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Chemotherapy‐induced cell death in primary cerebellar granule neurons but not in astrocytes: in vitro paradigm of differential neurotoxicity
Author(s) -
Wick Antje,
Wick Wolfgang,
Hirrlinger Johannes,
Gerhardt Ellen,
Dringen Ralf,
Dichgans Johannes,
Weller Michael,
B. Schulz Jörg
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2004.02774.x
Subject(s) - topotecan , neurotoxicity , cerebellum , vincristine , programmed cell death , glioma , biology , pharmacology , chemistry , neuroscience , apoptosis , cancer research , medicine , toxicity , biochemistry , chemotherapy , cyclophosphamide , genetics
The nervous system is frequently the site of symptomatic toxicity of antineoplastic agents. However, there is limited information about the differential vulnerability of neurons, astrocytes and glioma cells. We have analyzed the effects of four chemotherapeutic drugs (lomustine, cisplatin, topotecan and vincristine) on primary cerebellar granule neurons and astrocytes derived from rats. All drugs led to cell death in cerebellar granule neurons in a concentration‐dependent manner. Comparison of the EC 50 values for cerebellar neurons and astrocytes with the median EC 50 values of 12 malignant glioma cell lines demonstrated a large therapeutic range for lomustin and cisplatin. Further, this comparison revealed a 100‐fold higher sensitivity of cerebellar neurons towards vincristine and 10‐fold higher sensitivity towards topotecan compared with glioma cells. Astrocytes were generally resistant to vincristine. In cerebellar granule neurons, vincristine and to a lesser extent topotecan induced caspase 3 and caspase 9 cleavage, and enhanced caspase activity and Akt‐dependent expression of phosphorylated BAD. zVAD‐fmk, a caspase inhibitor and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), but not MK‐801, a non‐competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, significantly reduced vincristine‐ or topotecan‐induced cell death.