Transient inhibition of astrocytogenesis in developing mouse brain following postnatal caffeine exposure

Pediatr Res. 2007 Nov;62(5):604-9. doi: 10.1203/PDR.0b013e318156e425.

Abstract

Caffeine is frequently administered in human preterm newborns. Although some data suggest a potential risk for the developing brain, its impact has not been fully evaluated. We used a murine model of postnatal caffeine treatment in which mouse pups received intraperitoneal injections of caffeine from postnatal days 3 to 10. Caffeine exposure resulted in a transient reduction of glial fibrillary acidic protein and S100beta protein expression in various brain areas during the first 2 postnatal weeks (19.8% and 23.2% reduction in the hippocampus at P15, respectively). This effect was dose-dependent and at least partly involved a reduction of glial proliferation, as a caffeine-induced decrease of 5-bromodeoxyuridine incorporation was observed in the dentate gyrus and subventricular zone (25.8% and 26.6%, respectively) and no increase of programmed cell death (cleaved caspase-3 immunostaining) was observed at postnatal day 7. This effect could be reproduced with an antagonist of A(2a) adenosine receptor (A(2a)R) and was blocked by co-injection of an agonist. These results suggest that postnatal caffeine treatment might induce an alteration of astrocytogenesis via A(2a)R blockade during brain development. Although no obvious neuritic abnormalities (microtubule-associated protein 2 and synaptophysin immunostaining) were observed, postnatal caffeine treatment could have long-term consequences on brain function.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine / analogs & derivatives
  • Adenosine / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Astrocytes / drug effects*
  • Astrocytes / metabolism
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Brain / cytology
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / growth & development
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Caffeine / administration & dosage
  • Caffeine / pharmacology*
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / metabolism
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Injections, Intraperitoneal
  • Mice
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Models, Animal
  • Nerve Growth Factors / metabolism
  • Organ Size / drug effects
  • Phenethylamines / pharmacology
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology
  • Receptor, Adenosine A2A / drug effects
  • Receptor, Adenosine A2A / metabolism
  • S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit
  • S100 Proteins / metabolism
  • Synaptophysin / metabolism
  • Time Factors
  • Triazoles / pharmacology

Substances

  • 5-amino-7-(2-phenylethyl)-2-(2-furyl)pyrazolo(4,3-e)-1,2,4-triazolo(1,5-c)pyrimidine
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Mtap2 protein, mouse
  • Nerve Growth Factors
  • Phenethylamines
  • Pyrimidines
  • Receptor, Adenosine A2A
  • S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit
  • S100 Proteins
  • Synaptophysin
  • Triazoles
  • 2-(4-(2-carboxyethyl)phenethylamino)-5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine
  • Caffeine
  • Adenosine