Antioxidant effect of retinoic acid on PC12 rat pheochromocytoma

Retinoic acid is a naturally occurring metabolite of vitamin A that influences the differentiation of a variety of neural cells in vitro. In the LA-N-1 human neuroblastoma line, retinoic acid treatment increases the binding of nerve growth factor (B_max). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of retinoic acid on PC12 rat pheochromocytoma, a neural crest-derived cell line that can be induced to express a sympathetic neuroblast-like phenotype by nerve growth factor treatment. In contrast to the differentiating effects of nerve growth factor, retinoic acid treatment of PC12 cells had a negligible effect on cellular morphology. However, treatment with retinoic acid enhanced the survival of PC12 cells following oxidative injury generated by H₂O₂ treatment in a manner that is qualitatively similar to that observed after nerve growth factor treatment. Also, there was an increase in ¹²⁵I-nerve growth factor binding activity in solubilized PC12 membrane preparations derived from retinoic acid-treated PC12 cells. These data suggest that retinoic acid may play a role in neuronal development and in neuronal injury by stimulating the ability of neurons to cope with oxidative stress and/or by enhancing neuronal responsiveness to trophic factors such as the nerve growth factor.