Ghrelin protects against cell death of hippocampal neurons in pilocarpine-induced seizures in rats.
Ghrelin, a 28-amino-acid peptide, is mainly secreted by the stomach. Evidence has shown ghrelin to have neuroprotective effects. However, whether ghrelin protects hippocampal neurons against cell death in pilocarpine-induced seizures is unknown. We used Nissl staining to show that ghrelin attenuated the neuronal loss caused by pilocarpine-induced seizures in the hippocampus. Ghrelin exerted the protective action through regulating the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and Akt pathway. Moreover, ghrelin treatment reversed the decreased ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax induced by seizures while inhibiting the activated caspase-3. Ghrelin can inhibit hippocampal neuronal damage caused by pilocarpine-induced seizures, which might have therapeutic value in seizures.
Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, 44#, Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012, PR China.
Jingjing
J
Xu
Shuzhen
S
Wang
Youting
Y
Lin
Lili
L
Cao
Rong
R
Wang
Zhaofu
Z
Chi
D000818:Animals; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010862:Pilocarpine; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
C494828:Bax protein, rat; D054439:Ghrelin; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D010862:Pilocarpine; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D053148:Caspase 3