Homocysteine-induced membrane currents, calcium responses and changes in mitochondrial potential in rat cortical neurons

Abstract

Homocysteine, a sulfur-containing amino acid, exhibits neurotoxic effects and is involved in the pathogenesis of several major neurodegenerative disorders. In contrast to well studied excitoxicity of glutamate, the mechanism of homocysteine neurotoxicity is not clearly understood. By using whole-cell patch-clamp, calcium imaging (fluo-3) and measurements of mitochondrial membrane potential (rhodamine 123) we studied transmembrane currents, calcium signals and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential induced by homocysteine versus responses induced by NMDA and glutamate in cultured rat cortical neurons. L-homocysteine (50 µM) induced inward currents that could be completely blocked by the selective antagonist of NMDA receptors - AP-5. In contrast to NMDA-induced currents, homocysteine-induced currents had a smaller steady-state amplitude. Comparison of calcium responses to homocysteine, NMDA or glutamate demonstrated that in all cortical neurons homocysteine elicited short, oscillatory-type calcium responses, whereas NMDA or glutamate induced sustained increase of intracellular calcium. Analysis of mitochondrial changes demonstrated that in contrast to NMDA homocysteine did not cause a drop of mitochondrial membrane potential at the early stages of action. However, after its long-term action, as in the case of NMDA and glutamate, the changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were comparable with the full drop of respiratory chain induced by protonophore FCCP. Our data suggest that in cultured rat cortical neuron homocysteine at the first stages of action induces neurotoxic effects through activation of NMDA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors with strong calcium influx through the channels of these receptors. The long-term action of homocysteine may lead to mitochondrial disfuction and appears as a drop of mitochondrial membrane potential.