• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.57-65
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• 2020

Excessive drinking of alcohol is known to be one of the main causes of various neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Scopoletin is known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, and to protect nerve cells. This study examined whether scopoletin inhibits the alcohol-induced apoptosis of primary hippocampal neurons, and how scopoletin regulates several factors associated with the caspase-mediated pathway. To achieve this, the cell viability and apoptosis rate of primary hippocampal neurons were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry, respectively. Apoptosis-related protein expressions (Bax, Bid, caspase-3, caspase-9, and Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)) were analyzed by Western blotting, and the ANOVA method was used to confirm the significance of the measured results. As a result, scopoletin inhibited the expressions of alcohol-induced apoptosis and apoptosis-related proteins in primary hippocampal neurons. These results suggest that down-regulation of Bid, Bax, and cleaved caspase-9 expression induced by scopoletin down-regulates the expression of cleaved caspase-3, inhibits the expression of cleaved PARP, and finally, inhibits mitochondrial apoptotic pathways. The study suggests that scopoletin is worth developing as a candidate for neuroprotective agent.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제29권11호
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• pp.1429-1436
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• 2000

Objectives : This study was performed in cultured rat hippocampal neurons to investigate the acute electrophysiological features of ionotropic glutamate receptors which act as a major excitatory neurotransmitter in mammalian brain. Method : Glutamate receptor agonists were applied into the bath solution embedding in whole-cell patch-clamp recording of single hippocampal neuron. Results : In voltage-clamped at -60mV and the presence of 1mmol $Mg^{2+}$, extracellulary applied NMDA did not induce any inward current. Both the elimination of $Mg^{2+}$ and addition of glycine in bath, however, elicited a NMDAinduced inward current. $Mg^{2+}$ block current was increased gradually in more negative potentials from -30mV, showing a negative slope in I-V plot with $Mg^{2+}$. Glutamate-induced current represented an outward rectification. A non-NMDA receptor component occupied about 40% of glutamate-induced current in the voltage range of -80mV to +60mV. Conclusion : Present study suggests that glutamate activates acutely the non-NMDA receptors which induces an inward current in the level of resting membrane potential. This makes the membrane potential increase and can activate the NMDA receptors that permit calcium influx against $Mg^{2+}$ block. At the depolarized state of neuron, there may be recovery mechanisms of membrane potential to repolarize irrespective of voltage-dependent potassium channels in the hippocampal neurons.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.248-256
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• 2014

N-acetylglucosamine kinase (GlcNAc kinase or NAGK; EC 2.7.1.59) is a N-acetylhexosamine kinase that belong to the sugar kinase/heat shock protein 70/actin superfamily. In this study, we investigated both the expression and function of NAGK in neurons. Immunohistochemistry of rat brain sections showed that NAGK was expressed at high levels in neurons but at low levels in astrocytes. Immunocytochemistry of rat hippocampal dissociate cultures confirmed these findings and showed that NAGK was also expressed at low levels in oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, several NAGK clusters were observed in the nucleoplasm of both neuron and glia. The overexpression of EGFP- or RFP (DsRed2)-tagged NAGK in rat hippocampal neurons (DIV 5-9) increased the complexity of dendritic architecture by increasing the numbers of primary dendrites and dendritic branches. In contrast, knockdown of NAGK by shRNA resulted in dendrite degeneration, and this was prevented by the co-expression of RFP-tagged NAGK. These results suggest that the upregulation of dendritic complexity is a non-canonical function of NAGK.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제1권3호
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• pp.285-296
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• 1997

Injury to brain transforms resting astrocytes to their reactive form, the hallmark of which is an increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), the major intermediate filament protein of their cell type. The overall glial response after brain injury is referred to as reactive gliosis. Glial-neuronal interaction is important for neuronal migration, neurite outgrowth and axonal guidance during ontogenic development. Although much attention has been given to glial regulation of neuronal development and regeneration, evidences also suggest a neuronal influence on glial cell differentiation, maturation and function. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of glial-hippocampal neuronal co-culture on GFAP expression in the co-cultured astrocytes. The following antibodies were used for double immunostaining chemistry; mouse monoclonal antibodies for confirm neuronal cells, rabbit anti GFAP antibodies for confirm astrocytes. Primary cultured astrocytes showed the typical flat polygonal morphology in culture and expressed strong GFAP and vimentin. Co-cultured hippocampal neurons on astrocytes had phase bright cell body and well branched neurites. About half of co-cultured astrocytes expressed negative or weak GFAP and vimentin. After 2 hour glutamate (0.5 mM) exposure of glial-neuronal co-culture, neuronal cells lost their neurites and most of astrocytes expressed strong CFAE and vimentin. In Western blot analysis, total GFAP and vimentin contents in co-cultured astrocytes were lower than those of primary cultured astrocytes. After glutamate exposure of glial-neuronal co-culture, GFAP and vimentin contents in astrocytes were increased to the level of primary cultured astrocytes. These results suggest that neuronal cell decrease GFAP expression in co-cultured astrocytes and hippocampal neuronal-glial co-culture can be used as a reactive gliosis model in vitro for studying GFAP expression of astrocytes.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.12-17
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• 2007

Curcumin은 자연에 존재하는 황색의 페놀성분의 커리 향신료이며 항산화 및 항염증의 성질을 가지고 있어서 산화 스트레스와 면역염증과 관련한 여러 질병의 치료로 사용되어져 왔다. 이러한 curcumin의 항산화 및 항염증 효과는 여러 퇴행성 신경질환으로부터 뇌를 보호하는데 유용하게 적용될 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 glutamate에 의한 excitotoxicity로부터 해마신경세포를 보호하는 curcumin의 신경보호효과에 대하여 보고한다. 태아 생쥐의 해마로부터 얻어진 신경세포를 저농도의 curcumin으로 전처리한 경우, 신경세포는 glutamate에 의한 세포사멸로부터 보호되었다. 그러나 이러한 신경보호효과는 산화스트레스의 조절과는 무관하였다. 흥미롭게도 고농도의 curcumin전처리는 오히려 초대배양 신경세포의 세포사멸을 유도하였다. 해마신경세포에서 스트레스 반응 단백질인 HSP70이 저농도의 curcumin을 처리하였을 때 현저하게 증가하였으며 반면 세포사멸의 마커인 절단된 PARP의 양은 고농도의 curcumin을 처리하였을 때 급증함이 immunoblot분석을 통하여 관찰되었다. 이러한 발견은 curcumin이 excitotoxin인 glutamate에 대한 신경세포의 반응을 조절할 수 있음을 보여주고 curcumin과 관련 화합물들의 퇴행성 신경질환에서의 예방 및 치료법으로의 가능성을 제시하고 있다.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.174-179
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• 2014

Since in vitro neural recording and imaging applications based on a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique have expanded dramatically in recent years, cytotoxicity assessment to ensure the biosafety and biocompatibility for those applications is crucial. Here, we report the cytotoxicity of the SPR substrate incorporating a flint glass whose refractive index is larger than that of a conventional crown glass. A high refractive index glass substrate is essential in neural signal detection due to the advantages such as high sensitivity and wide dynamic range. From experimental data using primary hippocampal neurons, it is found that a lead-based flint glass is not appropriate as a neural recording template although the neuron cells are not directly attached to the toxic glass. We also demonstrate that the adhesion layer between the glass substrate and the gold film plays an important role in achieving the substrate stability and the cell viability.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.55-61
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• 2018

The synaptic vesicle is a specialized structure in presynaptic terminals that stores various neurotransmitters. The actin filament has been proposed for playing an important role in mobilizing synaptic vesicles. To understand the role of actin filament on synaptic vesicle pooling, we characterized synaptic vesicles and actin filament after treatment of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or Latrunculin A on primary cultured neuron from rat embryo hippocampus. Western blots revealed that BDNF treatment increased the expression of synapsin I protein, but Latrunculin A treatment decreased the synapsin I protein expression. The increased expression of synapsin I after BDNF disappeared by the treatment of Latrunculin A. Three-dimensional (3D) tomography of synapse showed that more synaptic vesicles localized near the active zone and total number of synaptic vesicles increased after treatment of BDNF. But the number of synaptic vesicle was 2.5-fold reduced in presynaptic terminals and the loss of filamentous network was observed after Latrunculin A application. The treatment of Latruculin A after preincubation of BDNF group showed that synaptic vesicle number was similar to that of control group, but filamentous structures were not restored. These data suggest that the actin filament plays a significant role in synaptic vesicles pooling in presynaptic terminals.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제45권3호
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• pp.401-407
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• 2021

Background: Gintonin is an exogenous ginseng-derived G-protein-coupled lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor ligand. LPA induces in vitro morphological changes and migration through neuronal LPA1 receptor. Recently, we reported that systemic administration of gintonin increases blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability via the paracellular pathway and its binding to brain neurons. However, little is known about the influences of gintonin on in vivo neuron morphology and migration in the brain. Materials and methods: We examined the effects of gintonin on in vitro migration and morphology using primary hippocampal neural precursor cells (hNPC) and in vivo effects of gintonin on adult brain neurons using real time microscopic analysis and immunohistochemical analysis to observe the morphological and locational changes induced by gintonin treatment. Results: We found that treating hNPCs with gintonin induced morphological changes with a cell rounding following cell aggregation and return to individual neurons with time relapses. However, the in vitro effects of gintonin on hNPCs were blocked by the LPA1/3 receptor antagonist, Ki16425, and Rho kinase inhibitor, Y27632. We also examined the in vivo effects of gintonin on the morphological changes and migration of neurons in adult mouse brains using anti-NeuN and -neurofilament H antibodies. We found that acute intravenous administration of gintonin induced morphological and migrational changes in brain neurons. Gintonin induced some migrations of neurons with shortened neurofilament H in the cortex. The in vivo effects of gintonin were also blocked by Ki16425. Conclusion: The present report raises the possibility that gintonin could enter the brain and exert its influences on the migration and morphology of adult mouse brain neurons and possibly explains the therapeutic effects of neurological diseases behind the gintonin administration.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제17권2호통권82호
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• pp.198-203
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• 2007

형질전환은 유전자의 기능을 이해하는데 매우 중요한 기법이다. $Ca^{2+}$-인산 침전법은 시간과 비용이 저렴하여 가장 흔히 사용된다. 그러나 성숙 신경세포는 어린 신경세포나 다른 세포종에 비하여 형질전환이 어렵고 쉽게 죽는다. 본 연구에서는 Clontech사의 $CalPhos^{TM}$ Mammalian Transfection 방법을 수정하여 성숙한 신경세포를 효율적으로 형질전환할 수 있는 방법을 고안하였다. 대뇌 신경교세포를 DMEM/10% 말혈청에서 70-80% confluence까지 키우고 배지를 혈청이 첨가되지 않은 Neurobasal/Ara-C로 바꾸어 주어 더 이상 신경교세포가 분열하지 않게 한 다음, 여기에 E19 해마신경세포를 접종하여 배양하였다. $DNA/Ca^{2+}$-인산 침전물은 Clontech사의 $CalPhos^{TM}$ Mammalian Transfection Kit을 이용하여 크기($0.5-1\;{\mu}m$ in diameter) 및 농도(약 10 particles/$100\;{\mu}m^2$)를 배지에서 배양시간을 변화시켜 적당히 조절하였다. 이렇게 하면 in vitro에서 2주 이상 배양한 신경세포도 24-well plate 한 well당 10-15개의 형질전환된 건강한 신경세포를 얻을 수 있었다. 이 방법의 효용성을 검증하기 위하여 연접단백질인 $EGFP-CaMKII{\alpha}$ 융합단백질과 RFP 단백질 유전자(각각 $pEGFP-CaMKII{\alpha}$ 및 pDsRed2)를 형질전환한 결과 전자는 점박이 모양, 후자는 세포전체에 퍼진 양상의 표현을 관찰할 수 있었다. 따라서 본 연구는 성숙한 신경세포를 효율적으로 형질전환할 수 있는 방법을 제공한다.