p53 induction contributes to excitotoxic neuronal death in rat striatum through apoptotic and autophagic mechanisms

The present study sought to investigate mechanisms by which p53 induction contributes to excitotoxic neuronal injury. Rats were intrastriatally administered the N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist quinolinic acid (QA), the changes in the expression of p53 and its target genes involved in apoptosis and autophagy, including p53‐upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), Bax, Bcl‐2, damage‐regulated autophagy modulator (DRAM) and other autophagic proteins including microtubule‐associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and beclin 1 were assessed. The contribution of p53‐mediated autophagy activation to apoptotic death of striatal neurons was assessed with co‐administration of the nuclear factor‐kappaB (NF‐κB) inhibitor SN50, the p53 inhibitor Pifithrin‐alpha (PFT‐α) or the autophagy inhibitor 3‐methyladenine (3‐MA). The increased formation of autophagosomes and secondary lysosomes were observed with transmission electron microscope after excitotoxin exposure. QA induced increases in the expression of p53, PUMA, Bax and a decrease in Bcl‐2. These changes were significantly attenuated by pre‐treatment with SN50, PFT‐α or 3‐MA. SN50, PFT‐α or 3‐MA also reversed QA‐induced upregulation of DRAM, the ratio of LC3‐II/LC3‐I and beclin 1 protein levels in the striatum. QA‐induced internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and loss of striatal neurons were robustly inhibited by SN50, PFT‐α or 3‐MA. These results suggest that overstimulation of NMDA receptors can induce NF‐κB‐dependent expression of p53. p53 participates in excitotoxic neuronal death probably through both apoptotic and autophagic mechanisms.