• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.177-183
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• 2009

Human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSCs) isolated from human adult bone marrow have self-renewal capacity and can differentiate into multiple cell types in vitro and in vivo. A number of studies have now demonstrated that MSCs can differentiate into various neuronal populations. Due to their autologous characteristics, replacement therapy using MSCs is considered to be safe and does not involve immunological complications. The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor Olig2 is necessary for the specification of both oligodendrocytes and motor neurons during vertebrate embryogenesis. To develop an efficient method for inducing neuronal differentiation from MSCs, we attempted to optimize the culture conditions and combination with Olig2 gene overexpression. We observed neuron-like morphological changes in the hMSCs under these induction conditions and examined neuronal marker expression in these cells by RTPCR and immunocytochemistry. Our data demonstrate that the combination of Olig2 overexpression and neuron-specific conditioned medium facilitates the neuronal differentiation of hMSCs in vitro. These results will advance the development of an efficient stem cell-mediated cell therapy for human neurodegenerative diseases.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.207-215
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• 2004

Objective : In order to prove the effect of Hirudin Herbal-acupuncture this experimental studies were performed by using rats that had neuronal damage due to the Middle Cerebral Artery Occulsion(MCAO). Methods : Microdialysis probes were implanted into the coordinate of striatum of anesthetized rats which consist of sham-operated 8 rats, MCAO-operated 8 rats and Hirudin Herbal-acupuncture administrated 8 rats before MCAO operating. The Hirudin Herbal-acupuncture(0.5mg/kg) was administrated to rats 30 minutes before having an operation causing the MCAO. The surgical excision lead the cross resected brain to the acute ischemic state. The brain was sliced in 2mm thickness and stained with cresyl violet buffer for the measurement of cerebral infarcted area and volume. Results : Based on the result of the tissue inspection for the cerebral ischemic cell, Hirudin Herbal-acupuncture significantly protect neurocytes. Conclusion : We suggest Hirudin Herbal-acupuncture produces protective effects against the neuronal damage induced by MCAO. Therefore, Hirudin Herbal-acupuncture may prevent delayed neuronal death(DND) in selectively vulnerable focal areas of the brain effectively.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.771-777
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• 2008

Chungpaesagan-tang which is used for treating patients of brain in cerebrovascular disease frequently from clinical doctor has not reported about the effect of neuronal aptosis caused of brain ischemia. The aim of this study is to investigate effect of Chungpaesagan-tang protecting neuronal cells from being damaged by brain ischemia through using organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. We caused ischemic damage to organotypic hippocampal slice cultures by oxygen and glucose deprivation. And added Chungpaesagan-tang extract to cultures. thereafter we measured area percentage of propidium iodide (PI)-stained neuronal cell, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in culture media and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells. Area percentage of PI-stained neuronal cells and count of TUNEL-positive cells in CA1 and DG area of organotypic hippocampal slice culture were significantly decreased in pertinent density level of Chungpaesagan-tang extract. LDH levels in culture media of organotypic hippocampal slice culture were significantly decreased in pertinent density level of Chungpaesagan-tang extract. Within pertinent density level, Chungpaesagan-tang has cell protection effect that prevents brain ischemia damaging neuronal cells and apoptosis increasing.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.386-395
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• 2010

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) are a multipotent cell population that can differentiate into neuron-like cells. Previously it has been reported that murine BM-MSC can differentiate into neuron-like cells by co-treatment with a Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) inhibitor -Y27632 and $CoCl_2$. In this study, we compared several ROCK inhibitors for the ability to induce human BM-MSCs to differentiate into neuron-like cells in the presence of $CoCl_2$. Y27632 with high specificity for ROCK at 1-30 ${\mu}M$ was best at inducing neuronal differentiation of MSCs. Compared to HA1077 and H1152, which also effectively induced morphological change into neuron-like cells, Y27632 showed less toxicity even at 100 ${\mu}M$, and resulted in longer multiple branching processes at a wide range of concentrations at 6 h and 72 h post-induction. H89, however, which has less specificity by inhibition of protein kinase A, S6 kinase 1 and MSK1 with similar or greater potency, was less effective at inducing neuronal differentiation of MSCs. Simvastatin, which can inhibit Rho, Ras, and Rac by blocking the synthesis of isoprenoid intermediates, showed little activity for inducing morphological changes of MSCs into neuron-like cells. Accordingly, the expression patterns for neuronal cell markers,including ${\beta}$-tubulin III, neuron-specific enolase, neurofilament, and microtubule-associated protein, were consistent with the pattern of the morphological changes. The data suggest that the ROCK inhibitors with higher specificity are more effective at inducing neuronal differentiation of MSCs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.700-707
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• 2010

A novel antioxidative peptide (APVPH I, antioxidative peptides from venison protein hydrolysates I) was purified from venison by enzymatic hydrolysis, column chromatography of DEAE-Sephacel, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The molecular mass of the purified peptide was found to be 9,853 Da and the amino acid sequences of the purified peptide was Met-Gln-Ile-Phe-Val-Lys-Thr-Leu-Thr-Gly. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of APVPH I against $H_2O_2$-induced neuronal cells damage in PC-12 cells. Antioxidative enzyme levels in cultured neuronal cells were increased in the presence of the peptide. In addition, APVPH I inhibited productions of nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and cell death against $H_2O_2$-induced neuronal cell damage in PC-12 cells. It was presumed to be APVPH I involved in regulating the apoptosis-related gene expression in the cell environment. The present results indicate that APVPH I substantially contributes to antioxidative properties in neuronal cells.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.276-282
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• 2010

The principal objective of this study was to evaluate the chemopreventive and therapeutic effects of a combination of all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) and knockdown of delta-like 1 homologue (Drosophila) (DLK1) on neuroblastoma, the most common malignant disease in children. As unfavorable neuroblastoma is poorly differentiated, neuroblastoma cell was induced differentiation by RA or DLK1 knockdown. Neuroblastoma cells showed elongated neurite growth, a hallmark of neuronal differentiation at various doses of RA, as well as by DLK1 knockdown. In order to determine whether or not a combination of RA and DLK1 knockdown exerts a greater chemotherapeutic effect on neuroblastoma, cells were incubated at 10 nM RA after being transfected with SiRNA-DLK1. Neuronal differentiation was increased more by a combination of RA and DLK1 knockdown than by single treatment. Additionally, in order to assess the signal pathway of neuroblastoma differentiation induced by RA and DLK1 knockdown, treatment with the specific MEK/ERK inhibitors, U0126 and PD 98059, was applied to differentiated neuroblastoma cells. Differentiation induced by RA and DLK1 knockdown increased ERK phosphorylation. The MEK/ERK inhibitor U0126 completely inhibited neuronal differentiation induced by both RA and DLK1 knockdown, whereas PD98059 partially blocked neuronal differentiation. After the withdrawal of inhibitors, cellular differentiation was fully recovered. This study is, to the best of our knowledge, the first to demonstrate that the specific inhibitors of the MEK/ERK pathway, U0126 and PD98059, exert differential effects on the ERK phosphorylation induced by RA or DLK1 knockdown. Based on the observations of this study, it can be concluded that a combination of RA and DLK1 knockdown increases neuronal differentiation for the control of the malignant growth of human neuroblastomas, and also that both MEK1 and MEK2 are required for the differentiation induced by RA and DLK1 knockdown.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.1-16
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 56 herbal formulae covered by the National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC) on dementia-related biomarkers and neuronal cell changes. Methods: The 56 herbal formulae were extracted with 70% ethanol at $100^{\circ}C$ for 2 h. The antioxidant properties was measured by radical scavenging assay using ABTS+ radical. The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was tested by Ellman's assay and $amyloid-{\beta}$ ($A{\beta}$) aggregation was determined using fluorescence method. To estimate the inhibitory effects of herbal formulae on neuronal cell death and inflammation using HT22 hippocampal cells and BV-2 microglia, respectively. Results: Among the 56 herbal formulae, Dangguiyukhwangtang, Banhasasimtang, Samhwangsasimtang, Cheongwiesan, Hwangryunhaedoktang, Banhabaekchulchunmatang, Jaeumganghwatang, Cheongseoikgitang, and Hoechunyanggyuksan has a significant inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Doinseunggitang and Samhwangsasimtang exerted the effect on the inhibition of $amyloid-{\beta}$ ($A{\beta}$) aggregation. Additionally, 10 herbal formulae affected AChE and $A{\beta}$ aggregation revealed antioxidant activity as well as neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammation effects in neuronal cell lines. Conclusions: 10 herbal formulae that have been shown to be effective against the major dementia markers have been shown to have antioxidant activity, neuronal cell protection and inhibition of brain inflammation. Further investigation of these herbal formulae will need to be validated in dementia animal models.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.124-128
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• 2004

We have assessed amyloid ${\beta}-peptide$ $(A{\beta})-induced$ neurotoxicity in primary neurons and organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHC) in rat. Exposing cultured hippocampal and cerebellar granule neurons to $A{\beta}$ resulted in a decrease of MTT reduction, and in destruction of neuronal integrity. Treatment of these neurons with tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N-glycosylation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), also decreased MTT reduction in these neurons. S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC), an active organosulfur compound in aged garlic extract, protected hippocampal but not cerebellar granule neurons against $A{\beta}$- or tunicamycin-induced toxicity. In the hippocampal neurons, protein expressions of casapse-12 and GRP 78 were significantly increased after $A{\beta}_{25-35}$ or tunicamycin treatment. The increase in the expression of caspase-12 was suppressed by simultaneously adding $1{\mu}M$ SAC in these neurons. In contrast, in the cerebellar granule neurons, the expression of caspase-12 was extremely lower than that in the hippocampal neurons, and an increase in the expression by $A{\beta}_{25-35}$ or tunicamycin was not detected. In OHC, ibotenic acid (IBO), a NMDA receptor agonist, induced concentration-dependent neuronal death. When $A{\beta}$ was combined with IBO, there was more intense cell death than with IBO alone. SAC protected neurons in the CA3 area and the dentate gyrus (DG) from the cell death induced by IBO in combination with $A{\beta}$, although there was no change in the CA1 area. Although protein expression of casapse-12 in the CA3 area and the DG was significantly increased after the simultaneous treatment of AI3 and IBO, no increase in the expression was observed in the CA1 area. These results suggest that SAC could protect against the neuronal cell death induced by the activation of caspase-12 in primary cultures and OHC. It is also suggested that multiple mechanisms may be involved in neuronal death induced by AI3 and AI3 in combination with IBO.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.167-172
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• 2006

In the present study, we developed a simple method to predict the neuronal cell death in the mouse hippocampus and striatum following transient global forebrain ischemia by evaluating both cerebral blood flow and the plasticity of the posterior communicating artery (PcomA). Male C57BL/6 mice were anesthetized with halothane and subjected to bilateral occlusion of the common carotid artery (BCCAO) for 30 min. The regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured by laser Doppler flowmetry. The plasticity of PcomA was visualized by intravascular perfusion of India ink solution. When animals had the residual cortical microperfusion less than 15% as well as the smaller PcomA whose diameter was less than one third compared with that of basilar artery, neuronal damage in the hippocampal subfields including CA1, CA2, and CA4, and in the striatum was consistently observed. Especially, when mice met these two criteria, marked neuronal damage was observed in CA2 subfield of the hippocampus. In contrast, after transient BCCAO, neuronal damage was consistently produced in the striatum, dependent more on the degree of rCBF reduction than on the plasticity of PcomA. The present study provided simple and highly reproducible criteria to induce the neuronal cell death in the vulnerable mice brain areas including the hippocampus and striatum after transient global forebrain ischemia.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.287-292
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• 2005

Objective : Kainic acid[KA] enhances the expression of nitric oxide synthase, increases nitric oxide[NO], and thus evokes epileptic convulsion, which results in neuronal damage in the rat brain. NO may stimulate cyclooxygenase type-2 [COX-2] activity, thus producing seizure and neuronal injury, but it has also been reported that KA-induced seizure and neurodegeneration are aggravated on decreasing the COX-2 level. This study was undertaken to investigate whether the suppression of NO using the NOS inhibitor, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester[L-NAME], suppresses or enhances the activity of COX-2. Methods : Silver impregnation and COX-2 immunohistochemical staining were used to localize related pathophysiological processes in the rat forebrain following KA-induced epileptic convulsion and L-NAME pretreatment. Post-injection survival of the rat was 1, 2, 3days and 2months, respectively. Results : After the systemic administration of KA in rats, neurodegeneration increased with time in the cornu ammonis [CA] 3, CA 1 and amygdala, as confirmed by silver impregnation. On pretreating L-NAME, KA-induced neuronal degeneration decreased. COX-2 enzyme activities increased after KA injection in the dentate gyrus, CA 3, CA 1, amygdala and pyriform cortex, as determined by COX-2 staining. L-NAME pretreatment prior to KA-injection, caused COX-2 activities to increase compared with KA- injection only group by 1day and 2days survival time point. Conclusion : These results suggest that L-NAME has a neuroprotective effect on KA-induced neuronal damage, especially during the early stage of neurodegeneration.