EN
AMPK is a highly conserved heterotrimeric serine/threonine kinase involved in the regulation of cellular metabolism and energy distribution. AMPK is an intracellular metabolic sensor which, through the reduction of adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP)- consuming processes and stimulation of ATP-generating pathways, maintains cellular energy homeostasis. AMPK activation occurs through phosphorylation at a specific threonine residue (Thr172) on the α subunit. It was proved that neuronal AMPK has been implicated in pathology of cerebral ischemia. However, whether AMPK activation in astrocytes is responsible for intensification autophagy contributing to their ischemic injury remains to be determined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the time-dependent activation of AMPK as well as to evaluate the autophagy induction in astrocytes exposed to combined oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD). It was shown that exposure of cultured astrocytes to OGD (0.5 – 24 h) causes an increase in AMPK expression and activity. The role of endogenous AMPK in the process of autophagy activation was also demonstrated. The work was supported by grant N N401 072139 from the Ministry of Science and Higher Educations (BG), Warsaw, Poland.