Intrastriatal Gene Transfer of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Rescues Dopaminergic Neurons in a Rat Parkinson's Disease Model

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic progressivegerontic disease, which is characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra. Efforhas been made to find effective treatment to arrest oslow down the degeneration of dopaminergic neuronsOnce regarded as an endothelial cell-specific factorvascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in recenyears, was unexpectedly found to be a critical player inneurodegeneration, and have direct neurotrophic andneuroprotective effects…     

Neuroprotective Effects of Raloxifene on Aβ25-35-induced Damages in PC12 Cells via Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathway

Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effects and the mechanism of this protection of raloxifene (RLX), a selective estrogen receptor modulator. Methods MTT assay and flow cytometry with annexin V-FITC/PI staining were performed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of RLX on Ab25-35 -induced toxicity. The potential mechanisms were studied by Western blotting in cultured rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 cells). Results RLX(1 000 nmol/L), in combination with Ab25-35 (30 mmol/L), increased the cell viability (P<0.001), and reduced the number of apoptotic cells (P<0.05). RLX attenuated Ab25-35-induced loss of Dym (P<0.01). The changing of Dym was similar to the variation of apoptosis. PD98059 (inhibitor of ERK1/2) inhibited the effects of RLX on cell viability and phosphorylation of cleaved caspase-9. No significant difference of cell viability or phosphorylation of cleaved caspase-9 had been found when PC12 cells were incubated with SB203580 (inhibitor of p38MAPK) or SP600125 (inhibitor of JNK). Ab25-35 induced a time-dependent phosphorylation of p38MAPK and JNK. In PC12 cells treated solely with RLX, ERK1/2 was activated (P<0.01). In PC12 cells treated with Ab25-35 and RLX, Ab25-35-induced phosphorylation of p38MAPK and JNK were inhibited (P<0.01 and P<0.001, respectively). Conclusion RLX inhibited Ab25-35-induced cell apoptosis by activating the ERK1/2 pathway in PC12 cells. RLX also attenuated Ab25-35-induced activation of p38MAPK and JNK. The mitochondria pathway was involved in this inhibitory effect.