Effects of huwentoxin-I on catecholamines in cultured PC12 cells. (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Jia; Dai, Zhipan; Lei, Qian; Yan, Shuai; Wang, Ying; Wang, Xianchun
• Is Part Of: Toxicology mechanisms and methods. Volume 25:Number 4(2015)
• Page Start: 241
• Page End: 248
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: Analytical toxicology -- Periodicals; Toxicology -- Periodicals; Toxicology -- Methodology -- Periodicals; 615.907
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1537-6516

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p>The measurement of catecholamines in biological samples remains a current analytical challenge in the study on neurotransmitter release, although much effort has been devoted toward the relevant methodology. Here we first established a fluoresence-based method for the quantitative determination of catecholamines and then applied it to the investigation of effects of huwentoxin-I (HWTX-I), a peptide neurotoxin, on catecholamines in cultured PC12 cells. The results showed that treatment with HWTX-I at different concentrations (10, 50, 100 and 1000 nM) for 20 min significantly increased dopamine (DA) content in the culture medium (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01), with ∼1.6-fold increase compared with that of the control at the highest concentration tested. Within 20 min, DA content in the medium increased with increasing the treatment time. In contrast, HWTX-I decreased norepinephrine (NE) content in the medium. However, after the PC12 cells were treated with HWTX-I, the intracellular contents of both DA and NE were kept at a relatively constant level. These data suggest that HWTX-I differentially affects the DA and NE of the neuroendocrine cells, with enhancing the actions of DA and weakening those of NE.</p> </abstract>