title: Chlorpromazine protects against apoptosis induced by exogenous stimuli in the developing rat brain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chlorpromazine (CPZ), a commonly used antipsychotic drug, was found to play a neuroprotective role in various models of toxicity. However, whether CPZ has the potential to affect brain apoptosis in vivo is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential effect of CPZ on the apoptosis induced by exogenous stimuli.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ethanol treated infant rat was utilized as a valid apoptotic model, which is commonly used and could trigger robust apoptosis in brain tissue. Prior to the induction of apoptosis by subcutaneous injection of ethanol, 7-day-old rats were treated with CPZ at several doses (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection. Apoptotic cells in the brain were measured using TUNEL analysis, and the levels of cleaved caspase-3, cytochrome c, the pro-apoptotic factor Bax and the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 were assessed by immunostaining or western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the group injected with ethanol only, the brains of the CPZ-pretreated rats had fewer apoptotic cells, lower expression of cleaved caspase-3, cytochrome c and Bax, and higher expression of Bcl-2. These results demonstrate that CPZ could prevent apoptosis in the brain by regulating the mitochondrial pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CPZ exerts an inhibitory effect on apoptosis induced by ethanol in the rat brain, intimating that it may offer a means of protecting nerve cells from apoptosis induced by exogenous stimuli.
authors.affiliation: The Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Immunity and Infection, Pathogenic Biology, Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rongrong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Wuqi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Yujun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qingmeng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yingmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Wenjuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Jindong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhaohua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Liming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fengmin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D045304:Cytochromes c; D053148:Caspase 3; D002746:Chlorpromazine