okadaic-acid and 3-nitrotyrosine

Hyperphosphorylation of tau is a characteristic feature of the neurodegenerative pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Okadaic acid (OA) is currently used in models of AD research to increase the phosphorylation of tau. Using immunocytochemistry and fluorescent study, we found that markers of oxidative activity such as nitrotyrosine, c-jun, 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were altered in OA-treated culture. Immunoreactivity of nitrotyrosine and c-jun, and DCF-oxidation were increased in degenerating neurons, while HO-1 expression was increased in astrocyte in response to OA. The data suggest that tau phosphorylation and oxidative damage be implicated in OA-induced neurodegeneration.

Topics: Animals; Cells, Cultured; Cerebral Cortex; Embryo, Mammalian; Enzyme Inhibitors; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); Heme Oxygenase-1; Neurons; Okadaic Acid; Phosphorylation; Rats; Tyrosine; Up-Regulation