phorbol-12-13-didecanoate and chelerythrine

1. The present study was designed to characterize the nociceptive response induced by protein kinase C (PKC) peripheral activation and to investigate if this biochemical event is important for the nociceptive response induced by formaldehyde, and bradykinin (BK). 2. Intraplantar injection of phorbol-12,13-didecanoate (PDD; 0.01, 0.1 or 1 microg), a PKC activator, but not of 4 alpha-PDD (inactive analogue), dose-dependently induced thermal hyperalgesia in rats. This response was not observed at the contralateral hindpaw. Intraplantar injection of PDD (0.01, 0.1 or 1 microg) also induced mechanical allodynia. In mice, injection of PDD (0.1 or 1 microg) into the dorsum of the hindpaw induced a spontaneous licking behaviour. 3. Intraplantar co-injection of chelerythrine (10 or 50 microg), a PKC inhibitor, attenuated the thermal hyperalgesia induced by PDD (0.1 microg) in rats. 4. The second phase of the nociceptive response induced by the injection of formaldehyde (0.92%, 20 microl) into the dorsum of mice hindpaws was inhibited by ipsi-, but not contralateral, pre-treatment with chelerythrine (1 microg). 5. Intraplantar injection of BK (10 microg) induced mechanical allodynia in rats. Ipsi- but not contralateral injection of bisindolylmaleimide I (10 microg), a PKC inhibitor, inhibited BK-induced mechanical allodynia. 6. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that PKC activation at peripheral tissues leads to the development of spontaneous nociceptive response, thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. Most importantly, it also gives in vivo evidence that peripheral PKC activation is essential for the full establishment of the nociceptive response induced by two different inflammatory stimuli.

Topics: Alkaloids; Animals; Benzophenanthridines; Bradykinin; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Enzyme Inhibitors; Formaldehyde; Hindlimb; Hyperalgesia; Indoles; Male; Maleimides; Mice; Nociceptors; Pain; Phenanthridines; Phorbol Esters; Protein Kinase C; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Signal Transduction

The extension of cellular processes from the oligodendrocyte soma is an early and critical event in myelin formation. Previous reports from this laboratory have implicated a role for protein kinase C (PKC) as an important intracellular mediator of this critical step in myelinogenesis. In the current study, the regrowth of fibers by adult human oligodendrocytes was examined and was found to be significantly enhanced by the PKC stimulator, 4 beta-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate (PDB); this was accompanied by a 400-500% increase in oligodendroglial PKC activity. In contrast to other cell types, the increased PKC activity in oligodendrocytes was not followed by subsequent down-regulation of the enzyme. The role of PKC in oligodendroglial process formation was further demonstrated by the ability of inhibitors of PKC to block the basal- or PDB-enhanced fiber outgrowth. As well, studies employing isoform-specific agonists implicated PKC alpha as the major determinant of fiber outgrowth by oligodendrocytes. The potential significance of PKC in myelin formation was further underscored by the observation that the synthesis of myelin basic protein, a prerequisite component for myelinogenesis, was increased by 2-fold in PDB-treated oligodendrocytes. Collectively, these observations suggest that PKC, in particular the alpha isoform, constitutes an important mediator in the initiation of myelin formation.

Topics: Adult; Alkaloids; Animals; Base Sequence; Benzophenanthridines; Brain; Cells, Cultured; Diterpenes; Female; Humans; Isoenzymes; Molecular Sequence Data; Myelin Sheath; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Oligodendroglia; Phenanthridines; Phorbol Esters; Protein Kinase C; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Staurosporine