title: Study of the protective effects of nootropic agents against neuronal damage induced by amyloid-beta (fragment 25-35) in cultured hippocampal neurons.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder, in which progressive neuron loss, mainly in the hippocampus, is observed. The critical events in the pathogenesis of AD are associated with accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides in the brain. Deposits of Aβ initiate a neurotoxic "cascade" leading to apoptotic death of neurons. Aim of this study was to assess a putative neuroprotective effects of two nootropic drugs: piracetam (PIR) and levetiracetam (LEV) on Aβ-injured hippocampal neurons in culture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary cultures of rat's hippocampal neurons at 7 day in vitro were exposed to Aβ(25-35) in the presence or absence of nootropics in varied concentrations. Flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI staining was used for counting and establishing neurons as viable, necrotic or apoptotic. Additionally, release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) to the culture medium, as a marker of cell death, was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aβ(25-35) caused concentration-dependent death of about one third number of hippocampal neurons, mainly through an apoptotic pathway. In drugs-containing cultures, number of neurons injured with 20 μM Aβ(25-35) was about one-third lesser for PIR and almost two-fold lesser for LEV. When 40 μM Aβ(25-35) was used, only LEV exerted beneficial neuroprotective action, while PIR was ineffective.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest the protective potential of both studied nootropics against Aβ-induced death of cultured hippocampal neurons with more powerful neuroprotective effects of LEV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Bialystok, Białystok, Poland. Electronic address: krsen@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sendrowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Bialystok, Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sobaniec
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Medical University of Bialystok, Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stasiak-Barmuta
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Bialystok, Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sobaniec
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Bialystok, Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Popko
mesh_terms: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000633:toxicity*; D010889:Piracetam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C074636:amyloid beta-protein (25-35); D000077287:Levetiracetam; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D010889:Piracetam
keywords: Hippocampal culture; Neuroprotection; Nootropic drugs; β-Amyloid