AMP accumulation abolished the reduction in forskolin but not NECA stimulation produced by the chronic NECA pretreatment. 6. We have previously noted that ethanol inhibits NG108-15 cell proliferation and alters cell morphology.To mimic this, cells were incubated in the absence of foetal calf serum for 48 h. Following this time, basal, iloprost- and forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP formation was enhanced over that in cells grown in the presence of serum.7. These results indicate that chronic ethanol enhances cyclic AMP formation in intact NG108-15 cells by more than one mechanism: one involves increased extracellular adenosine concentrations and the other a change in the transduction system beyond the receptor, possibly involving the adenylyl cyclase enzyme. Furthermore the ethanol-induced changes in cyclic AMP accumulation may relate to alterations in NG108-15 cell growth and development.

Role of adenosine A1 receptors in inhibition of receptor-stimulated cyclic AMP production by ethanol in hepatocytes

Brief exposure of primary cultures of hepatocytes to ethanol had a biphasic effect on glucagon receptor-dependent cyclic AMP (cAMP) production: 25-50 mM ethanol decreased cAMP levels, whereas treatment with 100-200 mM ethanol increased cAMP. This biphasic effect was also observed after pretreatment with 10 microM 4-methylpyrazole, an inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase. Adenosine A1 and A2 receptors in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes are coupled to inhibition and stimulation of adenylyl cyclase, respectively. Since primary cultures of hepatocytes release adenosine into their extracellular media, we tested whether the acute effects of ethanol on cAMP were mediated by extracellular adenosine. Co-incubation with 2 U/mL adenosine deaminase prevented inhibition of cAMP production by 25-50 mM ethanol, but had no effect on stimulation by 100-200 mM ethanol. Pretreatment of hepatocytes with 110 nM 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dimethylxanthine, an adenosine A1 receptor antagonist, also completely blocked the inhibitory effects of ethanol on cAMP production. Low concentrations of ethanol enhanced the inhibitory effects of R(-)N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine, an A1 receptor agonist, on cAMP production in cells pretreated with adenosine deaminase to remove endogenous adenosine. These data suggest that endogenously produced adenosine can be an important modulator of the effects of ethanol on receptor-stimulated cAMP production in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes.

Non-eicosanoid functions of essential fatty acids: regulation of adenosine-related functions in cultured neuroblastoma cells

Studies have demonstrated that augmenting the omega 6 polyunsaturated-fatty-acid (PUFA) content of N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells by media supplementation with linoleic acid results in greater than or equal to 2-fold increases in basal levels of intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP). Data suggested some involvement of increased production of adenosine from endogenous metabolites; however, increases in adenosine were not related to increased activity of 5'-nucleotidase or decreased uptake of extracellular adenosine. PUFA-dependent elevations in basal cAMP were evident within 1 min of exposure to a phosphodiesterase inhibitor; this phenomenon did not appear to be due to PUFA-dependent changes in Ca2+ uptake or to increases in sensitivity of adenylate cyclase to Ca2+. Forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation was 3-fold higher in PUFA-enriched cells than in control cells, which suggested a direct effect on the functioning of the catalytic unit. Linoleic acid supplementation resulted in a 2-fold increase in the maximum amounts of cAMP produced in response to the stable adenosine analogue, 5'-N'ethylcarboxy-amidoadenosine (NECA). The altered stimulatory response did not involve eicosanoid formation, but may have been related to an increase in the number of stimulatory adenosine receptors, as judged by binding of [3H]NECA. These studies indicate that membrane PUFA modulate adenosine-related functions in neuroblastoma cells, and suggest that a complex series of mechanisms is involved in this regulation.

Chronic exposure to alcohol during development alters the membrane properties of cerebellar Purkinje neurons in culture

The active and passive membrane properties of developing Purkinje neurons in control cultures and cultures chronically treated with 20 or 40 mM ethanol for 1 or 2 weeks were examined using whole-cell current-clamp techniques. The membrane properties were characterized by the features of the voltage responses evoked by intracellular current injection of a series of depolarizing and hyperpolarizing current pulses. Analysis of these responses and background spontaneous activity showed several differences between the control and ethanol-treated Purkinje neurons: (1) membrane input resistance was significantly larger in the ethanol-treated neurons; (2) the percentage of neurons exhibiting immature firing patterns was significantly higher in the ethanol-treated neurons; (3) the afterhyperpolarization following a current-evoked train of action potentials was significantly larger in the ethanol-treated neurons; (4) spontaneous activity (synaptic potentials and synaptically evoked spike events) was significantly reduced in neurons treated with 40 mM ethanol for 1 week; spontaneous activity in neurons treated with 20 mM ethanol for 1 or 2 weeks was similar to that observed in the control group. These differences indicate that ethanol exposure during development directly alters the physiological properties of this CNS neuronal type. These neuronal actions of ethanol may contribute to the behavioral deficits observed in animals models of fetal alcohol syndrome. Similar target sites of ethanol action are likely to be present in the human CNS neurons and may be involved in human fetal alcohol syndrome.

Effect of ethanol on cyclic AMP levels in intact PC12 cells

Two subclones of the rat pheochromocytoma cell line, PC12, were used to compare the effects of ethanol on adenylate cyclase activity in isolated membranes with its effects on cyclic AMP accumulation in intact cells. Consistent with previous reports, ethanol increased basal and 2-chloroadenosine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in isolated membrane preparations from both subclones. However, ethanol had opposite effects on agonist-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in intact cells of the two subclones, enhancing accumulation in one subclone, and inhibiting it in the other. The inhibition of cyclic AMP accumulation did not result from stimulation of phosphodiesterase activity, activation of the inhibitory guanyl nucleotide regulatory protein, Gi, or stimulation of protein kinase C. The results indicate that extrapolation of the effects of ethanol from one cell type to another, or from in vitro to in vivo systems, may be complicated by the interaction of ethanol with regulatory processes that influence second messenger systems, and can differ in various types of intact cells.

Effects of adenosine analogues on basal, prostaglandin E1- and forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP formation in intact neuroblastoma cells

We have examined the effects of R-phenylisopropyladenosine (R-PIA) and other adenosine analogues on basal, prostaglandin E1 (PGE1)- and forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP (cAMP) formation in intact N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells, to determine whether the cells contain A1 adenosine receptors that are negatively coupled with adenylate cyclase. Basal levels of cAMP (68 +/- 7 pmol/mg protein; mean +/- SE, N = 15) were not altered by low concentrations of R-PIA. The apparent lack of inhibition was not due to increases in cAMP due to activation of a stimulatory A2 receptor by endogenously-synthesized adenosine. By comparison, low levels of R-PIA did reduce significantly (P less than 0.05) PGE1-dependent increases in cAMP formation (maximum response to PGE1, 972 +/- 77 pmol cAMP/mg protein; EC50 for PGE1, 0.2 microM). Inhibition was dose dependent, and resulted in a 30-50% maximum reduction in production stimulated by PGE1. Nanomolar concentrations of R-PIA elicited half-maximal inhibition; the inhibitory response was blocked by 8-phenyltheophylline (8-PT). The order of potencies of several adenosine analogues in eliciting this response suggested that inhibition was mediated by an A1 adenosine receptor. Examination of the effects of R-PIA on forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation yielded several interesting findings. First, stimulation by the diterpene by itself was blocked by both adenosine deaminase (ADA) and 8-PT (40 and 25% inhibition respectively). Low concentrations of R-PIA (less than 10(-6) M) had no effect on forskolin-stimulated cAMP production. At higher levels (greater than or equal to 10(-6) M) the analogues acted synergistically with the diterpene, to yield cAMP levels that were up to 3-fold higher than the additive effect of the two agents. Potentiation was stereospecific, Ca2+ dependent, and was blocked by 8-PT. The results of this study suggest that, in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells, inhibitory A1 receptors are not stimulated in response to non-specific elevations in cAMP, but are associated with specific stimulatory receptors such as those activated by PGE1.

Effects of ethanol on VIP-and/or noradrenaline-stimulated cAMP formation in mouse brain

Among several effects, ethanol (EtOH) interferes with membrane fluidity and lipid-protein interactions. As proteins are influenced by surrounding lipids, the activity of membrane-bound enzymes such as adenylate cyclase (AC) could be modulated by EtOH, as shown in potentiating, at toxic concentrations, the stimulating effect of hormones or neurotransmitters. We have also found that EtOH potentiates in a dose-dependent manner (EC50 = 100 mM) the cAMP production elicited by vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), already noticeably at 70 mM, without affecting basal cAMP levels (up to 400 mM). Propanol produces a similar potentiation, whereas methanol was inactive. Butanol (200 mM) displays toxic effects. The potentiation induced by EtOH is similar for peptide- (VIP) or monoamine- (noradrenaline) stimulated cAMP formation, suggesting a primary action at a interaction between VIP and NA in stimulating cAMP formation.