title: Alpha-lipoic acid protects rat cortical neurons against cell death induced by amyloid and hydrogen peroxide through the Akt signalling pathway.
abstract: Substantial evidence suggests that the accumulation of beta-amyloid (Abeta)-derived peptides contributes to the aetiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by stimulating formation of free radicals. Thus, the antioxidant alpha-lipoate, which is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, would seem an ideal substance in the treatment of AD. We have investigated the potential effectiveness of alpha-lipoic acid (LA) against cytotoxicity induced by Abeta peptide (31-35) (30 microM) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) (100 microM) with the cellular 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction and fluorescence dye propidium iodide assays in primary neurons of rat cerebral cortex. We found that treatment with LA protected cortical neurons against cytotoxicity induced by Abeta or H(2)O(2). In addition, LA-induced increase in the level of Akt in the neurons was observed by Western blot. The LA-induced neuroprotection and Akt increase were attenuated by pre-treatment with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002 (50 microM). Our data suggest that the neuroprotective effects of the antioxidant LA are partly mediated through activation of the PKB/Akt signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Endocrinology Branch, NIMH, NIH, Building 10, Room 3N238, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. zhangl@codon.nih.gov
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: G Q
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maric
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Rubinow
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001681:Biological Assay; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D005333:Fetus; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D000975:Antioxidants; D004396:Coloring Agents; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; C113042:amyloid beta-protein (31-35); D008063:Thioctic Acid; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; C494920:Akt1 protein, rat; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C022616:thiazolyl blue