title: C-phycocyanin protects cerebellar granule cells from low potassium/serum deprivation-induced apoptosis.
abstract: We tested the potential cytoprotective role of C-phycocyanin in rat cerebellar granule cell cultures. Cell death was induced by potassium and serum (K/S) withdrawal. Cell viability was studied using the neutral red assay and laser scanning cytometry with propidium iodide as fluorochrome. C-phycocyanin (1-3 mg/ml) showed a neuroprotective effect against 24 h of K/S deprivation in cerebellar granule cells. After 4 h K/S deprivation this compound (3 mg/ml) inhibited formation of reactive oxygen species, measured as 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein fluorescence, showing its scavenger capability. Pre-treatment with C-phycocyanin reduced thymidine incorporation into DNA below control values and reduced dramatically apoptotic bodies as visualized by propidium iodide, indicating inhibition of apoptosis induced by K/S deprivation. Flow cytometry studies, using propidium iodide in TritonX100 permeabilized cells, indicated that 24 h K/S deprivation acts as a proliferative signal for cerebellar granule cells, which show an increase in S-phase percentage and cells progressed into the apoptotic pathway. C-phycocyanin protected cerebellar granule cells from the apoptosis induced by deprivation. These results suggest that C-phycocyanin prevents apoptosis in cerebellar granule cells probably through the antioxidant activity. It is proposed that K/S deprivation-induced apoptosis could be due, in part, to an alteration in the cell cycle mediated by an oxidative stress mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Farmacologia i Farmacognòsia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Nucli Universitari de Pedralbes, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rimbau
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camins
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pubill
authors.forename: F X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Sureda
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romay
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Escubedo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Camarasa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pallàs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free / Q000009:adverse effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010798:Phycocyanin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D010798:Phycocyanin; D011189:Potassium Chloride