title: Maslinic acid, a natural triterpenoid compound from Olea europaea, protects cortical neurons against oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced injury.
abstract: Maslinic acid is a triterpenoid compound present in plants of Olea europaea. This compound has been reported to have potent antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-HIV and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of maslinic acid and its mechanism of action. With presence or absence of maslinic acid, cortical neurons were subjected to 1h of oxygen-glucose deprivation and 24h of reoxygenation. Cell injury was determined by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) measurement and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Neuronal apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry assay, caspase-3 expression/activity, caspase-9 activity and Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Nitric Oxide (NO) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression were also detected. Results showed that maslinic acid dose-dependently ameliorated neuron injury and apoptosis. Maslinic acid treatment normalized the caspase expression/activation and increased the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. In addition, maslinic acid inhibited oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced NO production and iNOS expression. These results indicated that maslinic acid has beneficial effects on hypoxic neurons by suppressing iNOS activation, which may, in turn, provide neuroprotection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang Street, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
authors.forename: Yisong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Xuzhen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Longfei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Menghao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yunman
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hongbin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001688:Biological Products / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D005947:Glucose / Q000172:deficiency*; D007511:Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000235:genetics; D031658:Olea / Q000737:chemistry*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D009828:Oleanolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D053148:Caspase 3; D005947:Glucose; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D010100:Oxygen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014315:Triterpenes; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C412811:maslinic acid; D009828:Oleanolic Acid