title: Desipramine activated Bcl-2 expression and inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced apoptosis in hippocampus-derived adult neural stem cells.
abstract: Desipramine (DP) is a tricyclic antidepressant used for treating depression and numerous other psychiatric disorders. Recent studies have shown that DP can promote neurogenesis and improve the survival rate of hippocampal neurons. However, whether DP induces neuroprotection or promotes the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) needs to be elucidated. In this study, we cultured NSCs derived from the hippocampal tissues of adult rats as an in vitro model to evaluate the modulation effect of DP on NSCs. First, we demonstrated that the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and nestin in 2 microM DP-treated NSCs were up-regulated and detected by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results of Western blotting and immunofluorescent study confirmed that Bcl-2 protein expression was significantly increased in Day 3 DP-treated NSCs. Using the Bcl-2 small interfering RNA (siRNA) method, our results further showed that DP protects the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced apoptosis in NSCs, in part by activating the expression of Bcl-2. Furthermore, DP treatment significantly inhibited the induction of proinflammatory factor interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the culture medium of LPS-treated NSCs mediated by Bcl-2 modulation. The results of high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrochemical detection further confirmed that DP significantly increased the functional production of serotonin (26+/-3.5 microM, DP-treated 96 h) and noradrenaline (50+/-8.9 microM, DP-treated 96 h) in NSCs through activation of the MAPK/ERK pathway and partially mediated by Bcl-2. In conclusion, the present results indicate that DP can increase neuroprotection ability by inhibiting the LPS-induced inflammatory process in NSCs via the modulation of Bcl-2 expression, as confirmed by the siRNA method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Yin
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chi-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Yi-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chih-Chiau
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wen-Ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Hsiao-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kwok-Han
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Yi-Pen
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Shih-Jen
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yuh-Lih
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003891:Desipramine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein; D012701:Serotonin; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D003891:Desipramine; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine