title: Protective effects of melatonin on cortico-hippocampal neurotoxicity induced by amyloid beta-peptide 25-35.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of melatonin on primary rat cortico-hippocampal neurotoxicity induced by amyloid beta-peptide 25-35.
  
  
  METHODS
  The neuronal morphology was observed by phase-contrast microscopy. The neurotoxicity was quantitatively estimated by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released into the culture medium from the damaged neurons. The neuronal metabolic state was quantified by the reduction of 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment of primary rat cortico-hippocampal neurons with amyloid beta-peptide 25-35 (20 micromol/L) for 24 h caused a significant decrease in neurocyte viability (P < 0.01, compared with control). Melatonin (1 or 10 micromol/L) reduced the neurotoxicity induced by amyloid beta-peptide 25-35.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Amyloid beta-peptide 25-35 could exert direct cytotoxicity on rat cortico-hippocampal neurocytes and melatonin concentration-dependently rescued cultured neurons from exposure to amyloid beta-peptide 25-35 induced injury.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China. shenyuxi@mail.hf.ah.cn
authors.forename: Yu-Xian
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Shu-Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005333:Fetus; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C439320:amyloid beta-protein (25-36); D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D008550:Melatonin