• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.396-401
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• 2004

The effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and several cytokines or the c-fos and c-jun mRNA expression were examined in primary cultured astrocytes. Either LPS (500 ng/mL) or inter-feron-$\gamma$ (IFN-$\gamma$ 5 ng/mL) alone increased the level of c-fos mRNA (1 h). However, tumor necro-sis factor-$\alpha$ (TNF-$\alpha$; 10 ng/mL) or interleukin-4 (IL-1$\beta$: 5 ng/mL) alone showed no significant induction of the level of c-fos mRNA. TNF-$\alpha$ showed a potentiating effect in the regulation of LPS-induced c-fos mRNA expression, whereas LPS showed an inhibitory action against IFN-Y-induced c-fos mRNA expression. LPS, but not TNF-$\alpha$, IL-1$\beta$ and IFN-$\gamma$, increased the level of c-jun mRNA (1 h). TNF-$\alpha$ and IFN-$\gamma$ showed an inhibitory action against LPS-induced c-jun mRNA expression. Both phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; 2.5 mM) and forskolin (FSK, 5 mM) increased the c-fos and c-jun mRNA expressions. In addition, the level of c-fos mRNA was expressed in an antagonistic manner when LPS was combined with PMA. When LPS was co-treated with either PMA or FSK, it showed an additive interaction for the induction of c-jun mRNA expression. Our results suggest that LPS and cytokines may be actively involved in the regulation of c-fos and c-jun mRNA expressions in primary cultured astrocytes. Moreover, both the PKA and PKC pathways may regulate the LPS-induced c-fos and c-jun mRNA expressions in different ways.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.47-57
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• 1999

Recently, essential oils are used for aromatherapy. Most essential oils are said to be anti-bacterial; some may be anti-viral or anti-fungal. I investigated the effects of peppermint pure essential oil on the heat shock-induced apoptosis in human astrocyte cell line CCF-STTGI. In previous studies, heat shock has been reported to induce the apoptosis or programmed cell death through the activation of caspase-3. We studied the heat shock-induced apoptosis through flow cytometry, DNA electrophoresis, and giemsa staining. Interestingly, these events were inhibited by pretreatment of peppermint pure essential oils in CCF-STTGl cells. Peppermint oil also inhibited the heat shock-induced apoptosis in primary cultured rat astrocytes. In addition, this Peppermint essential oil inhibited the heat shock-induced activation of caspase-3. These results suggest that peppermint pure essential oils may modulate the apoptosis through the activation of the interleukin-I -converting enzyme-like protease.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.124-128
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• 2006

Astrocyte has emerged as an active regulator of brain function, which connects between blood vessels and neurons as well as is a structural component of the blood-brain barrier, From its structural characteristics, astrocyte seems to sensitively respond to oxygen tension, and, in turn, generate diverse cellular cascades. Therefore, to reveal astrocytlc events by oxygen change, we screened genes whose expressions are upregulated under reoxygenation after hypoxic stress using cDNA representational difference analysis (RDA) technique. Meteorin that regulates glial differentiation was isolated from primary cultured rat astrocytes as a hypoxia/reoxygenation regulatory factor. We cloned rat version of Meteorin (rMe-teorin) and determined full-size sequences of rMeteorin. In addition, RT-PCR analysis revealed that Meteorin was increased under reoxygenation in astrocytes and highly expressed in the developing brain. Collectively, these results suggest that Meteorin may regulate astrocyte-mediated effects in response to the change of oxygen tension in the pathophysiological states.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2000

We investigated the effects of lemon pure essential oils on the heat shock-induced apoptosis in human astrocyte cell line CCF-STTG1. In previous studies, hear shock has been reported to induce the apoptosis or programmed cell death through the activation of caspase-3. Treatment of CCF-STTG1 cells with heat shock markedly induced apoptotic cell death as determined by flow cytometry. Interestingly, pretreatment of CCF-STTG1 cells with lemon pure essential oils inhibited the heat shock-induced apoptosis. Lemon also inhibited the heat shock-induced apoptosis in primary cultured rat astrocytes. To determine whether lemon inhibits the heat shock-induced activation of these apoptotic proteases, activation of CPP32 was assessed by Western blotting. Consistent with flow cytometry, DNA fragmentation and giemsa staining, heat shock-induced activation of CPP32 was blocked by lemon pure essential oil. PARP, cysteine protease substrates were fragmented as a consequence of apoptosis by heat shock. Lemon oil inhibited the PARP fragmentation. This essential oil also inhibited the heat shock-induced activation of caspase-3. These results suggest that lemon pure essential oils may modulate the apoptosis through the activation of the ICE-like caspases.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.141.2-142
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• 2002

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.581-588
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• 2016

Lonchocarpine is a phenylpropanoid compound isolated from Abrus precatorius that has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antiepileptic activities. In the present study, we investigated the antioxidant effects of lonchocarpine in brain glial cells and analyzed its molecular mechanisms. We found that lonchocarpine suppressed reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell death in hydrogen peroxide-treated primary astrocytes. In addition, lonchocarpine increased the expression of anti-oxidant enzymes, such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), which are all under the control of Nrf2/antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling. Further, mechanistic studies showed that lonchocarpine increases the nuclear translocation and DNA binding of Nrf2 to ARE as well as ARE-mediated transcriptional activities. Moreover, lonchocarpine increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and three types of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). By treating astrocytes with each signaling pathway-specific inhibitor, AMPK, c-jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK), and p38 MAPK were identified to be involved in lonchocarpine-induced HO-1 expression and ARE-mediated transcriptional activities. Therefore, lonchocarpine may be a potential therapeutic agent for neurode-generative diseases that are associated with oxidative stress.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.181-188
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• 2017

Purpose: Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a significant cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Erythropoietin (EPO) is emerging as a therapeutic candidate for neuroprotection. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the neuroprotective role of recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) and the possible mechanisms by which mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), JNK, and p38 MAPK is modulated in cultured cortical neuronal cells and astrocytes. Methods: Primary neuronal cells and astrocytes were prepared from cortices of ICR mouse embryos and divided into the normoxic, hypoxia (H), and hypoxia-pretreated with EPO (H+EPO) groups. The phosphorylation of MAPK pathway was quantified using western blot, and the apoptosis was assessed by caspase-3 measurement and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Results: All MAPK pathway signals were activated by hypoxia in the neuronal cells and astrocytes (P<0.05). In the neuronal cells, phosphorylation of ERK-1/-2 and apoptosis were significantly decreased in the H+EPO group at 15 hours after hypoxia (P<0.05). In the astrocytes, phosphorylation of ERK-1/-2, p38 MAPK, and apoptosis was reduced in the H+EPO group at 15 hours after hypoxia (P<0.05). Conclusion: Pretreatment with rHuEPO exerts neuroprotective effects against hypoxic injury reducing apoptosis by caspase-dependent mechanisms. Pathologic, persistent ERK activation after hypoxic injury may be attenuateed by pretreatment with EPO supporting that EPO may regulate apoptosis by affecting ERK pathways.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.263-271
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• 2006

Since astrocytes were shown to play a central role in maintaining neuronal viability both under normal conditions and during stress such as ischemia, studies of the astrocytic response to stress are essential to understand many types of brain pathology. The micro array system permitted screening of large numbers of genes in biological or pathological processes. Therefore, the gene expression patterns in the in vitro model of astrocytes following exposure to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) were evaluated by using the micro array analysis. Primary astrocytic cultures were prepared from postnatal Swiss Webster mice. The cells were exposed to OGD for 4 hrs at $37^{\circ}C$ prior to cell harvesting. From the cultured cells, we isolated mRNA, synthesized cDNA, converted to biotinylated cRNA and then reacted with GeneChips. The data were normalized and analyzed using dChip and GenMAPP tools. After 4 hrs exposure to OGD, 4 genes were increased more than 2 folds and 51 genes were decreased more than 2 folds compared with the control condition. The data suggest that the OGD has general suppressive effect on the gene expression with the exception of some genes which are related with ischemic cell death directly or indirectly. These genes are mainly involved in apoptotic and protein translation pathways and gap junction component. These results suggest that microarray analysis of gene expression may be useful for screening novel molecular mediators of astrocyte response to ischemic injury and making profound understanding of the cellular mechanisms as a whole. Such a screening technique should provide insights into the molecular basis of brain disorders and help to identify potential targets for therapy.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.451-454
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• 2005

Introduction of foreign genes into brain cells, such as neurons and astrocytes, is a powerful approach to study the gene function and regulation in the neuroscience field. Calcium phosphate precipitates have been shown to cause cytotoxicity in some mammalian cells and brain cells, thus leading to low transfection efficiency. Here, we describe a retrovirus-mediated gene delivery method to transduce foreign genes into brain cells. In an attempt to achieve higher gene delivery efficiency in these cells, we made several changes to the original method, including (1) use of a new packaging cell line, Phoenix ampho cells, (2) transfection of pMX retroviral DNA, (3) inclusion of 25 mM chloroquine in the transduction, and (4) 3- 5 h incubation of retroviruses with target cells. The results showed that the modified protocol resulted in a range of 40- 60% gene delivery efficiency in neurons and astrocytes. Furthermore, these results suggest the potential of the retrovirus-mediated gene delivery protocol being modified and adapted for other transfection-refractory cell lines and primary cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2001

It has been demonstrated that multipotent neuronal progenitor cells can be isolated from the developing or adult CNS and proliferated in vitro in response to epidermal growth factor. The present study was undertaken to investigate the differentiation of neuronal progenitor cells after transplantation into the neonatal rat forebrain striatum. Primary cultured progenitor cells were labeled with 3,3'-dioctadecycloxacarbonyl- amine perchlorate (DiO). DiO labeled progenitor cells were implanted into neonatal rat striatum. Implanted DiO labeled progenitor cells were differentiated into astrocytes and GABAergic neurons. These results suggest that implanted progenitor cells can be differentiated into neurons in host forebrain striatum. In addition, our data show that DiO labeling is a useful technique for tracing implanted progenitor cells.