Cytoprotection against oxidative stress‐induced damage of astrocytes by extracellular ATP via P2Y₁ receptors

Abstract

Oxidative stress is the main cause of neuronal damage in traumatic brain injury, hypoxia/reperfusion injury, and neurodegenerative disorders. Although extracellular nucleosides, especially adenosine, are well known to protect against neuronal damage in such pathological conditions, the effects of these nucleosides or nucleotides on glial cell damage remain largely unknown. We report that ATP but not adenosine protects against the cell death of cultured astrocytes induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). ATP ameliorated the H2O2-induced decrease in cell viability of astrocytes in an incubation time- and concentration-dependent fashion. Protection by ATP was inhibited by P2 receptor antagonists and was mimicked by P2Y1 receptor agonists but not by adenosine. The expressions of P2Y1 mRNAs and functional P2Y1 receptors in astrocytes were confirmed. Thus, ATP, acting on P2Y1 receptors in astrocytes, showed a protective action against H2O2. The astrocytic protection by the P2Y1 receptor agonist 2-methylthio-ADP was inhibited by an intracellular Ca2+ chelator and a blocker of phospholipase C, indicating the involvement of intracellular signals mediated by Gq/11-coupled P2Y1 receptors. The ATP-induced protection was inhibited by cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, and it took more than 12 h for the onset of the protective action. In the DNA microarray analysis, ATP induced a dramatic upregulation of various oxidoreductase genes. Taken together, ATP acts on P2Y1 receptors coupled to Gq/11, resulting in the upregulation of oxidoreductase genes, leading to the protection of astrocytes against H2O2.

ATP Released from Low-dose Gamma Ray-irradiated Cells Activates Intracellular Antioxidant Systems via Purine Receptors

“…Following several studies which reported that extracellular ATP stimulation promotes intracellular ROS generation 33,[38][39][40] , we also confirmed the involvement of ATP in increasing ROS. We then investigated changes in ROS level induced by ATP decrease in the presence of antioxidants such as DMSO, NAC, and V.C.…”

“…Several recent studies have shown that purinergic signaling via extracellular ATP stimulates DNA repair and antioxidant activity [30][31][32][33] . Our previous studies of the effect of low dose gammaand UVB-radiation on ATP release from HaCaT cells 34,35) …”

Regulation of death and survival in astrocytes by ADP activating P2Y1 and P2Y12 receptors

“…Native astrocytes have been reported to express both P2Y 1 and P2Y 12 receptors [7,23]. In the present study, stably transfected astrocytoma cells that do not express these receptors endogenously were used.…”

Maxi-anion channel as a candidate pathway for osmosensitive ATP release from mouse astrocytes in primary culture

“…Astrocytic ATP release is involved in modulating a variety of neuronal activities, affecting excitability [6], synaptic transmission [7,8], cell death [9], growth and survival [9,10]. ATP released from astrocytes also modulates the activities of astrocytes [11,12] and microglia [13][14][15] through the stimulation of purinergic receptors.…”