Nuclear Translocation of Nuclear Transcription Factor-κB by α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid Receptors Leads to Transcription of p53 and Cell Death in Dopaminergic Neurons

We describe a new molecular mechanism of cell death by excitotoxicity mediated through nuclear transcription factor κB (NFκB) in rat embryonic cultures of dopaminergic neurons. Treatment of mesencephalic cultures with α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) resulted in a number of changes that occurred selectively in dopaminergic neurons, including persistent elevation in intracellular Ca2+ monitored with Fura-2, and a significant increase in intramitochondrial oxidation of dihydrorhodamine 123, probably associated with transient increase of mitochondrial permeability, cytochrome c release, nuclear translocation of NFκB, and transcriptional activation of the oncogenep53.…