Allicin protects rat cortical neurons against mechanical trauma injury by regulating nitric oxide synthase pathways.

Allicin protects rat cortical neurons against mechanical trauma injury by regulating nitric oxide synthase pathways.
Brain Res Bull. 2013 Oct 29;
Authors: Zhou YF, Li WT, Han HC, Gao DK, He XS, Li L, Song JN, Fei Z
Abstract
Allicin, a small molecule that is responsible for the typical smell and most of the functions of garlic, possesses a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities and is considered to have therapeutic potential in many pathologic conditions. In the present study, we investigated the potential protective effect of allicin in an in vitro model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) using primary cultured rat cortical neurons. We found that allicin treatment significantly reduced mechanical trauma-induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and inhibited apoptotic neuronal death in a dose-dependent manner. These protective effects were observed even if allicin treatment was delayed to 2h after injury. Allicin significantly decreased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and increased the phosphorylation of endothelial NOS (eNOS) but had no effect on neuronal NOS (nNOS) expression. Allicin-induced protection in cortical neurons was augmented by iNOS and nNOS antagonists and was partly reversed by blocking eNOS phosphorylation. In addition, allicin treatment inhibited the TBI-induced activation of ERK and further enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt in TBI-injured neurons. The Akt inhibitor LY294002 attenuated the alli...

Source: Brain Research Bulletin - October 29, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Zhou YF, Li WT, Han HC, Gao DK, He XS, Li L, Song JN, Fei Z Tags: Brain Res Bull Source Type: research