Novel neurotrophic effects of sphingosylphosphorylcholine in cerebellar granule neurons and in PC12 cells

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 364; no. 1; pp. 163 - 168
• Main Authors: Konno, Naoko, Nakamura, Ayako, Ikeno, Yutaka, Cheon, So-hyun, Kitamoto, Katsuhiko, Arioka, Manabu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 07.12.2007
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis - drug effects; Ca 2+ channel; Calcium - pharmacology; Cells, Cultured; Cerebellar granule neurons; Cerebellum - cytology; Cerebellum - drug effects; Lysophosphatidylcholine; Mice; Nerve Growth Factors - pharmacology; Neurons - drug effects; PC12; PC12 Cells; Phosphorylcholine - analogs & derivatives; Phosphorylcholine - pharmacology; Rats; Sphingosine - analogs & derivatives; Sphingosine - pharmacology; Sphingosylphosphorylcholine; HK; Ca 2+ channel; SPC; NGF; sPLA 2; Lysophosphatidylcholine; PC12; PTX; CGNs; FCS; Sphingosylphosphorylcholine; GPCR; Cerebellar granule neurons; LPA; S-1-P; LPC; LK
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.09.121

Sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) is a choline-containing naturally occurring derivative of sphingolipid involved in various biological processes. Here we show that SPC displays neurotrophic effects in cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) and in PC12 cells. When CGNs were cultured under non-depolarizing condition, they exhibited condensed and fragmented nuclei typical of apoptotic phenotype. SPC added to the culture medium rescued cells from undergoing apoptosis. The anti-apoptotic effect of SPC was dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca 2+, suggesting that Ca 2+ influx occurs upon SPC treatment. In PC12 cells, SPC displayed nerve growth factor-like neuritogenic effect which was sensitive to the presence of Ca 2+ channel blocker and Ca 2+ withdrawal from the medium. These results suggest that SPC plays novel neurotrophic effects in the nervous system.