title: Neuroprotective effects of thymosin beta4 in experimental models of excitotoxicity.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible neuroprotective effects of thymosin beta(4) in different models of excitotoxicity. The application of thymosin beta(4) significantly attenuated glutamate-induced toxicity both in primary cultures of cortical neurons and in rat hippocampal slices. In in vivo experiments, the intracerebroventricular administration of thymosin beta(4) significantly reduced hippocampal neuronal loss induced by kainic acid. These results show that thymosin beta(4) induced a protective effect in models of excitotoxicity. The mechanisms underlying such an effect, as well as the real neuroprotective potential of thymosin beta(4), are worthy of further investigations.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299 Rome, Italy. patrizia.popoli@iss.it
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Popoli
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pepponi
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martire
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Armida
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pèzzola
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galluzzo
authors.forename: M Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Domenici
authors.forename: Rosa Luisa
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Potenza
authors.forename: M Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tebano
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mollinari
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merlo
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garaci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000633:toxicity*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D023421:Models, Animal; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D013947:Thymosin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000099201:Thymosin beta(4)
chemical_list: D018698:Glutamic Acid; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009498:Neurotoxins; D013947:Thymosin; D000099201:Thymosin beta(4)