Nerve growth factor stimulates rapid metabolic responses in PC12 cells

Research into the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) has involved study of either the signal transduction process or the morphological result of growth factor treatment (cell proliferation and/or differentiation). The Cytosensor Microphysiometer, a silicon-based biosensor system that allows the continuous and real-time monitoring of extracellular acidification rate changes of cells, was used to study the response of PC12 cells to NGF. Stimulation resulted in a rapid increase in the acidification rate of cells in a concentration-dependent fashion (0.1-200 ng/ml NGF; mean effective concentration value of 153 +/- 54 pM). Inhibition of the NGF receptor-linked protein tyrosine kinase by either genistein or K252a attenuated the acidification rate response to NGF. In addition, the acidification response to NGF could be modified by inhibiting Na+/H+ exchange and, separately, glycolysis. This implicates these processes in the metabolic response of PC12 cells to NGF stimulation.