title: Fucoidan inhibits cellular and neurotoxic effects of beta-amyloid (A beta) in rat cholinergic basal forebrain neurons.
abstract: The deposition of beta-amyloid protein (A beta), a 39-43 amino acid peptide, in the brain and a loss of cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Seaweeds consumed in Asia contain Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide. Fucoidan has been known to exhibit various biological actions, such as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action. In this study, using whole-cell patch clamp recordings we examined the effects of Fucoidan on A beta-induced whole-cell currents in acutely dissociated rat basal forebrain neurons. We further investigated whether Fucoidan is capable of blocking A beta neurotoxicity in primary neuronal cultures. In dissociated cells, bath application of A beta(25-35) (1 microM) caused a reduction of the whole-cell currents by 16%. Fucoidan, in a dose-dependent manner, blocks the A beta(25-35) reduction of whole-cell currents. Exposure of A beta(25-35) (20 microM) or A beta(1-42) (20 microM) to rat cholinergic basal forebrain cultures for 48 h resulted in 40-60% neuronal death, which was significantly decreased by pretreatment of cultures with Fucoidan (0.1-1.0 microM). Fucoidan also attenuated A beta-induced down-regulation of phosphorylated protein kinase C. A beta(1-42)-induced generation of reactive oxygen species was blocked by prior exposure of cultures to Fucoidan. Furthermore, A beta activation of caspases 9 and 3, which are signaling pathways implicated in apoptotic cell death, is blocked by pretreatment of cultures with Fucoidan. These results show that Fucoidan is able to block A beta-induced reduction in whole-cell currents in basal forebrain neurons and has neuroprotective effects against A beta-induced neurotoxicity in basal forebrain neuronal cultures.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2S2, Canada. jack.jhamandas@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Jack H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jhamandas
authors.forename: Myung Bok
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Wie
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: MacTavish
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kar
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D009498:Neurotoxins; D011134:Polysaccharides; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C007789:fucoidan