Aquilariae Lignum extract attenuates glutamate-induced neuroexcitotoxicity in HT22 hippocampal cells

Publication date: October 2018Source: Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Volume 106Author(s): Jin-Seok Lee, Won-Yong Kim, Yoo-Jin Jeon, Sam-Keun Lee, Chang-Gue SonAbstractAn imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters is known to induce neuronal excitotoxicity which is a major cause of neurodegenerative disorders. Excessive glutamate concentration leads to the neuronal death by increasing oxidative stress and affecting the apoptotic signaling pathway. We investigated the anti-excitotoxic effects and associated working mechanisms of 30% ethanol extract of Aquilariae Lignum (ALE) against hippocampal neuronal death by glutamate. HT22 cells were treated with glutamate (20 mM) for 24 h following pretreatment with ALE (5, 10, 25 μg/mL). Cell viability, biochemical analysis, flow chemistry, and Western blotting assays were performed.Glutamate treatment substantially increased the intracellular level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca2+ influx into the cell, which were followed by apoptosis. ALE pretreatment, however, significantly attenuated these excitotoxicity-related features according to the results of Annexin V analysis and the lactate dehydrogenase assay, in which the calpain pathway (in a caspase 3-independent manner) may be involved. ALE pretreatment also significantly attenuated the glutamate-induced activation of both inflammation-associated molecules (extracellular signal–regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinases and p38) and death-related mol...

Source: Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy - July 18, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research