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Published on: November 14, 2025
Endothelin-1 induces LIMK2-mediated programmed necrotic neuronal death independent of NOS activity
Ah-Reum Ko1, Hye-Won Hyun1, Su-Ji Min1
1Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Institute of Epilepsy Research, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chunchon, Kangwon-Do, 200-702, South Korea.
Background:
Recently, we have reported that LIM kinase 2 (LIMK2) involves programmed necrotic neuronal deaths induced by aberrant cyclin D1 expression following status epilepticus (SE). Up-regulation of LIMK2 expression induces neuronal necrosis by impairment of dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1)-mediated mitochondrial fission. However, we could not elucidate the upstream effecter for LIMK2-mediated neuronal death. Thus, we investigated the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in LIMK2-mediated neuronal necrosis, since ET-1 involves neuronal death via various pathways.
Results:
Following SE, ET-1 concentration and its mRNA were significantly increased in the hippocampus with up-regulation of ETB receptor expression. BQ788 (an ETB receptor antagonist) effectively attenuated SE-induced neuronal damage as well as reduction in LIMK2 mRNA/protein expression. In addition, BQ788 alleviated up-regulation of Rho kinase 1 (ROCK1) expression and impairment of DRP1-mediated mitochondrial fission in CA1 neurons following SE. BQ788 also attenuated neuronal death and up-regulation of LIMK2 expression induced by exogenous ET-1 injection.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that ET-1 may be one of the upstream effectors for programmed neuronal necrosis through abnormal LIMK2 over-expression by ROCK1.
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