title: [Protective effect of ligustilide against low potassium induced apoptosis in cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of ligustilide (LIG) on low potassium-induced apoptosis in primary cultured cerebellar granule neurons (CGN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Apoptosis was induced by low potassium in cultured neonatal rat CGN in vitro. The CGN was divided into control/model/CGP54626 + LIG and LIG group. The neuronal viability of each group was measured by MTT assay. The protein expression levels of the key insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF)-1 signaling effectors,including the phosphorylated IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), Akt, ERK1/2, CREB and activated caspase 3 were examined by Western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LIG ranging from 2.5 to 20 micromol/L could protect against low potassium-induced apoptosis of CGN ini a concentration-dependent manner. 20 micromol/L LIG significantly induced upregulation of the phosphorylated levels of IGF-1, Akt, ERK1/2 and CREB, and downregulation of cleaved-caspase 3 expression, which could be blocked by a selective gamma-aminobutyric acid B (GABAs) receptor antagonist CGP54626.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LIG concentration-dependently protects against low potassium-induced apoptosis in CGN at least partly through GABAa receptor activation and its downstream IGF-1 signaling pathway.
authors: Ling-jiao
authors: LJ
authors: Li
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Liang-fen
authors: LF
authors: Wang
authors: Jun-rong
authors: JR
authors: Du
mesh_terms: D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011188:Potassium; D051381:Rats; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; C548904:insulin-like growth factor-1, rat; C107353:CGP 54626; C027820:ligustilide; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D015107:4-Butyrolactone; D011188:Potassium