title: Albumin protects cultured cerebellar granule neurons against zinc neurotoxicity.
abstract: In this study, we have investigated the role of albumin in zinc-induced neurotoxicity of cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons. ZnCl2 induces cerebellar granule cell death in a time- and concentration-dependent manner and albumin in serum affords a significant protection against zinc-induced neurotoxicity. We further measured intracellular zinc concentrations in the presence or absence of albumin. The results showed that exogenously added ZnCl2 induced an increase in intracellular zinc concentrations in a concentration-dependent fashion in albumin-free buffer. However, in the presence of albumin, it dramatically decreased ZnCl2-induced elevation of intracellular zinc concentrations. These results indicate that albumin protects against zinc-induced neurotoxicity by blocking extracellular zinc uptake by neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
authors.forename: Suizhen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Vincent S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Tagliabracci
authors.forename: Xianming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yansheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology; D002712:Chlorides / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D002712:Chlorides; D003470:Culture Media; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C016837:zinc chloride