title: Protective effect of isoflavones from Trifolium pratense on dopaminergic neurons.
abstract: In the present study, protective effect of five isoflavones (formononetin, daidzein, pratensein, calycosin and irilone) from Trifolium pratense on lipopolysaccharide-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration was studied for the first time. The results showed that all five isoflavones attenuated LPS-induced decrease in dopamine uptake and the number of dopaminergic neurons in a dose-dependent manner in rat mesencephalic neuron-glia cultures. Moreover, they also significantly inhibited LPS-induced activation of microglia and production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, nitric oxide and superoxide in mesencephalic neuron-glia cultures and microglia-enriched cultures. In addition, the rank order of protective potency of five isoflavones was: pratensein>daidzein>calycosin>formononetin>irilone. This study suggested that all five isoflavones protected dopaminergic neurons against LPS-induced injury through inhibition of microglia activation and proinflammatory factors generation.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China.
authors.forename: Han-Qing
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xi-Jin
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zheng-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Xue-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jian-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zheng-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D029921:Trifolium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007529:Isoflavones; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D004298:Dopamine