The effect of dopamine agonists: The expression of GDNF, NGF, and BDNF in cultured mouse astrocytes

Ohta, Kiyoe; Kuno, Sadako; Inoue, Seiji; Ikeda, Erika; Fujinami, Aya; Ohta, Mitsuhiro

doi:10.1016/j.jns.2010.01.013

« Previous Next »Journal of the Neurological Sciences
Volume 291, Issue 1 , Pages 12-16, 15 April 2010

The effect of dopamine agonists: The expression of GDNF, NGF, and BDNF in cultured mouse astrocytes

Kiyoe Ohta
- Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization, Utano National Hospital, Kyoto 616-8255, Japan
- Corresponding author. Department of Medical Biochemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1 Motoyama-kita-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, 658-8558, Japan. Tel.: +81 78 441 7557; fax: +81 78 441 7559.
Sadako Kuno
- National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira city, Tokyo 187-8551 Japan
Seiji Inoue
- Department of Biochemistry, Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-1094, Japan
Erika Ikeda
- Department of Medical Biochemistry , Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe 658-8558, Japan
Aya Fujinami
- Department of Medical Biochemistry , Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe 658-8558, Japan
Mitsuhiro Ohta
- Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization, Utano National Hospital, Kyoto 616-8255, Japan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry , Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe 658-8558, Japan

Received 17 September 2008; received in revised form 10 January 2010; accepted 14 January 2010. published online 03 February 2010.

Abstract

In Parkinson's disease, cell death is selectively induced in mesencephalic nigral dopaminergic neurons. At present, no disease modifying therapy or radical treatment has been found for this disease. Some dopamine agonists may have a neuroprotective action in cultured cells and animal models. In the present study, we examined stimulating effects of a non-ergoline D₂ dopamine agonist, ropinirole, on synthesis/secretion of neurotrophic factors, including NGF, BDNF, and GDNF, in cultured mouse astrocytes. These effects were compared with those of ergoline dopamine agonists, SKF-38393, a D₁ agonist, bromocriptine, D₂ agonist, and apomorphine, D₁/D₂ agonist. Ropinirole elevated GDNF levels to 4-fold, and NGF levels to 6.3-fold, compared with the control group. Of the dopamine agonists examined, ropinirole produced and secreted more GDNF than a 1.8-fold greater amount of apomorphine, a lesser amount of bromocriptine, or a 2.8-fold greater amount of SKF-38393, which served as the control group.

Keywords: Parkinson's disease, Dopamine agonist, Ropinirole, Neurotrophic factor, NGF, BDNF, GDNF