title: Selenium effectively inhibits ROS-mediated apoptotic neural precursor cell death in vitro and in vivo in traumatic brain injury.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate possible prevention of apoptotic cell death by selenium, an antioxidant, using cultured brain-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and an experimental mouse brain trauma (BT) model. We tested some of the neuroprotective effects of sodium selenite in NPC cells by monitoring thioredoxin reductase (TR) expression, optimum H(2)O(2) removal, and consequent inhibition of pro-apoptotic events including cytochrome c release and caspase 3 and 9 activation. Analysis of key apoptotic regulators during H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis of NPCs showed that selenite blocks the activation of c-jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK)/P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and Akt survival protein. Moreover, selenite activates p44/42 MAPK and inhibits the downregulation of Bcl2 in selenite-treated NPC cells. For in vivo experiments, the effects of selenite on H(2)O(2) neurotoxicity were tested using several biochemical and morphologic markers. Here we show that selenite potentially inhibits H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis of NPCs and in traumatic brain injury. This in vivo protective function was also associated with inhibition of H(2)O(2)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cytochrome c release and caspase 3 and 9 activation. Our data show that the protective function of selenite through attenuation of secondary pathological events most likely results from its comprehensive effects that block apoptotic cell death, resulting in the maintenance of functional neurons and in inhibition of astrogliosis. The finding that selenite administration prevents secondary pathological events in an animal model of traumatic brain injury, as well as its efficacy, may provide novel drug targets for treating brain trauma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, 1-10, Ami-Dong, Seo-Gu, Busan, 602-739, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jee Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Yeo
authors.forename: Soo Kyung
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D012643:Selenium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018038:Sodium Selenite / Q000494:pharmacology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D012643:Selenium; D018038:Sodium Selenite