• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.15-30
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• 2011

Objectives : The present study investigated the effects of Achyranthis Radix on short-term memory, apoptotic neuronal cell death in the hippocampus following transient global ischemia in gerbils. Methods : The gerbils were divided into 5 groups(n=10); Sham operation group, ischemia-induced group, ischemia-induced and 50 mg/kg Achyranthis Radix-treated group, ischemia-induced and 100 mg/kg Achyranthis Radix-treated group, ischemia-induced and 200 mg/kg Achyranthis Radix-treated group. For this study, a step-down avoidance task, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) assay, immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 and BrdU(5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine), and western blotting for bax, bcl-2 were performed. Results : The results revealed that ischemic injury impaired short-term memory and increased apoototic neuronal cell death in the hippocampal CA1(cornu ammonis area 1) region. Ischemic injury enhanced cell proliferation in the hippocampal CA1 region, the compensatory and adaptive process for excessive apoptosis. Achyranthis Radix treatment improved short-term memory by suppressing ischemia-induced apoptotic neuronal cell death in the hippocampal CA1 region. Also, Achyranthis Radix suppressed the ischemia-induced increase in cell proliferation in the hippocampal CA1 region. Conclusions : We showed that Achyranthis Radix alleviates ischemia-induced apoptotic neuronal cell death, thus facilitates the recovery of short-term memory impairment induced by ischemic cerebral injury.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.26.1-26.12
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• 2022

Background: Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter. Excessive glutamate causes excitatory toxicity and increases intracellular calcium, leading to neuronal death. Parvalbumin is a calcium-binding protein that regulates calcium homeostasis. Quercetin is a polyphenol found in plant and has neuroprotective effects against neurodegenerative diseases. Objectives: We investigated whether quercetin regulates apoptosis by modulating parvalbumin expression in glutamate induced neuronal damage. Methods: Glutamate was treated in hippocampal-derived cell line, and quercetin or vehicle was treated 1 h before glutamate exposure. Cells were collected for experimental procedure 24 h after glutamate treatment and intracellular calcium concentration and parvalbumin expression were examined. Parvalbumin small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection was performed to detect the relation between parvalbumin and apoptosis. Results: Glutamate reduced cell viability and increased intracellular calcium concentration, while quercetin preserved calcium concentration and neuronal damage. Moreover, glutamate reduced parvalbumin expression and quercetin alleviated this reduction. Glutamate increased caspase-3 expression, and quercetin attenuated this increase in both parvalbumin siRNA transfected and non-transfected cells. The alleviative effect of quercetin was statistically significant in non-transfected cells. Moreover, glutamate decreased bcl-2 and increased bax expressions, while quercetin alleviated these changes. The alleviative effect of quercetin in bcl-2 family protein expression was more remarkable in non-transfected cells. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that parvalbumin contributes to the maintainace of intracellular calcium concentration and the prevention of apoptosis, and quercetin modulates parvalbumin expression in glutamate-exposed cells. Thus, these findings suggest that quercetin performs neuroprotective function against glutamate toxicity by regulating parvalbumin expression.

• 한국영양학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국영양학회 2003년도 추계학술대회 및 정기총회
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• pp.26-29
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• 2003

• 한국해양바이오학회지
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2017

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is one of the most widely distributed environmental pollutants and causes neurotoxicities. Fucoidan is a main bioactive constituent of the brown sea-weed and has many functions in a variety of physiological conditions. The present study attempted to investigate the potential role of fucoidan as neuroprotective marine polypeptide in environmental pollutant-induced apoptosis of neuronal cells in culture. MTT assay showed that cell viability was significantly reduced to 68 % at $30{\mu}M$ PFOS, which was recovered up to 77% and 92% in the presence of fucoidan 25 and $50{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Cytotoxicity assay showed that LDH release was significantly increased to 160% at $30{\mu}M$ PFOS but was reduced to 150% and 122% in the presence of fucoidan 25 and $50{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Caspase-3 activity, a hallmark of apoptosis, was measured to determine the cytotoxicity of PFOS and the cytoprotective effects of fucoidan. PFOS induced a 250% increase of caspase-3 activity at $30{\mu}M$ but the increase was dampened to 180% and 130% in the presence of fucoidan 25 and $50{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. PFOS $30{\mu}M$ induced 180 % increase in ROS accumulation, which was effectively blocked by $50{\mu}g/ml$ fucoidan (120% of control). Our results demonstrated that PFOS is a powerful neurotoxicant and fucoidan may be a protective marine bioactive polypeptide against the neurotoxic environmental pollutants. It may contribute to establishing the potential role of fucoidan as a neuroprotective polypeptide that prevents the risk of neurological disorders from the possible neurotoxic pollutants.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2013

Objective : This study was undertaken in the belief that the atypical antipsychotic drug quetiapine could prevent apoptosis in the penumbra region following ischemia, taking into account findings that show 5-hydroxytryptamine-2 receptor blockers can prevent apoptosis. Methods : We created 5 groups, each containing 6 animals. Nothing was done on the K-I group used for comparisons with the other groups to make sure adequate ischemia had been achieved. The K-II group was sacrificed on the 1st day after transient focal cerebral ischemia and the K-III group on the 3rd day. The D-I group was administered quetiapine following ischemia and sacrificed on the 1st day while the D-II group was administered quetiapine every day following the ischemia and sacrificed on the 3rd day. The samples were stained with the immunochemical TUNEL method and the number of apoptotic cells were counted. Results : There was a significant difference between the first and third day control groups (K-II/K-III : p=0.004) and this indicates that apoptotic cell death increases with time. This increase was not encountered in the drug groups (D-I/D-II : p=1.00). Statistical analysis of immunohistochemical data revealed that quetiapine decreased the apoptotic cell death that normally increased with time. Conclusion : Quetiapine is already in clinical use and is a safe drug, in contrast to many substances that are used to prevent ischemia and are not normally used clinically. Our results and the literature data indicate that quetiapine could help both as a neuronal protector and to resolve neuropsychiatric problems caused by the ischemia in cerebral ischemia cases.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.103-112
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was to evaluate the pharmacological effect of Korea Red Ginseng aqueous extract (KRGE) on serum-deprived apoptosis of neuronal-like pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and to investigate its underlying action mechanism. Methods : KRGE was prepared by extracting Korea Red Ginseng with hot water and concentrating using a vacuum evaporator. Cell viability was determined after incubation of cells with KRGE or chemical inhibitor in serum-deprived medium for 60 h by counting intact nuclei following lysing of the cell membrane. Caspase activities were measured using chromogenic substrates and signal-associated protein phosphorylation and cytochrome c release were determined by Western blot analyses using their specific antibodies. Results : Serum deprivation induced PC12 cell death, which was accompanied by typical morphological features of apoptotic cell, such as nuclear fragmentation, caspase-3 activation, and cytochrome c release. This apoptotic cell death was significantly inhibited by KRGE and caspase-3 inhibitor, but not by the addition of NMA, ODQ, and PD98059. KRGE promoted phosphorylation of Akt and Bad, and this phosphorylation was inhibited by the PI3K inhibitor LY92004. In addition, this inhibitor also reversed KRGE-mediated protection of PC 12 cells from serum deprivation. These results suggested that KRGE protects PC12 cells from serum deprivation-induced apoptosis through the activation of PI3K/Akt-dependent Bad phosphorylation and cytochrome c release, resulting in caspase-3 activation. Conclusions : KRGE should be considered as a potential therapeutic drug for brain diseases including stroke induced by apoptosis of neuronal cells.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.1-12
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• 2011

Objectives: This study was carried out in order to examine the effects of Gastrodiae rhizoma(GR) ethanol extract on neuronal apoptosis in intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)-induced rats. Methods: ICH was induced by the stereotaxic intrastriatal injection of bacterial collagenase type VII in Sprague-Dawley rats. GR was orally given once a day for 3 days after ICH. Histological changes of the peri-hematoma regions were observed by cresyl vioIet staining. Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), B-cell blastoma 2(BcI-2) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling(TUNEL) expressions in the affected regions were performed by immunohistochemistry. Results: 1. GR reduced apoptotic bodies and swelling neurons in the peri-hematoma regions of ICH-induced rats. 2. GR significantly reduced TUNEL positive cells in the peri-hematoma regions of ICH-induced rats. 3. GR significantly reduced Bax positive cells in the peri-hematoma regions of ICH-induced rats. 4. GR did not influence Bcl-2 expression in the peri-hematoma regions of ICH-induced rats. Conclusions: These results suggest that GR has neuroprotective effects against ICH-induced apoptosis.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.138-147
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• 2021

The overproduction of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes oxidative damage to neuronal cells, leading to the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we determined the nitric oxide radical (NO), hydroxyl radical (·OH), and superoxide anion radical (O₂^-) scavenging activities of apigenin. Our results showed that apigenin exhibited remarkable, concentration-dependent ·OH, O₂^-, and NO radical scavenging activities. Particularly, apigenin indicated the strongest ·OH radical scavenging activity with 93.38% in the concentration of 100 µM. Furthermore, we also investigated the protective effects of apigenin against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells. The H₂O₂ treatment resulted in a significant decrease in cell viability, as well as an increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and ROS production compared with the H₂O₂-nontreated SH-SY5Y cells. However, the cell viability significantly increased in the apigenin-treated group, as well as inhibited ROS generation and LDH release compared with the H₂O₂-induced control group. To elucidate the protective mechanisms of apigenin against oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y, we analyzed the apoptosis-related protein expression. The apigenin treatment resulted in the downregulated expression of apoptosis-related protein markers, such as cytochrome C, cleaved caspase-3, poly (ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP), and B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X (Bax), as well as the upregulated expression of anti-apoptosis markers such as B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2). In this study, we report that apigenin exhibits a neuroprotective effect against oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells. These results suggest that apigenin may be considered as a potential agent for neurodegenerative disease prevention.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.19-27
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• 1999

Apoptosis has been implicated in the pathophysiological mechanisms of various neurodegenerative diseases. In a variety of cell types, oxidative stress has been demonstrated to play an important role in the apoptotic cell death. However, the exact mechanism of oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in neuronal cells is not known. In this study, we induced oxidative stress in IMR-32 human neuroblastoma cells with tert- butylhydroperoxide (TBHP), which was confirmed by significantly reduced glutathione content and glutathione reductase activity, and increased glutathione peroxidase activity. TBHP induced decrease in cell viability and increase in DNA fragmentation, a hallmark of apoptosis, in a dose-dependent manner. TBHP also induced a sustained increase in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration, which was completely prevented either by EGTA, an extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator or by flufenamic acid (FA), a non-selective cation channel (NSCC) blocker. These results indicate that the TBHP-induced intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ increase may be due to $Ca^{2+}$ influx through the activation of NSCCs. In addition, treatment with either an intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator (BAPTA/AM) or FA significantly suppressed the TBHP-induced apoptosis. Moreover, TBHP increased the expression of p53 gene but decreased c-myc gene expression. Taken together, these results suggest that the oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in neuronal cells may be mediated through the activation of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ signals and altered expression of p53 and c-myc.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.10-23
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• 2014

Objectives: This study evaluated the effects of Guibi-tang (GBT) on neuronal apoptosis and cognitive impairment induced by beta amyloid ($A{\beta}$), (1-42) injection in the hippocampus of ICR mice. Methods: $A{\beta}$ (1-42) was injected unilaterally into the lateral ventricle using a Hamilton syringe and micropump ($2{\mu}g/3{\mu}{\ell}$, $0.6{\mu}{\ell}/min$). Water extract of GBT was administered orally once a day (500 mg/kg) for 3 weeks after the $A{\beta}$ (1-42) injection. Acquisition of learning and retention of memory were tested using the Morris water maze. Neuronal damage and $A{\beta}$ accumulation in the hippocampus was observed using cresyl violet and Congo red staining. The anti-apoptotic effect of GBT was evaluated using TUNEL labeling in the hippocampus. Results: GBT significantly shortened the escape latencies during acquisition training trials. GBT significantly increased the number of target headings to the platform site, the swimming time spent in the target quadrant, and significantly shortened the time for the 1st target heading during the retention test trial. GBT significantly attenuated the reduction in thickness and number of CA1 neurons, and $A{\beta}$ accumulation in the hippocampus produced by $A{\beta}$ (1-42) injection. GBT significantly reduced the number of TUNEL-labeled neurons in the hippocampus. Conclusion: These results suggest that GBT improved cognitive impairment by reducing neuronal apoptosis and $A{\beta}$ accumulation in the hippocampus. GBT may be a beneficial herbal formulation in treating cognitive impairment including Alzheimer's disease.