The Journal of Neuroscience, April 23, 2008, 28(17):4551-4560; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5694-07.2008
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Neurobiology of Disease
Isoflurane-Induced Caspase-3 Activation Is Dependent on Cytosolic Calcium and Can Be Attenuated by Memantine
Guohua Zhang,1,2,3 *
Yuanlin Dong,1,2 *
Bin Zhang,1,2,4
Fumito Ichinose,2
Xu Wu,1,2,3
Deborah J. Culley,5
Gregory Crosby,5
Rudolph E. Tanzi,1 and
Zhongcong Xie1,2
1Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129-2060, 2Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, 3Department of Forensic Pathology, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Heping District, 110001 Shenyang, China, 4Department of Anesthesia, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100050 Beijing, China, and 5Department of Anesthesia, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Correspondence should be addressed to either of the following: Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, Professor of Neurology (Neuroscience), Director, Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16th Street, C3009, Charlestown, MA 02129-4404, Email: tanzi{at}helix.mgh.harvard.edu; or Dr. Zhongcong Xie, Assistant Professor of Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16th Street, 3750, Charlestown, MA 02129-4404, Email: zxie{at}partners.org
Increasing evidence indicates that caspase activation and apoptosis are associated with a variety of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. We reported that anesthetic isoflurane can induce apoptosis, alter processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), and increase amyloid-β protein (Aβ) generation. However, the mechanism by which isoflurane induces apoptosis is primarily unknown. We therefore set out to assess effects of extracellular calcium concentration on isoflurane-induced caspase-3 activation in H4 human neuroglioma cells stably transfected to express human full-length APP (H4-APP cells). In addition, we tested effects of RNA interference (RNAi) silencing of IP3 receptor, NMDA receptor, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium pump, sacro-/ER calcium ATPase (SERCA1). Finally, we examined the effects of the NMDA receptor partial antagonist, memantine, in H4-APP cells and brain tissue of naive mice. EDTA (10 mM), BAPTA (10 µM), and RNAi silencing of IP3 receptor, NMDA receptor, or SERCA1 attenuated capase-3 activation. Memantine (4 µM) inhibited isoflurane-induced elevations in cytosolic calcium levels and attenuated isoflurane-induced caspase-3 activation, apoptosis, and cell viability. Memantine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced isoflurane-induced caspase-3 activation in brain tissue of naive mice. These results suggest that disruption of calcium homeostasis underlies isoflurane-induced caspase activation and apoptosis. We also show for the first time that the NMDA receptor partial antagonist, memantine, can prevent isoflurane-induced caspase-3 activation and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. These findings, indicating that isoflurane-induced caspase activation and apoptosis are dependent on cytosolic calcium levels, should facilitate the provision of safer anesthesia care, especially for Alzheimer's disease and elderly patients.
Key words: Alzheimer's disease; anesthesia; isoflurane; apoptosis; calcium; memantine
Received Oct. 21, 2007;
revised March 21, 2008;
accepted March 26, 2008.
Correspondence should be addressed to either of the following: Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, Professor of Neurology (Neuroscience), Director, Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16th Street, C3009, Charlestown, MA 02129-4404, Email: tanzi{at}helix.mgh.harvard.edu; or Dr. Zhongcong Xie, Assistant Professor of Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16th Street, 3750, Charlestown, MA 02129-4404, Email: zxie{at}partners.org
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