@article {Humar667, author = {Matjaz Humar and Christine Graetz and Martin Roesslein and Ulrich Goebel and Klaus K. Geiger and Bernd Heimrich and Benedikt H. J. Pannen}, title = {Heterocyclic Thioureylenes Protect from Calcium-Dependent Neuronal Cell Death}, volume = {75}, number = {3}, pages = {667--676}, year = {2009}, doi = {10.1124/mol.108.052183}, publisher = {American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics}, abstract = {Calcium-dependent cell death occurs in neurodegenerative diseases and ischemic or traumatic brain injury. We analyzed whether thioureylenes can act in a neuroprotective manner by pharmacological suppression of calcium-dependent pathological pathways. In human neuroblastoma (SK-N-SH) cells, thioureylenes (thiopental, carbimazole) inhibited the calcium-dependent neuronal protein phosphatase (PP)-2B, the activation of the proapoptotic transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T-cells, BAD-induced initiation of caspase-3, and poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase cleavage. Caspase-3-independent cell death was attenuated by carbimazole and the protein kinase C (PKC) δ inhibitor rottlerin by a PP-2B-independent mechanism. Neuroprotective effects were mediated by the redox-active sulfur of thioureylenes. Furthermore, we observed that the route of calcium mobilization was differentially linked to caspase-dependent or independent cell death and that BAD dephosphorylation did not necessarily induce intrinsic caspase activation. In addition, a new 30- to 35-kDa caspase-3 fragment with an unknown function was identified. In organotypic hippocampal slice cultures, thioureylenes inhibited caspase-3 activation or reduced N-methyl-d-aspartate and kainic acid receptor-mediated cell death that was independent of caspase-3. Because prolonged inhibition of caspase-3 resulted in caspase-independent cellular damage, different types of cell death must be taken under therapeutic consideration. Here we show that thioureylenes in combination with PKCδ inhibitors might represent a promising therapeutic approach to attenuate neuronal damage. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics}, issn = {0026-895X}, URL = {https://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/75/3/667}, eprint = {https://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/75/3/667.full.pdf}, journal = {Molecular Pharmacology} }