PMID- 10640680 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20000215 LR - 20190826 IS - 0169-328X (Print) IS - 0169-328X (Linking) VI - 74 IP - 1-2 DP - 1999 Dec 10 TI - The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist (+/-)-epibatidine increases FGF-2 mRNA and protein levels in the rat brain. PG - 98-110 AB - In a previous work, we showed that acute intermittent nicotine treatment up-regulates the level of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) mRNA in brain regions of tel- and mesencephalon of rats suggesting that neuroprotective effect of (-)nicotine may, at least in part, involve an activation of the neuronal FGF-2 signalling. The present experiments were designed to extend the study on the nicotinic receptor mediated up-regulation of FGF-2 mRNA levels to the use of the potent nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist (+/-)-epibatidine. The (+/-)-epibatidine treatment led to a strong and long lasting up-regulation of FGF-2 mRNA expression in the cerebral cortex, in the hippocampal formation, in the striatum and in the substantia nigra. This FGF-2 mRNA induction, already statistically significant at 4 h, peaked at 12 h from treatment and was only partially returned towards normal levels at 48 h, the last time point examined. Using Western blot analysis it was found that the epibatidine-induced upregulation of FGF-mRNA is accompaned by an increase of FGF-2 protein level at the 20-h time-interval. These (+/-)-epibatidine effects on FGF-2 expression were antagonized by the non-competitive nAChR antagonist mecamylamine, indicating an involvement of nicotinic receptors. In the same brain areas examined, no changes were observed in the fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 (FGFR-1) mRNA levels, in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and in glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) mRNA levels. In view of the neurotrophic function of FGF-2, these results, together with previous ones, could further help to understand the molecular mechanisms mediating the previously observed neuroprotective effects of (-)nicotine. FAU - Belluardo, N AU - Belluardo N AD - Institute of Human Physiology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. belluard@mbox.unict.it FAU - Mudo, G AU - Mudo G FAU - Blum, M AU - Blum M FAU - Cheng, Q AU - Cheng Q FAU - Caniglia, G AU - Caniglia G FAU - Dell'Albani, P AU - Dell'Albani P FAU - Fuxe, K AU - Fuxe K LA - eng PT - Journal Article PT - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't PL - Netherlands TA - Brain Res Mol Brain Res JT - Brain research. Molecular brain research JID - 8908640 RN - 0 (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) RN - 0 (Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic) RN - 0 (Gdnf protein, rat) RN - 0 (Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) RN - 0 (Nerve Growth Factors) RN - 0 (Nerve Tissue Proteins) RN - 0 (Nicotinic Agonists) RN - 0 (Nicotinic Antagonists) RN - 0 (Pyridines) RN - 0 (RNA, Messenger) RN - 103107-01-3 (Fibroblast Growth Factor 2) RN - 6EE945D3OK (Mecamylamine) RN - M6K314F1XX (epibatidine) SB - IM MH - Animals MH - Blotting, Western MH - Brain/*drug effects/metabolism MH - Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/genetics MH - Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/*pharmacology MH - Cerebral Cortex/drug effects/metabolism MH - Corpus Striatum/drug effects/metabolism MH - Dose-Response Relationship, Drug MH - Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/*genetics/metabolism MH - Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects MH - Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor MH - Hippocampus/drug effects/metabolism MH - In Situ Hybridization MH - Mecamylamine/pharmacology MH - *Nerve Growth Factors MH - Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics MH - Nicotinic Agonists/*pharmacology MH - Nicotinic Antagonists/pharmacology MH - Pyridines/*pharmacology MH - RNA, Messenger/genetics/*metabolism MH - Rats MH - Rats, Sprague-Dawley MH - Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms MH - Time Factors EDAT- 2000/01/21 09:00 MHDA- 2000/02/19 09:00 CRDT- 2000/01/21 09:00 PHST- 2000/01/21 09:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2000/02/19 09:00 [medline] PHST- 2000/01/21 09:00 [entrez] AID - S0169328X99002661 [pii] AID - 10.1016/s0169-328x(99)00266-1 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 1999 Dec 10;74(1-2):98-110. doi: 10.1016/s0169-328x(99)00266-1.