Pharmacological Activation Gi/o Protein Increases Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Production through Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Pathway in Primary Cultured Rat Cortical Astrocytes.

A significant reduction of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been identified in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Thus, clarification of the mechanism of GDNF production, and modulating brain GDNF levels could be a novel therapeutic approach. A previous study demonstrated that antidepressant amitriptyline-induced GDNF production was significantly inhibited by pertussis toxin (PTX), a Gi/o protein inhibitor in astrocytes, the main source of GDNF in the brain. However, it is not known whether direct activation of Gi/o protein might induce GDNF expression, and what mechanisms might be involved after Gi/o protein activation. The current study investigated Gi/o protein-initiated GDNF production in rat cortical astrocytes using activators that directly activate Gi/o protein, mastoparan and compound48/80. Treatment of astrocytes with either mastoparan or compound48/80 increased GDNF mRNA expression at 3 and 6 h, and GDNF protein release at 24 h. Treatment of astrocyte with either mastoparan or compound48/80 increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression as well as GDNF. Mastoparan and compound48/80-induced GDNF mRNA expression were significantly inhibited by not only PTX, but also fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitors, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase (MEK) inhibitor. In fact, both FGFR substrate2α (FRS2α) and ERK phosphorylation were increased by treatment with either mastoparan or compound48/80, and these were significantly blocked by PTX. Thus, direct, receptor-independent Gi/o protein activation increases GDNF production through FGFR/ERK signaling pathway. The current results indicate a critical role of Gi/o signaling in the regulation of GDNF expression in astrocytes.