title: Mechanisms of apoptosis in rat cerebellar granule cells induced by hydroxyl radicals and the effects of EGb761 and its constituents.
abstract: In this study investigation is made on whether oxidative stress produced by treatment with hydroxyl radicals can induce apoptosis in rat cerebellar granule cells. The protective effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb761) and its active constituents against apoptosis are also examined. The results show that hydroxyl radicals generated by the Fenton reaction induced apoptosis in cerebellar granule cells, which was associated with the decrease in the Bcl-2 mRNA level and the increase in the protein levels of the transcription factors Fos and Jun. Moreover, hydroxyl radicals induced time-dependent lipid peroxidation in cells and caused the changes in the sulfhydryl group binding sites on the membrane proteins. Hydroxyl radicals may induce apoptosis via different signaling pathways. EGb761 attenuated these changes and its different constituents showed different effects. The total flavonoid component of EGb761 and a mixture of flavonoids and terpenes protected cerebellar granule cells from oxidative damage and apoptosis induced by hydroxyl radicals. Total terpenes of EGb761 did not protect against apoptosis. Flavonoids and terpenes did not show a synergistic effect in this regard.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, Academia Sinica, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China. xinwj@sun5.ibp.ac.cn
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000187:drug effects; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013439:Sulfhydryl Reagents / Q000378:metabolism; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013439:Sulfhydryl Reagents; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; C063170:Ginkgo biloba extract; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract