Endothelins stimulate c-fos and nerve growth factor expression in astrocytes and astrocytoma

Endothelin receptors have been identified on astrocytes and astrocytoma, but their physiological significance has remained elusive. It is shown here that endothelins induce c-fos in primary cultures of mouse embryo astrocytes, as well as in two subclones of rat astrocytoma C6 cells, although with different kinetics. In addition, nerve growth factor expression is stimulated, as seen by mRNA accumulation and protein secretion, in primary astrocytes and one of the two C6 subclones, with an apparent correlation with the transience of c-fos induction. The activation of protein kinase C appears as an obligatory step during these processes, because (a) inhibition of protein kinase C by staurosporine blocks the induction by endothelin or phorbol esters of both c-fos and nerve growth factor, and (b) phorbol ester-evoked down-regulation of protein kinase C completely abolishes the c-fos induction by endothelin, but not that by the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol, a known activator of the cyclic AMP-dependent pathway. Our results support the hypothesis that c-fos product might be implicated in nerve growth factor expression by astrocytes, and also suggest that endothelins may participate in vivo in the modulation of the glial neurotrophic activity during brain development or wound healing.