MK 801 attenuates c-Fos and c-Jun expression after in vitro ischemia in rat neuronal cell cultures but not in PC 12 cells.

Cellular homeostatic adaptation to cerebral ischemia is complex and contains changes in receptor mediated gene expression and signaling pathways. The proteins of the immediate early genes c-Fos and c-Jun are thought to be involved in coupling neuronal excitation to target gene expression, due to formation of heterodimers and binding to the AP1 promotor region. We used an in vitro model to compare ischemia induced c-Fos and c-Jun expression in rat neuronal cell cultures and nerve growth factor (NGF) differentiated PC 12 cells. Since activation of glutamate receptors is known to mediate ischemic injury we determined the effect of the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK 801 on c-Fos and c-Jun expression in both cell culture systems during ischemia. Neuron rich cultures and NGF differentiated PC 12 cells were exposed to sublethal in vitro ischemia using an hypoxic chamber flushed with argon/CO2 (95 %/5%). C-Fos and c-Jun mRNA expression was analyzed by competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) as internal standard. One hour of in vitro ischemia significantly increased c-Fos and c-Jun mRNA levels in both cell culture systems. In neuron rich cultures a 10-fold (c-Fos) and 7-fold (c-Jun) mRNA increase was observed. The mRNA rise was less pronounced in PC 12 cells (5.5-fold and 2-fold) for c-Fos and c-Jun, respectively. The addition of MK 801 significantly reduced the expression of c-Fos and c-Jun mRNA in neuronal cultures, whereas no effect was detectable in PC 12 cells. Since MK 801 failed to reduce the c-Fos and c-Jun expression in NGF differentiated PC 12 cells different signaling pathways may initiate c-Fos and c-Jun expression in both cell culture systems.