title: Alkaloid fraction of Uncaria rhynchophylla protects against N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced apoptosis in rat hippocampal slices.
abstract: Uncaria rhynchophylla is a medicinal herb which has sedative and anticonvulsive effects and has been applied in the treatment of epilepsy in Oriental medicine. In this study, the effect of alkaloid fraction of U. rhynchophylla against N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced neuronal cell death was investigated. Pretreatment with an alkaloid fraction of U. rhynchophylla for 1 h decreased the degree of neuronal damage induced by NMDA exposure in cultured hippocampal slices and also inhibited NMDA-induced enhanced expressions of apoptosis-related genes such as c-jun, p53, and bax. In the present study, the alkaloid fraction of U. rhynchophylla was shown to have a protective property against NMDA-induced cytotoxicity by suppressing the NMDA-induced apoptosis in rat hippocampal slices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Herbal Pharmacology, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, South Korea. leejseok99@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jongseok
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dongwook
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Pyeongjae
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sun-Yeou
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hocheol
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chang-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eunhee
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000985:Antisepsis / Q000379:methods; D017209:Apoptosis; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000633:toxicity; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011419:Propidium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D032070:Uncaria / Q000737:chemistry*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; C494828:Bax protein, rat; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D019938:Cyclin D1; D011419:Propidium; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate