title: Ulva conglobata, a marine algae, has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in murine hippocampal and microglial cells.
abstract: It has been reported that inflammatory processes are associated with the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and the treatment of AD using anti-inflammatory agents slows the progress of AD. Marine algae have been utilized in food products as well as in medicine products for a variety of purposes. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of methanol extracts of Ulva conglobata (U. conglobata), a marine algae, on glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in the murine hippocampal HT22 cell line and the anti-inflammatory effects on interferon gamma (IFN-gamma)-induced microglial activation in BV2 cells. U. conglobata methanol extracts significantly attenuated the neurotoxicity induced by glutamate in HT22 cells and inhibited nitric oxide production induced by IFN-gamma in BV2 cells. U. conglobata methanol extract treatments were also examined and it was found that they almost completely suppressed the expression of the proinflammatory enzyme cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). These results suggest that U. conglobata possesses therapeutic potential for combating neurodegenerative diseases associated with neuroinflammation.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Institute for Brain Science and Technology (IBST), Hanwha CC R&D Center Building, Inje University, 6 Shinsung-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-804, South Korea.
authors.forename: Da-Qing
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Chol Seung
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jin-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Han Gil
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Ilho
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Jung-Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D044445:Ulva / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2