Wantika Chantara. Effects of acrylonitrile on muscarinic receptors and their signalings . Doctoral Degree(Toxicology). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2006.
Effects of acrylonitrile on muscarinic receptors and their signalings
Abstract:
Acrylonitrile (ACN) is a potent neurotoxicant and a probable carcinogen. ACN may
cause cholinotoxicity via muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) stimulation. As
mAChRs are capable of modulating extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity in
the brain, the disturbances of these receptors possibly lead to modulation of mAChRsmediated
ERK1/2 activation. Thus, the effects of ACN on expression of mAChRs and
activation of ERK both in vivo and in vitro were investigated.
The first part of this study determined the in vivo effect of acute and repeated exposure
to ACN on expression of mAChRs and ERK activation in male Wistar rat brains using
immunoblotting technique. Subcutaneous injection of ACN (25 mg/kg BW) for 15 min or 3h
did not alter the expression of M1 and M3 mAChRs, and the activation of ERK1/2 in rat
brains. No significant effect of atropine and ACN cotreatment was detected. Likewise, the
subcutaneous injection ACN 1 mg/kg or 25 mg/kg 5 days/week for 3 weeks did not show any
significant effect of ACN on mAChRs expression and the phosphorylation of ERK.
In part II, effects of ACN on the alteration of ERK activity and the expression of M3
mAChRs in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells were examined. This present study demonstrates
a new mechanism involving ERK signaling molecules that may contribute to preferential
tumorigenesis of brain tumors induced by ACN. Results of this study provide evidence for
the first time that ACN causes activation of ERK1/2 through a PKC-dependent mechanism in
neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells. Treatment of these cells with ACN (400 μg/ml) greatly
increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in dose- and time-dependent manners. This effect was
inhibited by PD 98059 and U 0126, specific inhibitors of MEK, indicating that MEK, an
upstream activator of ERK1/2, is directly involved in ACN-induced ERK1/2 activation.
Furthermore, the activation of ERK1/2 by ACN was attenuated by inhibition of PKC with GF
109203X, rottlerin, and prolonged incubation with PMA (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate).
The muscarinic receptor stimulation is not apparently involved in ACN-induced ERK1/2
activation, and oxidative stress does not play a role in the activation mechanism.
Interestingly, long term exposure to ACN decreased total number of M3 mAChRs in dose and
time-dependent manners.
Taken together, the results indicate that ACN causes ERK1/2 activation through a
mechanism involving PKC in SK-N-SH cells. This study provides important information for
understanding the effect of ACN, which may lead to further study on the effect of ACN on
mAChRs and their signal transduction pathway