title: Inhibitory effect of fangchinoline on excitatory amino acids-induced neurotoxicity in cultured rat cerebellar granule cells.
abstract: Glutamate receptors-mediated excitotoxicity is believed to play a role in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. The present study was performed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of fangchinoline, a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, which has a characteristic as a Ca2+ channel blocker, on excitatory amino acids (EAAs)-induced neurotoxicity in cultured rat cerebellar granule neuron. Fangchinoline (1 and 5 microM) inhibited glutamate (1 mM), N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA; 1 mM) and kainate (100 microM)-induced neuronal cell death which was measured by trypan blue exclusion test. Fangchinoline (1 and 5 microM) inhibited glutamate release into medium induced by NMDA (1 mM) and kainate (100 microM), which was measured by HPLC. And fangchinoline (5 microM) inhibited glutamate (1 mM)-induced elevation of intracellular calcium concentration. These results suggest that inhibition of Ca2+ influx by fangchinoline may contribute to the beneficial effects on neurodegenerative effect of glutamate in pathophysiological conditions.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Seong
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity*; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018698:Glutamic Acid; C060802:fangchinoline; D002118:Calcium