Kainate-induced neuronal injury leads to persistent phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein in glial and endothelial cells in the hippocampus
Wy. Ong et al., Kainate-induced neuronal injury leads to persistent phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein in glial and endothelial cells in the hippocampus, EXP BRAIN R, 131(2), 2000, pp. 178-186
Intracerebroventricular kainate treatment in rats induces neuronal cell dea
th, followed by proliferation and hypertrophy of glial cells in the lesione
d area. To further understand the activated signal transduction pathways an
d to get insights into potential target gene activation, the present study
aims to elucidate lone-term effects on the phosphorylation state of cAMP re
sponse element-binding protein (CREB) in the hippocampal formation. One to
four weeks after kainate injection, we found high levels of phosphorylated
and hence activated CREB (pCREB) in glial cells of the degenerating CA fiel
ds. As shown by electron microscopy, pCREB immunoreactivity was present in
reactive astrocytes, oligodendrocyte precursor cells and endothelial cells
of blood vessels. It is postulated that pCREB could drive the expression of
downstream genes in these cells to promote cell proliferation and survival
.