Severe hyperbilirubinemia leads to bilirubin encephalopathy in neonates, causing irreversible neurological sequelae. We investigated the nature of neuronal selective vulnerability to unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) toxicity. The maintenance of intracellular calcium homeostasis is crucial for neuron survival. Calcium release from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during ER-stress can lead to apoptosis trough the activation of Caspase-12. By live calcium imaging we monitored the generation of calcium signals in dissociated hippocampal neurons and glial cells exposed to increasing UCB concentrations. We showed the ability of UCB to alter intracellular calcium homeostasis, inducing the appearance of repetitive intracellular calcium oscillations. The contribution of intracellular calcium stores and the induction and activation of proteins involved in the apoptotic calcium-dependent signaling were also assessed. Thapsigargin, a specific inhibitor of Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA) pumps, significantly reduced the duration of Ca2+ oscillation associated with UCB exposure indicating that UCB strongly interfered with the reticulum calcium stores. On the contrary, in pure astrocyte cultures, spontaneous Ca2+ transient duration was not altered by UCB. The protein content of GRP78, AT6, CHOP, Calpain and Caspase-12 of neuronal cells treated with UCB for 24 h was at least twofold higher compared to controls. Calcium-dependent Calpain and Caspase-12 induction by UCB were significantly reduced by 50% and 98%, respectively when cells were pretreated with the ER-stress inhibitor 4-PBA. These results show the strong and direct interference of UCB with neuronal intracellular Ca2+dynamics, suggesting ER Ca2+ stores as a primary target of UCB toxicity with the activation of the apoptotic ER-stress-dependent pathway.

Bilirubin disrupts calcium homeostasis in neonatal hippocampal neurons: a new pathway of neurotoxicity / Rauti, R.; Qaisiya, M.; Tiribelli, C.; Ballerini, L.; Bellarosa, C.. - In: ARCHIVES OF TOXICOLOGY. - ISSN 0340-5761. - 94:(2020), pp. 845-855. [10.1007/s00204-020-02659-9]

Bilirubin disrupts calcium homeostasis in neonatal hippocampal neurons: a new pathway of neurotoxicity

Rauti, R.;Ballerini, L.;
2020-01-01

Abstract

Severe hyperbilirubinemia leads to bilirubin encephalopathy in neonates, causing irreversible neurological sequelae. We investigated the nature of neuronal selective vulnerability to unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) toxicity. The maintenance of intracellular calcium homeostasis is crucial for neuron survival. Calcium release from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during ER-stress can lead to apoptosis trough the activation of Caspase-12. By live calcium imaging we monitored the generation of calcium signals in dissociated hippocampal neurons and glial cells exposed to increasing UCB concentrations. We showed the ability of UCB to alter intracellular calcium homeostasis, inducing the appearance of repetitive intracellular calcium oscillations. The contribution of intracellular calcium stores and the induction and activation of proteins involved in the apoptotic calcium-dependent signaling were also assessed. Thapsigargin, a specific inhibitor of Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA) pumps, significantly reduced the duration of Ca2+ oscillation associated with UCB exposure indicating that UCB strongly interfered with the reticulum calcium stores. On the contrary, in pure astrocyte cultures, spontaneous Ca2+ transient duration was not altered by UCB. The protein content of GRP78, AT6, CHOP, Calpain and Caspase-12 of neuronal cells treated with UCB for 24 h was at least twofold higher compared to controls. Calcium-dependent Calpain and Caspase-12 induction by UCB were significantly reduced by 50% and 98%, respectively when cells were pretreated with the ER-stress inhibitor 4-PBA. These results show the strong and direct interference of UCB with neuronal intracellular Ca2+dynamics, suggesting ER Ca2+ stores as a primary target of UCB toxicity with the activation of the apoptotic ER-stress-dependent pathway.
2020
94
845
855
Rauti, R.; Qaisiya, M.; Tiribelli, C.; Ballerini, L.; Bellarosa, C.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
2020_Archives of Toxicology.pdf

non disponibili

Descrizione: full paper
Tipologia: Versione Editoriale (PDF)
Licenza: Non specificato
Dimensione 1.45 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
1.45 MB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11767/108750
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 2
  • Scopus 22
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 17
social impact