Transforming growth factor-beta1 and glial growth factor 2 reduce neurotrophin-3 mRNA expression in cultured Schwann cells via a cAMP-dependent pathway.

The aim of the study was to determine which factors regulated the expression of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) mRNA in cultured primary Schwann cells derived from sciatic nerve of neonatal rats. Treatment of primary Schwann cells with the adenylate cyclase activator, forskolin, or the cAMP agonist, 8-Br-cAMP, induced a significant reduction in NT-3 transcript levels. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and glial growth factor 2 (GGF(2)) also reduced the levels of NT-3 mRNA in a dose and time-dependent manner. Treatment with nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, NT-3, ciliary neurotrophic factor or interleukin-1beta was without effect. The TGF-beta1, GGF(2) and forskolin dependent reduction in NT-3 mRNA levels involved a destabilization of transcripts which was antagonised by co-treatment with cycloheximide. The cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, H-89, blocked the reduction in levels of NT-3 mRNA induced by TGF-beta1, GGF(2) and forskolin. The data show that the effects of TGF-beta1, GGF(2) and forskolin on the downregulation of NT-3 mRNA, at least in part, were due to a post-transcriptional event involving a labile protein intermediate under the control of PKA. The results suggest that the down-regulation of NT-3 mRNA in Schwann cells at a site of peripheral nerve damage may be mediated via a cAMP-dependent pathway and possibly involve neuroma-related elevations in TGF-beta1 and GGF(2).