title: Neuroprotective effect of lovastatin by inhibiting NMDA receptor1 in 6-hydroxydopamine treated PC12 cells.
abstract: In addition to original role of lowering cholesterol, statins display multiple neuroprotective mechanisms. In this study, 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-treated pheochromocytoma-12 (PC12) cells were used to investigate the neuroprotective nature of lovastatin. After incubation with 6-OHDA and/or lovastatin, test kits were used to detect the levels of LDH and glutamate, which were released from PC12 cells exposed to different culture media. The mRNA levels of TNF-α, and NMDAR1 were determined by RT-PCR and the protein levels were analyzed by western blot. Our results show that lovastatin significantly decreased both the mRNA and the protein levels of TNF-α and NMDAR1. ELISA assays revealed increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glutamate binding activity in 6-OHDA-lesioned PC12 cells, and this increase could be prevented by lovastatin. Our results suggest that lovastatin induces neuroprotection by inhibiting NMDAR1 and TNF-α. The data provide direct evidence of the potential application of lovastatin for the treatment of parkinson's diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology Jinghua Road 24, Luoyang 471003, Henan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jun-Qiang
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology Jinghua Road 24, Luoyang 471003, Henan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yu-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology Jinghua Road 24, Luoyang 471003, Henan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jia-Chun
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology Jinghua Road 24, Luoyang 471003, Henan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shu-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology Jinghua Road 24, Luoyang 471003, Henan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Na
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Huang
keywords: NMDA receptor1; Parkinson’s disease; TNF-α; lovastatin