Accumulation of methylmercury or polychlorinated biphenyls in in vitro models of rat neuronal tissue.

In vivo exposure levels for neurotoxicants are often reported in parts per million (ppm) concentration in tissue, whereas exposure levels in experiments utilizing in vitro models are most commonly reported in micromolar (muM) concentration in the exposure solution. The present experiments sought to determine whether or not in vitro solution concentration was an appropriate dose-metric for comparison to in vivo tissue levels for lipophilic compounds. To do so, the accumulation of the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture Aroclor 1254 (A1254) or methylmercury (MeHg) was examined in three commonly utilized in vitro neuronal tissue models: nerve growth factor differentiated pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, primary cultures of rat neocortical cells, and adult rat hippocampal slices. Tissues were exposed to A1254 (0.65 ppm) or to MeHg (0.0033-0.33 ppm) in serum-free media for 1 or 24 h. Total PCB or mercury accumulation was measured by dual column gas chromatography with electron capture detection or by cold vapor atomic absorption, respectively. PC12 cells accumulated 66.7 and 103.8 ppm PCBs after 1 and 24 h exposure to A1254. Neocortical neurons also accumulated significant concentrations of PCBs, but less so than PC12 cells. After 1 h exposure to 0.65 ppm A1254, slices contained 3.46 and 0.81 ppm PCBs when exposed in a static and perfused system, respectively. After 1 h exposure to 0.0033, 0.033, and 0.33 ppm MeHg, PC12 cells contained 0.3, 2.2, and 17.7 ppm mercury, respectively; after 24 h, PC12 cells contained 0.4, 2.8, and 21.9 ppm. Hippocampal slices accumulated 1.7 and 4.8 ppm mercury after 1 and 3 h exposure to 0.33 ppm MeHg. For comparison, mercury accumulation in rat fetal and pup brain tissue after maternal exposure [0, 0.1, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/kg/day MeHg from gestational day (GD) 6-15] ranged from 0.05 to 7.89 ppm in 0.1 mg/kg dose animals on postnatal day 10 and 2.0 mg/kg dose animals on GD16, respectively. These results demonstrate that accumulation of PCBs and MeHg in vitro is tissue-, time-, and concentration-dependent and indicates that tissue levels rather than exposure concentrations are a more appropriate metric for comparison of in vitro to in vivo effects.

Identification of calcium-dependent and -independent signaling pathways involved in polychlorinated biphenyl-induced cyclic AMP-responsive element-binding protein phosphorylation in developing cortical neurons.

Cyclic AMP (cAMP)-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) is a transcription factor important in developing nervous system cells and is activated by a variety of signaling molecules. Aroclor 1254 (A1254), a polychlorinated biphenyl mixture, perturbs Ca(2+) homeostasis and increases CREB phosphorylation in rat neonatal cortical cell cultures in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The present experiments determined that the cell type responding to A1254 with Ca(2+) increases and phosphorylated CREB (phospho-CREB) was predominantly of neuronal morphology and microtubule-associated protein (MAP2)-positive phenotype. Similarly, glutamate (100 microM) increased phospho-CREB immunoreactivity selectively in MAP2-immunopositive cells. Using Western blotting and immunocytochemical techniques, we identified key signal transduction pathways operative in phosphorylating CREB in cortical cell cultures and examined their participation in 3 ppm A1254-induced CREB activation. Cortical cultures treated with glutamate, forskolin or the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate exhibited robust increases in phospho-CREB. Tetrodotoxin (1 microM) completely inhibited CREB phosphorylation by A1254, suggesting that synaptic activity is involved in A1254-induced CREB activation. Buffering [Ca(2+)](i) with bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetrakis(acetoxymethyl) ester in the absence of extracellular Ca(2+) partially inhibited A1254-induced CREB phosphorylation. Inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase (10 microM U0126) or protein kinase C (PKC; bisindoylmaleimide, 5 microM) activation did not inhibit A1254-induced CREB phosphorylation. By contrast, inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA) with 100 microM PKA inhibitor peptide, PKI, blocked A1254-induced CREB phosphorylation. Thus, we examined whether A1254 activates PKA by increasing cAMP; 10 microM forskolin, but not A1254, elevated intracellular cAMP levels. These results indicate that in neocortical cells in culture, CREB phosphorylation occurs via Ca(2+)-, PKA-, and PKC-dependent pathways. Furthermore, A1254-induced CREB phosphorylation occurs predominantly in neurons, is dependent on synaptic activity and mediated by Ca(2+)- and PKA-dependent pathways.

Developmental exposure of rats to a reconstituted PCB mixture or aroclor 1254: effects on long-term potentiation and [3H]MK-801 binding in occipital cortex and hippocampus.

The central nervous system is one of the target organs for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). We measured the effects of maternal exposure of Long-Evans rats to a mixture of PCB congeners reconstituted according to the pattern found in human breast milk (reconstituted mixture, RM) on long-term potentiation (LTP) in two brain regions. Exposure of the dams via food started 50 days prior to mating and was terminated at birth. In the first experiment, adult male and female offspring were exposed maternally to 40 mg/kg of the RM or the commercial mixture Aroclor 1254 (A1254). LTP and paired-pulse inhibition were measured in slices of the visual cortex. In addition, the binding of [3H]MK-801 to the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-ion channel as well as the [3H]muscimol binding to the GABA-A receptor in membrane preparations from the occipital cortex and hippocampus were determined. LTP as well as [3H]MK-801 binding were significantly reduced in the cortex following PCB exposure, while [3H]MK-801 binding in the hippocampus was not affected. In a succeeding experiment, LTP was determined in cortical and hippocampal slices from rats at postnatal days 10 to 20, following exposure to 0, 5, or 40 mg/kg of the RM. Cortical LTP was significantly affected by the RM while no effects were seen in hippocampal LTP. Taking the two experiments together, PCB exposure significantly reduced LTP, as well as [3H]MK-801 binding, in the cortex and had no effect in the hippocampus. The LTP deficits can only partly be related to the reduction of binding sites to the NMDA receptor; other PCB-induced neurochemical changes have to be assumed.

Inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor-sensitive Ca(2+) release, store-operated Ca(2+) entry, and cAMP responsive element binding protein phosphorylation in developing cortical cells following exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls.

The present study assessed intracellular Ca(2+) signaling pathways sensitive to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), xenobiotics that perturb neural development and plasticity. Mobilization of intracellular Ca(2+) stores after acute exposure to a PCB mixture, Aroclor 1254 (A1254), as well as selected PCB congeners, was studied in P0 rat cortical neuronal culture using fluorescence microscopy. Ca(2+) responses to A1254 progressed from a transient intracellular Ca(2+) increase (lasting 3--5 min) at 1 to 2 microM (0.3-0.6 ppm) to a Ca(2+) transient with store-operated Ca(2+) influx and later disturbances of basal Ca(2+) concentration; this latter pattern occurred more often with 10 to 20 microM (3--6 ppm) A1254. Thapsigargin, xestospongin C, and carbachol/Ca(2+)-free buffer blocked significantly the PCB-induced Ca(2+) transient, whereas both ryanodine (to deplete ryanodine-sensitive stores) and the L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker nifedipine were without effect on the A1254 initial Ca(2+) transient. Both thapsigargin and xestospongin also blocked latent elevations (at 0.5 h) in Ca(2+), disturbances that depend upon extracellular Ca(2+) entry via ion channels. Two possible consequences were explored. Phosphorylation of cAMP responsive element binding protein, a Ca(2+)-activated nuclear transcription factor (CREB), occurred in an A1254 concentration-dependent manner and persisted at least 1 h. Cell viability following a 24-h exposure to A1254 (2-20 microM) was decreased at 20 microM, but only in cells cultured >6 days. This cell death did not occur via an apoptotic mechanism. These results indicate that Ca(2+) disturbances following PCB exposure are associated with 1) discrete alterations in IP(3) receptor-mediated signals and 2) activation of downstream events that impact developing cortical cells.

Effects of methylmercury and mercuric chloride on differentiation and cell viability in PC12 cells.

The effects of methylmercury (CH3Hg) or mercuric chloride (HgCl(2)) on neurite outgrowth and cell viability were quantified using undifferentiated (unprimed) and differentiated (primed) pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. In unprimed cells, following 24-h exposure, CH3Hg significantly decreased NGF-stimulated neurite outgrowth at concentrations of 0.3-3 microM. However, HgCl(2) significantly increased both neurite outgrowth and the number of branch points, a component of neurite outgrowth. In primed PC12 cells, following 24-h exposure, both CH3Hg and HgCl(2) inhibited NGF-stimulated neurite outgrowth with an EC(50) of approximately 0.03 microM; however, there was a difference between CH3Hg and HgCl(2) effects on the subcomponents of total neurite outgrowth. CH3Hg significantly decreased both the number of branch points (0.3 microM) and fragment length (0.01 microM), while HgCl(2) only decreased fragment length (0.03 microM). Cell viability was assessed in the same cultures by trypan-blue exclusion. In unprimed cells, the EC(50) for cytotoxicity of CH3Hg in the presence and absence of NGF was 0.21 +/- 0.04 and 0.87 +/- 0.12 microM, respectively, and for HgCl(2) in the presence and absence of NGF was 8.18 +/- 1.52 and 5.02 +/- 0.74 microM, respectively. In primed cells, the EC(50) for cytotoxicity of CH3Hg in the presence or absence of NGF was 1.17 +/- 0.38 and 0.73 +/- 0.14 microM, respectively, and for HgCl(2) in the presence or absence of NGF was 3.96 +/- 0.82 and 3.81 +/- 0.91 microM, respectively. In the primed PC12 model, cytotoxicity occurred at concentrations that were at least 30-fold higher than the EC(50) for neurite outgrowth, suggesting that the mercurial compounds can act selectively on the process of differentiation.

Spatial learning and long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in animals developmentally exposed to Aroclor 1254.

Developmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been associated with cognitive deficits in children. Rodent studies have revealed impairments in learning tasks involving the hippocampus. The present study sought to examine hippocampal synaptic plasticity in the dentate gyrus and spatial learning in animals exposed to PCBs early in development. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were administered either corn oil (control) or 6 mg/kg/day of a commercial PCB mixture, Aroclor 1254 (A1254) by gavage from gestational day (GD) 6 until pups were weaned on postnatal day (PND) 21. Spatial learning was assessed at 3 months of age in male and female offspring using the Morris water maze. Latency to find a hidden platform that remained in the same position over 20 days of testing did not differ between control and PCB-exposed groups. Neither were group differences evident in a repeated acquisition version of the task in which the platform remained in the same position over the 2 daily trials but was moved to a new spatial location each day. Male littermates of animals in the behavioral study were tested electrophysiologically at 5-7 months of age. Field potentials evoked by perforant path stimulation were recorded in the dentate gyrus under urethane anesthesia. Input/output (I/O) functions were assessed by averaging the response evoked in the dentate gyrus to stimulus pulses delivered to the perforant path in an ascending intensity series. Long-term potentiation (LTP) was induced by delivering a series of brief, high-frequency train bursts to the perforant path at increasing stimulus intensities, and I/O functions were reassessed 1 h later. No differences in baseline synaptic population spike (PS) and excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) slope amplitudes were discerned between the groups prior to train delivery. Post-train I/O functions, however, revealed a decrement in the magnitude of evoked LTP in PCB-exposed animals, and an increase in the train intensity required to induce LTP. The observed dissociation between impaired hippocampal plasticity, in the absence of a detectable deficit in performance of a hippocampal-dependent task, may be due to task complexity, the maintenance of some degree of plasticity in the PCB-exposed animals, or the possibility that intact dentate gyrus LTP may not be requisite for water-maze learning.

Age-related changes in reactive oxygen species production in rat brain homogenates.

The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and resultant oxidative stress have been implicated in the mechanism of brain dysfunction due to age-related neurodegenerative diseases or exposure to environmental chemicals. We have investigated intrinsic age-related differences in the ability of the various brain regions to generate ROS in the absence and presence of Fe(2)+. ROS production in crude brain homogenates from adult rats was linear with respect to time and tissue concentration, and was stimulated to a greater extent by Fe(2)+ than was TBARS production. ROS production was then determined in homogenates from cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and cerebellum of 7-day-old, 14-day-old, 21-day-old, adult (3-6-month old), and aged (24-month-old) rats using the fluorescent probe 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescin (DCFH). Basal levels of ROS production were similar in 7-, 14-, and 21-day olds, increased in adults, and highest in aged rats, and did not differ between brain regions. ROS production was stimulated by Fe(2)+ (0. 3-30 microM) in a concentration-dependent manner in all brain regions. However, the stimulation of ROS production by Fe(2)+ varied with age. ROS production was greater in 14- and 21-day-old rats compared with adult and aged animals. ROS production in 7-day-old rats was decreased at low Fe(2)+ concentrations and increased at high Fe(2)+ concentrations compared to adult and aged rats. These data show that brain homogenates from neonatal rats respond differently to Fe(2)+, and suggest that developing animals may be more sensitive to oxidative stress in the brain after exposure to toxicants. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.

Characterization of a selective protein kinase C substrate derived from the MARCKS phosphorylation site domain for use in brain tissue homogenates.

Protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes play crucial roles in neuronal signal transduction and can regulate transmitter release, ion channels, neural development, and plasticity. In vitro assays of PKC are frequently used to associate PKC activity with cellular function, and the availability of selective PKC substrates can facilitate such studies. We have characterized a commercially available 12 amino acid peptide derived from the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS-PSD, Calbiochem) for use in crude rat brain homogenates. Assays were performed at 25 degrees C for 10 min (linear up to 12 min) using optimal concentrations of calcium and lipid cofactors. Kinetic analysis of MARCKS-PSD phosphorylation by PKC purified from rat brain gave a K(m) of 2.3 microM, which was similar to the K(m) of 2.8 microM obtained using rat brain cortical homogenates. The selective PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide reduced phosphorylation of MARCKS-PSD in a concentration-dependent manner, with greater than 95% inhibition at 1.0 microM. MARCKS-PSD was more potent than another widely used selective PKC substrate (neurogranin((28-43)) and was a good substrate for human recombinant PKC alpha, delta, and epsilon but not zeta. The ontogeny of PKC activity was examined in the cortex and cerebellum. PKC activity was low at birth and reached adult levels by 21 days of age in both regions. Calcium-independent PKC activity in brain homogenates could be measured with MARCKS-PSD and accounted for approximately 25 and 10% of total activity in 1-day-old and adult rat cortex, respectively. These results suggest that the MARCKS-PSD peptide can be used as a selective PKC substrate in rat brain homogenates.

Sensitivity of immature neurons in culture to metal-induced changes in reactive oxygen species and intracellular free calcium.

It is widely recognized that prolonged increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) are part of a signaling pathway leading to cell death. ROS production resulting in oxidative stress and disruption of calcium homeostasis leading to increases in [Ca2+]i have been described as early events following exposure to a number of neurotoxicants. In order to determine the intrinsic sensitivity of developing neurons to toxicant-induced oxidative stress and disruption of calcium homeostasis, we exposed immature neurons to iron (Fe2+) or methylmercury (MeHg). Primary cultures of cortical cells (prepared from 1 day old rats) or cerebellar granule cells (prepared from 7 day old rats) were exposed to the toxicants on day in vitro (DIV) 1 (immature response to receptor agonists) or DIV 7 (mature response to receptor agonists). ROS was measured using the fluorescent probe 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescin. In both cerebellar granule cells and cortical cells, Fe2+ or MeHg exposure (0.1-30 microM) produced time- and concentration-dependent increases in ROS. In general, the increase in ROS induced by both metals was greater in immature cells compared to mature cells, except for cerebellar granule cells in which the effects of Fe2+ were similar at DIV1 and 7. Changes in intracellular cation concentrations (including Ca2+) were measured using the fluorescent probe fluo-3. MeHg exposure produced a time- and concentration-dependent increase in fluo-3 fluorescence in both cerebellar granule cells and cortical cells. In cortical cultures, the fluorescence increase after MeHg exposure was greater in immature cells. In contrast, mature and immature cells were equally sensitive to the effects of MeHg in cerebellar granule cell cultures. These results suggest that there may be inherent differences in the sensitivity of neurons to toxicant-induced increases in ROS and [Ca2+] depending upon age and cell type.

Extracellular calcium is required for the polychlorinated biphenyl-induced increase of intracellular free calcium levels in cerebellar granule cell culture.

Recent studies from the laboratory indicate that polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners can alter signal transduction and calcium homeostasis in neuronal preparations. These effects were more pronounced for the ortho-substituted, non-coplanar congeners, although the mechanisms underlying these effects are not clear. In the present study the time-course and concentration-dependent effects of coplanar and non-coplanar PCBs on intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in cerebellar granule cell cultures were compared using the fluorescent probe fura-2. The ortho-substituted congeners 2,2'-dichlorobiphenyl (DCB) and 2,2',4,6,6'-pentachlorobiphenyl (PeCB) caused a gradual increase of [Ca2+]i while the non-ortho-substituted congeners 4,4'-DCB and 3,3',4,4',5-PeCB had no effect. The increase of [Ca2+]i produced by 2,2'-DCB was time- and concentration-dependent. Further studies examined possible mechanisms for this rise in [Ca2+]i. In contrast to the muscarinic agonist carbachol, the effects of 2,2'-DCB on [Ca2+]i were not blocked by thapsigargin and required the presence of extracellular calcium. The effects of ortho-substituted PCBs may depend on their ability to inhibit calcium sequestration as 2,2'-DCB significantly inhibited 45Ca2+-uptake by microsomes and mitochondria while 3,3',4,4',5-PeCB had no effect. In addition, 2,2'-DCB significantly increased the binding of [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate to receptors on cerebellar microsomes, suggesting another possible mechanism by which ortho-substituted PCBs can mobilize [Ca2+]i. These results show that PCBs increase [Ca2+]i in vitro via a mechanism that requires extracelluar calcium, and support previous structure-activity studies indicating that ortho-substituted PCBs are more potent than non-ortho-substituted PCBs.

Measurement of the nitric oxide synthase activity using the citrulline assay.

The free-radical gas nitric oxide (NO) recently has been identified as an important biological messenger molecule in both the central and peripheral nervous system. NO is generated by the enzyme NO synthase (NOS) by the oxidation of the amino acid L: -arginine. As a dissolved gas, NO is an unusual neurotransmitter. It is not packaged in synaptic vesicles and released by exocytosis upon membrane depolarization, but rather diffuses from its site of production to surrounding neurons where it acts directly on specific intracellular targets. The activity of NO terminates when it chemically reacts with a target substrate. Although all of the targets of NO are not yet known, NO can bind to the iron associated with heme groups or result in nitrosylation of proteins, leading to conformational changes. One of the best-described targets of NO in the central nervous system is the heme-containing protein guanylyl cyclase. NO is a relatively long-lived free radical and does not react readily with most cellular components. This allows it to diffuse to several surrounding neurons and integrate neuronal activity on a local scale. NO is involved in a number of physiological processes including morphogenesis and synaptic plasticity. However, under conditions in which NOS is overstimulated, excessive formation of NO may mediate cell injury in a variety of disorders of the nervous system that result in neurodegeneration (1).

Effects of gestational methylmercury exposure on immunoreactivity of specific isoforms of PKC and enzyme activity during post-natal development of the rat brain.

Protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated phosphorylation has been implicated in neuronal growth and differentiation [R.S. Turner, R.L. Mazzei, G.J. Raynor, P.R. Girard, J.F. Kuo, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 81 (1984) 3143-3147.]. We examined effects of gestational exposure to the neurotoxicant, methylmercury (CH3Hg), on the developmental profile of immunoreactivity (IR) for alpha, beta, gamma and epsilon PKC isoforms and cytosolic PKC activity. Long-Evans dams were dosed on gestational days (GD)6-15 (p.o.) with 0, 1, or 2 mg kg-1 day-1 CH3Hg dissolved in saline. Pups were sacrificed and perfused with buffered paraformaldehyde on post-natal days (PND) 1, 4, 10, 21, 45 and 85. The brains were sectioned sagittally, stained immunohistochemically, and examined throughout the medial to lateral extent. IR in neuronal cell bodies for PKC isoforms alpha, beta, gamma, and epsilon was densest in the olfactory bulb, hippocampus, shell of the inferior colliculus, pons, cerebral, piriform, and cerebellar cortex, whereas axonal staining was prominent in the brainstem, internal capsule, corpus callosum, anterior commissure, fornix and olfactory tract. In controls, the PKC alpha and epsilon IR was highest on PND1-4, decreased dramatically by PND10, and decreased further by PND21. In the neonate, the regional and cellular distributions of alpha and epsilon IR were similar. The PKC gamma IR was greater at post-weaning ages (PND21-85) with the greatest regional density apparent in the hippocampus, cortex, and cerebellum. Only the highest dose of CH3Hg (2 mg kg-1 day-1; GD6-15) produced a persistent decrease in regional alpha and epsilon, but not beta or gamma IR during the post-natal period. These regional and time-dependent changes in PKC isoforms were complemented by the examination of PKC activity in cortex, olfactory bulb, cerebellum and brainstem. Cytosolic PKC activity increased from PND1 to 10 in cortex, olfactory bulb, and cerebellum. On PND21, PKC activity decreased in the cortex and olfactory bulb, but remained high in the cerebellum. By contrast, PKC activity in the brainstem was highest on PND1 and 4 and decreased dramatically by PND21. CH3Hg (2 mg kg-1 day-1) significantly decreased PKC activity on PND1 and 4 in the cortex. The present results characterize the cellular and regional ontogeny of PKC isoenzymes alpha, beta, gamma and epsilon, and indicate that developmental exposure to CH3Hg can alter the ontogeny of specific isoforms and regional PKC activity.

Time course of changes in cholinergic and neurotrophin-related markers after infusion of colchicine into the basal forebrain.

After bilateral infusions of colchicine or vehicle in the rat nucleus basalis magnocellularis, the time course of changes in several cholinergic and neurotrophin-related markers were assessed. Animals were sacrificed at 3, 7, 14, 28, 35 and 84 days post-lesion, and both the NBM and cortical areas were assessed. Sections were stained immunohistochemically for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) or p140trk (trk) or histochemically for acetylcholinesterase (AChE). ChAT activity and neurotrophin protein levels were assessed regionally. The number of ChAT immunoreactive NBM neuronal profiles decreased beginning 3 days post-lesion and reach maximal loss by 28 days post-lesion, with no recovery. Examination of trk-IR around the NBM revealed a time-dependent decrease in trk-IR of magnocellular neuron and an increase in trk-IR of astrocytes at 14 and 28 days post-lesion. The density of AChE-stained cortical fibers was maximally decreased 3 days post-lesion followed by an increase in fiber staining across the remaining time points. Cortical ChAT activity showed the largest decrease at 7 days followed by recovery 84 days after colchicine infusion. There was an increase in NGF in the parietal cortex after colchicine infusion but no change in BDNF level. These patterns of changes in the cholinergic and neurotrophin-related markers suggest an association between NGF and lesion-induced compensatory responses in the basal forebrain cholinergic system.

Repeated exposure of adult rats to Aroclor 1254 causes brain region-specific changes in intracellular Ca2+ buffering and protein kinase C activity in the absence of changes in tyrosine hydroxylase.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants, some of which may be neurotoxic. In vitro studies from this laboratory indicated that noncoplanar PCBs perturbed intracellular signal transduction mechanisms including Ca2+ homeostasis, receptor-mediated inositol phosphate production, and translocation of protein kinase C (PKC). In the present study, we examined the effects of PCBs in vivo by dosing adult male Long-Evans rats orally with Aroclor 1254 (0, 10, or 30 mg/kg/day; 5 days/week for 4 weeks) in corn oil. At 24 h after the last dose, rats were tested for motor activity in a photocell device for 30 min. Immediately, the rats were euthanized, blood was collected for thyroid hormone analysis, and brains were removed, dissected into regions (cerebellum, frontal cortex, and striatum), and subcellular fractions were obtained for neurochemical analysis. Following Aroclor 1254 treatment, body weight gain in the high-dose group was significantly lower than the control and low-dose groups. Horizontal motor activity was significantly lower in rats dosed with 30 mg/kg Aroclor 1254. Ca2+ buffering by microsomes was significantly lower in all three brain regions from the 30 mg/kg group. In the same dose group, mitochondrial Ca2+ buffering was affected in cerebellum but not in cortex or striatum. Similarly, total cerebellar PKC activity was decreased significantly while membrane-bound PKC activity was significantly elevated at 10 and 30 mg/kg. PKC activity was not altered either in cortex or the striatum. Neurotransmitter levels in striatum or cortex were slightly altered in PCB-exposed rats compared to controls. Furthermore, repeated oral administration of Aroclor 1254 to rats did not significantly alter forebrain tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity or enzymatic activity. Circulating T4 (total and free) concentrations were severely depressed at both doses in Aroclor 1254-exposed rats compared to control rats, suggesting a severe hypothyroid state. These results indicate that (1) in vivo exposure to a PCB mixture can produce changes in second messenger systems that are similar to those observed after in vitro exposure of neuronal cell cultures; (2) second messenger systems seem to be more sensitive than alterations in neurotransmitter levels or tyrosine hydroxylase involved in dopamine synthesis during repeated exposure to PCBs; and (3) the observed motor activity changes were independent of changes in striatal dopamine levels.

Congener-specific distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in brain regions, blood, liver, and fat of adult rats following repeated exposure to Aroclor 1254.

Our previous in vitro studies with both isolated organelles and primary neuronal cell cultures found that intracellular signal transduction can be perturbed by some noncoplanar PCBs at exposure levels of

Neurotoxicity of environmental chemicals and their mechanism of action.

Despite a ban on their manufacture in 1977, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are still found in significant quantities in the environment. Developmental exposure to PCBs and related compounds has been reported to be neurotoxic in human and animals. Research in our laboratory has focused on the possible site(s) and mechanism(s) of PCB-induced developmental neurotoxicity. Recent experiments with rats found that developmental exposure to Aroclor-1254 (ARC) affects the acquisition of a lever press response and produces long-term changes in calcium buffering and protein kinase C (PKC) activity in the brain. In vitro studies in our laboratory have found that ARC increases [3H]phorbol ester binding, an indirect measure of PKC translocation, and inhibits calcium buffering in microsomes and mitochondria. Other experiments indicate that PCB congeners with chlorine substitutions at ortho- or low lateral substitutions are active in vitro, while non-ortho-substituted congeners are less active or inactive. Other research suggests that the lack of coplanarity of the PCB molecule is related to in vitro activity of PCB congeners. These studies indicate that in vivo developmental exposure to PCBs alters behavior and second messenger systems during adulthood, while in vitro experiments indicate that nervous system activity is related to ortho-substituted congeners that tend to be non-coplanar in configuration. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that developmental neurotoxicity of ARC is due, in part, to the presence of ortho-substituted PCB congeners.

Aluminum potentiates glutamate-induced calcium accumulation and iron-induced oxygen free radical formation in primary neuronal cultures.

Aluminum is a neurotoxic metal that may be involved in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Although the mechanism of action is not known, aluminum has been shown to alter Ca2+ flux and homeostasis, and facilitate peroxidation of membrane lipids. Since abnormal increases of intracellular Ca2+ and oxygen free radicals have both been implicated in pathways leading to neurodegeneration, we examined the effect of aluminum on these parameters in vitro using primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells. Exposure to glutamate (1-300 microM) caused a concentration-dependent uptake of 45Ca in granule cells to a maximum of 280% of basal. Pretreatment with AlCl3 (1-1000 microM) had no effect on 45Ca accumulation, but increased the uptake induced by glutamate. Similarly, AlCl3 had no effect on intracellular free Ca2+ levels measured using fluorescent probe fura-2, but potentiated the increase induced by glutamate. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was examined using the fluorescent probe dichlorofluorescin. By itself, AlCl3 had little effect on ROS production. However, AlCl3 pretreatment potentiated the ROS production induced by 50 microM Fe2+. These results suggest that aluminum may facilitate increases in intracellular Ca2+ and ROS, and potentially contribute to neurotoxicity induced by other neurotoxicants.

Disruption of inositol phosphate accumulation in cerebellar granule cells by polychlorinated biphenyls: a consequence of altered Ca2+ homeostasis.

The present study examined the activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis as potential mechanisms underlying effects of the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener 2,2'-dichlorobiphenyl (DCB) on inositol phosphate (IP) signaling in cerebellar granule cells. DCB (100 microM) increased basal IP accumulation in cerebellar granule cells when the extracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]e) was 0.75 mM but not when [Ca2+]e was 1 microM. Ionomycin (0.1 to 30 microM), a Ca2+ ionophore, also increased basal IP accumulation and [Ca2+]i in a concentration-dependent manner in cerebellar granule cells in the absence of DCB; increases in basal IP accumulation induced by 100 microM DCB were not additive with ionomycin. Ionomycin also disrupted carbachol (CARB, 1 mM)-stimulated IP accumulation. A 30-min preincubation with 0.3 or 1.0 microM ionomycin decreased CARB-stimulated IP accumulation, whereas simultaneous addition of 1.0 and 10 microM ionomycin with CARB increased and decreased, respectively, IP accumulation. DCB caused concentration-dependent increases in intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in cerebellar granule cells under experimental conditions identical to those used to measure IP accumulation. Following a one-half hour exposure to DMSO, 50 or 100 microM DCB, the [Ca2+]i was 36, 103, and 453 nM, respectively. We examined whether direct or indirect activation of PKC underlies DCB-induced inhibition of agonist-stimulated IP accumulation. DCB (100 microM) did not alter PKC activity in cytosolic or membrane fractions of granule cell homogenates. In intact cells, 50 nM phorbol 12-myristate, 13-acetate (PMA) inhibited CARB-stimulated IP accumulation by 80%, an effect which was blocked completely by the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide (2 microM; BIM). However, inhibition of CARB-stimulated IP accumulation (90%) induced by 100 microM DCB was not relieved by BIM. These results suggest that (1) perturbations of Ca2+ homeostasis may underlie DCB effects on IP accumulation, (2) at a time which corresponds to addition of agonists in IP accumulation assays, [Ca2+]i is elevated in cerebellar granule cells exposed to DCB, and (3) activation of PKC is not a mechanism by which DCB inhibits agonist-stimulated IP accumulation.

Can the mechanisms of aluminum neurotoxicity be integrated into a unified scheme?

Regardless of the host, the route of administration, or the speciation, aluminum is a potent neurotoxicant. In the young adult or developmentally mature host, the neuronal response to Al exposure can be dichotomized on morphological grounds. In one, intraneuronal neurofilamentous aggregates are formed, whereas in the other, significant neurochemical and neurophysiological perturbations are induced without neurofilamentous aggregate formation. Evidence is presented that the induction of neurofilamentous aggregates is a consequence of alterations in the posttranslational processing of neurofilament (NF), particularly with regard to phosphorylation state. Although Al has been reported to impact on gene expression, this does not appear to be critical to the induction of cytoskeletal pathology. In hosts responding to Al exposure without the induction of cytoskeletal pathology, impairments in glucose utilization, agonist-stimulated inositol phosphate accumulation, free radical-mediated cytotoxicity, lipid peroxidation, reduced cholinergic function, and altered protein phosphorylation have been described. The extent to which these neurochemical modifications correlate with the induction of a characteristic neurobehavioral state is unknown. In addition to these paradigms, Al is toxic in the immediate postnatal interval. Whether unique mechanisms of toxicity are involved during development remains to be determined. In this article, the mechanisms of Al neurotoxicity are reviewed and recommendations are put forth with regard to future research. Primary among these is the determination of the molecular site of Al toxicity, and whether this is based on Al substitution for divalent metals in a number of biological processes. Encompassed within this is the need to further understand the genesis of host- and developmental-specific responses.

Organophosphorus compounds preferentially affect second messenger systems coupled to M2/M4 receptors in rat frontal cortex.

Recent reports indicate that organophosphate insecticides, in addition to inhibiting acetylcholinesterase activity, can bind directly at a subset of muscarinic receptors, which also bind cis-methyldioxolane with high affinity. Muscarinic receptors are known to act through at least two second messenger systems, either the stimulation of phosphoinositide turnover (mediated through the M1 and M3 receptor subtypes) or the inhibition of cAMP formation (mediated through the M2 and M4 receptor subtypes). We have investigated the action of the active forms of parathion, malathion, and chlorpyrifos (paraoxon, malaoxon, and chlorpyrifos oxon, respectively) on these second messenger systems in cortical slices from adult male Long-Evans rats. Paraoxon, malaoxon, and chlorpyrifos oxon (10(-8) to 10(-4) M) inhibited forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation in a concentration-dependent manner. The effect on cAMP formation was blocked by the muscarinic antagonist atropine (10 microM). These results suggest that paraoxon, malaoxon, and chlorpyrifos oxon can act as agonists at the M2 and/or M4 subset of muscarinic receptors. In addition, chlorpyrifos may have another site of action. In contrast, none of the organophosphates had any effect on basal or carbachol-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis. The differential activity on these two second messenger systems make it unlikely that the observed effects on cAMP formation are due to increases in endogenous acetylcholine resulting from inhibition of acetylcholinesterase.