Neuroprotective effects of curculigoside against NMDA-induced neuronal excitoxicity in vitro.
Glutamate is an important excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Excessive accumulation of glutamate can cause excitotoxicity, which plays a key role in spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases. Curculigoside (CCGS) is a major bioactive compound isolated from the rhizome of Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. CCGS has an extensive biological effect and has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, little is known about the neuroprotective effects of CCGS on glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. This study aims to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of CCGS in cultured cortical neurons. The results indicated that treatment with 1 and 10 μM CCGS evidently prevented N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-induced neuronal cell loss and reduced the number of apoptotic and necrotic cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The neuroprotective effects of CCGS are related to down regulating the apoptotic protein levels and reducing the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species in cultured cortical neurons. These findings give a new insight into the development of natural anti-excitotoxicity agents.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy and Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, Shaanxi, China.
Zhen
Z
Tian
Wei
W
Yu
Hong-bao
HB
Liu
Nan
N
Zhang
Xu-bo
XB
Li
Ming-gao
MG
Zhao
Shui-bing
SB
Liu
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001565:Benzoates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005960:Glucosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000633:toxicity*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
C494827:Bax protein, mouse; D001565:Benzoates; D005960:Glucosides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; C477170:curculigoside; D053148:Caspase 3