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Mol. Cells 2004; 17(2): 242-247

Published online January 1, 1970

© The Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology

Carbofuran Induces Apoptosis of Rat Cortical Neurons and Down-Regulates Surface a7 Subunit of Acetylcholine Receptors

Sung Jin Kim, Jang Eok Kim, Bok Hyun Ko, Il Soo Moon

Abstract

Carbofuran (CF), an anticholinesterase carbamate, is one of the most widely used N-methylcarbamate esters in insect and nematode control. Despite its serious adverse health effects on wildlife and humans, cellular and molecular studies of the damage of CF to CNS neurons are very limited. We have examined the cytotoxic effects of CF on cultured rat cortical cells, and the expression of the a7 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (a7 nAChR) in hippocampal neurons. CF was cytotoxic with an IC50 ~730 and ~640 mm when assessed by the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay and propidium iodide (PI) staining, respectively, 3 days after treatment. CF induced DNA fragmentation and exposure of phosphatidyl serine (PS) on the cell surface. Surface labeling of the a7 nAChR with Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated a-bungarotoxin (aBgt) revealed a significant decrease in the density of the subunits in treated (500 mm CF) hippocampal neurons. Our data indicate that CF induces neuronal death by apoptosis and downregulates nAChRs.

Keywords Annexin V; Apoptosis; Bungarotoxin; Carbofuran; Cytotoxicity; Neuronal Culture; Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor.

Article

Research Article

Mol. Cells 2004; 17(2): 242-247

Published online April 30, 2004

Copyright © The Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Carbofuran Induces Apoptosis of Rat Cortical Neurons and Down-Regulates Surface a7 Subunit of Acetylcholine Receptors

Sung Jin Kim, Jang Eok Kim, Bok Hyun Ko, Il Soo Moon

Abstract

Carbofuran (CF), an anticholinesterase carbamate, is one of the most widely used N-methylcarbamate esters in insect and nematode control. Despite its serious adverse health effects on wildlife and humans, cellular and molecular studies of the damage of CF to CNS neurons are very limited. We have examined the cytotoxic effects of CF on cultured rat cortical cells, and the expression of the a7 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (a7 nAChR) in hippocampal neurons. CF was cytotoxic with an IC50 ~730 and ~640 mm when assessed by the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay and propidium iodide (PI) staining, respectively, 3 days after treatment. CF induced DNA fragmentation and exposure of phosphatidyl serine (PS) on the cell surface. Surface labeling of the a7 nAChR with Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated a-bungarotoxin (aBgt) revealed a significant decrease in the density of the subunits in treated (500 mm CF) hippocampal neurons. Our data indicate that CF induces neuronal death by apoptosis and downregulates nAChRs.

Keywords: Annexin V, Apoptosis, Bungarotoxin, Carbofuran, Cytotoxicity, Neuronal Culture, Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor.

Mol. Cells
Jun 30, 2023 Vol.46 No.6, pp. 329~398
COVER PICTURE
The cellular proteostasis network is adaptively modulated upon cellular stress, thereby protecting cells from proteostasis collapse. Heat shock induces the translocation of misfolded proteins and the chaperone protein HSP70 into nucleolus, where nuclear protein quality control primarily occurs. Nuclear RNA export factor 1 (green), nucleolar protein fibrillarin (red), and nuclei (blue) were visualized in NIH3T3 cells under basal (left) and heat shock (right) conditions (Park et al., pp. 374-386).

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