Alpha 1-antichymotrypsin supports short-term survival of cerebral neurons in culture

Region-specific attenuation of a trypsin-like protease in substantia nigra following dopaminergic neurotoxicity by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2, 3,6-tetrahydropyridine

We analysed apoptosis, caspase-1 and -3, and trypsin-like protease activity in the nigrostriatal pathway during 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced neurotoxicity. MPTP injected (30 mg/kg, i.p., twice, 16 h apart) mice were sacrificed on 1, 2 and 7 days. DNA extracted from nucleus caudatus putamen (NCP) and substantia nigra (SN) was subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis. Typical apoptotic-like DNA cleavage was absent in SN or NCP after this dose of MPTP. A trypsin-like protease activity was significantly decreased in SN and not in NCP. While caspase-3 activity in the whole brain was increased significantly, caspase-1 activity was unaffected. Striatal dopamine content was decreased to 75% by 7 days. The absence of typical DNA 'ladder' when there was severe striatal dopamine depletion suggests that in vivo MPTP-mediated dopaminergic neurotoxicity may not involve apoptotic cell death, and explains why in mice MPTP-induced dopamine depletion is transient. The region-specific decrease in trypsin-like protease activity and absence of caspase-3 activation in SN signify the importance of trypsin-like protease in the regulation of apoptosis in MPTP-neurotoxicity in mice.

Identity of neurotrophic molecules released from astroglia by vasoactive intestinal peptide

Subnanomolar concentrations of VIP elicit a survival-producing action in CNS cultures composed of both astroglia and neurons. This neurotrophic action is mediated by a complex array of substances released by VIP from astrocytes. Included in this glial protein mixture is a cytokine (interleukin-1 alpha), a serine protease inhibitor (protease nexin I), and an extracellular stress protein (activity-dependent neurotrophic factor). In dissociated spinal cord cultures, all of these substances exhibit neuroprotection from neuronal cell death produced by electrical blockade with tetrodotoxin. All these substances produce neuronal cell death when test cultures are treated with neutralizing antisera to any one of them. They are all apparently necessary for the survival of a subpopulation of neurons that are dependent on spontaneous, excitatory neurotransmission. Our view is that these substances are components of a glia-derived environment that regulates, together with target-derived growth factors, the survival fate of developing neurons. In addition, it is our belief that some of these glia-derived substances will be found to have active roles in the injury response to the CNS or in the regulation of VIP-mediated growth in other tissues. Drugs based on these substances may provide therapeutic agents for the treatment of neurodegeneration and tumor growth.

Prevention of activity-dependent neuronal death: vasoactive intestinal polypeptide stimulates astrocytes to secrete the thrombin-inhibiting neurotrophic serpin, protease nexin I

Neuronal cell death occurs as a programmed, naturally occurring mechanism and is the primary regressive event in central nervous system development. Death of neurons also occurs on an injury-induced basis after trauma and in human neurodegenerative diseases. Classical neurotrophic factors can reverse this phenomenon in experimental models prompting initiation of clinical trials in conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. The glial-derived protease nexin I (PNI), a known promoter of neurite outgrowth in cell culture and a potent inhibitor of serine proteases, also enhances neuronal cell survival. PNI, in nanomolar concentrations, rescues spinal cord motor neurons from both naturally-occurring programmed cell death in the chick embryo as well as following injury in the neonatal mouse. The potent neuromodulator, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), influences neuronal survival through glial-mediated factors and also induces secretion of newly synthesized astrocyte PNI. We now report that subnanomolar amounts of PNI enhance neuronal survival in mixed spinal cord cell culture, especially when neuronal cells were made electrically silent by administration of tetrodotoxin. The mediation of this effect is by inhibition of the multifunctional serine protease, thrombin, because hirudin, a thrombin-specific inhibitor, has the same effect. In addition, spinal cord neurons are exquisitely sensitive to thrombin because picomolar and lower levels of the coagulation factor causes neuronal death. Thus, PNI is an astrocyte-derived, thrombin-inhibiting, activity-dependent neurotrophic agent, enhanced secretion of which by VIP may be one approach to treat neurological disorders.

A serine protease inhibitor, protease nexin I, rescues motoneurons from naturally occurring and axotomy-induced cell death

Protease nexin I (PNI) is a member of the family of serine protease inhibitors (serpins) that have been shown to promote neurite outgrowth in vitro from different neuronal cell types. These include neuroblastoma cells, hippocampal neurons, and sympathetic neurons. Free PNI protein is markedly decreased in various anatomical brain regions, including hippocampus, of patients with Alzheimer disease. Here, we report that PNI rescued spinal motoneurons during the period of naturally occurring (programmed) cell death in the chicken in a dose-dependent fashion. Furthermore, PNI prevented axotomy-induced spinal motoneuron death in the neonatal mouse. The survival effect of PNI on motoneurons during the period of programmed cell death was not associated with increased intramuscular nerve branching. PNI also significantly increased the nuclear size of motoneurons during the period of programmed cell death and prevented axotomy-induced atrophy of surviving motoneurons. These results are consistent with the possible role of PNI as a neurotrophic agent. They also support the idea that serine proteases or, more precisely, the balance of proteases and serpins may be involved in regulating the fate of neuronal cells during development.

Effect of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin on the toxicity of beta-amyloid fragment 25-40 in rat primary cultured neurons

alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin (ACT) and beta-amyloid have been reported to be present in senile plaques. We investigated the combination effects of ACT and a novel synthetic beta-amyloid peptide, on rat primary cultured brain neurons. ACT had no effect in high density culture and decreased the number of surviving neurons in low density cell culture. Combination of ACT with beta 25-40 did not affect the toxicity of beta 25-40 in high and low density culture.

The role of the acute-phase protein alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in brain dysfunction and injury

The crystal structure of proteolytically modified human ACT has been solved at 2.7-A resolution (Baumann et al., 1991). The final model consists of 374 amino acids, 126 solvent molecules and 5 sugar residues. Asn70 is glycosylated and Asn104 is probably glycosylated. The role of carbohydrates in serpin function may be 3-fold: secretion, removal from circulation and recognition by receptors for complex uptake (Travis et al., 1990). Experiments with recombinant, non-glycosylated ACT have shown that glycosylation has no effect on the association rates of ACT with its target proteases (Rubin et al., 1990). The X-ray diffraction studies also revealed that a certain ACT region is involved in DNA binding, although the physiologic relevance of this binding is still unknown. Using a plethora of techniques, scientists are starting to understand the role of ACT in health and disease. It is 14 years since ACT was first purified (Travis et al., 1978) and 9 years since its gene was cloned (Chandra et al., 1983). We have learned considerably about this protease inhibitor in humans and rodents; in inflammation, cancer and AD; as binding to proteases (irreversibly), to the A beta (irreversibly) and to DNA. However, there are still open avenues for research. These include: finding the proteases that ACT inhibits in brain, identifying the cellular receptors which bind ACT-protease complexes and elucidating the DNA-binding phenomenon. Recently, 4 mutations have been found in APP. The first mutation at position 22 of A beta was detected in HCHWA-D by Levy et al. (1991).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)