L-type Calcium Channels are Involved in Iron-induced Neurotoxicity in Primary Cultured Ventral Mesencephalon Neurons of Rats

In the present study,we investigated the mechanisms underlying the mediation of iron transport by Ltype Ca^2+ channels(LTCCs)in primary cultured ventral mesencephalon(VM)neurons from rats.We found that cotreatment with 100 lmol/L FeSO4 and MPP^+(1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium)significantly increased the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species,decreased the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and increased the caspase-3 activation compared to MPP^+ treatment alone.Co-treatment with 500 lmol/L CaCl2 further aggravated the FeSO4-induced neurotoxicity in MPP^+-treated VM neurons.Co-treatment with 10 lmol/L isradipine,an LTCC blocker,alleviated the neurotoxicity induced by co-application of FeSO4 and FeSO4/CaCl2.Further studies indicated that MPP^+treatment accelerated the iron influx into VM neurons.In addition,FeSO4 treatment significantly increased the intracellular Ca^2+ concentration.These effects were blocked by isradipine.These results suggest that elevated extracellular Ca^2+ aggravates ironinduced neurotoxicity.LTCCs mediate iron transport in dopaminergic neurons and this,in turn,results in elevated intracellular Ca^2+ and further aggravates iron-induced neurotoxicity.